AN EARLY CHRISTMAS GIFT

by Susan Crosby

  “Win!”

  He flew out of bed at the panic in her voice.

  “There’s...there’s blood. There’s blood.”

  His heart slammed into his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm, for Jenny’s sake. “I’ll get the phone. Don’t move.”

  He was gone for less than ten seconds. He punched the speed dial for her obstetrician that he’d added just yesterday. Her answering service picked up.

  “This is Win Morgan. I need to speak to Dr. Saxon right away.” He was put on hold.

  Jenny’s face was ashen, her breathing shallow. “I can’t lose this baby,” she whispered. “I can’t. Please.”

  “What’s going on, Win?” Dr. Saxon asked. He appreciated her directness.

  “Jenny and I just had sex for the first time. She’s bleeding.”

  “How much?”

  “A little. Spotting.”

  “Cramps?”

  “Do you have cramps?” he asked his wife.

  “No.”

  “I heard her,” the doctor said. “It’s not uncommon, Win, and it doesn’t mean she’s miscarrying. I want you to monitor her closely through the night. If the bleeding continues, especially if it gets heavier or she starts to cramp, take her to the hospital right away. They’ll call me. Okay?”

  Fear the likes of which he’d never known lassoed him and yanked tight. “Okay.”

  “Stay calm. Help Jenny stay calm. Chances are it’s nothing of consequence. Tomorrow morning, first thing, bring her in.”

  He hung up then repeated what the doctor said. Jenny laid her head on his shoulder as he crouched in front of her. He was calling himself all kinds of names in his head. He knew he should’ve left her alone. Knew it. He would never let her sway him from his resolve again.

  But he said, “Let’s get you to bed, Jen.”

  “I need to clean up first. Not a bath. Just a quick shower.”

  They got in the tub together. He washed her gently. Her eyes looked huge, her face gaunt, even her body seemed to shrink.

  “Do you want me to call your mom?” he asked as she got into bed. “Or someone else?”

  “I want you. Just you.”

  Relief washed over him. That was progress, in his mind. “Would you like a glass of water? Iced tea?”

  “Water, please.”

  He started to leave, but she grabbed his arm. “Fifteen seconds, Jen,” he said.

  He was true to his word. As she drank he finger combed her hair. “You need to relax. I know it’s hard, but it’s better for you and the baby.”

  “I won’t be able to sleep.”

  “I’ll stay awake for both of us. You rest. I promise I’ll wake you every hour so that you can see for yourself.”

  He got her settled, although she dug her fingers into his arms for a long time before she finally loosened her grip and gave in to sleep. He would have to call his father early in the morning.

  Throughout the night they checked, finding only a small bit of spotting the first time. After that, nothing. Then in the morning, they were already at the doctor’s office when Dr. Saxon arrived. The fiftyish woman had a single practice and delivered all her babies, no other doctors on call for her. She probably had never had a vacation because of that choice.

  “You beat my staff,” the doctor said, “but come on back. We’ll do the paperwork after. How’d it go during the night?”

  Jenny came out of her stupor. “It stopped.”

  “Good. Undress from the waist down.” She gave Jenny a sheet. “You know the drill. You staying?” she asked Win.

  “Yes.”

  Jenny heard the steel in his voice. He’d been calm and quiet all night. In control. But she could see a break in that control now that someone else was in charge.

  Dr. Saxon didn’t leave the room, but got out the supplies she needed and started the exam immediately.

  “So it was the first time you had intercourse since you got pregnant, Jenny?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And maybe you both were a little enthusiastic?”

  Win made a slight sound at the question. Jenny eyed the doctor from her position between her upraised knees. “He was trying to be gentle. I was the one who was overly enthusiastic.”

  “She told me you said it was fine to have sex,” Win said, his voice harsh, accusatory.

  “I stand by that, Win. There was no reason not to.” She rolled her chair back a foot. “Well, it looks like you’ve got a small tear, but that’s all. That’s where the blood came from. The uterus and everything else is fine.”

  Win took her hand. Jenny squeezed it hard.

  “I would suggest you hold off for a few days, then proceed with a little more caution,” Dr. Saxon said, a twinkle in her eyes. “Be creative in the meantime. It’ll be good for both of you to enjoy yourselves.”

  “It’s all right for her to stay by herself today?” Win asked.

  “Perfectly.” She cocked her head, listening. “Marnie just arrived. She’ll take care of the forms. You have your next appointment?”

  “In three weeks.”

  “Good. I’ll see you then.” She looked at Win. “You did the right thing by calling me last night. I’m glad it was a false alarm. There’s no reason to feel guilty, so wipe that from your mind.”

  They climbed into his truck a few minutes later. “I should get to work,” he said.

  Jenny knew he was reluctant to leave her alone. “I don’t have much to do today at the farm. Nothing that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. Why don’t you just drop me at the homestead. I’ll spend the day with Mom, go see Annie and the baby. You can pick me up when you’re done.”

  “That’s good.” He started the engine. “I like that plan.”

  “I thought you might.” She reached across the seat for his hand. “I’m sorry for the scare last night. Guess I’m going to have to tone down my enthusiasm.” She grinned at him, hoping he would smile back. Sex had always been the biggest part of their relationship. If they didn’t have that...

  “You just need to let me be the boss,” he said.

  “Is that right? I don’t remember the word obey in our vows. In fact, I distinctly remember having the man who married us take it out.”

  “You made quite a fuss about it, as I recall.”

  “It was important.” She couldn’t tell for sure if he was teasing her.

  He gave her a quick glance. “Will you tell your mom what happened last night?”

  “No.”

  “She’s going to wonder why you’re spending the day. She’ll see it in your eyes that something happened.”

  “Well, then, maybe you should just take me to the farm instead.” She crossed her arms. She didn’t like it when he was...

  Right.

  He took the road to the homestead, not the farm.

  “My family doesn’t need to know everything, Win. Being honest about our marriage and the pregnancy was one thing, but overenthusiastic sex is entirely different.”

  He finally grinned. “You’re right.”

  “It was really good though,” she said.

  “It was. And I’m looking forward to following the doctor’s orders and being creative with you. I wouldn’t mind if you’d wear that pink number again.”

  “Okay.” Her pulse jumped and bounded at the mere thought. There was so much about him to discover and enjoy—and delight in.

  He studied her for a moment. “That’s bettter. Now you can face your mom without her asking what’s wrong. All she’ll see is a satisfied bride.”

  “Bragger.”

  He lifted her hand to his lips for a moment, and she melted. She’d never expected him to be romantic, but she was sure glad he was. Was he intent now on courting her
?

  She wouldn’t complain about that. Whatever the reason for their marriage—whether it was for the baby’s sake or saving face with their friends and family—they were entitled to find happiness within the relationship.

  Courtship, even if after the fact, was a good start. And it didn’t have to be one-sided, either. Whether or not he would agree, he’d been courting her. What did he call the gift of securing the loan, if not courtship?

  She just had to be as clever in return.

  Chapter Twelve

  From a distance Win watched his father dismount and lead his horse into the stable. Rose was right. He was limping.

  Win nudged his horse. Usually he avoided being in the stable at the same time as his father. This time he planned it. He wasn’t looking forward to the discussion.

  His father looked up, startled when Win dismounted outside the doorway and led his horse inside. Shep had begun toweling down his horse. He couldn’t just walk away.

  “We’ll start moving the herd tomorrow,” Win said.

  “If you can manage to be on time.”

  “I told you why I was late, Dad. Jenny had a doctor’s appointment.”

  “Women have been havin’ babies since the dawn of time. If it’s s’posed to be, no doctor’s gonna make a difference.”

  Win counted to ten. “Husbands tend to be a little more involved with their wives’ pregnancies these days.”

  “You gonna be takin’ a lot of time off for doctor visits and such?”

  “It’s unpredictable. Why? You thinkin’ about replacing me?”

  “If I need to.”

  “I pull my own weight. And I make up for time lost.” Win started grooming his horse, a task that generally soothed him. “I noticed you were limping.”

  “When?”

  “When you led Zeke into the barn.”

  “Just a little hitch after a day in the saddle. It’s already worked itself out.”

  It was unusual for his father to carry on a conversation, which probably was a good indication he was lying—to himself and to Win, trying to talk them both out of thinking anything was wrong.

  Win didn’t want to involve Rose, so he said, “I’ve noticed it before. It’s gotten worse.”

  “Mind your own business.”

  “You are my business, like it or not.”

  His father glared at him.

  “Did you take a fall?”

  He snorted. “Not hardly.” He started brushing his horse’s mane.

  “Is it your hip or your knee?” They worked side by side, not looking at each other.

  “You act like I’m an old man. I’m sixty, not decrepit.”

  “Plenty of sixty-year-olds have hip and knee replacements.”

  “They don’t have ranches to run.”

  Ah. So he did know he had a problem. “You think I can’t run this place while you recuperate? Carlos has been your foreman for thirty years. I’ve been working since I was eight. I think we can manage.”

  “You’re not even livin’ here anymore. Wouldn’t surprise me if you end up working at the Ryder place, you with your newfangled ideas.”

  The fury in his father’s voice struck hard and deep in Win, who moved closer to him and kept his voice low. “Like it or not, I’m your son. What happens to this ranch matters to me. But if you want to drive me away, you keep on talking, old man.”

  Win stalked away. He caught up with one of the hands and asked him to finish grooming his horse, then he got in his truck and headed for home—to his wife, another sometimes stubborn person, but one who at least had faith in him.

  On the drive, he called his sister. “I talked to him,” he said. “He sort of admitted to having a problem, but that’s as far as I could get with him. Maybe you could talk to Doc Wheeler, see if he’d come to the ranch.”

  “He’ll think we’re ganging up on him,” Rose said.

  “We are.”

  She laughed a little. “Okay. I’ll try.”

  A few minutes later, Win parked in front of the Ryder homestead. Jenny and her mother were sitting in rocking chairs on the porch, sipping something cold. Jenny not only smiled at him, but got up to greet him as he climbed the steps, giving him a kiss and hug. He wanted to relax into her, to hold her for a while, to feel welcome, unlike at his own family’s ranch.

  Jim came out from the house with two beers and passed one to Win. A few minutes later Adam and Brody joined them, then Vaughn, Karyn and Cassidy came in their truck.

  “Are you having a party?” He’d almost said another party. It was a more-than-once-a-week event for them.

  “Just dinner,” Dori said. “If you and Jen would like to stay, there’s plenty.”

  He looked at his wife, who shrugged, as if to say it was his decision, which left him stuck. He wouldn’t mind having dinner with them, to let their uncomplicated family life dispatch his conversation with—and worries about—his father.

  “Do I have time to go home and shower?” he asked. Which would serve two purposes. He would wash the ranch off him and it would give him a little breathing space to recover from the bitter conversation with his father.

  “Is an hour enough?” Dori asked.

  “Plenty. Thanks.”

  “Maybe you should leave a change of clothes here for future occasions.”

  He nodded, then he looked at Jenny. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “I’ll go with you,” she said. “Let me grab my purse.”

  He didn’t know why that made him happy, but it did. It lifted the weight off him in a big way.

  His father-in-law dropped a hand on Win’s shoulder and steered him away from the porch, out of hearing range.

  “My daughter seems happier than she’s ever been,” Jim said. “I just want to thank you for that. I’m proud to call you son.”

  Win’s throat closed. Why couldn’t his own father tell him he was proud of him? “Thank you, sir. That means a lot.”

  Jenny came down the steps, watching them, curiosity in her eyes. She held out a hand to her husband. He took it. She didn’t argue about him opening the truck door for her, nor when he offered to help her climb in. Maybe he would hear about it in a minute, when they were on the road. She valued her independence and competence a lot.

  But she just settled back and smiled, as if intentionally baffling him was her goal. “I got to hold the baby today. Haley called him stinkin’ cute. I have to agree.”

  “How’s Annie?”

  “Back to her calm self. I asked her for labor and delivery details but she refused to share. She said we could watch the scary birthing videos in the classes, like everyone else.”

  Win laughed. It felt good, having a normal conversation. “I called the Realtor and gave her the price we want to offer on the land. We need to go to her office tomorrow and sign some paperwork.”

  “Okay. Do you want to do it at your lunch break or at the end of the workday?”

  “We’re starting to move the herd to the next pasture tomorrow. We’ll eat on the run.”

  “You can just call me when you’re done for the day and I’ll meet you.”

  Yeah, everyday conversation between a husband and wife. He’d feared they would never reach that point.

  They entered the house through the side entrance, directly into the laundry area. He shook off his dusty clothes outside then draped them over the washer, intending to wear them the next day.

  She had the shower turned on and the water at a perfect temperature when he went into the bathroom. Her eyes sparkled, her lips curved in a knowing smile. But knowing what?

  “Something you want to say, Jen?” He stripped off his briefs and dropped them on the floor. Her expression alone excited him.

  She moved close and wrapped he
r hand around him. “Take your shower. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  Then she left. Just like that.

  He couldn’t remember taking a quicker shower. He toweled off, wrapped it around his hips and went in search of her. He didn’t have far to go. She’d pulled back the bedding and was stretched out on the bed, wearing only a bra and panties.

  She patted the spot next to her then crooked her finger at him.

  His hesitation felt like an hour. “The doctor said—”

  “We should get creative. That’s what I’m doing. Lie down, husband.”

  “We’ll be late for dinner.”

  “We’re newlyweds. They’ll wink at each other and expect us to smile with satisfaction.”

  “You have all the answers.”

  “I even know the questions.”

  He stretched out beside her. “Like what?”

  “Like would my husband like me to tease him for a long time or just get right to it?”

  He sucked in a quick, hard breath as she put her mouth on him. “And the answer?” he managed to ask.

  “This is the answer.”

  Getting right to it. And man, was she ever. Her mouth was warm and wet as she aroused, tempted and teased. Her fingers found places to explore, taking him beyond earth, letting him free fall awhile, then picking up the slack again, until he couldn’t hold back and she didn’t try to make him. She honored him, celebrated him in a way she never had before.

  And he gloried in it.

  Spent, he pulled her close, felt her breath against his neck, warm and unsteady. He toyed with the catch on her bra.

  “Nope,” she murmured. “This one was just for you. You can take a turn in a couple of days, if you want.” She stretched leisurely, giving him an eyeful as her newly enlarged breasts mounded above her bra.

  After a few minutes of just lying there together, he said, “We should probably get dressed and go.”

  “If we must.” She sat up and smiled at him. “But here’s something to think about. I have plans for you for later. This time the answer to the question will be that my husband would like me to tease him for a long time.”

  She got out of bed, a self-satisfied smile on her face, fully aware that he would be thinking only about that all through dinner with her family. With her father looking him in the eyes and calling him son.