by Lara Lacombe
Rose whinnied as she approached, evidently smelling her presence. Maggie walked up to the stall door and peeked inside, expecting to find the horse in the same spot she’d been in moments before.
But Rose was pacing the confines of the stall, rubbing her sides up against the walls as if she itched. She called out to Maggie as soon as she saw her, and the plaintive note in her neigh made Maggie’s heart crack. The animal was clearly in distress, but Maggie had no idea what to do.
She watched in horror as Rose lifted one of her back legs and kicked at her pendulous belly. “Oh, no! Please don’t do that,” Maggie begged. But Rose ignored her and continued pacing and kicking, her distress clearly growing.
All of a sudden, Rose knelt and listed to her side until she was lying on the floor. Maggie heard a distinct “pop” and then a gush of fluid hit the floor of the stall. An earthy, slightly sweet tang filled the air, not unlike the scent of freshly mowed hay.
“Rose,” Maggie said slowly, panic rising in her chest. “Please tell me you just peed yourself.”
But no matter how strongly Maggie wanted to deny it, she couldn’t escape the truth. Rose was in labor.
And she was going to have to deal with it by herself.
Chapter 22
Thorne drove as slowly as he dared, wanting to give Knox time to arrive and get into position. He wasn’t quite sure what he would find when he arrived at the old well, but he didn’t want to face it alone.
He left the gravel road and drove into the tall grasses, using the copse of trees as a landmark to guide his trajectory. After cresting a low hill he spotted the well in the distance, little more than a bump in the field.
Thorne maneuvered the truck closer, wanting to park by the well to minimize the distance Mac had to travel to get inside the vehicle. He wasn’t sure what condition his father was in, but hopefully he could still walk...
He pulled to a stop and took a second to study the scene before him. Mac was on the ground, propped against the stone skirt of the well. Wes Kingston, his former stepfather, stood over him, his gun pointed at Mac’s head. The look of determination in Wes’s eyes made Thorne’s heart skip a beat. This was a man who was prepared to do violence. There would be no reasoning with him.
Thorne opened the door of the truck and slowly slid out, careful to keep his hands up and visible so as not to give Wes an excuse to pull the trigger.
“Look who finally showed up,” Wes remarked, shifting his weight slightly.
Thorne glanced at his father. There was a dark stain on the collar of his shirt, and the way he squinted made Thorne think he was in pain. He scanned his father’s body, but didn’t see signs of any other injuries. That was good, but Thorne still didn’t relax. Mac might be relatively unharmed now, but it would take only one bullet to end his life.
“What’s going on here, Wes?” Thorne tried to keep his tone casual, but inside he was practically vibrating with adrenaline and anger. He never would have guessed that his onetime stepfather was in league with Livia, especially after the way she’d cheated on him and then publicly humiliated him during their divorce.
“It’s rather obvious, don’t you think?” Wes replied. “But then again, you always were a little slow.”
Thorne ignored the jab. “I’m guessing you’re the one who’s behind all the recent excitement?”
Wes’s jaw tightened, as if he was unhappy about something. “Things didn’t work out the way I’d hoped. But I’m still going to come out on top.” He cocked the gun, and Thorne’s heart froze.
“Just a second,” he said quickly, stepping forward. “It’s obvious you want to kill me and Mac. But just tell me why. Why are you working with Livia after all the pain she caused you?”
Wes stared at him a moment, his features twisted in confusion. Then he laughed, a harsh, barking sound that cut through the air and silenced the ambient birdsong. “You think I’m working for that bitch?” He sounded genuinely amused, and for a second, Thorne thought this was all some kind of elaborate prank. “No,” Wes continued. “I wouldn’t piss on her if she was on fire.”
“Then what—?”
“I’m using her,” Wes said, as if this should explain everything. “Now that she’s out of jail, I can kill Mac and you, his son, and blame Livia for it.” He cocked his head to the side, studying Thorne for a moment. “Did you really think I was going to let that go? That I would just forgive and forget the fact that this man—” he kicked Mac hard in the legs, causing him to groan “—slept with my wife?”
“But you hate Livia,” Thorne said, trying to wrap his brain around the delusions driving Wes. Why take out his anger on Mac for something that happened almost thirty years ago, especially when whatever love Wes had once had for Livia had long ago turned to hate?
“Yes, I do,” Wes agreed. “That’s why I’m going to enjoy framing her for murder.” He pointed the gun at Mac’s head again, and Thorne realized the time for talking was over.
He sucked in a breath and tensed his muscles, preparing to charge at Wes. Hopefully he could knock the man off balance and cause his shot to go wide. But he was standing so very close to Mac...
Just as Thorne pushed forward, a shot rang out. He dropped to his knees, expecting to find Mac’s limp body on the ground. But his father stared back at him, his eyes wide and his expression shocked.
Wes let out a low moan, and Mac and Thorne turned as one to see the man sink onto his knees, a rapidly growing bloodstain blossoming on his chest. Wes looked at them with wild, panicked eyes and tried to lift his arm to aim the gun he still held. Thorne launched himself at the man, knocking him onto his back and wrestling the gun free. He passed it to Mac, then turned back to Wes and applied pressure to his wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood.
After a few moments Thorne heard the sound of footsteps approach. “You took your sweet time,” he observed.
“Had to give him a chance to change his mind,” Knox said. “Is he still alive?”
“So far,” Thorne replied. “Let’s hope the ambulance gets here soon.”
Knox squatted by Mac and the pair started talking. Thorne listened as his father told Knox everything that had happened, from his early morning ride to finding the cover off the well and getting hit on the back of the head.
“The next thing I knew, I opened my eyes and he was standing over me,” Mac said.
“Thank God he didn’t shoot you outright,” Thorne said.
Mac’s eyes filled with tears as he looked at Thorne. “I almost wish he had,” he said. “I hated luring you out here, knowing this man intended to do you harm. I only did it because he threatened to kill Maggie and the ranch hands if I didn’t cooperate.”
“Dad, you don’t have to apologize,” Thorne said. He wanted to hug his father, but he didn’t want to stain him with Wes’s blood. “Believe me, I know you were only doing what you thought was right. Besides, I picked up on your warning. Maggie’s back at the barn with Rose, and I have the hands doing patrols of the inner perimeter, just to make sure we have no other surprises.”
“That was smart thinking,” Mac said quietly. “I’m glad you kept your head.”
“Calling me wasn’t a bad move, either,” Knox observed.
“I’m just glad your shooting skills aren’t too rusty,” Thorne said with a grin. “Otherwise, I’d be the one on the ground now.”
The faint whine of an ambulance sounded in the distance, and Thorne gave a mental sigh of relief. He couldn’t wait to turn Wes over to the proper authorities and get Mac checked out. He’d left Maggie alone for far too long, and he wanted to get back to her and share the good news that the threat hanging over their heads was now gone. He smiled at the thought, imagining her reaction. They could finally start their life together, free from fear.
He couldn’t wait.
* * *
Maggie had never been more terrified in her life.
The car bomb had been scary. The snakes in Mac’s office had given her chills. And yesterday’s fire had lived on in her nightmares. But they all paled in comparison to the events unfolding before her now.
There was no denying Rose was in labor. She was heaving and groaning, working herself into a lather as she tried to give birth to her foal. Maggie was no expert, but it was clear something was wrong. She’d seen a foot appear, only to disappear again a second later. This pattern had been going on for the last quarter of an hour, and Rose was growing weaker by the moment.
Maggie wanted desperately to help her, but she had no idea of what to do. After Rose’s water had broken, Maggie had tried to find someone—anyone—to help. But she didn't have her cell phone and none of the ranch hands answered her cries. The place was like a ghost town. So Maggie had returned to the stall, wanting to offer the comfort of her presence, if nothing else.
“Maggie?”
Her head whipped around at the sound of her name, and she nearly wept with relief. “Jade! Oh, thank God you’re here!” She ran toward her friend and grabbed her by the hand, then started pulling her back to the stall.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Jade stopped when she saw Rose on the ground. “Oh,” she said, her tone changing from concerned to professional. “How long has she been like this?”
Jade slipped into the stall, moving carefully around Rose. The horse let out a pained whinny and Jade placed a hand on her heaving side. “I know, sweetheart. I know.”
“I’m not sure. Her water broke maybe thirty minutes ago? There’s been a foot coming out and sliding back in for about fifteen minutes. I tried to go for help, but no one is here.” Maggie stopped, realizing she was babbling.”
Jade merely nodded and rolled up her shirtsleeves. “Okay. Sounds like a bit of obstructed labor. Let’s see if we can help her out.” She knelt by Rose’s tail to take a look, then rose and pulled her phone from her pocket. She passed it to Maggie. “Call the vet. Speed dial number three. Tell him we have a maiden mare trying to foal, and it looks like the baby isn’t positioned correctly.”
Maggie’s hands shook as she brought the phone to her ear. She relayed Jade’s instructions while her friend pulled on Rose’s halter, tugging and coaxing until the horse had no choice but to stand.
“He said he’d be here in twenty minutes.” Jade shook her head at this news, and Maggie’s heart sank. “That’s not good enough?”
“No,” Jade said shortly. “We have five minutes, maybe ten, to get this foal out if we want it and Rose to survive.”
Maggie cursed silently, despair settling over her like a second skin. It was bad enough Thorne was putting himself in danger to save Mac. He’d never forgive himself if Rose died because he hadn’t been there when she’d tried to give birth.
She had to do something to help. Even if their efforts turned out to be in vain, Maggie had to be able to say she’d tried to save them.
“What can I do?”
Jade glanced at her, nodding in approval at the question. “Open the stall door. We need to make her walk.”
Maggie did as she was told, throwing the door wide so Jade could lead a reluctant Rose into the main aisle of the barn. “Now help me encourage her,” Jade said. “She wants to lie back down and push, but we can’t let her do that yet.”
“Okay.” Maggie put her hand on Rose’s neck and began to talk to the horse, urging her to keep moving. “Why are we making her do this?”
“I think the foal is in the wrong position. If we can get Rose to move enough, it might shift the baby enough so it can be born.”
“And if this doesn’t work? Is there something else we can try?”
Jade didn’t reply, but the tight set of her mouth told Maggie everything she needed to know.
Maggie turned back to Rose, her stomach in knots. “Come on, girl. You can do this. You have to do this.”
They marched her up and down the aisle for several minutes, until Rose planted her feet and refused to budge another inch. “Okay, mama,” Jade said soothingly. “You can lay back down now.”
Rose allowed them to lead her back into the stall, where she promptly knelt and leaned over onto her side. Jade knelt by the horse’s tail and gestured for Maggie to join her. “Hold her tail out of the way, will you?”
Maggie gathered up the coarse strands of hair and pulled them out of the way. She watched in fascination and fear as Rose’s belly heaved with a contraction. Her breath caught in her chest as one foot began to emerge...
“Come on,” Jade whispered. “Please, Rose, come on.”
Maggie found herself leaning forward, as if she could help the horse through sheer force of will. As she watched, more of the first foot emerged, followed by a second hoof, and a few seconds later, what looked like a nose.
“Yes!” Jade exclaimed in a loud whisper. “That’s it, girl! Keep going.”
Maggie’s body sagged with relief and she nearly lost her grip on the tail. Rose continued to push and, within a couple of minutes, the rest of the foal’s body had been delivered.
Jade sprang into action then, tearing away the white membrane covering the baby and gently manipulating the umbilical cord so that it was away from Rose’s hooves. The foal lay on the straw, limp and stunned, but as Maggie watched its sides heaved as it drew its first breaths.
She sank onto her bottom, heedless of the mess surrounding her. “Good job, Rose,” she said softly, patting the mare’s hip gently.
Jade gripped the foal and rotated the baby so that it sat on its chest with its feet forward. Rose sniffed at the foal with interest and began to nuzzle and nibble at its slick coat.
Maggie sat motionless, entranced by the vision of mother and baby meeting for the first time. Now that the ordeal was over she felt hollowed out and exhausted, her body and emotions almost numb from the intensity of the experience.
“What do we do now?” she whispered to Jade.
“Nothing,” Jade said with a smile. “We need to clean her up, but that can wait a few minutes while they get acquainted.” She turned to look at Maggie and her eyes widened in surprise. “Looks like we need to get you cleaned up, as well.”
Maggie looked down, registering the gore around her for the first time. The sweatpants were likely ruined beyond saving, and they clung wetly to her body as she got to her feet. Jade offered her a hand, helping her to walk across the slick hay. “I can’t have you falling,” she said lightly. “Thorne will be upset enough that he missed the foaling. He’d kill me if I let you get hurt, too.”
“I’m just glad you were here,” Maggie said. A shadow of her initial terror passed over her and she shuddered. “If you hadn’t showed up when you did, Rose probably would have died.”
“You can thank Thorne for that,” Jade replied. “He called me and told me to get out here right away. He wanted me to keep you company.”
“Oh,” Maggie said, at a loss for words. Leave it to Thorne to worry about her while he was in the midst of saving his father. It was just like the man to try to take care of everyone in his life, no matter the circumstances.
A flash of love warmed her chest, followed closely by a shot of fear. Thorne had been gone for a while now. Had he found Mac? More importantly, were they both safe?
“What’s going on?” Jade asked. “Thorne said he didn’t have time to explain. He sounded stressed, so I didn’t press the subject. But I was hoping you could tell me.”
Maggie opened her mouth to do just that but was interrupted by Jade’s phone. “Speak of the devil,” Jade said. Maggie heart leaped into her throat—that must be Thorne! She fisted her hands by her side to keep from snatching the phone away from her friend, but she didn’t hesitate to lean forward in an attempt to overhear the conversation.
> “Hello?” Jade listened for a moment, then held the phone out to her. “He wants to talk to you.”
Maggie didn’t waste any time. “Thorne? Are you okay? What happened?”
His deep voice was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard. “I’m fine. Mac is fine. Knox made it here in time and the threat is gone.”
Her muscles threatened to give out and she gripped the edge of the stall door. “That’s good,” she said, emotion clogging her voice. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“Maggie, what’s wrong?” He sounded alarmed, and she realized he thought she was hurt.
“Nothing, everything’s fine. Your sister and I had a little adventure while you were gone, that’s all.”
“Are you okay? Is Jade?” he said urgently.
“We’re both fine,” she assured him. “Rose decided to have her baby while you were gone.”
“Oh, damn,” he said softly. “I was hoping to be there. Did it go smoothly?”
Maggie couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, not exactly. But Jade got here just in time.”
“Put her back on for me, will you?”
Maggie passed the phone to Jade, who took it with a slight frown.
“Uh-huh,” Jade said. “Yes, I did that. Yes, the foal is sitting normally and breathing fine. No, I didn’t break the cord.” She rolled her eyes at Maggie and shook her head. “This isn’t my first rodeo, Thorne. The vet is on his way—he’ll check them both over, but for now, stop worrying.”
She thrust the phone back into Maggie’s hands. “You talk to him. I’m going to go flag down the vet.” She walked away, muttering to herself.
“I think you made her mad,” she said.
“She’ll get over it,” Thorne replied. “I just need to make sure all my girls are safe.”
“We are,” Maggie confirmed. “But I, for one, will feel much better when I see you again.”