The Cowboy Comes Home

by Roni Adams

  She opened her eyes and tried to get a handle on their situation. There was no turning back to the main house and Flo because the road would already be washed out. They had to get in the truck and head for town, now, before they were trapped here alone. Panic rose again at the thought of delivering the baby by herself. She couldn't do this. Yes, she could. No, she really couldn't.

  Sara walked slowly back out, her large form now encompassed in a bathrobe. Though her face revealed her agony, the stubborn woman moved about the bedroom as if nothing was wrong, tossing a bath towel down on the spot on the floor where her water had broken. “There's flooding in the south pasture, Buck had to go. If he knew what was happening, he would have stayed here with me."

  Beth's jaw dropped open. “And that would be a bad thing? He is going to kill you."

  Sara grimaced and placed a hand over her abdomen. “By the time he finds out, he'll be too busy holding his son or daughter to yell at me too loud."

  "What was your plan? Were you simply going to drive to the hospital yourself?"

  "No, I mean, I don't think so. I was going to call down to the house and get you or someone to drive me in.” She shrugged as if it was no big deal.

  "We have to go now, so get dressed. The roads are starting to flood and I have no idea how bad things are in town. I couldn't even see to get here.” Beth's heart felt as if it was going to pound out of her chest. She focused on a spot over Sara's shoulder praying for calm.

  "Beth?"

  Beth breathed in and out once more. This wasn't happening. This really wasn't happening.

  "Beth!"

  Beth's gaze slammed into her sisters. “What?"

  "Get a hold of yourself. I'm the one having the baby."

  Beth narrowed her eyes. “I realize that."

  Sara quirked her head. “Good, ‘cause I don't need you falling apart. Where's Flo?"

  Beth strove for patience. “Flo is home, staying dry. If she knew you were in labor, she'd climb on a horse to get here."

  Sara opened a dresser drawer and pulled out some clothes. “My suitcase is ready to go if you want to take it down to the backdoor. I'll throw on some clothes."

  Beth spun around, eager to distract herself. “Okay, do you need any help?"

  Sara let out what could have been a groan or a moan or maybe even a growl, but it was drowned in cuss words. Beth decided to give her a few minutes alone and headed downstairs.

  She put the hood of her rain coat back up and pushed open the front door. The rain was relentless. Please let us get to town before the roads close. What the heck was she going to do if they didn't make it off the ranch? Don't think about that. Just focus. Get her into the truck, drive. One step at a time, one action at a time. Breathe.

  Back in the kitchen, she grabbed her cell phone. Sara would kill her if she knew she was calling Buck, but she couldn't help it. Immediately, the phone went to voicemail and she hung up without leaving a message.

  "I'm ready."

  Sara stood in the doorway dressed in a large flannel shirt that had to be Buck's. Her legs were bare. “No pants?” Beth glanced out the window at the rain beating against the glass.

  "I've got gym shorts on. I don't want anything heavier on. I'm hot."

  Beth wasn't about to argue with her about what she was wearing. She just wanted to get on the road. “Okay, fine. Let's go."

  Sara moved to the refrigerator and Beth threw up her hands, anxious to get on the road. “What do you need out of there?"

  Her sister pulled out a six pack of her beloved soda. “They said I can't eat anything, but I can have liquids."

  Beth grabbed one of Buck's slickers off the coat rack and threw it over her sister's shoulders. “I think they meant water or even juice but probably not soda."

  Sara shrugged. “To each his ow—” She suddenly stopped and grabbed her middle, her face contorted with pain.

  Beth grabbed her shoulders and held on, hoping she was helping. She had no clue what to do to get her through labor. Animals needed very little assistance when they were in this state. Somehow though, she didn't think rubbing her sister's ears and talking softly was what was needed. This is Buck's job, damn it. He's the one who got her sister in this condition. Where the hell is he? Irrational thoughts of killing Buck wouldn't help.

  Sara's eyes were closed and she softly counted. Good. At least one of them appeared to know what she was doing. Once it was over, Sara's eyes popped open. This time, she didn't look so confident. Even so, ever the trooper, she lifted her chin and gave a brisk nod. “Let's go."

  By the time she helped the expectant mother into the passenger seat and moved around to the driver's seat, Beth was beyond drenched. The slicker simply wasn't made for the downpour they were experiencing. She tossed the hood back, gave one last prayer, and pulled away from the house. The defroster blowing warm air did its best to keep the window clear, but it didn't matter; clear or not, the pounding rain made it impossible to see the road.

  Fighting to keep the truck straight, her shoulders tensed and began to ache from the stress of hanging onto the wheel. Worse, she couldn't look at Sara if she wanted to stay on the road, but she heard the heavy breaths and panting every time a contraction hit. Each landmark they passed, Beth gave a prayer of thanks they were that much closer to the main highway.

  "Beth,” Sara groaned.

  "We're getting there, hang on, we're almost off the ranch."

  "We're not ... going to get there,” her sister panted.

  She shook her head in opposition. “Oh yes, we are. We'll be fine. You just keep your legs closed and don't bring that baby out before we get somewhere safe."

  "Right, okay."

  Beth groaned. If Sara was suddenly agreeing with her, putting her in control, this was not good. In fact, it was very, very bad.

  She breathed, focused, counted. Her sister's life and her unborn niece or nephew's life were completely in her hands. Sara needed her.... and she was a doctor. She could do this.

  The night she lost Cole's baby calf and the mother flashed across her mind. What if...

  No. Don't go there. It's going to be fine ... everything is going to be fine.

  Suddenly, the truck nosedived straight down and the wheel jerked from her hands. She couldn't see and had no idea what was happening. It stopped dead seconds later, and she thanked the heavens that they hadn't appeared to hit anything.

  She immediately glanced to her sister. Sara's eyes were wide but she looked okay for the moment. Beth rolled down the window. Best she could figure, they were in a ditch on the side of the road.

  "Damn it!"

  She touched her hand to Sara's shoulder but another contraction came and Sara was focused on that.

  "I'm going to get out and see if I can get us out of here. Stay put.” She put the hood up on her coat and pushed open the door. Rain pelted her and she blinked, trying to see where on earth they even were.

  With a quick study of the stuck truck, panic began to rise. There was no way they were going to be driving anywhere.

  Trying to keep the fear out of her voice, she climbed back in. “We're stuck."

  She grabbed her cell phone and dialed Buck's number but it never went anywhere. No signal. She tried again and then sent a text praying a text would go out over the weak connection.

  Sara wet her lips and closed her eyes as she rested her head on the back of the seat. “Did you see a landmarker? What number is it?"

  Beth shrugged. “I don't know, I didn't see one."

  Sara bit her bottom lip. “If I'm right, we're near the 1500 mark, which means that the old cabin isn't that far from here."

  "The old foreman's cabin?” Beth shook her head. “Even if it was nearby, I can't get the truck out of the ditch."

  The old cabin, as Sara referred to it, was really nothing more than an old, run-down shack. Better than a line shack, a little bigger, but definitely rough. It did have indoor plumbing, though. What was she thinking? They couldn't get there—the rain hadn't
let up, it would be wet and muddy ... and Sara was in labor!

  Sara's head rolled her way and her sister's eyes opened. “We should be able to walk there."

  Beth shook her head. “I don't think you can make it."

  Sara narrowed her green eyes into hard slits. “I'm not having this baby in a truck. Now let's go."

  Beth stared after her for a split second. Did anything ever rattle her? As if in answer, another contraction overtook Sara and she doubled over, crying out. Beth sat helpless, swallowing back the nausea that rose in her throat and caused a sour taste in her mouth. So many things could go wrong with this. What if they fell? She'd never be able to get Sara back on her feet let alone carry her. Weren't they better to stay here where it was at least dry?

  Sara didn't leave room for discussion and pushed her door open. “We have to go now before another contraction hits."

  Beth gave a quick prayer, grabbed the keys out of the truck, and shoved her cell phone in her pocket. Reaching behind her seat, she quickly collected the smaller of her two medical bags and met Sara at the front of the truck. Rain blinded her as she looked up. “Which way?” she yelled.

  Sara pointed.

  Holding her sister's arm in support, she gingerly led the way. Please let her be right. She couldn't see a thing. What if Sara was confused and they weren't near the cabin at all?

  Sara squeezed her hand. “Wait, I have to stop."

  They stopped as a contraction took hold of her sister. Beth held tight to her hand, whispered words of encouragement, and blocked as much of the rain from the agonized woman as possible while Sara cried out and squeezed her fingers, hard.

  Two more stops and several long minutes later, the cabin was suddenly right in front of them. Beth could have cried with relief. At least they'd be out of the rain.

  Inside the cabin, she helped Sara remove her raincoat and boots and guided her to a chair before taking off her own gear. A small woodstove stood in the corner of the room ready to be lit.

  Picking up nearby matches wrapped in plastic, she lit the kindling. Within seconds, a fire blazed. She glanced around. “This cabin isn't so bad. I guess I remembered it being a lot worse."

  The cabin had a small table with four chairs. The far end of the room held a recliner and double bed, the mattress covered in plastic. Beth hoped a plastic tote next to the bed held bedding.

  Sara glanced up after the most recent contraction stopped. “We redid a lot of these cabins the past couple of years. That way the ranch hands can just stay out here if they need to and not waste time coming back to the main house all week."

  Beth lifted the lid to the tote and pulled out a sheet and blanket. First, she needed to get her sister into bed, then she'd check out the supplies they had. By the time she had the bed made and helped Sara onto it, her sister's face was as white as the sheets. The pain she must be in had to be worse than she was letting on. Sara lay down on her back and closed her eyes.

  "I'm going to slip these wet shorts off okay? Then we'll get you under some blankets."

  Sara nodded and lifted her hips. Beth laid the wet clothes on a chair that she moved close to the woodstove. Within a few minutes, she had Sara covered up. Her sister's eyes were closed. An old sweatshirt hung on a hook on the wall, and she stripped off her own damp clothes and put that on instead. It hung past her knees but at least it was warm and dry.

  Sara swore and let out a loud groan.

  Beth moved to her side. “I think we need to start timing them."

  Sara nodded without opening her eyes. Beth pulled out her cell phone and fiddled with it until she found the stop watch. “Let me know when the next one starts."

  Beth was alarmed to discover how close together they were coming. “Okay, listen. I'm going to get some supplies out and see what we have here."

  In the kitchen, she put a kettle on the gas stove and started water to boil. They could both use a cup of tea, and even if they didn't drink it, the simple job kept her busy.

  A memory flashed through her mind of being with Tyler when they were kids in these rough buildings. What the two of them wouldn't have given to have a comfortable bed instead of the old camp cots that used to here. She smiled. They'd passed a lot of afternoons pretending to be western settlers—usually newlywed western settlers.

  With two hot cups of tea, she crossed the cabin floor and took a seat by the bed. She checked her cell phone, trying in vain to get a signal.

  Sara looked over and Beth wiped her face with a wet cloth. “How ya doing?"

  "I'd rather be wrestling a bull."

  Beth grinned. “No doubt."

  Her sister's brows furrowed. “What did you come down to the house for earlier anyway?"

  "Flo sent me. She had a feeling. She's probably sick to death with worry."

  "She'll have everyone out looking for us; they'll find us.” Sara closed her eyes again.

  "Most likely.” Beth chewed her lip. “Sara?"

  Her sister's green eyes fluttered open. “Yeah?"

  "I think I'm going to move to Abilene to be with Tyler,” she confessed, figuring it was as good a distraction for her sister than anything.

  Sara frowned and leaned up on her elbow. “What are you talking about? What about your practice?"

  "Grant can run the practice here. We'll bring in another vet or two, and they can manage it while I work somewhere in Abilene. I don't care where, it doesn't matter anymore. I just want to be with Tyler. I want to have our future the way you and Buck are having yours.” She grimaced, lifting her shoulders and letting them droop. “I miss him."

  Another contraction shook her sister, and for several minutes, Sara was absorbed in riding out the pain. When it finally subsided, her face was bathed in sweat. She lay back catching her breath. “I can't imagine living without Buck, not even for a day. If that's what you think is best, then that's what you have to do."

  "I do.” Beth wiped her brow again. “Tyler deserves his chance to do what he wants to do. I'm portable. I can be a vet anywhere. I don't need my own practice to do what I love doing."

  "I hate to see you move, especially when the baby is going to be here."

  "We're not that far away. I can come home as often as I want. In fact, if I take a job in someone else's practice, I've got more freedom.” The thought actually lightened her heart. It was a tough job being in charge of so much. It might be nice to ‘punch a clock’ and not have the responsibilities on her shoulders. “It'll be especially nice when we decide to have kids."

  Another contraction hit hard and Beth helped her through it, timing the duration on her phone. When it ended, she got up and moved to the kitchen again. Her hands were shaking and her stomach was queasy. She couldn't let her sister guess how scared she was. She had to be strong and confident.

  She closed her eyes, swallowed hard, and tried to focus. She thought about her years of training, thought about the years of growing up with Sara and how close they were. She had to get a grip on herself; she couldn't lose control. Sara needed her. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she bit down hard on her lip.

  Opening her eyes, she squared her shoulders. She was a doctor; an animal doctor,but a doctor nonetheless, and she would get her sister and the baby through this. There wasn't any choice.

  The door suddenly swung open with a bang. Beth's eyes widened in shock and surprise.

  Tyler stepped into the cabin.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tyler had only a second to zone in on Beth before she launched herself at him, her arms wrapping around his waist like vice grips.

  Laughing, he quickly pulled her away. “Let me get this off first or you'll get soaked. Are you okay?” he asked, shrugging out of his drenched slicker. “I saw the truck in the ditch and hoped you'd made it here.” His eyes took in the sweatshirt and her bare legs. He reached out and grabbed the front of it and tugged her towards him. “Nice look. Maybe being stranded here in a rainstorm isn't such a bad thing."
r />   A groan from the other side of the room snapped his head up and his jaw dropped. “Sara? Tell me she's not in labor."

  "We have to get her out of here, Ty.” Panic played over Beth's features.

  He grabbed both her hands. “I'll get both of you out of here. Stay calm for me, okay?"

  She nodded, but her body began to shake. Tyler squeezed her hands again in reassurance and moved towards the cot just as Sara opened her eyes and blinked.

  Gently, he brushed hair away from his sister-in-law's forehead. “Hey, what's going on?"

  "What are you doing here?"

  "I heard I was about to become an uncle. How about we go to the hospital now?"

  Sara's eyes filled with tears. He could remember only a very few times the strong woman ever cried in her life: their parents’ funerals, the death of her dog ... that was about it. Never from pain, not even when she'd been tossed in the dirt by a horse. He swallowed hard. Beth was shaking and Sara was crying. This can't be good.

  He forced a smile onto his face. “I'm going to help you up and get you into my truck. It's not that far from the cabin and then we can get you to the hospital. Everything's going to be fine."

  She nodded. Beth appeared next to them with Sara's shoes. Tyler helped her slip them on her feet and then pulled her upright to drape his coat over her shoulders. “Ready?"

  Sara nodded, but they hadn't gone two feet when she froze and, with a scream, bent over double.

  Beth frowned at Tyler. “They haven't been this bad before."

  Sara cried and Tyler struggled to support her weight as the contraction continued. “Breathe, Sara. Focus, breathe.” He glared over his shoulder at Beth. “Where the hell is Buck?"

  "She didn't tell him she was in labor. He's out in the north pasture dealing with a flood. I can't get a cell signal.

  Sara went limp. “Bed, I need to go back to the bed."

  "No, we have to get to the truck."

  "It's too late, aagh!” Sara shook her head. “It's too damn late. Get me to bed and get this baby out of me,” she hollered as another contraction came.

  Beth squeezed his arm. “If we try to get her to the truck, we'll only end up pulling over on the side of the road for this baby. I think we should stay here; it's safer."