Cheyenne, Noah, and Dakota raced to the front porch. “Gotta get washed up for supper,” Noah yelled, as if they were silly to delay Isabo’s good dinner by something as inconsequential as kissing.
“Should we check Kita first?” Elsa hesitated before they went in. “I think we should. I can always warm stuff up later.”
“Then, yes. Chey?” Nick called through the screen door. “Let’s check the barn, okay?”
Cheyenne came quickly. “Before supper?”
“Babies can’t read clocks. They come when they’re ready, and it’s better to have a feel for what’s going on,” Elsa told her.
She followed them quickly. “I think it’s a great idea, Elsa. We can eat anytime, right?”
“Exactly.” Elsa smiled down at her, and when Cheyenne took hold of her right hand, she also took hold of Elsa’s heart. A whimper from the back of the foremost barn said something was happening. They found the mother dog pacing the far corner of a clean stall. She gave another worried whimper, then moved forward and pushed her snout into Cheyenne’s outstretched hand.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s in labor,” Elsa told her. “That means someone either brings supper out here or we eat later, because we need to be on hand for this.”
“You don’t mind?” Nick asked, as if she might be a few cards short of a full deck, but Elsa was too busy making him a list.
“Sharp, short scissors and alcohol preps. Or just a bottle of alcohol will do. Some kind of bowl or basin, a nesting box with a clean old sheet or towel in it, extra towels and old sheets, a scale, a notepad for listing weights as the puppies grow so we can track the growth of any laggards, a warming light, a coffee for me, and a latte for obstetrical assistant, Cheyenne. Oh, and aprons or old T-shirts for us to put on so we don’t ruin our clothes.”
Nick looked surprised and pleased, but mostly surprised, and when he and Angelina came back with a tote full of supplies a few minutes later, Elsa smiled her thanks and pulled on one of his old Gray’s Glen high school basketball shirts. Then she draped a table she’d found in a far corner with an old sheet and had Cheyenne set up a nursing station right there.
“I forgot a pencil for recording weights,” Elsa said as the red-and-white dog started to circle, pawing up straw into a rounded pile. “Or a pen.”
Nick brought back a pen from the barn office as puppy number one entered the world.
“She’s having them, Dad!” Cheyenne’s eyes went round at the sight. “I can’t believe this! I’m watching puppies be born! Isn’t this the coolest thing ever?”
“It is,” Elsa agreed happily, keeping her voice soft. “Now we’ll just wait while she tends the first one or two. The trick is not to bother her until we need to. Kita is the best judge of how things are going. She’s had a litter before?”
“Two years ago, a little earlier than we intended.”
“Life has a way of doing that, doesn’t it?” Elsa quipped as she took a seat on the ground. Cheyenne followed suit, and when Elsa crooned words of love and encouragement to the beautiful and industrious dog, Cheyenne did likewise. Nick found an office chair, set it down, straddled it backward, and leaned his arms against the chair back. “Now what?”
“We wait,” Elsa answered softly. “Our goal is not to interfere, but if it’s a big litter, we need to be able to give the newest babies first dibs on Mom while we tuck the firstborns aside.”
“Will she miss them?” Cheyenne asked. “Won’t that worry her?”
“Giving birth keeps them pretty busy, so it works,” Elsa assured her. “And each new pup deserves some time with its mommy, time to be cleaned up, cuddled, rolled around.”
“That’s just weird,” Chey whispered back. “Rolling a brand-new baby around?”
“It stimulates them to breathe and stretch,” Nick explained. “It gets the baby dried off, gets the blood flowing and the baby taking nice big, deep breaths. That way any moisture in the puppy’s lungs gets pushed out, and then the lungs are nice and clear.”
“Like a cow.”
“Yes. Only they usually only have one baby to worry about. From the looks of Kita, I’m thinking seven or eight puppies.”
“Really?” Cheyenne clapped her hands together silently, and her thrilled expression said the angst of the afternoon had been forgotten in the beauty of this new moment.
God’s perfect timing.
Elsa hadn’t thought of that in a long time. Circumstances had made the possibility of his timing surreal, but now she realized those circumstances were all about man’s selfishness. The glow on Chey’s face said this opportunity charted the beginning of a new course. Cheyenne Stafford, ranch hand and general cowgirl. When Kita began the process of delivering puppy number two, Elsa picked up the first puppy and dictated stats to Cheyenne. “Twelve ounces, boy, liver and white, both ears liver colored.” She deftly set the tiny boy pup back down alongside his mother while Kita tended the newest member of the family. “Nick, can you check on BeeBee? Even though she’s not due for days, it’s not unusual for them to go early.”
“Good idea.” He left and returned fairly quickly. “All is quiet on that front. But she’s been pawing straw into the corner, so it won’t be long, right?”
“Sometimes they do that for days,” Elsa answered. “And sometimes they do it when they’re in labor.” Elsa exchanged looks with Cheyenne. “Eventually you need to rest tonight because you’ve got a big day tomorrow, Miss Cheyenne.”
“I can sleep during the day,” Cheyenne supposed, and the excitement in her voice said dance recitals were the last thing on her mind. “This is so much more important.”
“Nick, how much do you generally ask for one of these pups?” Elsa wondered, and when he named a price similar to what her father had drawn for their puppies, she swallowed hard. “That ups the stakes a bit, doesn’t it?”
“Nah.” Nick reached out and laid a hand against her cheek. “It’s never about the cost, remember? It’s always about life.”
She fell head over heels right then because Elsa was pretty sure that most people—well, most businessmen—would see each pup as a miniature bank account. But not Nick. And he’d told her the same thing about his father when he pointed out the pair of equine pensioners lolling in sweet green grass up the hill. Life first.
Angelina and Colt showed up just then. “We wanted to see if you guys need anything. We can bring supper out here.”
“That would be great.” Cheyenne got up and hugged Colt, then Angelina. “I can’t believe I get to help Kita and the puppies. And BeeBee will be having hers soon too. It’s like a miracle, isn’t it, Uncle Colt?”
Nick’s rough and tough older brother peeked into the stall. And then he locked eyes with his fiancée, and the look they exchanged reflected the world that lay before them, filled with joy, babies, and second chances. Oh, Elsa wanted that. All of it. Seeing their happiness sharpened the ache she’d carried for three long years.
God wants his children joyful. The voice of her conscience chided her gently. Throw off the mantle of sadness and wear joy. It’s time, Elsa.
“I think number three is on the way,” Nick said softly. Elsa picked up the second puppy while Kita was busy delivering its brother or sister, weighed her, and reported the statistics to Cheyenne.
Colt nudged her shoulder once she’d replaced the puppy into the stall. “Nice system. That way you can keep track of their gain and keep them straight from the beginning.”
“It’s what we did at my parents’ place. It’s basic but effective.”
Colt faced Nick. He kept his voice soft but loud enough for Elsa to hear. “If you let this one get away, I will never let you forget it. Understand?”
Nick scowled at him but then winked at Elsa. “I’ve got this.”
“You do?” Elsa arched a brow and looked from brother to brother, but then she smiled. “Well. Maybe you do, at that. Did you guys leave Trey in there with the other kids? Because that’s kind of mean, isn’t it?�
�
“Trey loves kids, but you’re right. If we hang out here too long, Dakota and Noah will be clamoring for a visit, and I told them they have to wait until morning so that Kita and the pups have time to relax a little.”
“That’s perfect, Colt,” Elsa agreed. “Too many people make mothers nervous. Nervous mothers make mistakes.”
“I like having an expert on hand.” Colt draped his arm around Angelina’s shoulders. “Let’s go get supper for these guys. Then we can make a fire so the kids can roast marshmallows tonight. We’ll listen to frogs and gaze at the stars.”
“I’d love that.”
Elsa stared after them.
Kids and campfires and frogs and stars. Keeping it real.
A puppy whined. She turned and caught Nick’s appraising gaze, and when he smiled, heat climbed her cheeks.
He edged closer as Cheyenne retook her nursing station position on the floor. “My brother is rarely right, and when he is, he has a tendency to never let me forget it, but in this case”—he shoulder-nudged her gently —“I’m totally willing to take his advice. Not letting you get away has become a new, and very nice, goal. Just so you know.”
She faced him full on so he’d understand the import of her words. “And just so you know? I’ve got no intention of going anywhere. I’m enjoying being right where I am.”
His smile widened to a grin. “Well, then.”
“I think we’ve got another one coming.” Cheyenne’s excited whisper turned them back to the stall.
“Cheyenne, I’m going to have you pick up puppies one and two and put them in the box so Kita can concentrate her efforts on the newest puppies. And, Nick, do you guys have a caged warming lamp someplace?”
“What’s a caged warming lamp?” Cheyenne asked as she gently cradled the first puppy into the box nearby.
“A hot light with a protective shield around it so it’s less of a fire hazard.”
“Oh.”
“It’s almost summer.” Nick pointed outside. “Warmth comes with the territory.”
“I know, but optimum temperature for puppies is ninety degrees the first week, then down by five each succeeding week.”
He stood. “I’m on it. They’re in the back barn, so it’ll take me a few minutes.”
By nine fifteen, nine perfectly healthy puppies lay in a row along Kita’s side, four boys and five girls.
“I can’t believe it.” Cheyenne reached out and gave Elsa a spontaneous hug, an embrace that felt good and right. “Elsa, thank you for letting me help.”
Nick cleared his throat.
“Oh, and you too, Daddy!” She peeked up at him from the circle of Elsa’s arm and grinned. “But I’m so excited that Elsa let me be a nurse, weigh the puppies, keep an eye on things. That’s like the best night of my life ever.”
“Mine too,” Elsa whispered, and she hugged the girl one more time. “But you need to go shower and get to bed.”
“Are you going home?” Cheyenne wondered. “Who’s going to watch over the pups tonight?”
“That would be me.” Hobbs ambled into the barn with a tall mug of coffee. “I’m fairly useless for a few weeks yet, but I know how to keep an eye on all kinds of things, pups included. And might I add, little missies, you done a right fine job of tendin’ this mama. The important thing is keepin’ mama calm and pups straight, and Miss Elsa here’s got the lowdown on that. Mighty fine work, both of you.”
“Thanks, Hobbs.” Cheyenne hugged him gently, mindful of his bad arm.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Sleep well.”
“Oh, she will,” Nick whispered as he watched her race off. “And she’ll be up and out here early to check on things, no doubt. Why did it take me so long to see that she’s an animal lover with a rancher’s heart? Was I just stupid or too protective?”
“The resident psychologist pleads the fifth,” Elsa said with a laugh.
“Which means both,” he supposed with a wry smile. “Hobbs, thanks. A little shuteye would feel good right about now. Elsa, you want to stay here for tonight? We’ve got a daybed in the office. I can take that, and you can have my room.”
“And that way you’re here if BeeBee starts having puppies.” Hobbs set his coffee mug down on the long, low table they’d used for weigh-ins.
She could wake up with the crazy of ranch life burbling around her. Tend puppies and children and see Nick. But it wasn’t her place to do that. Could it be, someday?
Perhaps. But not when secrets lay between them. Secrets that had gone on long enough. “I’d love to, but I have to tend that crazy bird and take Achilles home. I’ll come back in the morning, though, unless BeeBee starts into labor tonight. She looks comfortable right now, so I’m guessing we’ve got some time. But I could be wrong.”
“I’ll call you if she starts,” Hobbs promised. “You’re most likely right, but first-timers can be a dickens to manage.”
“Thanks, Hobbs.”
“My pleasure, Doc.”
On the way to her car, Nick dashed into the house, got his keys, then came back outside. “I’ll meet you at your place.”
She glanced from his truck to her car and back. “Why?”
“I’m seeing you home.”
Warmth escalated again because what kind of man did that? Thought of that?
The best kind.
“Nick, there’s no need. I’m a big girl; I can find my way home —”
His kiss stopped the argument, and she had to admit, kissing was more fun than talking. “Stop fussing. It’s how it’s done, Elsa. The right way.”
“Okay.” She drove home, happy. Calm. Excited. The blend of emotions took her every which way, and when Nick walked her to her door a few minutes later, she realized that happy had become the norm again.
And it felt marvelous.
“Thank you for seeing me home.”
He grinned a lazy grin in the slanted lamplight. “My pleasure.” And when he leaned in for a kiss, then paused, making her wait, her heart about paused too.
She could live a life with this man, a full and contented life with this man, whose grace and goodness shone in all he did, and when he finally touched his lips to hers, she wanted it to be forever.
He sighed, bumped his forehead to hers, and sighed again. “I’m falling for you, Elsa. I know we haven’t known each other long, but that’s the truth of it. I needed to tell you.”
A mental warning knell made her pull back. It wasn’t his speed that caused the internal nerves.
He thought he knew her, or was getting to know her. But he didn’t know the dark side, the oppressive anxiety that had weighed her down. If he did, would he trust her with his heart? With his children? “Do we have to rush?” She leaned back against his arms and faced him. “Can we take some time and let things develop? There’s a lot we don’t know about each other, and so little time to talk. Private time, I mean.”
“We’re here now.” He held her loosely, waiting.
They were, and that might be fine if she could predict his reaction. She couldn’t, and she wasn’t going to throw the already heightened drama of the dance recital into a bigger tailspin than what had happened today. She shook her head. “Tomorrow’s going to be stressful enough for the girls, and I don’t want long, drawn-out conversations to mess up the day. But maybe tomorrow evening? Once the girls are settled and the recital’s over?”
“Sure. But Elsa…” He waited until she met his gaze. “I don’t think there’s anything you can tell me that will change the way I feel.”
Oh, Nick…
He had no clue what he was saying. She knew that. And when he kissed her good night, she prayed he was right, but she understood the raw truth. Two unstable women had played havoc with his heart already. She was pretty sure Nick Stafford wouldn’t want to take a chance on a third.
Puppies? Healthy and nursing. The ranch? Being overseen by Murt with a steady barrage of advice from Hobbs.
Trey was bringing Sam to the recital; Co
lt was bringing Angelina, Isabo, and Noah. Nick had picked up Elsa two hours before, leaving enough time to check the puppies and BeeBee and think about what life could be like in the future.
He climbed into the driver’s seat, started the engine, then paused because the rightness of it all seemed unbelievable. Elsa beside him; the girls in the backseat, not fighting. Peace in the kingdom—a welcome rarity. Bliss, he decided as he turned the SUV around and drove down the long, sloping drive. Right now he had all the elements of the life he’d wished for so long ago. Family. Faith. Friends. A woman he could trust. And his ranch, brimming with strong, healthy animals, a tribute to good stock-raising standards. It wouldn’t last. Life had a way of throwing unhittable curve balls.
Whitney could start some kind of firestorm and mess up the day. The girls could stumble through their performances and come undone. Or a crucial piece of hair ribbon could be misplaced, inciting tears of frustration.
They’d handle it like Elsa suggested. One problem at a time, day by day.
He was blessed; he knew that completely, and as he paused at the roadside, he motioned to Cheyenne. “Hey, Chey, can you send that box this way please? To Elsa?”
“Sure can.” The girls giggled as Cheyenne passed a wrapped package up to the front seat.
“What’s this?” Elsa looked at them, then Nick. “Is this a present?”
“Yes!” Dakota fist-pumped the air as if Elsa’s conclusion deserved amazement. “That’s exactly what it is!”
“I’m not opposed to presents as a general rule, but why am I getting one?” Elsa wondered as she slipped the ribbon from the big floral-wrapped box. “It’s not my birthday.”
“I don’t even know when your birthday is,” Nick confessed. “Which means we do need to talk.”
“October fifth, and it’s perfect because I love fall,” she told him. She maneuvered the ribbon, then slipped off the box cover to reveal the hat she’d admired at Hammerstein’s. “Nicholas Stafford. How did you know?”
He grinned because he couldn’t help it. “You like it? Really? Deenie said you would.”
Home on the Range Page 23