After the meal, the men hustled the women into the living room with their coffee and cookies, while they rolled up their sleeves and took care of the dishes. Katrina left, still giving instructions, while her husband assured her from the sink, that they could wash a few pots.
"It's more like a mountain," sighed Milly as she sank onto the sofa and relaxed.
"Is good for them," her mother-in-law said. "Mens should know how much work is to feed a whole family. But next year, we have in hall with caterers."
"That's a great idea," Lucy said tongue in cheek. "Just think of showing up and everything is done for us. Food, drink, decorations."
"Is more better my cooking," objected Katrina.
"That's so," said Hannah, joining in what she guessed was an annual discussion of a remote possibility. Momma clearly had no intention of letting go of the reins.
"I love your Christmas tree," Martha said. "All those little socks and mittens and booties are adorable. Did you knit them all yourself?"
Katrina shook her head. "Lucy and Milly they knit some. Next year you and Hannah and Madeline do too."
"But it's already crowded," objected Maddie.
Lucy chuckled. "Only until the New Year. Every single item will be donated to the women's shelter in Yakima. So next year we will have to get busy and make more."
"Oh. I didn't realize. That's a lovely custom," Hannah said. "I'll have to get out my knitting needles and get busy."
Katrina smiled happily. "Is more better than glass balls. This way the children can put on tree without breaking nothing."
"I did wonder why the bottom branches were so heavily laden," said Martha to general laughter.
Jack and Doug came into the living room. "We're going to go out and walk around--check out the roads," Jack said. "There are no reports of road closures, but it's still raining hard."
"But you'll get soaked," objected Hannah.
Doug and Jack grinned identical white grins. "We won't melt," Doug assured her. "We'll use the mud room," he warned.
Oh. Hannah realized that the men intended to take bear and cover the distance more quickly than they could in vehicles.
Doug and Jack stripped in the pristine mudroom and hung their clothes on the hooks over Katrina's tidy benches. Doug opened the door and he and his brother went out into the icy, driving rain. It was just above freezing and they were soaked before they had fully taken bear.
Doug's was five inches shorter than Jack, but their bears were the same weight—Doug’s broader bulk translating into an equally massive bear. Soon two muscular, six hundred pound bears stood sniffing the rain saturated air. Both bears had the same golden muzzles and eye spots. Jack's sported deep scars on his belly and on the back of his neck. The brothers stretched and enjoyed the wild freedom of being in their bear bodies, using their bear senses.
Doug headed west while Jack went east to the river. Doug bounded along the side of the road, prepared to conceal himself in the forest if he saw headlights. The deep ditches raged with a torrent of fast moving water that was still rising. The pavement was streaming, but drivable. The ground under his giant paws was soft, but by moving quickly he was able to avoid bogging down.
Doug went all the way to Tom's place and found the road passable the entire way. A culvert had been blocked by debris and he cleared it out with his powerful forepaws. He left a pile of broken branches and leaf litter to baffle some future road crew and headed back on the other side.
Jack followed the road to the highway. His bear had been riding him all day. He didn't know if he was just twitchy about Hannah. Ever since the doctor had told him she had to take it very quietly until her due date, or risk premature birth, he had been worrying. Triplets were hard on any woman, even one built like Hannah.
Hannah was nearly as tall as her sister. And she was certainly stronger. She had kick boxed—in pre-pregnancy days—and she had retained the formidable upper body strength of her college shot-put career. Her frame was big and her hips broad. But three babies was still a lot for one womb. And he only had the one life-mate. He couldn’t face having anything happen to his wife.
Jack galloped along beside the roaring ditches and turned downhill. The water picked up speed as the slope increased, and it scoured the ditches and sent churning mud toward the river. The ground underfoot was sodden despite the drainage and Jack had to slow down and pick his way through the trees.
In another quarter mile, he saw that the road was underwater and the ditches on the far side had collapsed. The water was now flowing downhill through the trees and underbrush, carving new gullies. This was not good.
He was thankful for his enormous bulk that permitted his bear to wade across the rushing river that this section of road had become. He followed the new stream that the blockage was carving out of the hillside to where the road bent and met the torrent of storm water.
The lower ditches had held and were directing the runoff to the distant river, but they were high and getting higher. Not good. As he paced through the trees, the rain came harder and the sky directly overhead was spit with lightning. Thunder rolled loudly.
An ominous crack on the other side of the road heralded the fall of a massive dead oak tree. Its wide bare branches took down a stand of smaller trees as its roots pulled entirely free of the soil and it collapsed across the roadway. White pine and Douglas Firs fell across and into the ditch. The road was completely blocked. Jack gazed appalled.
Almost immediately the blocked ditch began to overflow. Water filled the roadbed and ran into the opposite ditch and spilled down the hillside. The forest groaned as it absorbed this fresh load of water into its already saturated floor. Disaster loomed and Jack headed back to higher ground.
With a roar the hillside slipped and trees and underbrush cascaded down toward the valley. Far away, Doug heard the mudslide, and bypassed his parents' house to track his younger brother. He found Jack looking down on the bridge which was already jammed with fallen trees and mud. The two bears looked sadly at the steel edifice.
It was obvious no one could use that bridge tonight—even if it didn't wash away, it was too dangerous to drive over it. And it would have to be reached from below in any event. They were cut off until the storm passed over. Even bears could not remove all these downed trees. For this they needed bulldozers, chainsaws and a team of strong men. All of which were available nearby and could be deployed in daylight. But in the meantime, no one could get to town. And town could not get up the mountain.
They were wet but not cold in their thick bear pelts, but they were anxious to spread the word. Without further ado, they turned and headed home uphill through the trees. Their bear vision was suited to nocturnal hunting, and they found it easy to avoid the runoff. Their dinner plate sized paws sank into the saturated moss and pine needles, but did not stick. But the cheerful windows of Ed and Katrina's big log house were a welcome sight.
Jack and Doug shook their muddy bodies in the rain and sent water flying. Together they shifted and stood naked in the rain to wash the worst of the filth off. Ed came into the mud room while Doug was showering and Jack was able to report.
"Road to town is blocked with trees. And we've had a mudslide. Right above the curve before the bridge. I would not have picked that spot for erosion damage," Jack told his dad. "But a dead oak fell and took out the trees in its under story. The whole lot fell in the ditch." He shrugged his mud streaked shoulders.
"The bridge is holding back the debris from the river." Jack made a face. "But with the mudslide, it's not safe. It blocked and it might go at any time. We'll need a crew as soon as the weather clears." He looked up as his older brother emerged drying his short, dark hair. Jack hurried off to take his own shower.
"Jack's right, Dad," Doug said as he put his clothes back on. "That bridge is dangerous and we should get word out. But Tom and Sam and Will are good to go if they leave right now. Roads are wet, but passable. I'm going to take Maddie and head home."
Jack steppe
d out of the shower and began to drag his clothes on. "Yup," he said. "We should start by blowing the sirens and follow up with our emergency plan."
"I'm on it," Ed said calmly and headed to his study. Within moments he had activated a siren that echoed shrilly through the deep woods. Down at the mill, an electric relay automatically initiated a series of loud blasts. Ed got out his cell and was unsurprised that he had no service. He found his satellite phone and headed to the back deck to start his calls. Beginning with the State Patrol.
Each person he contacted had a list of kinfolk and others to call. Soon the clan had news of the bridge and were warned to stay put. With Jack, Doug and Will's assistance, Tom and Sam were loading their vans with their cubs. Milly, Lucy and Maddie were kissing Katrina goodbye.
"You call me when you reach safe," Katrina said. The vans pulled out to a chorus of admonishments to drive carefully.
Jack turned to see Hannah standing looking blankly around. "My water just broke," she announced in stunned and baffled tones.
CHAPTER THREE
Jack had his arms around her and was lifting her before she could say anything else. His hard face was white. "What do we do?" he demanded.
"You put in your father's study,” Katrina said calmly. “Will and Martha you go open the couch and make up the bed. Ed you take bear and go to Jenna Bascom and get her. We going to have cubs before dawn," Katrina headed to the kitchen and water ran.
Jack knew that his cousin Jenna was a trained midwife with a decade of experience. She worked at the Hanover Clinic and would be well able to assist at a birth. But multiples were always risky, and they had no incubators, no doctor, no hospital, if something went wrong. His arms tightened on his precious burden.
Hannah softly stroked her bear's damp hair. "It'll be fine," she said as a spasm took her. "I can walk you know, and it may be best if I do."
Katrina came out of the kitchen wearing a clean pinafore and carrying a box of latex gloves. "You take Hannah to study. I go fetch her a clean house dress. You take off those wet pants."
Ed tried to raise Jenna Bascom on his satellite phone. No answer. He left a message. "Will," he said, "You try to raise her folks on Yakima Ridge. If she's there, you may have to take bear and get her."
In seconds, Will was on the phone and trying to get hold of his Aunt Debbie and when she didn't answer, his Aunt Carole. Looked like no one on Yakima Ridge had service tonight. He left messages and headed for the mudroom.
Ed and Will took bear in the downpour. Ed's bear was considerably smaller than Will's massive American Black. Despite Ed's grey muzzle, his hindquarters were still powerful and vigorous. He plunged rapidly thought the trees, heading upslope towards the cabin where Jenna lived alone. He hoped she was there. It seemed all too likely to him that she had gone to Yakima Ridge to celebrate with her family. But he trusted Will to find her if that was indeed the case.
Will was more than happy to be out of the house where Hannah was beginning to make awful noises. Her bellows brought home to him the enormity of getting his own mate pregnant. As his powerful bear trotted rapidly through the forest towards Yakima Ridge, he contemplated the horror of losing his Martha in childbirth. What on earth had he done getting her with cub?
* * *
Hannah was more comfortable out of her sodden wool slacks. But she didn't want to lie down as Jack wanted her to. He was in a total flap—although he was pretending hard that he had everything under control.
Abruptly, Hannah realized that she was not prepared to give birth—no one had explained how much the contractions hurt. This agony was too much—how did she go about changing her mind? She bellowed as a wave of contractions compressed her womb and pain shot through her whole body.
Little Shelly, who had been overlooked in all the commotion, was suddenly in her element. "You have to breathe," she said kindly to Hannah. "And you mustn't shout and waste your energy," she advised.
They all stared at the composed young woman who returned their surprised looks with a radiant expression. She modeled deep, relaxed breaths for Hannah and told Jack to hold her from behind. "Put your hands under her tummy," she instructed. "Help her by lifting the babies when she has contractions."
"Hannah, breathe. Don't shout. Breathe." Shelly was patient and earnest.
Martha and Katrina locked eyes and shrugged. Shelly had obviously been learning this stuff on her own. They could find out where and why later.
After about twenty minutes, without warning, Hannah stopped having contractions. She sat down in Ed's desk chair and looked about her relieved. "I feel fine," she said. "I guess it was a false alarm, after all."
Katrina beamed at her. "Good, is good. Rest now. Jack, you must rest too. We will wait." She bustled off to check on the rags she had boiling in the kitchen. Hannah might think she had had false labor pains, but she was willing to bet there would be babies by morning.
* * *
There were no lights on in Jenna's tidy cabin. Ed's heart sank. Rain dripped from the roof and a general air of solitariness enveloped the small house. Her truck was not in the garage, and no one answered when Ed banged on her door with his massive forepaws. He headed back to his house, hoping that Will had better luck on Yakima Ridge.
Will was enjoying himself. He loved everything about being in bear. He loved running through the woods. He loved the feel of his powerful bear physique . And the thunderstorm and saturated forest floor merely added a wonderful spark of danger. A SEAL who didn't enjoy the adrenaline rush of a mission, didn't get much accomplished.
He was having fun, but he was also taking this assignment seriously. Martha would never forgive him if her sister lost a baby because he had botched his job. And he would never forgive himself if he let his twin down.
The Bascoms and Benoits on Yakima Ridge were spread out and it took a fair amount of time to find Jenna's truck. It was parked outside of Uncle Pierre's house with a small herd of other vehicles. The windows were lit and the noise of merriment spilled out into the clearing.
Since he had to explain things to Jenna, Will retook human form. Fortunately, Uncle Pierre's entryway had a fine collection of big jackets to cover his wet maleness, and even some grubby towels to blot his streaming face with.
"Hey, Will, what brings you out here?" asked Lenny Benoit with raised brows, as Will walked into the kitchen wearing an old yellow slicker that just about made him decent.
"I need Jenna," Will said. "Hannah's in labor. The road is out. The bridge is unusable, and I can't take the bird up in this."
It wasn't long before he was telling Jen about Hannah. She was a big boned, handsome brunette in her mid-thirties. Like all the bears of her clan, she had a placid, capable air.
"Her water broke, and she’s started to bellow and moan," Will informed his cousin. "My mom thinks she will pop tonight."
" I'll need to examine her, myself, of course," Jenna said. "But Aunt Katy has a lot of experience with childbirth. Any chance you can airlift us to the Yakima General Hospital?"
"I couldn't risk it in this weather," Will told her. "And I don't think you can drive to my folks. The bridge is out."
"I'll need my kit," Jenna thought aloud. "How many babies?"
"Three," Will said.
"Definitely my kit." Jen paused to think. "I have a mini version in the truck. I could perhaps carry it in my mouth if I took bear."
"It's a long way to go," Will objected. "And a raw night, you’ll need your head for balance. I think you should ride on me and put the kit in a back pack."
The Bascoms and Benoits had been talking quietly amongst themselves and making plans to get the cleanup started when the storm ended. Uncle Pierre intervened. "I have a pack that we can strap on you, Will. You put your bag in that, Jen, and then you both can run through the woods in bear. It'll be faster."
Jenna's bear, being female, was smaller than Will's, so they took longer to make the return journey. Will let his cousin set the pace, mindful that she had to conserver her energy
so she could work when they arrived. But Jen was strong and fit—a bear in her prime—and she managed a brisk gait all the way to the Enrights' place.
Will let her go ahead of him to shower and change while he prowled the yard making sure the storm had not created any immediate problems outdoors. So far they still had electricity, and while a few branches were down, none were anywhere near the roof—his father was too wily for that.
* * *
Hannah's contractions had begun again. They were closer now, and more intense. Despite the breathing she was doing, the ferocity of her pains was startling. Jack stood behind her bracing her perspiring body and supporting her taut belly with both his big hands.
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