“Good to hear that. It’s great to have a midwife in town. My wife and I are expecting our first child, but she’s not as far along as Rayna.”
“Congratulations,” Caitlin said. “I understand this hospital is still fairly new.”
He nodded. “We expanded it from the small clinic that was here the past twenty years, but we’re grateful to have a bigger facility as well as technicians that can perform CT Scans now as well as other radiological tests.”
“That’s wonderful, and so much easier than having to send patients to Billings.”
“I’m hoping we can have a longer meeting sometime and you can tell me any new research on midwifery since you just graduated from the course. I’m not an OB, but have done my share of births during my residency and after arriving here two years ago.”
“Exchanging information and special cases is one reason my boss agreed to my temporary leave of absence.”
“I hope you enjoy Snow Valley. We’re a town that likes to celebrate holidays and seasons big time so just dive into the festivities. We can get a little snowbound during the winter and I know folks would love to meet you.”
“Thanks, I will. And thanks for the warm welcome. I’ll let you get to your lunch.”
“Stay in touch.”
Doctor Taggart walked Caitlin to the door and she headed back to her car with the urge to do a bit of exploring. But first, she was starving. Down Main, she spotted a burger joint called Big C’s. The food was spectacularly greasy and delicious. Hot, crisp seasoned fries and the biggest homemade hamburger she’d ever had. Even her favorite San Francisco hamburger shop couldn’t touch this.
Taking her soda with her in the cup holder of the Altima, Caitlin drove slowly through town. Every driver waved as they passed, despite the fact that they had no idea who she was.
On a side street, a group of kids were making a snowman. Rolling the final ball to create the head. The young people were bundled up in so many layers, they looked like snowmen themselves. When they began throwing snow balls at each other, Caitlin got the feeling she was watching a scene out of a 1960s television show.
Remembering that she’d forgotten to pack a few of her makeup supplies, Caitlin put Dove’s into her GPS and found the store again. Not that it was terribly far. A couple of blocks, but she still kept getting turned around. There was no ocean to tell her which direction was west and no Oakland hills to tell her which way was east.
The store was a mish-mash of sundries, groceries, and hardware. Caitlin found the makeup aisle and was pleased to find the brand of mascara and eyeliner she usually used. A nice soft pink lipstick called to her so she stuck that in her hand-carried basket.
At the check-out, the young gal running the cash register was busy chatting with the customer in front of her.
After Caitlin paid for her items, the cashier whose nametag read Sheila, grabbed a hand-lettered card the size of a large postcard and handed it over with the receipt.
“This is an invitation for next Friday afternoon at George Holbrook’s ranch. There’s going to be sledding and sleigh rides and hot cocoa and scones. The whole town’s coming. Please come so you can meet folks.”
“Why, thank you,” Caitlin said. “It sounds like fun. I’ve actually never gone sledding or sleigh riding.”
“It’s time to start if you’re going to live in Snow Valley.”
“Oh, I’m just here temporarily. I’m helping Rayna at the Starry Skies.”
“Oh, you’re the cousin midwife. We all know about you.”
A laugh burst out of Caitlin. “Seems everyone does.”
“We mean that in a good way. You’ll make friends in no time. And come to church on Sundays. Nearly everyone goes, unless they’re a complete atheist. And even then, the non-believers come to the potlucks and socials.”
“Sounds nice, actually.”
The girl smiled. “This place has a pull on people. Even if you leave, you’ll end up coming back.”
Caitlin laughed. “You make Snow Valley sound almost, well, mystical.”
Sheila nodded. “It is magical in a really nice way. A town you can live in your whole life and feel blessed and enriched. Oh, don’t forget to enter our drawing over here! We have a Valentine Drawing every year. You’ll win a $100 gift certificate for the store and a months’ supply of chocolate. Who can resist that?”
“Not me,” Caitlin admitted. She filled out the card with her name and cell number and put it into the big plastic red heart sitting on the counter.
“Winners will be announced at the Valentine’s Day dance. The Iron Stix used to play when they were growing up here, but they’ve gone big time now. Even building up a recording studio outside of town at a place Clay Jett calls The Barn.”
“The Iron Stix. Cool name. So they’re from Snow Valley?”
Sheila nodded. “They’ve produced albums and gone on tour. Clay Jett plays bass, a girl named Amber with a fabulous voice is the lead singer and Clay’s fiancée Paisley is now part of the band, too. They’re engaged to be married sometime later this year.”
“That’s impressive,” Caitlin said, even as she tried not to grimace at the mention of a local band—including fiancée’s and engagements. It reminded her too much of Stefan and Painted City. The pain was still too raw.
10
Back in her vehicle, Caitlin glanced down at the winter party invitation. There was a map to the sledding event’s location, including the time and what to bring. If Rayna didn’t need her, perhaps she’d attend just to see what a winter event in a small town was like. Wade should be home that Friday night, right?
“Speaking of Wade,” Caitlin murmured when she pulled into the Starry Skies. His pickup truck with the Snow Valley county logo was parked here.
Her cousin’s husband greeted her when she closed the front door
“Caitlin, you’re here!” Captain Wade Kinsella gave her a quick hug. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you when you arrived. I feel guilty to be so scarce.”
“No worries. That’s why I’m here. It’s great to meet you at last.”
“Thanks for giving up your life to come help us out. We’ll never be able to repay you.”
Caitlin waved away his words. “I’m glad to help. I’m just not sure I’ll ever get used to these bitter temperatures.”
“You’ll have to come back another winter and take up cross-country skiing. Honestly, Snow Valley will make a mark on your heart.”
The Fire Chief was definitely handsome, from his perfect features to his easy smile. Captain Wade seemed to lack any sort of vanity or pride, which was refreshing. Rayna had found herself a good man.
“So how’s my wife and baby?” he asked now, raiding the refrigerator while Caitlin shrugged out of her coat and gloves.
“They’re perfect. Everything looks well. Don’t worry about them. I think Rayna will go full-term, but she has to stay down.”
“Just tackle her if she comes downstairs.” Wade’s eyes caught hers and his mouth quirked into a smile.
“Will do,” Caitlin joked in return.
“I know she’s bored,” he went on. “She’s usually a bundle of energy. She figured she’d be running the B&B and half the town all through the pregnancy.”
“I’m afraid not with a first baby at her age.”
“Hey,” Wade paused, pressing his lips together thoughtfully. “I don’t know much about pregnancies, but everything’s okay, right? I mean, the baby’s healthy and all that? I know Doc Taggart sent blood and amniotic fluid away to a lab for testing.”
“I read his charts and there is no sign of birth defects or Down’s Syndrome in the lab results if that’s what you two are worrying about. I’m sure he told you.”
“He did,” Wade nodded. “I just wanted to hear it again.”
“I completely understand. Now go up and see her and keep her from watching reruns any longer.”
“I’ll check out Quentin’s work first and go right up. Is he still here?”
>
“I have no idea. I’ve been gone the last few hours. But he did a number on the guest room wall.”
“Huh?”
“The room I’m using downstairs. A crack took down part of the guest room wall and turned into air conditioning.”
“I’ll make sure he gets right on that,” Wade said.
“Oh, I know he will. I already gave him an earful.”
Caitlin hung up her coat and scarf, tucking her gloves inside the pockets and dropping her handbag on the bed.
She heard the sound of male voices and then the sight of Quentin came into view when he reached out a hand to knock. Caitlin felt herself suck in air. That man did something to her, but he was completely not her type. Besides, he was so infuriating half the time.
Silently, she watched him and Wade discuss the repairs to her wall. It didn’t take long before he’d shoved the insulation back in and taped it up.
“We’ll fix the electric lines on Monday,” he told Wade. “All the other lights and electric outlets are working, but now there won’t be cold air coming into this room over the weekend. But just in case, make sure your electric blanket is working.”
He gave her a wink and Caitlin felt like he was being patronizing. She returned to the kitchen where she found fixings for dinner for her new little family of Wade and Rayna. She’d become a combination of relative, midwife, housekeeper, and cook.
But she actually didn’t mind. It was nice to have other people in the house, although it didn’t make her want to move back in with her parents. Not at twenty-seven years old.
The next ten days passed quicker than Caitlin expected. The newlyweds checked out Monday morning, paid their bill in cash, and Mrs. Davies did the grocery shopping and heavy cleaning, washing floors and scrubbing bathrooms.
Caitlin dusted the public rooms downstairs and brought up paperwork and bills for Rayna to attend to from her bed. The rest of the time the two of them spent going over labor and delivery plans, as well as watching labor videos about what to expect, breathing exercises, decisions to be made about natural birth or the use of an epidural.
Their new guests checked in and breakfast became much more lively with a couple of teens wolfing down food like it was going out of style.
Caitlin stayed out of Quentin’s way as much as she could. The man was busy, but when he came in to do a better patch job on her bedroom wall, she’d catch him watching her as she went in and out with laundry or poring over her medical books.
Often, he gave her a puzzled look. “I can’t figure you out, Just Caitlin Webster,” he finally said one afternoon.
She forced herself not to smile at the name he gave her. She wanted to remain annoyed, but when he wasn’t running her down with his truck, or breaking down her wall, he was actually very nice. His voice was even better. Deep with a melodic timbre that sent a quiver up her spine.
Caitlin wished she could shut off her senses to him. She wanted to stop thinking about running her hands through that thick, auburn hair. Or run her finger over his lips and that tiny indentation next to his mouth.
“I’m not that complicated,” she said now, her eyes skittering away from his.
“All work and no play makes life a bit dull.”
“I love my work,” she said simply, lifting her shoulders in a small shrug.
“So do I, but it doesn’t mean I want to do it twenty-four-seven.” He paused. “I happened to see the invitation card on your dresser for the sledding party the Holbrook’s are putting on. You going?”
“Haven’t decided yet.”
Quentin just nodded and went back to taping the crack in the wall, mudding it over so it could dry and then he could texture in a couple of days and repaint.
Why didn’t she tell him she was going? Caitlin had no idea. Quentin made her cautious. Self-preservation? Fear? The Curse?
She almost laughed at that. Quentin looked over at her and Caitlin let out a cough to cover up her snort, moving her books to the parlor to sit in the sun under the south window.
Caitlin had been in Snow Valley more than two weeks when the sledding day arrived. She and Rayna and Mrs. Davies had a routine going now. They weren’t bumping into each other all the time and Caitlin wasn’t second-guessing herself with running the B&B or Rayna’s occasional contractions.
She also tried not to stare at her Fortune Teller List more than every few days, keeping it tucked away in her drawer so Quentin didn’t accidentally see it and think she was completely psychotic.
But why do I care? Caitlin rolled her eyes at herself.
“I wish I was going,” Rayna said when Caitlin came upstairs to say goodbye late Friday afternoon. “I love the snow. You’ll have a great time. Bring me some cookies or a scone.”
“Absolutely.”
“Now turn around,” Rayna ordered.
“What are you talking about?” Caitlin laughed, turning as Rayna held up a finger in a spinning motion.
“You’re wearing your cutest jeans and sweater. Good. That hunter green color suits your green eyes perfectly. You’ll have all the single guys drooling over you and wanting to have a snowball fight with you as their partner.”
“Riiight. Not.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself.” Rayna said, then spoke more softly. “What Stefan did to you was his problem, not yours. The man has ego issues as high as the mountain out back. You’re not unattractive in the least, quite the opposite. And your figure looks ten times better than my current one.”
Caitlin shook her head, trying not to blush.
“Don’t think you’re cursed, either. The right man is out there. Don’t close yourself off to any possibility.”
“Cursed?” Caitlin echoed. “That’s a strange choice of words.”
“Oh, honey, us girls always think we’re cursed if we get into a failed relationship. When you don’t marry until you’re forty, you have more than your share. Your mother probably never told you that when I was seventeen I ran away with a boy to elope.”
Caitlin’s jaw dropped. “No, she did not.”
“That’s a story for another time,” Rayna said with a shake of her shoulders. “It’s water waaaay under the bridge, but I got the perfect man for me after another twenty years of looking.”
“Yep, he’s pretty perfect,” Caitlin agreed with a smile. “I’m glad Wade is home so I don’t have to feel guilty about leaving you tonight.”
“Did I hear my name?” Wade said, coming up the stairs and launching himself onto the king-sized bed.
“Alright, you two,” Caitlin said, laughing at his boyish actions. “Enjoy your evening. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Five minutes later, Caitlin was in her car, extra scarves, socks and heavy boots and hat. The sun would be going down in a couple of hours. Sledding first, then sleigh rides with lanterns seemed to be on docket.
She found the Holbrook Ranch fairly easily and the hill was actually the property of Kellen and Ivy Thomas who recently built their home there.
Families, kids, teens, and young adults were already on scene, ripping down the massively wide hill with store-bought sleds, homemade sleds and garbage can lids brought from home.
Squeals and screams and laughter filled the air. Many others, mostly the parents and other adults were watching. Cheering and clapping their offspring or grandchildren.
A couple of tables had been set up where a few women were filling Styrofoam cups with hot cocoa.
Caitlin wandered over, her feeling of being a total stranger coming over her stronger than ever. Maybe she should have stayed at home, curled up with a book by the fire.
“You must be Rayna’s cousin,” an older woman said, handing her a cup of hot chocolate. The cup warmed her hands even with gloves on.
Caitlin took a small sip. “I’m Caitlin Webster.”
“I’m Ilene. Everybody calls me Grandma Ilene but I’ll answer to just about anything, and this is Ivy, my granddaughter-in-law.”
“Pleased to meet you, Ivy. And
you must be the owner of this beautiful new home.”
Ivy nodded, her face glowing with the cold, her eyes bright. “It’s great to meet you. How is Rayna? Everybody’s been worried about her.”
“She and the baby are well. Getting close now. Only five or six weeks until the due date.”
“That is close,” Grandma Ilene said. “She’ll be so glad to be up and running again. Good timing with spring and summer coming and the B&B getting busier.”
“How’s the house remodel?” Ivy asked next. “I understand Quentin Hudson is doing it? A nursery?”
Caitlin nodded. “Making good progress. Almost time for texturing and painting, then carpet.”
“How lovely,” said another female voice coming up behind them. “I just love babies.”
“This is Pastor John’s wife, Cora,” Grandma Ivy said, making the introductions. “Meet Caitlin Webster, Rayna’s cousin and midwife.”
“How exciting to have a midwife in our midst,” Cora said, shaking Caitlin’s hand. “Just like the olden days when we had babies at home. Well, I didn’t, but my grandmother certainly did!”
All the women laughed, a few younger mothers grabbing cookies for their younger children. A few teens filled up plates and then ran off to start a snowball fight.
“Something like that,” Caitlin agreed. “But Rayna will be going to the hospital. Even midwives deliver at hospitals. And it’s safer when you’re an older mother.”
“I agree,” Ivy said. “I’m too chicken to have a baby at home.”
“Take your time, sweetheart,” Cora said, the lines around her eyes crinkling. “Although Snow Valley has the potential for a lot of babies in the next few years.”
“Why is that?”
Cora leaned in. “There are a lot of newlyweds in town, plus two more weddings in February and March. Let’s see, there’s Kevin and Molly Snow who were married about six months ago.”
“Chet and Mercedes Bauer got married at Christmas time,” Ivy added. “It was a beautiful wedding and their pictures are stunning with a snowy backdrop.”
“Don’t forget Amy and Jake’s wedding on March third,” Grandma Ilene added. “I must get to my gift shopping soon. There’s someone else in March and now I can’t remember. Adam and Destiny?”
UnBreak My Heart_A Snow Valley Romance Page 7