The Rancher's Baby Surprise. Kat Brookes

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СКАЧАТЬ little one into the world. We’ll need to start timing them.”

      Her hand shot out, grasping at the sleeve of his shirt. “He can’t come yet. It’s too soon.”

      “Babies come early sometimes,” he said calmly when he was anything but. Still, he felt the need to say something, anything, to ease the fear he saw in those large, green eyes of hers. “They just need a little extra seeing to. As soon as the ambulance gets here...” he began, the words drifting off as her troubled gaze left his. Garrett turned to see his brother standing in the open doorway, looking nearly as pale as Hannah had only moments before.

      “There’s a tree down across Miller Road,” his brother said evenly. “No through traffic.”

      “We’ve got chainsaws,” Garrett said determinedly. “We can see to it.”

      “Please don’t leave me,” Hannah blurted out, her grasp on his shirtsleeve tightening.

      Jackson stepped farther into the room, shaking his head. “We won’t.” He looked to his brother. “Can’t actually. The tree brought several wires down with it, some of which are hot. The electric company is sending out an emergency crew. Once that’s been taken care of, the tree can be safely cleared away and the ambulance can get through. Until then...” He let the words trail off.

      “We’re on our own,” Garrett muttered in understanding.

      Another gasp pushed through Hannah’s pinched lips, drawing both men’s gazes her way.

      “Aren’t you going to do something?” Jackson demanded of his brother.

      Garrett forced his gaze to his brother. “Me?”

      Jackson glanced over at Hannah, his expression one of concern. “You’re a doctor. Help her.”

      “You’re a doctor?” Hannah repeated, sounding so hopeful.

      He shot his brother a chastising look before turning back to Hannah. “I’m a veterinarian. The only babies I have ever delivered are the four-legged kind.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “Jackson, head on over to Mom and Dad’s and let them know what’s going on. Bring Mom back with you. If anyone knows about birthing babies, it’s her.” She had chosen to deliver her two youngest sons at home with only the help of Mrs. Wilton, a friend of his mother’s who was a midwife.

      “Garrett, I would never forgive myself if they got caught up in a flash flood on their way back here to help me.”

      “They’ll be fine,” he assured her. “Go,” he said to Jackson. As soon as his brother took his leave, Garrett turned back to Hannah. “Our parents live just a short distance up the road in the direction opposite from the rising creek.”

      “Jackson will have Mom back here in no time. In the meantime, we’ll need to give your ob-gyn a call to let him know what’s going on.”

      “Her,” she said with a soft sniffle. Releasing the hold she probably hadn’t realized she still had on his sleeve, she reached into her purse to retrieve her phone. Her hands were trembling so hard, it appeared to be all Hannah could do to hold on to it as she brought up her contact list. She lifted her gaze to his. “Would you mind calling for me?”

      He reached for the phone and glanced down at the names on the screen. “Dr. Farland?”

      “Yes. That’s her,” she said.

      As he made the call, Garrett prayed the Lord would continue to keep her and her unborn child safe. He had told her everything would be all right, but that decision lay in far greater hands than his own.

      “Garrett?” he heard his mother call out as Jackson’s front door banged open. Scurrying footsteps followed.

      He looked up from where he sat in a chair next to Hannah’s prone form to see his mother, followed by Jackson, spill into the room, twenty minutes after his brother had gone to get her.

      Hannah, whose long, dark russet hair now hung in sweat-dampened ringlets around her face, accentuating her large, pain-filled eyes, attempted to sit up.

      “Don’t get up on my account,” Emma Wade immediately protested with a staying hand as she crossed the room. Then, after taking a good look at the woman Garrett had rescued from near tragedy, said, “You must be Hannah.”

      “Yes.”

      “Such a pretty name.” With a warm, motherly smile, she introduced herself.

      Hannah nodded, unable to speak as a groan slid past her tightly compressed lips.

      Garrett couldn’t suppress his worried frown as he looked up at his mother. “Her pains are coming about six minutes apart.”

      “Then I’m here just in time to take over,” his mother said, giving his arm a comforting pat.

      “I’ll just wait out on the front porch,” Jackson said as he backed out through the open door.

      Garrett started to stand, to join his brother, but Hannah latched on to his hand, her grip firm. He glanced down to find glistening, fear-filled eyes staring back at him, and he couldn’t bring himself to leave her side.

      “It’s going to be okay,” he said, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. Just then, thunder rumbled outside, rattling the windowpane and Garrett was pulled back to the past.

       “I’m scared.”

       “You’re going to be okay, Grace. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promised. And then she was gone.

      A firm hand came to rest on Garrett’s shoulder, pulling him back to the moment. “Honey,” his mother said softly beside him, “I’ll see to Hannah now. Why don’t you go wait with your brother and watch for the ambulance to get here? They might get the road cleared sooner than expected.”

      He looked to Hannah, torn between the need to stay with her and the need to distance himself from the bad he knew could happen so unexpectedly.

      “It’s okay,” Hannah said, slowly slipping her hand from his. “I’ll be fine.” She sent an appreciative smile to his mother.

      If it was okay then why did he feel like he still needed to do more?

      Before Garrett could respond, Autumn, new bride of his youngest brother, Tucker, stepped into the room. “Water is heating on the stove.”

      “Thank you, honey,” his mother replied.

      “Jackson called you and Tucker, too?” Garrett asked with a frown.

      “He didn’t call them,” his mother replied as she returned to Garrett’s side. “I did. I thought it would be good to have another woman here to help out, just in case the ambulance hasn’t arrived by the time Hannah’s little one is ready to make his grand entrance into the world.”

      “And Blue?” he asked, referring to his niece, Tucker’s little girl.

      “Is back at the house, coloring with her grandpa,” Autumn answered.

      “Hannah, СКАЧАТЬ