Baby Makes Four

by Cynthia Thomason

  So many crucial acts and decisions had been made, and now Reed faced the toughest one...seeing Camryn after hoping all night that she and the baby were fine. The aggressive nature of the boars was rare but not unheard of. When threatened with battle or starvation, almost any animal would do what was necessary to survive.

  He would stay at the hospital as long as Camryn wanted him to, but when he left, he would examine the chicken coops for damage. Reed was certain Camryn would ask, and he wanted to be sure of his answer since he’d already noticed the carnage. The screens had been ripped from the wood structures. Chicken carcasses littered the field, including the ones of Esther’s beloved Ameraucanas. How would he tell the two women who’d come to mean so much to him that their Easter Egg chickens were gone?

  The two women who had come to mean so much to him... The phrase kept repeating in his mind the whole way to the hospital. He wished he’d been there for them sooner before their peaceful paradise had been so cruelly devastated. All he could do now was promise to help them get back on their feet. There was strength and hope in rebuilding. He wished Camryn and Esther would find that to be true.

  A pale, delicate woman lay in the hospital bed when Reed entered her room. Yet, despite the ravages of the night, she looked beautiful, calm now, and so sweet and inspiring, a symbol of surviving the worst and coming through with resolve and dignity. Reed went to her bedside, leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I’m so sorry.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CAMRYN RELEASED A LONG, slow breath. Reed did that for her. Made her feel secure, protected. He’d once rescued Esther. Now he’d saved her, brought her back from an all-consuming panic that could have gotten her killed.

  She stared up at him, tried to smile her appreciation for him being there during the night, but there were still too many questions. “How is Esther?” she asked.

  “She’s fine, with my mother and the boys.” He looked down at her tummy. “I understand this little one is okay, too. Waiting his chance like a good boy. Or girl.”

  Camryn nodded. “Yes. The baby has a good, strong heartbeat. But...Rooster?” Part of her didn’t want to hear the answer—the part that had let Rooster out the back door without considering his safety. The part that knew she would have to tell Esther if the dog were gone.

  “He’s in the best place he can be,” Reed said. “In the brand-new Bolden Veterinary Clinic.”

  Camryn hiccuped, felt tears start to sting her eyes. “Then he’s not... He’s alive?”

  “Very much so. He’ll have a few battle scars but I think he will recover fully. Right now he’s sedated, and when he leaves the clinic he’ll probably resent the heck out of having to wear a cone until he heals.” He smiled. “We guys hate to admit to a sign of weakness.”

  Tears fell freely down Camryn’s cheeks. “I don’t know how to thank you. If you hadn’t come when you did...”

  “But I did, and I’d like to think I will always come when you need me, Camryn.”

  She considered his words carefully. He was promising to always be a good neighbor, nothing more. And she was grateful. Truly she was, though she’d allowed herself to dream of more.

  He gently touched her belly. “So are you feeling any repercussions from this one after he got a firsthand look at the downside of country life? I can imagine he’s been kicking up a storm.”

  “I love every move he makes,” she said. “I definitely put stress on him, started premature labor, but the doctors controlled the pain and contractions. Now we’re both back on track with a little over two months to go.”

  Reed took her hand. “That’s wonderful, Cam. How long do you have to stay here?”

  “Until tomorrow. I called my sister, and she’s coming down this morning to take care of Esther until I go home.”

  “I would have...”

  “Reed, you’ve done enough. You’re already taking care of one Montgomery, the four-legged one. It seems we’ve been nothing but trouble to you.”

  He chuckled. “I’d like to say that you Montgomerys are no trouble at all, but I guess we both know that isn’t exactly true. But you’re worth the effort.”

  “Reed...” She swallowed, gathered her strength. “What does the damage look like? How bad is it?”

  His eyes darkened, and she knew the news was not good.

  “I would judge that about half the chickens didn’t make it. The boars had pretty well torn the coop apart to get to them. And when the birds starting escaping, there were so many of them. They were pretty easy pickings for raging boars.”

  “What about the Ameraucanas?”

  He shook his head.

  “Poor Esther.”

  Reed patted her hand. “Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow and take you home?”

  “That would be wonderful. Yes.” Home. She wished she could go home to Cottontail Farm. She wished last night had never happened. But she knew her peaceful paradise had changed forever. “It won’t be home for long, however,” she said.

  He gave her a confused look. “What are you talking about?”

  “I spoke to my parents this morning. I’m going to Charleston for the remainder of the pregnancy.”

  “Are you sure that’s necessary?” His eyes rounded with shock. He obviously hadn’t expected her to say she was leaving. “We’ll take care of you. Between me and Becky, and my mother’s cooking... Heck, half the people in Bufflehead Creek will help out.”

  “I appreciate that,” she said. “But I can’t impose on my friends any longer. The doctors have said that I need complete bed rest until the baby comes, so that means my care involves much more than just looking after me. There’s Esther to consider.” She sobbed. “I need my parents now, Reed. This has made me realize how much.”

  Reed rubbed his jaw where a dark stubble of beard had grown overnight. “I guess I can understand that. But you’ll come back when the baby is born.” He smiled again, trying to make the most of a situation that had obviously left him surprised and uncertain. “We’ve got rebuilding to do.”

  “No rebuilding, Reed. What happened last night has left me broken. I’ve had to make a decision. If Agri-Crops’s offer is still on the table, I’m going to take it. I’m going back to Charleston for good.”

  “Cam, you need time.” He sat on the edge of her bed. “The horror of last night will fade. Your determination will return. I just know it. Don’t make a decision until you’ve had a while to think it through.”

  “I have thought it through,” she said. “My time in Bufflehead Creek has been a dream, really. A wonderful dream in so many ways. But I have to consider my family. I will soon have two children who depend on me. I have to do the grown-up thing and focus on what’s best for them. The lives of my children are where my determination lies now.”

  His eyes blinked rapidly several times. “But Camryn, your daughter loves it here. You told me so yourself. There’s no reason to think that this second child wouldn’t be happy here, too.”

  “Maybe, but the bottom line is I made the decision to move here without consulting with Esther. I know her time on the farm has been good for her. She’s been content. But she gave up a lot to move here.”

  “She’s a little girl, Cam. Parents always make the decisions. I certainly didn’t consult with my boys before moving here. I told them what life would be like, and my predictions have pretty much proven true.”

  “But you’re not alone. Your parents live a few hundred yards away. But I’m...” She looked away. “I only have Esther and she only has me. And I...I simply can’t go on after what happened last night. I jeopardized this baby’s future. We almost lost Rooster, and we did lose our chickens.”

  She tried to smile through the cloud of her despair. She was unspeakably grateful that he was urging her to stay, especially after telling her to consider Agri-Crops’s offer just a few weeks ago. He valued her frie
ndship. She would never question it. But she couldn’t stay. “I’ve had a wake-up call, Reed. I have to do the right thing.”

  “How can you think you’re alone?” he said, his voice raised and practically argumentative. “Haven’t I been here for you since I moved in? Don’t you know that I’m just a phone call away?”

  He had unknowingly pinpointed the problem as far as she was concerned. He would always be a phone call away. “You’ve been wonderful, Reed. So much more than a neighbor and a guy who rents my barn. I thought at one time...” She stopped, took a long, deep breath and placed her hand over her belly. “But everything has changed. Soon your barn will be finished. Your practice will continue to grow. Your boys will require more of your time away from the farm as they develop interests.”

  She sat up straighter in the bed and gave him an intense stare that she intended to convey both her appreciation and her resolve. And she hoped that resolve would continue until she had left Cottontail Farm behind.

  “I simply can’t ask more of you than you’ve already given,” she said. “I need my family, more than I ever thought I would. My parents are willing to make room for us and give this baby the best chance for a healthy beginning.” Brushing away a tear that had fallen on her cheek, she said, “This is the right decision.”

  He nodded, a slow, deliberate sign of understanding but not accepting. “So how long? When do you plan to go to Charleston?”

  “Tomorrow. Esther and I will drive back with Brooke. I’ve spoken to my mother, and she’s already begun preparations.”

  He clenched his hands tightly. “But Cam, you’re leaving so much unsettled. You’ve established businesses here. You have friends. Your market sales increased all through the fall.”

  She sensed he was grasping at whatever straws were left in his arsenal to change her mind. He was such a good friend, a good man, but he would never be more. Even now, when he seemed confused, upset, even perhaps a bit desperate while coping with her decision, he couldn’t offer more. He wouldn’t admit how he truly felt about her and take on the responsibility of another family.

  “Your farm is how you’ve increased your income, made a good living for you and Esther,” he said. “And you’ve been succeeding. I hate to see you give it up.”

  “We won’t starve, Reed. Besides my design work at Southern Square Press, I worked for a time at a gallery in downtown Charleston. My boss said I should contact him if I return. I think he will give me my old job back, part-time anyway.”

  “That’s good, I guess.” He paused a long, thoughtful moment. “But what about your animals? The goats, the chickens that are left?”

  This was the question she had dreaded, another favor she had to ask Reed even though he’d done so much. “I have two choices,” she began. “I can ask you to take the goats to your property. The cold weather has passed, and they’ll be fine outside. All you would have to do is feed them until I can find them good homes. The chickens should sell easily. Until then, Randy, Becky’s son, has agreed to come out and feed them. My second choice is to ask Randy to care for the goats, as well, but he’s in community college...well, you know.”

  “Stop right there,” Reed said. “Of course I will take the goats to my place. I’ll feed the chickens, too, if needed.”

  She smiled at him. “It’s funny how this all worked out, isn’t it, Reed? At the feedstore that first morning, you asked me for a favor. And now it seems that all I’ve done is ask so much of you.”

  “Have you ever once heard me complain?”

  “No, you haven’t, and I guess that makes you a part of the dream I was talking about.” She took his hand and squeezed it tight. “Thank you, Reed.”

  A tremulous sigh escaped his lips, but he pulled himself together. “And the house? What will happen to it after Agri-Crops takes over the land?”

  “I’ll sell it, I suppose. Once the baby comes, I’ll return and clear out my personal belongings.”

  “So I’ll see you then, after several months have passed?” There was a painful finality in his words.

  “We can talk on the phone,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll call to check on you and the boys...and the goats.”

  “Yes, and the goats,” he said. “I guess you’ve thought everything out very carefully.”

  “I hope so. I’m sure there will be roadblocks along the way—” she stopped, sniffed “—some too painful to talk about.” Don’t say it, Cam, she thought. You have to let this go.

  A nurse came into the room. Reed stood and backed away from the bed. “How are you feeling, Camryn?” the nurse asked.

  “Pretty well.”

  “Good. Your vitals are fine, and the baby’s heartbeat is back to normal rhythm. As long as you follow doctor’s orders, there’s no reason you can’t expect a full-term birth.”

  Camryn nodded. “I will.”

  “Okay, then. You should be going home tomorrow, as planned. I’ll prepare the discharge papers, and the doctor will release you in the morning. Do you have a ride home?”

  “She does,” Reed said.

  One last act of kindness, Cam thought. And then her mind played a horrible trick on her. What will I do without him?

  * * *

  REED PICKED ESTHER up at his parents’ motor home on his way to meet Brooke at Camryn’s house. The child was full of questions. What happened to the chickens? Were her Ameraucanas okay? Where was Rooster?

  Camryn had made Reed promise not to discuss the fate of the chickens until she’d had a chance to prepare Esther. But over the phone, she had told her daughter the truth about Rooster. Reed was glad she had. He was able to sit with Esther and explain about the dog’s injuries and assure the child that her beloved pet should be okay.

  Both Brooke and Reed kept Esther from seeing the ruined chicken coop. For the rest of the afternoon, Reed and Randy did what they could to clean up the yard. When they were finished, the destruction still tore at Reed’s heart. And not just because he was sworn to save animals and relieve their suffering. But because the unforgettable event had broken Cam’s heart.

  The next morning Esther went with Reed to pick up Camryn. Brooke stayed at the house to pack essentials for the trip to Charleston. Esther still didn’t know they were leaving that afternoon.

  “Rooster is a hero, isn’t he, Mom?” Esther said when they were all in the car and driving back to the farm. “He was protecting us.”

  “Yes, he is a hero,” Camryn agreed. “I’m going to ask Miss Becky to bring some extra fine doggie treats from the feedstore so Rooster will know how grateful we are.”

  “When will he be able to come home?”

  Camryn looked to Reed in hopes he would answer this question. He could provide the necessary medical details until she explained that Rooster wouldn’t be coming back to Cottontail. When he was well enough, he would come to Charleston, too.

  “Rooster was injured pretty badly,” Reed said. “But he’s a strong, brave dog, and we want him to have the very best care, don’t we?”

  “Yes, we do,” Esther agreed.

  “Then I’m going to suggest that he stay in my clinic for a while until he’s all better.”

  “Can I come see him?”

  “Maybe not right away,” Camryn said. “We want Rooster to stay calm and quiet so he will heal more quickly.”

  When Reed pulled into Camryn’s drive, Brooke came out the door immediately. She helped Camryn get out of the car, gave her an encouraging hug and assisted her in walking to the front door.

  Esther followed behind them. “Mommy, why is Auntie Brooke acting like you’re sick or something? Didn’t you say you were okay?”

  “Don’t worry, kiddo,” Reed said. “Your mommy is not sick, but she has been in the hospital for what we call observation. Your aunt Brooke is just acting like a concerned sister.” Reed put his arm around Esther and walked her to the house. �
��I have a hunch that you will know all about those feelings once you become a big sister yourself.”

  A calm and compassionate man, Camryn thought. He always knows what to say.

  * * *

  “LET’S GET YOU in bed,” Brooke said to her sister. “I’ll bring you some lunch when you’re settled in.”

  Camryn looked up at Reed with the big blue eyes that had done him in the first time he’d seen her. She smiled, a slight tremulous lifting of her lips that didn’t seem much like a smile at all. “Thanks for bringing me home, Reed,” she said. She breathed deeply, keeping her gaze locked with his. “That sounds so shallow. I should be thanking you for, well, so many things over the past weeks.”

  “You have thanked me, Cam, even though that was never once necessary.” He took her hand, realizing that he was no longer needed in her life. She had her sister, her daughter, her parents, maybe even her ex-husband, the father of her baby. They would take care of her, and after a few phone calls and one more trip back to her farm, she would get on with her life and Reed Bolden would fade from her memory.

  Just as well, Bolden, he said to himself. You’ve given her no reason to keep a memory of you fresh and alive and meaningful. But the fact remained. He simply couldn’t offer her more than friendship—the most heartfelt kind—right now. Every time he thought about how much he would miss her, he ended up remembering the awesome responsibilities in his life and the awesome obligations soon to be in hers. Maybe if they’d met at a different time...

  Her voice interrupted his thoughts when she called from the bedroom. “Essie, will you come in here, please? I have to talk to you, sweetheart. There are things you need to know.”