A Necessary Woman

by A. E. Easterlin

  A strangled cough and abrupt clearing of the throat broke the interlude. Pete.

  Embarrassed warmth flooded her cheeks. Chest rising and falling rapidly, she glanced uncertainly at her husband as he pulled back with a knowing smile. Had he read her thoughts? Perhaps not, but he had certainly felt her response. Jake laughed softly. “All in due time, my sweet—all in due time.”

  Strong muscles tightened as he sat and pulled her down beside him. He flicked the leads, and the wagon lurched forward.

  “Look there, Suzanna.” Jake pointed. “To the west are our barns and outbuildings. The horses are being groomed to sell to the cavalry. I signed the contracts with David St. John before he retired from the Army and left for Atlanta.”

  “That’s how you knew him?” she asked.

  He nodded. “He was transferred here after the war. Killing Indians wasn’t to his liking, so he resigned and moved home.”

  “Have you killed a lot of Indians?”

  “I’ve done whatever necessary to care for my people and my land. This is a hard place, Suzanna, but I haven’t had Indian trouble in a long time. I deal fairly with them and they leave me alone, for the most part.”

  After a pause he continued, “You’re too far away to see details, but the puffs of dust are from the hooves of wild horses we culled from the herds that roam the prairie. They’ll be trained to work the ranch and cattle operation. Everything and everyone thrives on this land.” His tone rang with well-deserved pride in all he’d built. “You will, too.”

  She watched in fascination at the antics of the mustangs. “They’re beautiful. So many colors. I’ve never had the opportunity to be around so many animals. It’s exciting.”

  Jake glanced down and grinned, pleased with her reaction. Rewarding her with another quick kiss, he proved he was most definitely not a shy man.

  Suzanna realized she’d married him having no idea of the extent of Jake’s holdings. Annie had indicated he was wealthy, but she never expected this. The effort and dedication required to create such rich splendor amazed her. She looked at him from a new perspective and with added respect for all he’d accomplished.

  “You should be proud, Jake. I never imagined anything so impressive. I’m overwhelmed.”

  “Glad you married me?” he asked, with a crooked grin and a twinkle in his eye.

  Suzanna bit her bottom lip through a wide smile, and nodded. “Yes. Very glad.”

  “This is your home, Suzanna, yours, mine, and our children’s. I’ve spent my adult years building this place for one purpose. To create a legacy for my family. That you have fallen under its spell pleases me. For, in truth, I have fallen under yours.” His husky voice bristled with pride as he clutched the back of her dress and pulled her close.

  The kiss was hot and wet and deep. A welcome to his home and his life and a promise of things to come.

  “Hee-yah!” Jake urged the team, and drove the wagon down the hill, passing through stacked rock gates and over the bridge, toward the front of the porch. The house grew larger, and the closer they came, the more Suzanna found herself utterly charmed.

  “Whoa!” Jake stopped the rig in front of the entrance. Up close it appeared grander than she’d thought at first sight. Rocking chairs rested along the columned portico. Green shutters framed six long windows, lace curtains fluttering behind the glass. Wide double doors sporting shiny brass knockers beckoned a welcome to any who might come.

  Her perusal of the house was interrupted as the front doors burst open and a plump woman of about fifty hurried toward them, gray hair escaping from a neat bun. She pushed it out of her eyes and rushed to the edge of the porch. In her arms she carried a covered basket and a stack of folded linens. Her face creased with worry, she directed her words to both Jake and Pete.

  “It’s Maddie Holloway…her baby’s coming. Something’s wrong.” She nodded to Suzanna, torn between a polite welcome to the new mistress of the house, and the emergency with her friend. “Ma’am.”

  Pete jumped down and tied his horse to the hitching post. He hurried to the woman and took the heavy basket from her hands.

  “Mother, calm down. You’ve delivered babies before. It’ll be all right.” His hand reached to her shoulder, and he worriedly glanced at Jake.

  “Sure, I have, but this is different. Maddie’s been in labor a long time, and she’s growing weaker by the minute. Something’s not right. This is beyond my ken, Pete. It’ll take too long for the doctor to get here, even if he’s in town. Whatever needs to happen needs to happen soon. I’ll do the best I can for her, but it doesn’t look good. Lon sent one of the boys to find me. He’s near out of his mind with worry. I need to get to her and see what I can do.”

  Suzanna grabbed her husband’s forearm as she stood on the buckboard’s slanted floor. “Jake, I can help. I don’t know what the problem is, but if I can be of service, I’ll gladly go with Mrs. Randall.”

  Jake didn’t hesitate. “It sounds as if you’re needed, Suzanna. The house can wait. The Holloways’ needs take precedence over everything else.”

  To Pete’s mother, he said, “Martha, my wife is an excellent midwife with a great deal of experience. You can trust her—she’ll go with you to attend Maddie.” He continued, “Pete, take Suzanna and your mother to the Holloways’ cabin. If they need anything, anything at all, you come get me. We’ll do whatever we have to do.”

  He turned to Suzanna. “Maddie and her husband Lon have been with me for five years. They’re good people, and this baby is important to them. If anyone can help her, I know you can. Go on. I know where to find you if I need you.”

  “It could be a while, Jake. If this is a first baby and the mother is having difficulty, I could be gone through the night.”

  “Don’t concern yourself on my account. Take care of Maddie and Lon. Pete, look after the women, then meet me at the horse barn when you’re done. Send some of the boys to unload the wagon. I’ll get things put away and check over the stock. Go on, Suzanna. I’ll be fine.”

  It seemed her new life had begun.

  ****

  Pete and his mother led Suzanna around the back of the house. Just beyond was a narrow path leading to an outcropping of cottages and a long bunkhouse. Pete raised a hand toward the buildings.

  “The Holloways live in the fourth cabin.” he said.

  “We provide housing for the married hands—all the hands, actually. The single men stay in the bunkhouse, as you would expect. The families have the cottages.” Martha filled her in as they walked with hurried steps along the way.

  “Families? Are there children?” she asked.

  “Sure. About eleven of various ages, right, Ma?” Pete answered.

  Mrs. Randall nodded in agreement. “There are two toddlers, but the rest range in age from five years to about ten. They ought to be in school, but there isn’t one, way out here. We’re none of us qualified to teach. Come fall, the parents will be busy with the grain harvest, the roundup, and the calving. I don’t know what we’re going to do. Mr. Jake thought about hiring a teacher, but he…well, he got a little distracted.” She smiled at Suzanna’s faint blush.

  “Perhaps I can help with the schooling. I was a teacher before the war. I loved our little school, but it became difficult to ensure the safety of the students once the fighting got close. The parents felt better with their children at home. So we closed the school until things improved. We were just beginning to get organized again when Jake came to town.”

  “It’s going to take a long time for this country to get back to normal, if it ever does. If you could say a word to the boss about a school, it would be a real blessing, Mrs. Cantrell.”

  Pete approached a row of houses. They were small wooden structures, rough, but neatly kept.

  Martha Randall touched Suzanna’s shoulder. “Looks like Jake made a wise choice when he took off for Alabama in such a tizzy. Never was one to let the grass grow under his feet. Nathan sent him that wire, and he was off before we knew w
hat to think. Never saw him so riled. I’ve been after him for years to find a wife, and then, all of a sudden, Nathan says he found the perfect match, and Jake was gone. Just like that.” She snapped her fingers.

  “Ma, come on now,” Pete admonished.

  “Well, you know it’s true. Once that man makes his mind up about something, there’s no stopping him. He’s a real force of nature, our Jake. A good man, but real determined, you might say.”

  “So I’ve seen,” Suzanna agreed. “Oh, and Mrs. Randall, please call me Suzanna. I hope to count you as my first friend in Wyoming.”

  Pete grinned at the two women. “And here I thought I was your first friend in Wyoming.”

  “Watch yourself, son—you best keep your distance. Don’t you be turning your charms on the boss’s wife. You know Jake’s a jealous man about what’s his. Suzanna, you call me Martha. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together, so it’s best we’re on a first-name basis.”

  “Martha it is, then. There’s a man coming from that cottage, headed straight for us. Is that the expectant daddy?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Pete answered. “That’s Lon Holloway, and he looks real worried.”

  The cowboy kicked up a cloud of dust as he skidded to a stop in front of them. His eyes were wild and wide; his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down with panic.

  “She’s right bad, Martha. I did everything I could think of, and she still can’t get that baby out. She’s gettin’ tired…I don’t know what to do.”

  Martha put her arm around the man’s shoulder. “We’re here now, Lon. Why don’t you take a break and get Pete some coffee? Let’s see what’s going on with Maddie and the baby. Oh, this here is Jake’s wife, Miss Suzanna. She’s had some experience at birthing babies, and she offered to see what she could do.”

  Suzanna held her hand out to the distressed man, who took it in his large one and gave one hard shake. “I thank you, ma’am. Anything for my Maddie. Please, come on in.”

  The cottage was warm, clean, and filled with homey touches, the main room separated from the rest by a large stone wall and fireplace. On the far side, from behind a closed door, Suzanna could hear a woman whimpering in agony.

  She knocked once, opened the door, and immediately went to the laboring mother.

  As she approached the side of the bed, the mother’s distended belly rolled with the baby fighting to be born. Maddie was suffering, sweating profusely from her efforts, her clothes stuck to her body in the overheated room. Her skin, moist and pale, stretched as her eyes squeezed closed, enduring the painful force of the contraction clutching her belly.

  “Maddie?” Suzanna spoke softly, placing her hand gently on the mother’s abdomen. “My name is Suzanna. I’m Jake’s wife, and I’ve some experience as a midwife. Martha and I are here to help you. I know you’re hurting right now, and I think we can help, if you’ll let us. Can you do that?”

  The woman nodded. “Please…anything… I can’t get the baby to come out. I’m afraid for him. It’s taking so long.”

  “How long have you been in labor?”

  “Since this morning,” she ground out through clenched teeth.

  “Not so long for a first baby. Now, Maddie, how close are the pains coming?”

  “Closer and closer now. I don’t rightly know. They hurt so bad.”

  “Do me a favor. I want you to try and relax. Take three deep breaths, and let each one out slowly—as slowly as you can. Just do what I do: In…out…in…out… Good. I do this myself when I need to calm down. It works. Okay, try again.”

  They practiced the exercise together, and Maddie seemed to ease a bit.

  “Maddie, may I check your body? I need to see where the baby is positioned, and how far along you are in the birthing process. It may be uncomfortable, but I really need to do this. Don’t be embarrassed, please. What you are experiencing is completely natural. Martha and I are here to make sure your baby comes into the world healthy and with as little discomfort as possible.”

  Maddie huffed and grinned as her eyes crinkled. “Too late.”

  Suzanna laughed. “If you can crack a joke when you’re in such pain, you’re doing just fine. Now let’s see what’s going on with young Baby Holloway.”

  “Martha, do you think you can get Maddie a fresh gown? And run a cool cloth over her, then a quick dry with a towel. She’ll feel cooler, and I want her as comfortable as possible.”

  Suzanna placed her hands on the outside of Maddie’s tummy and checked the position of the baby. As she expected, it was stuck in a horizontal position in the womb. Maddie was a tiny little thing, and the baby was pretty big. This was going to be a complicated delivery.

  She’d assisted in two previous breach births and knew how to turn the baby in the mother’s womb, but she had never actually performed the procedure. It could be dangerous and was always painful. Perhaps with Martha’s help she could manipulate the baby into the proper position by palpating Maddie’s abdomen.

  “Martha, when Maddie’s next contraction comes, I want to try something. The baby is sideways in Maddie’s womb, and his head needs to be facing down. Very gently push up on this side of the baby while I push down on the head at the same time. We might be able to get him going in the right direction. He seems to be stuck,” she explained in a calm voice.

  Suzanna pursed her lips and schooled her features. This first-time mother didn’t need any additional stress. She ran gentle hands over Maddie’s swollen belly as her muscles spasmed, and they attempted to push the baby into the proper position. It didn’t work. She was going to have to internally turn the baby. It was a dangerous maneuver, but she feared she would lose both mother and child if she didn’t try.

  They tied strips of torn sheets to the bedposts, and told Maddie to hold on and pull if the pain worsened. It gave her something to hold, and extra leverage if they were successful and the baby moved through the birth canal.

  “Don’t push until I tell you,” she cautioned. “When I say push—then you give it everything you’ve got.”

  Suzanna closed her eyes, and took a moment to review the procedures she’d seen Julian perform when she accompanied him on birthings. She said a quick prayer for help and mercy and turned to the task at hand.

  Martha set a bowl of warm water near the bedside and gently removed the sweat-soaked gown from Maddie’s straining body. They rolled her from side to side and replaced the wet sheets with dry linens. Suzanna took a towel from Martha and dried Maddie down, then covered her with a clean, dry sheet. The mother would be more comfortable now, but they had to get the baby’s head down in the birth canal before it caused serious stress to baby and mother.

  “Okay, Maddie, this is the situation. Your baby is not in the right position to be born. If I don’t turn him while he’s inside you, he could die, and it could cause complications for you as well. I’m sorry to be so blunt, but we need your cooperation.”

  Suzanna spoke calmly, needing to prepare the young mother. “It’s going to hurt a bit, but it can’t be helped. You need to do exactly what I say, do you understand?”

  Maddie attempted to smile as she huffed through another agonizing contraction. “Couldn’t hurt any worse than I hurt already. You promise me you’ll save my baby?”

  “We’re going to save your baby and you. Don’t you worry. You’re both going to be just fine. Now, you really need to relax your muscles as much as possible. If you want to scream, then scream. I promise it’ll be over in a minute. Think you can do this?”

  “I’ll do what I have to, Miss Suzanna. Me and Lon have waited a long time for a child. I’m not going to give up now.” She grimaced for a moment and bit her lip as her body started another contraction. The brave little mother nodded to show she was ready, and took a deep breath to prepare herself.

  Suzanna smiled encouragingly at the young mother, smoothing her damp hair from her forehead. “It’s going to be all right, Maddie. Keep on breathing as naturally as possible. Just try to relax and trust m
e. Every birth pain you feel right now will disappear when you hold that precious baby in your arms for the first time. Concentrate on that, not on what you’re going through to bring him into this life, yes?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Do what you have to do. I want this baby too bad. I’m ready.”

  Suzanna propped the woman’s knees apart on the bed and folded the sheet back. She gestured to Martha, and they washed their hands carefully in strong lye soap, then dried them with a clean towel. It was Suzanna’s experience that cleanliness was paramount in keeping complications from mother and baby. She didn’t want Maddie to develop childbirth fever after working so hard to bring this baby into the world.

  She then cleansed the birth area and checked again to see where the baby was positioned. Just as she thought, the baby was still sideways in his mother’s womb.

  “All right, Maddie. When you feel the next pain, I want you to push just a little. I’m going to turn this little sweetie so he can come out and meet our big beautiful world. Ready?”

  With the next contraction, Martha pushed up on the mother’s stomach while Suzanna gently pulled down and manipulated the baby so its head and shoulders would present correctly. Maddie grabbed the sheet ropes, and grunted in agony.

  “Don’t hold your breath, Maddie. Breathe. It’ll be over in a minute! You’re doing wonderfully. Now…”

  Maddie’s belly hardened with a strong contraction. Again Martha pushed on the upper portion of Maddie’s abdomen while Suzanna rotated the tiny body. The baby slid into position, and the top of his little head crowned. Glorious blond hair—long blond hair—was visible as the baby’s head pushed through the opening.

  “One more push, Maddie, and you’ll have your baby! Ready? Now!”

  With one loud scream and mighty push, Baby Holloway’s body slid into Suzanna’s hands. Maddie cried out in relief. Martha cried in amazement at the beautiful child. Suzanna cried at the miracle that was new life.