Mail Order Doctor
Page 15
She nodded and dried her tears with her handkerchief. “I suppose you’re right. Let’s go and toast to Blaine.”
They arrived at Walt’s a little late and everyone chastised them for their tardiness.
“I’d like to make a toast,” said Matthew.
Everyone quieted.
“To Blaine Carstairs, Hope’s father. Unfortunately, he was killed two weeks ago, but he left his most precious possession. Our Hope, whom we love more than life itself. She is now legally our daughter, though we would not have wished it to happen this way.”
“To Blaine.” Everyone said as they raised their glasses in the air.
EPILOGUE
April 11, 1889
The Reynolds home
“Happy birthday, Hope.” Julia looked at her eldest daughter. She was seven years old today. Life for her had started out rocky, with both her parents dying in the first three months of her life, but she’d become a beautiful, delightful little girl. She doted on her younger siblings, Walt almost six and named after his great-grandfather without whom Julia and Matthew would never have met much less married and Rachel, who was three and had her daddy wrapped around her finger, just as Hope did.
She patted her stomach. Her third baby was due anytime now. Contractions had started a few hours ago and were now quite hard. Julia stood and walked. She took the children and walked up to the hotel and back, then walked around in the house, not wanting to get too far away from the office where Matthew was still seeing patients. He’d be home soon and she must fix dinner, but more than that she needed to keep walking.
Matthew came in from the office.
“Julia.”
Hope ran into the kitchen where her daddy was. “Mama’s having the baby. She’s walking in circles around the living room, just like she did with Rachel.”
Matthew calmly walked into the parlor where his wife passed him on her latest lap around the room.
“How long have you been walking?” He didn’t ask about contractions with Julia, all that mattered was the time she’d been walking.
“About four hours.”
“Time for me to check if the baby is coming. You almost dropped Rachel on her head you waited so long.”
She waved a dismissive hand in his direction. “You’re exaggerating as usual.”
He chuckled. “Well, maybe a little.” He walked with her over to the office and one of the examination rooms. “Let me help you onto the table.”
“I’m not doing this again.”
“You said that after Walt and after Rachel. You love all the children; it’s just the birthing you don’t like. I can understand that. But you’ll do it if we get pregnant again. You’re a good mother. Now raise your knees and open your legs wide.
His words filled her with love, and she did as he said then heard him laugh.
“You always do this. The baby is crowning, and I need you to push. Push Julia, now, push.”
Again and again, she did as he said.
Exhausted, she rested until the need to push became too great to ignore.
“Here comes the baby, one more good push.”
She did and Matthew caught his new daughter. He cleaned her mouth and swatted her butt, then cleaned her up.
“Here you go, Mama. A brand new baby girl. This one will be just like you. Look at all that red hair.”
“What shall we name her?” Delighted at the sight of the child’s sweet face. Julia put the baby to her breast and encouraged her to start nursing.
“What was your sister’s name?”
“Angela.”
“How about Angela Janette Reynolds?”
Choked up at his thoughtfulness, Julia nodded. “Angela it is.” She tickled the baby under the chin and talked to her. “You’ll look like her, too. She had red hair and green eyes, just like me. Of course, we don’t know what color your eyes are yet, do we?”
“I should go tell the children, they have a new sister.” He smoothed the back of his hand over Julia’s cheek and then used his finger to stroke Angela’s cheek. “Will you be all right? Do you want to go to the bedroom?”
“Yes, in a little while. In the mean-time, have the children come in. They need to meet their baby sister.”
Matthew gathered the children, and they all walked solemnly into the room. Hope and Walt were tall enough to see the baby, but Rachel was too little, so Matthew lifted her so she could see her new sister, too.
“What do you think?” he asked his children.
“She’s little and wrinkly, just like Walt and Rachel were. Don’t they ever come out cute?” asked Hope.
Matthew barked out a laugh. “No they all look pretty much like this. Even you my pretty were red and wrinkly when you first arrived.”
“I wasn’t. I was always pretty. Mama told me so.”
“All of my babies are pretty,” said Julia.
“I’m not pretty,” said Walt jamming both fists on his hips. “I’m a boy.”
“Oh, in that case you would be handsome, and that you are. We’re going to call her Angela. What do you all think of that?”
“I think it’s a nice name,” said Hope. She reached out and touched the baby. “Angela. I’ll always protect you, Angela.”
That was her Hope. Julia smiled.
“What are you thinking of, love?” Matthew stood next to the examination table.
“Just how thankful I am to have you and the children. I don’t know what I’d do without any one of you. I’m so glad Walt sent me my mail order doctor.”
He smiled. She’d started calling him that after their wedding there in Tombstone. Her mail order doctor.
“I got the best part of that bargain.” He took her hand in his. “I’d still be alone if not for you and Walt. Thank you for being so patient with me. I love you so much, you know that don’t you.” He kissed her hand and then kissed her, very gently and slowly.
After he pulled back, she said, “I do, but I don’t mind hearing it at least several times each day.”
“I love you, I love you, I love you.”
He bent down and kissed her and then kissed the new baby’s head.
Contentment filled her soul and Julia smiled at her husband. “I love you, too. Always have and always will.”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cynthia Woolf is the author of six historical western romance books and one short story with more books on the way. She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.
Their closest neighbor was about one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.
Cynthia is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance, of course, about a little boy she liked at the time.
Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.
Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she’s made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.
OTHER TITLES AVAILABLE
MAIL ORDER OUTLAW
The Brides of Tombstone 1
MAIL ORDER DOCTOR
The Brides of Tombstone 2
NELLIE
The Brides of San Francisco 1
ANNIE
The Brides of San Francisco 2
CORA
The Brides of San Francisco 3
JAKE
Book 1, Destiny in Deadwood series
Book 2, Destiny in Deadwood series
ZACH
Book 3, Destiny in Deadwood series
CAPITAL BRIDE
Book 1, Matchmaker & Co. series
HEIRESS BRIDE
Book 2, Matchmaker & Co. series
FIERY BRIDE
Book 3, Matchmaker & Co. series
TAME A WILD HEART
Book 1, Tame series
TAME A WILD WIND
Book 2, Tame series
TAME A WILD BRIDE
Book 3, Tame series
TAME A SUMMER HEART
novella, Tame series
WEBSITE – www.cynthiawoolf.com
NEWSLETTER – http://bit.ly/1qBWhFQ
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
About the Author
Other Titles by Cynthia Woolf