Megan's Hero (The Callahans of Texas Book #3): A Novel

by Gillenwater, Sharon

  “So you’ve been eating well only the last month. That would explain it. Are you taking prenatal vitamins?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Megan smiled at the thought of the bottle of pills in her purse. “They’re one of the few things that didn’t blow away.”

  “That’s good, but I’m sorry you lost so many other things.” Dr. Cindy removed the stethoscope from where it hung around her neck and tucked it into a jacket pocket. “You didn’t want to know whether it was a boy or girl when you had the ultrasound? Or was the baby turned so they couldn’t get a good view?”

  “I haven’t had one.”

  That brought a frown. “Have you been under a doctor’s care for your pregnancy?”

  “Yes.” Megan shifted, more from mental and emotional discomfort than physical. “But I haven’t seen her in two months.” She swallowed as heat flooded her face. “Money has been a problem lately. I was so sick I had to give up my job.”

  “So you haven’t had any blood work done lately either?”

  “No.” Megan knew she should have gone in for it, but two months ago she was saving every penny to pay her rent and to buy what little food she could keep down. Last month, she’d finally felt so good, she figured everything was all right. Her stomach tightened, and she caught her breath. It wasn’t painful, but it was new.

  “Are you having a contraction?” asked the doctor.

  “Maybe. My stomach just got tight. It’s gone now, but I’ve never felt that before.”

  “You haven’t had any Braxton Hicks contractions?”

  “No. But I’ve read about them, and I think that’s probably what it was.” She hoped, even as worry settled in and wouldn’t budge.

  “Probably.” Dr. Cindy picked up the chart and scribbled on it. “However, after all you’ve been through today, I’m not taking any chances. I want to keep you tonight so we can monitor you and the baby. I’m ordering some blood work to check your blood sugar and to look for anemia.” She nodded at the nurse. “Peg will bring you an icky sweet drink in a few minutes. Then an hour later, we’ll do the blood draw. That will tell us how well your body is processing the sugar.

  “I don’t anticipate any problem with that, but it’s a test I normally run about this time in a pregnancy. I expect you’re a little anemic. That would cause the weakness and dizziness.”

  “But my vitamins contain iron.”

  “It may not be enough for you. Some women need more. I had to take extra when I was pregnant. It’s not a big deal. While we’re waiting for the sugar to digest, Peg will get this mud and glass off of you.”

  She started toward the door, then turned back around to face Megan. “In the morning, I want to do a sonogram. That’s another name for an ultrasound.” When Megan nodded, indicating she knew they were the same, she continued, “Your baby’s heart sounds good, and it’s moving around fine, but the ultrasound is another tool to evaluate your little one’s well-being.”

  “Do we really need to?” Megan was torn between desperately wanting to make sure the baby was all right and worrying about the expense. Staying overnight would cost a fortune, and an ultrasound wouldn’t be cheap.

  Before she could figure out how to explain her reluctance, Will spoke up. “Don’t worry about the cost, Cindy. Do anything you need to.” The heels of his boots tapped on the floor as he walked into the room and stopped on the other side of the curtain. “And you let her, Megan.”

  She didn’t know whether to be annoyed about his interference—and his bossy attitude—or grateful for his help and that he’d respected her privacy enough not to charge all the way into the room. When she shot an exasperated glance at the doctor, the woman grinned.

  Before she could think of anything to say, Will spoke again, with a hint of humor in his voice. “If you don’t let her take good care of you, Megan, it’ll ruin my reputation.”

  She smiled in spite of herself and adjusted the sheet up higher as the nurse moved toward the curtain.

  When Peg slid it back, Will winked at the nurse, then focused on Megan. He stood there looking a bit mournful. “I’ll be plumb afraid to ride to the rescue next time I see a damsel in distress.”

  “Ha!” Peg said with a laugh. “I’ll stand on my head the day you’re afraid of anything.”

  Will laughed, and the deep sound slid over Megan like a warm comforter on a cold, rainy day. She looked at the nurse, then the doctor. “Is he always so bossy?”

  The women exchanged an amused glance before Dr. Cindy answered. “Has been ever since I’ve known him, and that’s been since junior high. You’ll discover that all the Callahans have a way of persuading people to do what they want, but the rest of them have a bit more tact than Will.” She walked toward him and made shooing motions. “Go out in the lobby where you’re supposed to be and let Peg tend to our patient. You can visit her again when she’s in her room. Give us about an hour.”

  He leaned around her to look at Megan, his smile fading. “Don’t get any ideas about sneaking out of here.”

  In what? A hospital gown? And on foot? “I think I’m stuck for now.”

  “Good.” He let the doctor grab his arm and escort him out of the room, leaving Megan pondering his expression. Concern, a hint of stubborn seriousness, and something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  5

  After his old friend Cindy bullied him away from Megan’s room, Will went outside to make some phone calls.

  He’d watched Butch and Johnny bring Ted into the ER about ten minutes earlier. Considering they had to extricate him from the truck, they’d gotten him there pretty fast. The town’s other physician, Dr. Pharr, was taking care of him, though he expected Cindy would be right in the thick of it. Since Ted lived in San Angelo, Will figured they’d transport him there as soon as it was safe, likely airlifting him.

  He called his dad, filled him in on Megan’s condition, and asked how they were doing at the scene of the wreck.

  “The wrecker is on the way,” said Dub. “Ted’s company is sending another lumber truck up from San Angelo to pick up what they can of the load. Chance will have his dump truck crew take care of everything else. We’ve gathered up everything we can find from inside the truck cab that was scattered nearby in the pasture.”

  “What about Megan’s van?”

  “Chance and Nate are down there now. Call him and get the info firsthand. I talked to your mom. She wants to know if they need to come back from Abilene earlier. She’s already planning for Megan to stay with us, for a few days anyway.”

  Will’s mom, sister, sister-in-law, and his parents’ housekeeper had gone to Abilene for an all-day ladies meeting involving several churches. He knew they’d hurry back if he said the word, but they’d really been looking forward to the evening’s speaker.

  “Cindy is going to keep her overnight, so there’s no reason for them to cut their meeting short. But having her stay with y’all, at least until we get her transportation situation straightened out, is a good idea.” He hesitated a second. He knew his parents probably wouldn’t mind if she stayed longer. That’s just the way they were.

  “When the admissions clerk asked her for the name of someone to notify in case of emergency, Megan said there wasn’t anyone.” He’d stopped by the desk on the way out and told the woman to put down his name. “I overheard her tell Cindy that she hadn’t seen her doctor for a couple of months because she’s been low on money. She had to give up her job because she had morning sickness around the clock until about a month ago.”

  “It’s bound to be hard finding another job now,” his dad said thoughtfully.

  “Exactly. And she only put down a post office box in Austin for her address.”

  “So you’re thinking she may not have any place to go.”

  “If someone was expecting her, either to stay with them or to go to work anytime soon, seems to me she’d want to let them know.” Will had a strong suspicion that Megan Smith was homeless, pregnant, and down to her last dime.
/>   “No mention of a husband or boyfriend?”

  “Nope.”

  “If this little gal is in as tough a spot as you and I suspect, Sue will invite her to move in.”

  “Are you okay with that?”

  “For now.” It was his father’s turn to pause while he sorted out his thoughts. “I’ll call Peters and have him see what he can find out about her.”

  “I’ll try to get more info after she’s settled in a room. Talk to you later.” Will hung up, thinking about the time years earlier when a cousin brought her new boyfriend for a visit. They’d all liked him until Dub caught him stealing. Ever since then, if the family didn’t know their houseguests well, his dad quietly had them investigated.

  The whole thing irked Will, even though he knew it was wise. They didn’t keep any real valuables at the house now, but thieves didn’t know that. The Callahans were wealthy and that made them potential targets for all sorts of crimes. They trusted the Lord to take care of them but did their part by being prudent.

  Will relied more on his instinct than his father’s private investigator. His gut told him that they didn’t need to worry about Megan.

  Pressing the speed dial on his cell phone, he tapped his toe on the sidewalk.

  “Hey, bro.” Chance sounded a little out of breath. “How’s Megan?”

  “All right, I think.” He told him what he knew so far. “What about her van?”

  “It’ll probably still run, but it’s a mess. It looks like a deranged monkey took a ball-peen hammer to the body. All the glass needs to be replaced, and everything inside is soaked. Joe is here and setting up the wrecker to pull it upright. I’ll have him haul it to the house for now. It may not be worth repairing. I’ll be surprised if the claims adjuster doesn’t total it.”

  “I doubt she has insurance,” Will said. “Tell Joe that I’ll pay the towing charge.”

  “All right. Nate and I have been wandering around the pasture gathering up her things. One suitcase was still intact, but two others were ripped apart, and clothes and other stuff are scattered all over. There’s a sweater up in a mesquite tree that I can’t quite reach, and the branches aren’t thick enough to climb. I’ll have to drive the pickup around. I think I can reach it from the truck bed.

  “I don’t know if we got everything. We found a few canned goods, a big mixer, some baking stuff, and a photo album—with pictures of cakes and other fancy desserts.”

  “Cakes?” Will flipped his hand at a fly that was pestering him. So the lady was a baker. No wonder she had to give up her job when she was sick.

  “Fancy wedding cakes and some of the prettiest desserts I’ve ever seen. The album was still in a plastic bag, so the pictures are fine. Nate just walked up with a small, ratty-lookin’ teddy bear and what’s left of an ice chest. Best I can tell, she’s been camping in her van. I don’t know how much she had with her, but we didn’t find a whole lot.”

  “I’m sure she’ll appreciate you recovering what you could.”

  “I can tell you one thing,” Chance said. “A miracle happened out here this afternoon. That tornado blasted a strip about three blocks wide right through here. I checked alongside the road to see if I could tell where she lay down.”

  “I’ve been curious about that myself.” The bar ditch was wide and shallow for miles south of the ranch.

  “I found it. She’d wiggled down as far as she could, but there’s no way she was out of harm’s way. There were trees, limbs, all kinds of debris covering the area of the highway where the tornado came through—except for right where she was. I took a picture with my cell phone before we dragged the big stuff off the road. The only clear spot anywhere along here was roughly a thirty-foot circle around her.”

  Will whistled softly. “No wonder she said she believed in God after today.” His stomach growled, and he checked his watch. “I’ll go grab something to eat in the hospital cafeteria. They should have Megan in a room by the time I’m finished. I’ll give her the good news that you’ve recovered some of her things and visit with her a while. She hasn’t exactly been forthcomin’ about her situation, but maybe I can pry something out of her.”

  “Gently, brother.”

  “I know that.” Will still smarted a little from Cindy’s comment about him not being as tactful as the rest of the family—even if it was true. “Just because you’ve been married a whole year doesn’t mean you’re the only one who knows how to sweet-talk a lady.”

  “Well . . .” Chance drew out the word. “I am the one who got the girl.”

  “Just ’cause you staked your claim faster than a gold prospector.” Will had liked Emily Rose from the get-go too, but he’d stepped aside when his brother boldly announced within a few days of meeting her that he wanted to marry her. “I’m gonna go eat before my stomach gnaws a hole in itself. Talk to you later.”

  After his brother’s adios, he ended the call and sauntered into the lobby to check on Megan.

  “They haven’t moved her up to her room yet, Mr. Callahan. It’ll probably be another half hour.”

  “Good enough.” He nodded to the cute blonde at the admissions desk. He figured she was ten to twelve years younger than him, if not fresh out of high school. He was tempted to tell her that Mr. Callahan was his father, but he supposed he had reached the age where Mr. was appropriate in those circumstances.

  And that irked him. Lately he’d been feeling kind of old and left out. It didn’t help any that both Chance and Nate were married and happy as pigs in slop. Even their friend Dalton was about to get hitched.

  Have I been too picky, Lord? he asked silently as he wandered down to the hospital cafeteria. He’d dated plenty during high school and college and after he settled back in at the ranch. He’d never found anyone he wanted to spend his life with, though many of the women he’d gone out with hinted they were willing to marry despite the absence of love. That wasn’t good enough. If he couldn’t have the kind of marriage his parents and siblings had, he’d stay a bachelor.

  But it was a lonely existence. He hadn’t taken anybody out in two years because he’d already dated all the single Christian women near his age in Callahan Crossing. And a fair share from surrounding towns.

  He couldn’t very well start visiting churches in other towns to see who might be available. The Callahans were well known throughout the area, and word would spread like wildfire that he was on the prowl. If he stuck with Callahan Crossing and lowered his self-imposed age restriction—say to the level of that cute clerk—folks would gossip about him robbing the cradle.

  Megan wasn’t much older, twenty-four, according to the date of birth she’d given the clerk. Certainly old enough to be married, especially with a baby on the way.

  Will skimmed the menu items and opted for meatloaf and scalloped potatoes with a side order of fried okra. When he thanked the middle-aged woman behind the counter, he nodded toward the refrigerator case with the desserts. “Did you make those cakes and pies, Alva?”

  “Just the cakes. Nadine made the pies. Take one of each, Will. You need a little fattening up.”

  “I don’t know about that, but you know I’m a sucker for dessert.”

  “That I do.” She laughed and rearranged the grilled chicken in the warming pan with some tongs, separating the various pieces into appropriate piles. “You know all the ladies at church get a kick out of how you heap up your plate with the casseroles at a potluck, then come back and polish off a whole plate of desserts.”

  “I’m a hard-workin’ man. I need a lot of food to keep me goin’. I have to load up at the potlucks.”

  “What you need is a wife.”

  Will grinned and winked at her. “But you’re already taken.”

  She laughed and shook the chicken tongs at him. Her smile faded, replaced by genuine concern as she leaned closer and lowered her voice. “How’s that little gal you brought into the ER?”

  “She’s okay.” Will knew all about the privacy rules, but he also figured most fol
ks who worked there pretty much knew what was going on with everybody. It was a small hospital in a small town. Nothing much flew under the radar. “Dr. Cindy is going to keep her overnight for observation, but she’ll probably cut her loose in the morning.”

  “Good. I’m prayin’ for her. And for that fella in the truck too. I hear they’re planning to fly him to Angelo soon as they can.”

  “That’s what I figured. Thanks for the food.” He angled over to the dessert case and settled on a big piece of chocolate cake. Alva was the only woman he knew who could make chocolate cake better than his parents’ housekeeper, Ramona.

  Will stopped to speak to some folks he recognized and asked about their mama. When he learned that she wasn’t doing well, he promised to pray for her, then moved on to let them continue their hushed discussion.

  He found a table in the corner with a good view of the small courtyard. The yard man kept that little area nice and green even during the summer. No easy feat when the temperature often topped one hundred. Colorful flowers and shrubs surrounded the grass, and a few tall oak trees provided shade at the right time of the day.

  The food was excellent, but his thoughts were on Megan. Why wasn’t she married? Who was her baby’s father? Was she really so alone that she had no one to contact in an emergency? Or was there just no one she wanted to turn to?

  He knew he was more fortunate than many people because his family was close and loving. They didn’t always agree on everything, especially he and his dad when it came to managing the ranch. But they worked it out most of the time. To keep peace in the family, more often than not, Will backed down. He and his siblings might be partners in the ranch, but Dub still had the final say.

  Even though he would do all right on his own, he hoped he never had to be without his family’s love and support. He couldn’t imagine what that would be like. Lord, guide us in this. Show us how you want us to help her.