“There was a passenger hurt in the back. Some man from back East. You better check it out. I’ll be fine. Just let me rest here a minute.” Sam wearily sat down on a bench.
Seth hurried to the train in search of the wounded passenger. God, please don’t let it be Lily’s father.
“Seth!” Lily yelled, obviously frightened. “Come here. What’s happening? What’s going on?”
“It will be all right, sweetheart. The robbers got the train again and killed the conductor. Sam said there is a passenger hurt, too. I’m going to go aboard to see what I can find out. You wait here. I’ll be right back.” He tried to reassure her as he protectively touched her thigh in a caress.
“Be careful, please. I’m scared, Seth. I don’t see my parents.”
“Just stay here. If they do come out, have them stay here with you. I'll be right back.”
He walked back toward the train to search for the hurt passenger and to search for Lily’s parents. Once he approached the train, he swung himself aboard and started walking between cars. When he reached the second-to-the-last passenger car, he saw a man and a woman sitting in the last row. The woman stood over the man, crying hysterically. A streak of dirt lay smeared across her cheek, and her hat sat tilted on her head, barely covering the blonde hair beneath. Both of the passengers wore formal traveling attire that spoke of probably being from back East.
“Ma’am,” Seth said as he approached. The woman moved aside, and Seth could see the man propped against the wall with blood streaming down his face.
“Oh my! Can you help me, please? My husband, he’s dying!” The woman almost dissolved in a puddle on the floor as tears streamed down her face.
“Kathleen, please,” the injured gentleman pleaded. “I’m not dying.” The man held an embroidered handkerchief to the wound on his head.
“Are you Edward and Kathleen Backman?”
“Why yes, how did you know?”
“I’m Seth Sanford, Lily’s husband.”
“Pop?”
“Johnny. Run for the doctor, please,” Seth said once Johnny had reached them. “This man needs to be looked at.”
“Sure, Pop, I’ll be right back.” Johnny said before he ran back up the aisle.
“Seth? Lily’s husband?” Kathleen questioned.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Where’s Lily?”
“She’s in the wagon, ma’am. She’s been having pains all day, and I didn’t want her to get down." He raked his fingers through his hair. "Hell, I didn’t want her to even come to town with us, but she insisted she wouldn’t miss your arrival for anything, not even for the birth of our child.”
Lily had been trying to hide the pains from him, but he’d seen her wince and shift with each pain. He had been present for all three of his other children’s births, and he knew what to expect. He feared the baby would be coming any time.
Edward chuckled. “That’s my Lily, all right.” The older man tried to stand. “Help me up, son, and we’ll get off this blasted train.”
He helped Edward to his feet. “Would you care to tell me what happened?”
“Damn train robbers stopped the train and stripped everyone of their valuables. They didn’t like it when I wouldn’t turn over my wallet to them, so they pistol whipped me.”
* * * *
Lily sat stiffly in the wagon seat while she tried to look over the crowd gathering nearby. There was a lot of concern over the news of the death of the conductor and the passenger injured. She still couldn’t see her parents over the passengers' heads, and she began to panic.
Her face contorted with the pain ripping across her belly, and she panted, trying to relieve it. She closed her eyes and tried to relax until Seth returned.
The next sound she heard was her husband’s voice. “Lily, sweetheart?”
Her eyes popped open with a start. “Seth. Edward! Kathleen! My goodness. What happened?”
“He was pistol whipped by the train robbers,” Seth quickly answered. “Are you all right?”
Seth took his father-in-law under the arm and moved toward the back of the wagon so he could sit until the doctor arrived.
“I’ll be fine, Seth. I just think we need to get home. I don’t think our son or daughter is going to wait much longer.” She grimaced when another pain rippled across her stomach and her knuckles turned white while she gripped the side of the wagon.
“Johnny, Jarod, Anne! Come now!” Seth yelled. “We need to go home immediately.” Lily heard the panic in his voice and so did the entire crowd as they turned to see what was going on. The doctor arrived, and Seth informed him of the probable impending birth.
“What’s wrong?” Kathleen asked, standing beside the wagon.
“Lily is having birthing pains, and the baby will probably be here soon. We need to go now.” The boys jumped into the back of the wagon, and he lifted Anne over the side. “We’ll have to come back for your trunks or have someone bring them out.”
“Of course, son, of course.” Edward scooted into the back of the wagon like he was born there, and the doctor helped Kathleen aboard.
“Doc, can you come out behind us and have someone at the livery deliver their trunks?” Seth asked, jumping into the driver’s seat. Without waiting for an answer, he flicked the reins, and the wagon lurched forward. "Damn it, woman, stop trying to be so strong. I know you are in a lot of pain.”
“It’s not like there is anything you can do about it, Seth. It’s natural for women to have pain with birthing babies,” she whispered beside him, but she was getting worried too. The pains seemed to be coming very close together now.
“I knew I shouldn’t have you let you come.” He flicked the reins over the horses' backs, urging them faster. “This has been going on all day, hasn’t it?” Her eyes widened when she glanced at him. “Don’t look at me like that, Lily. I know everything there is to know about that beautiful body of yours so when something is not right, I’d know it.” Her face heated as a blush splashed across her cheeks.
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to worry, and I didn’t want to miss Edward and Kathleen’s train.”
“I’m sorry too, sweetheart. I just didn’t think you really wanted to have our baby in the back of the wagon. I thought you’d much prefer our bed.” Seth put his arm around her to pull her close, and she snuggled up next to him
“I do, but you’d better hurry.” She groaned and almost doubled over with the pain.
* * * *
I knew I shouldn’t have let her come. The panic in her eyes struck a chord, and he yelled to the back of the wagon, “Hang on, everyone. We need to move faster.”
The wagon rolled into the front yard of the ranch. Seth pulled the team to a halt, yelling for Carmen. She quickly came rushing from the house, sporting a worried look.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Seth?”
“It’s Lily.” Fear gripped his chest like a belt, getting tighter and tighter. “I think the baby is coming. We need to get her in the house quickly. The doctor is coming, but I don’t know if we have time.”
He jumped down, ran around the wagon, and swept his wife into his arms and carried her into the house.
Once he reached the bedroom, he laid her softly on the bed. “Sweetheart, we need to get you changed into your nightgown. Can you stand for a minute while I help you?”
“Seth, I’m having a baby, I’m not sick,” she grumbled and struggled to get off the bed. He held out his hand so she could pull herself into a sitting position. When she stood, a gush of liquid spilled from between her legs onto the floor, and Lily looked at it for a moment, completely in a daze.
“Well, I guess we’ll be having a baby, Miss Lily.” Carmen grabbed some linen to soak up the puddle on the floor. "You should wait out in the front, Mr. Seth."
He finally managed to get Lily into her nightgown even though she protested with every breath. He picked her back up and laid her on the bed, trying to help her to settle in a comfortable position when th
e pain came again. "I'm not going anywhere, Carmen. I was present for the others, and I'll be here with Lily through this one."
"But Mr. Seth…"
"I'm not leaving, and that's final."
"All right, but don't say I didn't tell you to."
“Carmen, are you sure this is it?” Seth pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. He took Lily’s hand in his, stroking it with his thumb. “Isn’t it too early?” His shifted his gaze to Carmen’s across the room while she readied things for the coming birth.
“This baby is going to be born soon, Mr. Seth. Ain’t no stopping it now.”
He’d never been this frightened when Victoria had given birth, but with Lily, he was terrified he'd lose her.
“Where the hell is that doctor?”
Carmen pulled the sheet up around Lily’s waist, and when she looked, she said, “No time for him. This baby is coming now.”
“Now?” Seth asked, and Lily gripped his hand so tight, he thought she’d broken his fingers.
“Yes. Move now. I’ve got work to do,” Carmen said as she got between Lily’s legs to help her birth their child.
Seth moved to make room for Carmen, shifting closer to Lily’s head, and he whispered to her when her face contorted again, “It will be all right, sweetheart. I love you.”
He wanted to take her mind off the pain, but it didn’t appear to be working very well when he heard her moan again.
“All right, Miss Lily. You must push now.”
She moaned and surged against the pain as he whispered softly in her ear. He couldn’t imagine the pain she bore, but it was tearing him up inside to watch her wiggle and squirm on the bed with each pain gripping her in its vice.
A desperate scream ripped from her throat just as the baby, wailing in a high-pitched cry, slid from her body. A tear slid down Seth's cheek when Carmen announced, “You have a little boy.”
Carmen wrapped the little one before she handed the baby to Seth. Just then, the doctor rushed inside the room.
“Carmen? Something’s wrong. It hurts again.”
She sounded frightened, and that terrified Seth. Victoria never had pain like this after the other children.
“What’s wrong?” Seth asked when the doctor moved to Lily’s side to examine her. “Doc, what’s wrong?”
“Well, son, I believe your wife is having more than one.”
Lily moaned again, and Seth's heart dropped to his toes. “What? What do you mean more than one?”
“I mean, more than one baby, Seth. Now, you need to move aside, so I can help her deliver the second one.”
Carmen moved in to help as Seth moved away from his wife’s side to make room. He continued to cradle his newborn son in his arms while the baby drifted off to sleep.
A few moments later, Lily screamed again, and the second baby slid from her body into the waiting arms of the doctor.
“It’s a girl. It seems you have one of each, Poppa.”
Seth stood in stunned silence Not only did he and Lily now have one child together, they had two, a beautiful little boy, and a gorgeous little girl. He moved to Lily’s side with their little boy in his arms as she sleepily opened her eyes and smiled. “Thank you for such beautiful children. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered, closing her eyes again.
“Why don’t you take them out to see their grandparents while I finish up with your wife?”
Seth made his way into the living room with his new little boy in his arms to greet the rest of the family. With tears in his eyes, he said, “We have a boy.”
Edward and Kathleen rushed over to see the new baby as Carmen came out behind Seth. “And we have a new little girl, too.”
“Twins?”
“Yes, twins,” Seth whispered, and he peeked at his son, who lay quietly in his arms. After a moment he moved into the living room, with Carmen right behind him, while his other children stood silently waiting.
“Two babies, Poppa?” Anne asked once he had settled himself comfortably on the couch.
“Yes, sweetie, two babies. You’ll be a big sister to a little brother and a little sister.” Anne pulled the blanket back so she could see and gently kissed the baby on the head.
Johnny walked over to see his new siblings too, but Jarod held back and Seth saw him sulk in the corner.
“Jarod, don’t you want to see your new brother and sister?”
“No,” he said as Seth watched him fold his arms over his chest and walk out.
Seth’s gaze followed his second child when he left the room, and he wondered why Jarod acted so strangely. He had never been an overly loving child, but he’d never been outright rude. I'm going have to set him straight before too long. The baby began to fuss, so Seth had to give him his full attention.
The doctor came into the room a few moments later and said, “She’s resting now. Everything looks good, Seth—nice healthy babies. You should be very proud.”
“I am.” Seth smiled at the baby in his arms and then at the little girl Carmen held. “But now, I think they are about ready to eat.”
“I think so too, Mr. Seth.” Carmen stood and headed back down the hall.
“Can we visit our daughter for a few minutes?” The Backmans asked.
“Yes, of course. You didn’t even get to say hello when you arrived, and I’m glad to see your head is all right.”
* * * *
A soft knock sounded on the door, and Lily called out an invitation to enter. Seth pushed the door open slowly and she gave him the most radiant smile, her daughter at her breast.
“I’m going to start supper,” Carmen said, quietly leaving the room.
“I’m so glad you made it for the birth,” she said to her parents when they came into the room behind her husband. “Not by much though.”
Kathleen looked at her with a worried expression wrinkling her brow. “Very true, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”
“A little uncomfortable, but the doctor said that is to be expected. I am told to stay in bed for a couple of days. We didn’t even get to say hello at the train station." She let her gaze sweep over her father before she asked, How is your head?”
“It’s fine. Just a bit of a knot, that’s all,” he replied, touching the tender spot on his scalp.
“I’m glad it’s nothing bad. I was scared to death something terrible had happened when I didn’t see you two come off the train.” She removed her sleeping daughter from her breast and pulled her nightgown together before she held out her arms for her son. “I think it’s my son’s turn now.”
“Well, I think I’ll go back out into the front room, dear. I’ll see you later.”
“I will too, sweetheart,” Kathleen said, moving toward the door. “Maybe I can help your housekeeper with supper.”
“All right. I’ll see you two after a while then.”
Seth placed the little boy in her arms and moved to put their little girl in her cradle nearby.
Placing the baby at her other breast, she looked up to see her husband staring at her with a hungry look in his eye and a devilish smile on his lips.
“Stop looking at me like that, Seth. Doctor said no, um… ‘activity’ for a while, and if you don’t stop, you will drive me crazy before then.”
“I can’t help it. There is something erotic about you feeding our children,” he said from the foot of the bed.
“We need to think of names for these two, you know. I don’t think we had even really agreed on any names since they weren’t supposed to be here for a bit yet, and I certainly didn’t expect twins.” She changed the subject, attempting to ignore her husband’s hungry eyes.
“Yes, I guess we do.”
“How about Elizabeth Marie for our little girl? It was my real mother’s name.”
“I think it’s perfect. Can we call the boy Jack?”
“Jack is a good, strong name. How about his middle name being Robert, or Edward? What was your real father’s name?” Her son fell a
sleep against her, and she took him from her breast and pulled her nightgown back over her chest.
* * * *
Seth burned from the inside out while he watched Lily feed his children. He loved her breasts anyway, and to watch the children suckle drove him crazy.
When Lily started talking about names, he could hardly keep his mind on her words as desire rippled along his skin, sending shock waves straight to his groin.
“Carl Allen.”
Damn! It is going to be a long while before I can to make love to her again, and it is already driving me crazy.
“All right, how about Jack Allen? That way, he has both your adopted father’s name and your real father’s name.” She grimaced then wiggled in the bed, trying to get comfortable.
“Are you all right, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine, Seth, just sore and trying to find a comfortable position. So, what do you think about Jack Allen for this little man?” She pulled the blanket around the baby as he slept in her arms. “You will have to make another cradle, and quickly. One won’t be enough now, but they can sleep together for a little while.”
“Jack Allen is perfect. Thank you.” He bent over her and kissed her hair.
“For what?” She tipped her head back and looked into his face.
“For these beautiful babies. They are perfect and I couldn’t have asked for anything more than two healthy children and that you are all right. You scared the hell out of me for a while. I don’t ever want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Seth Sanford. You will just have to put up with me for the rest of your life.”
“A challenge I’m definitely looking forward to, Lily Sanford,” he said, before he gently took her lips with his.
Lily moaned under his mouth. He slipped his tongue between her lips and wrapped his hand in her hair before he tipped her head back so he could deepen the kiss. He continued his assault on her mouth until they were both breathless before he finally pulled away. “I think I’d better sleep on the sofa, otherwise, I might be tempted to the brink of insanity.”
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