He was so stunned by her plea that he almost forgot to keep the pressure applied to her lower belly. “I’m sure you have friends, Katherine.”
“Yes. But she already has a child—a girl. You would know how to raise a boy just right.”
Lonnie had never felt so humbled in his life. The woman had gone through a trying birth, she believed she might be dying and she was talking about him being a good father! Didn’t she understand that he didn’t know anything about being a daddy? He barely remembered his own father. And, Carlos, the man who’d raised him, had seven children of his own. He hadn’t had time to give Lonnie, or his other children, special one on one attention. He’d been too busy trying to keep them all fed and clothed.
Lonnie looked at her and the baby and tried to keep the fear he was feeling away from his smile. “I’m deeply flattered, Katherine. And I’d be honored—really honored—to raise your little one. And I would—if need be. But you’re going to be fine. Trust me.”
Glancing down, he could see the blood had stopped seeping, so he carefully lifted his hand. After a few long minutes passed, it appeared the flow had been stemmed completely.
“See,” he announced with smug joy. “The bleeding has stopped.”
Doubt filled her eyes. “Really?”
Still smiling, Lonnie nodded and eased gently up from the side of the bed. “Really. Like I told you, it was probably just a little tear. A few stitches and you’ll be right as rain.”
He went to the door and with his hand resting on the knob he paused to look back at her. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”
She gave him a grateful little smile. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He continued to stand there looking at mother and baby. In his wildest dreams, he’d never imagined a baby being born in his bed. He’d not even imagined a woman like Katherine in it, and for long moments he could only stare and wonder what it might be like if the two of them belonged to him.
Chapter Seven
More than an hour later, Katherine was clean and dressed in a fresh gown. Lonnie had also wiped the debris from the baby’s skin and hair and now the two adults were inspecting everything about the sleeping newborn.
“He looks just like you, Katherine,” Lonnie said in amazement.
Her face glowed as she looked down at her new son. “He does, sort of,” she agreed. “How much do you think he weighs?”
Lonnie thoughtfully scratched his head. “Oh, more than a sack of flour. I’d guess about seven pounds.”
“That big?”
Lonnie chuckled at her amazement. “A little earlier tonight you would have said he weighed twice that much.”
A pretty pink color flooded her cheeks, and Lonnie was relieved to see it. Earlier, right after the birth, she’d looked frighteningly pale.
“You know, I was expecting the labor pains to be bad. But no amount of planning could have gotten me ready for just how bad,” she said. “I wasn’t too good at giving birth. I’m sorry.”
Picking up the baby’s foot, he examined each perfect little toe. Everything about the newborn seemed like a miracle to him. Which every newborn was, he thought. But this one was even more wondrous and special to Lonnie because he’d helped bring it into the world. And most of all, it was Katherine’s child.
“What are you talking about?” he softly admonished. “You were a real trooper.”
Regret tugged down the corners of her full lips. “I screamed out. And I said some crazy things.”
Pulling his gaze from the baby, Lonnie’s guarded gaze traveled over her face. “You said if you died you wanted me to raise him,” he said wryly. “I guess that does seem a bit crazy to you now. I’m not exactly a father figure.”
Seemingly astonished that he should say such a thing, she stared at him, her lips parted. “I meant every word of that! And as far as I’m concerned, it still goes.”
Happiness flooded through him like a warm, welcome rain and in the back of his mind, he realized he was headed for deep trouble. He could see it coming like a dark cloud, boiling and roiling out of control. This was the wrong woman for him to be setting his heart on. She had her own life back in Fort Worth. Her own baby to bring up. She wouldn’t be interested in a county sheriff with far more guts than sense.
“I’m honored, Katherine. Real honored.” He tried to stop himself, but before he could, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her forehead. As he drew back from her, he murmured, “I hope you don’t mind me doing that.”
For long seconds her eyes studied his rugged features as though she wanted to remember them always and then she said, “The only thing I mind is that you didn’t give me a proper kiss. A woman should have one of those after she gives birth to a son, don’t you think?”
A real kiss? Suddenly his heart was hammering in his chest. “I think you’re right,” he whispered.
She smiled and as he touched his lips to hers, she decided the taste of him was like a hunk of sweet chocolate. Rich, tempting and oh, so delicious. Even after he raised his head, she wanted more. She wanted to feel his closeness, his strength, breathe in the unique scent of his hair and skin. What was wrong with her, she wondered wildly. Why was this happening now? All she should be thinking about was her new son. Yet without Lonnie she wasn’t at all sure her baby would be nestled in the crook of her arm right now.
“Uh…I think it’s time I should be thanking you,” Katherine told him.
His brows lifted and the corners of his lips turned up with amusement. “I’ve never been thanked for a kiss before.”
Her expression was suddenly serious. “I’m not talking about the kiss. I want to thank you for delivering my baby. I believe you saved both our lives.”
She made him feel proud and important, two things he’d rarely experienced in his life and he could feel his chest swelling with emotions he’d never felt before. “You’re dramatizing things now, Katherine,” he said humbly.
“No, I’m not. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
The soft glow in her eyes was directed straight at him and suddenly Lonnie felt very afraid. He’d hurt so badly when Ginger had left him. He didn’t want to be put through that agony again. He didn’t want to feel the deep humiliation that came with being unwanted. But every time he laid eyes on this woman he felt himself being drawn closer and closer to her.
The uneasy thoughts pushed him to his feet, and he walked across the room to peer out the window. Fat flakes of snow had taken the place of the freezing rain. Lonnie was relieved to see it. At least a four-wheel-drive and a set of chains could maneuver in the snow.
“Lonnie? Is something wrong?”
He looked over his shoulder at her and wondered how long it would take him to get used to the sight of her in his bed. That’s something you’re not going to have to get used to, you fool. Katherine will be here for a few days and then she’ll be out of your life.
“No. Why?”
“You left your seat and you’ve been quiet for a long time.”
He shrugged and since there wasn’t any way he could tell her what was really going through his mind, he said, “I was just checking the weather. Snow is starting to cover the ice.”
Sensing his withdrawal, Katherine’s gaze drifted down to the baby sleeping in the crook of her arm. “I’m really sorry about all this, Lonnie,” she said quietly.
He took a few steps toward the bed and then stopped. “Why do you say something like that?” he asked with a frown.
A grimace momentarily tightened her lips. “Because I’ve caused you a lot of trouble. I’ve even ruined your bed.”
She sounded so woeful he had to chuckle. “Oh, Katherine! Do you think I care about that? For Pete’s sake, I can get another mattress. You and the baby can’t be replaced.”
“I’m serious, Lonnie. When you asked me to come out and stay a few days, you weren’t asking for this kind of ordeal. And now—well, it will be a few days before me and the baby will be up to traveling back home. Un
til then, I don’t want to impose on you.”
He moved back around to the side of the bed, and her worried eyes followed his as he eased down beside her. Once he’d seen to her needs and the baby’s, he left them long enough to change into a pair of faded jeans and a gray sweatshirt. The casual clothes were far different from the starched white shirt and Wranglers he’d worn in Fort Worth. He’d looked like a typical Texas lawman then, she decided. But right now he looked like a man she’d like to curl up with.
“Katherine,” he said firmly, “you and the baby aren’t going to be a burden. Besides, I’m the one who feels terrible about all this. I’m the one who put you through the grinding trip here—which obviously threw you into labor. It’s all my fault. In fact, I wouldn’t blame you a bit if you were pretty darn angry with me.”
Angry! It would be far easier, Katherine thought, if she could be angry with the man. Instead she continued to marvel at the care he’d given her and her son, at the kindness he was still showing them.
“Lonnie, I’m not angry. And I don’t blame you for anything. I think…it was just time for the baby to come. The doctor had already warned me it could happen earlier than expected. And he doesn’t look a bit premature.”
“He looks hefty and healthy to me.”
She started to reply when she caught the sound of the phone ringing in another part of the house.
“I’ll be right back,” he assured her and then hurriedly went to answer the call.
In moments he was back with news for her. “That was the ambulance dispatcher. There’s an ambulance on its way out here now.”
Her eyes widened. “Now! It’s too late for that. Didn’t you tell them?”
Lonnie shook his head. “No. If they’re able to navigate the snow, you and the baby need to go into the hospital tonight. He needs to be checked over and so do you.”
Katherine knew he was right. But she didn’t want to leave Lonnie or his bed. She felt safe now. Safe and wanted. A combination she didn’t want to give up. At least, not tonight.
“I suppose you’re right,” she mumbled. “But I’m not keen on the idea. It feels pretty nice right here.”
One corner of his mouth crooked upward. “Not crazy about hospitals, huh? Well, neither am I. Will it make you feel any better if I go with you?”
Hope glimmered in her green eyes and then just as quickly vanished. “You have to be exhausted, Lonnie. You need to stay here and rest. I’m sure you’ll be needed at work tomorrow. Especially with this ice causing havoc with the roads.”
Rising to his feet, he headed to the door. “I’ll rest tonight. Don’t worry about me. Right now I’d better get a few things ready for both of us.”
Twenty minutes later, the emergency vehicle arrived. After the paramedics had Katherine and the baby strapped safely inside on a built-in bed, Lonnie climbed into the back and took a seat out of the way.
The drive to the hospital was rough and slippery, but they managed to make the trip in just over thirty minutes. The medical assistants unloaded the two patients at the emergency doors, where several nurses immediately took charge.
In a matter of moments the women had Katherine and baby pushed into a small examination room, and Lonnie was left outside in the tiled corridor to wait.
Fifteen minutes later he spotted a doctor somewhere near his own age, hurrying down the hallway. A clipboard was jammed under one arm and a stethoscope flopped against his white coat. With a cursory glance at Lonnie, he went into the examining room and shut the door behind him.
Lonnie took his hat off and leaned up against the wall to wait.
For the next thirty minutes a number of things ran through his weary mind. He thought about Seth and the Ketchum family, and how they were going to react to hearing they had another new relative. And more particularly, he kept thinking about himself and his own reaction to the events that had unfolded tonight. Helping Katherine give birth had left him feeling elated, as if he was walking on gold-lined clouds. And now as he waited for the doctor to finish his business, Lonnie was impatient to know that she and the boy were healthy. He wanted to see them again. He wanted the time to pass quickly so that he could take them home and enjoy having them all to himself.
Dear Lord, what had come over him, he wondered. He was thinking and behaving like a husband and a father. That couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be.
He was mulling over that stunning idea when the examining room door swung open and the doctor emerged. Lonnie pushed himself away from the wall as the man walked straight over to him.
“Sheriff Corteen. I’m Dr. Evan Braden.” He reached for Lonnie’s hand and shook it firmly. “I understand you delivered Ms. McBride’s baby.”
Lonnie was suddenly so anxious he had to remind himself to breathe. “That’s right. Is everything all right? She had some bleeding—”
“She’s fine. Just a little tearing. I’ve put in some stitches and she’ll be sore for a few days, but it’s nothing serious. Everything else looks fine. You did a good job.”
“And the baby?’
“He’s appears to be perfectly healthy. I’ve clamped his cord and put drops in his eyes—all the things we do for a newborn.”
Lonnie gave a long sigh of relief. “I was worried. She wasn’t due for a while and—”
Dr. Braden interrupted with a shake of his head. “Due dates aren’t etched in stone. Sometimes they can be way off. And in this case I think it was. The baby is full-term. In fact, it’s a good thing she went into labor when she did. Another week or two and she might have been forced to have a C-section.”
Lonnie was glad about that. Yet he still felt guilty he’d caused her to go through such trauma without any medical help. “So when can I take them home, Doctor?”
The doctor didn’t seem to find it odd that a new single mother would be staying with Deaf Smith County’s bachelor sheriff. But then, Lonnie supposed this man saw all kinds of situations during a day’s work. It would probably be hard to shock him.
Dr. Braden glanced at his wristwatch. “Well, since it’s only a few hours until daylight, there’s not much sense in your leaving now. Let the nurses keep an eye on them until morning and then they can go.”
Lonnie was surprised. “That soon?”
A wry smile crossed the doctor’s face. “Sure. She’s young and healthy and so is the baby. There’s no need to keep them here any longer than that. Especially when I know you’re going to take good care of them.”
Lonnie felt his cheeks redden. He wasn’t the only one who thought he was behaving like a husband and a father. The good doctor thought so, too. Thank goodness none of his deputies were around to see this. He’d never hear the end of it.
“Thanks, Doctor. I will.”
Minutes later Katherine and the baby were taken to a private room. Lonnie made an appearance long enough to urge her to rest and to reassure her that he’d be back in a few hours to pick up her and the baby. After that, he found himself a couch in the empty waiting room and was asleep as soon as his head hit the back of the cushion.
Later that morning, Lonnie discovered checking out of a hospital took much longer than checking in. Hours passed before Katherine and the baby were finally signed out and the three of them drove away from the hospital parking lot.
During the night, the storm had moved eastward and the skies had cleared. The weak, wintry sun now glistened over the snow-covered grounds and various long icicles hung from the eaves of buildings all throughout town.
Since Lonnie had ridden into Hereford in the ambulance with Katherine, he’d caught a ride over to the sheriff’s office and picked up the SUV he always drove while on duty. Chains had already been attached to the tires, and the small but sturdy vehicle was handling the slippery roads far better than his truck had last night. Even so, he was glad to see the town traffic was still practically nil and that people were using common sense and staying off the roadways.
“You’re going to need some things for yourself and the baby
before we leave town,” he said as he carefully negotiated the vehicle over the snow-packed ice. “If you could make a list, I’ll run through the discount store and gather up the stuff while you stay in the vehicle with the baby.”
“All right.”
She didn’t say more, and Lonnie glanced over to see she was staring out the window. A faint frown puckered her brow.
“What’s wrong?” he asked quickly.
Her head turned slightly in his direction. “Nothing.”
Lonnie’s experience with women was limited. But he knew enough to know that “nothing” usually meant everything.
“Now that the baby’s come are you wishing you were back in Fort Worth?”
The look she turned on him was one of guilt and regret. “Well, sort of,” she admitted. “Don’t get me wrong, Lonnie, I appreciate all you’re doing. But on the other hand, I don’t like burdening you like this. You have a job and your own life to deal with. I’m causing you lots of trouble. And I don’t like that.”
He let out a long, impatient breath. “Look, you’re not causing me trouble. I’ll get to work soon enough. Now, let’s drop the subject completely,” he said, then realizing he’d probably sounded a little gruff, he glanced toward her and grinned. “I’d rather talk about other things. Like your little one there. Have you decided what you’re going to name him?”
Her features relaxed as she looked down at the tiny baby in her arms. He was swaddled in a blue receiving blanket the hospital had provided and the nurses had attempted to comb his thick thatch of black hair to one side of his head. He was the most precious, beautiful thing that Katherine had ever seen, and her heart swelled with emotional tears each time she looked at him.
“No. I wanted to talk with you about it first.”
His brows lifted as he carefully stopped the SUV at a red light. “Me? What do I have to do with your baby’s name?”
“Because I want to name him after you. If that’s all right,” she added quickly.
A Baby on the Ranch Page 11
