“I’m impressed with your schooling and resume,” the doctor said. “No pressure, but keep it in mind. Unless someone grew up here, or has family in the vicinity, it can be difficult to persuade medical personnel to move here. Sometimes we get traveling nurses, but they’re only here for a few months at a time.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Caitlin told him. “But I can’t make any promises. I have a job waiting for me back home, plus an apartment and, you know, people like parents.”
The doctor laughed. “Good enough. I’ll see you at Rayna’s thirty-eight week check-up here in the office.”
But before the second, catastrophic thing happened, Caitlin discovered a pint of her favorite ice cream in the freezer. Salted caramel vanilla bean with chunks of fudge and pecans. A note was taped to the lid. “Ice cream to be shared with your favorite construction guy. The one that likes to knock holes in walls. Now go to the sugar canister.”
Bemused, Caitlin obeyed. Inside the sugar canister—which had been conveniently emptied—was a single red rose and an invitation to the Valentine’s Day dance being held at the high school gym on Saturday, February 10thth.
Signed,
Quentin Hudson.
P.S. I know this is short notice, but I’ll take you in your jeans and galoshes if you’ll give me the honor of your company.
P.P. S. I’m a pretty good dancer so maybe put on your dancing shoes instead.
“I feel like I’m in high school,” Caitlin said, shaking her head, but smiling nevertheless.
“He’s terribly sweet,” Rayna said behind her, coming into the kitchen. “Are you going to go?”
“What day is it today?”
“February 3rd. The weeks are flying by. I’m pinching myself to think that my baby is going to be here in four weeks.”
“If he’s on time,” Caitlin said. “First babies often come late. It might be the Ides of March instead.”
“Don’t say that—that’s an extra two weeks! I feel like a waddling duck. Don’t I look extra huge to you?”
“No more than any other woman.” Caitlin stepped back to study her for a moment. “Although it looks like the baby is dropping. Let’s do a quick exam after your bath later today. Just to make sure if that’s what I’m seeing and it’s not an optical illusion from the clothes you’re wearing.”
Rayna nodded. “Gosh, I feel exhausted today. More than usual. The weather man said there’s a storm coming next week, too. Are we stocked up with food and supplies?”
“Mrs. Davies already did a shopping excursion, but I’ll get fresh stuff again on Monday.”
“I think our current guests will mostly be gone by then.”
The next few days passed slowly. The rest of the guests checked out and the rooms were cleaned again for any unexpected travelers. The house bulged with food in case the storm showed up, but at the moment the sun was peeking from behind a few light clouds.
Caitlin tried on the dresses she’d brought with her, but she only had two so there wasn’t much to choose from for a special, dressy dance.
“Go shopping, for heaven’s sake!” Rayna urged her. “If only I could go with you. I haven’t had a contraction in two days. Pretty please?”
“No, ma’am.” Caitlin was firm. “I’m sorry,” she added more sympathetically. “You must be going stir crazy.”
“To put it mildly. I want to go dancing with Wade and see the hall all fancied up with hearts and lights. Heck, I want to go anywhere at this point—even if I’m with a gymnasium full of teens.”
“We get to see Doc Taggart in a few days,” Caitlin reminded her.
“Maybe I’ll steal a car.”
“Ha! Have one of these chocolates Wade brought you.”
“I’m almost finished with them. That’s how bored I am.”
“Ah, so that explains the weight gain,” Caitlin teased.
“Temptation overcame me. Come tour the nursery with me before I head back upstairs like a good girl.”
Caitlin indulged her. The snow had turned slushy and the days were gaining more sunshine than gray. Spring fever had Rayna in its grips.
Quentin winked at her when she and Rayna showed up at the new nursery door to see the progress. Caitlin blushed at the way he looked at her. Shyness had overtaken her after the uncomfortable confrontation, but she’d accepted his dance invitation.
Only two days away now. Butterflies raced up her throat. She really did need to go see what the Rodeo Drive Boutique had in town. Rayna had mentioned that Caytie McAllister was stocking designer-type clothing at affordable prices.
“Her tastes are girly,” Rayna had said, “So there are lots of skirts and dresses. I’m sure you could find a party dress more than your serviceable skirt, or the basic black you wore to church.”
“That sounds great,” Caitlin said. But deep down, she worried about going to the dance with Quentin. If they could hardly talk to each other, how could this man possibly be the one for her?
When she expressed her concerns, Rayna said, “I’m sure he thinks he needs to prove himself first. And he’s scared of making the wrong move. Just go to the dance and let the rest take care of itself. You’ll know after that night together if you want to pursue any further dates.”
After a day of shopping online as well as at the Rodeo Drive Boutique, Caitlin found the perfect red dress. It had a fitted bodice, heart-shaped neckline, and a flared skirt for dancing. With her black pumps and a pair of sheer stockings, she wouldn’t look like an RN any longer. She just hoped the school had good heating because she didn’t want to cover up the dress with a sweater.
Rayna gave her whole-hearted approval when Caitlin modeled for her. “You look stunning in that red with your dark hair and green eyes. Quentin’s eyes are going to pop.”
All the way home, storm clouds had been gathering. As if they were following Caitlin to Snow Valley.
The menacing clouds lowered over the entire town and everyone hunkered down hoping it would blow over by the next day so the Valentine’s Festivities could take place on Saturday evening.
Instead, the power went out Thursday night when the snow began to dump in a flurry. It was still off on Friday. Crews were out working the lines, but the roads were slow getting plowed with such deep snow and six foot high drifts.
School was canceled.
Many homes had no power and families hunkered down with their wood stoves and candles.
Wade and Rayna had installed a generator to run the kitchen refrigerator and freezer in case they had guests, but the rest of the house was lit by kerosene lamps and a smattering of candles.
“I think we’re in for it, girls,” Wade said as a work call came through on his walkie-talkie. The voice crackled with static, but the message was clear. Two hikers were trapped in the mountains thirty miles away. “I’m out of here,” he said. “The department is now in Search and Rescue mode.”
Rayna paced the floors, biting her lips while she watched her husband pack up clothing and equipment into his fire truck. “Be careful.”
“I got the best vehicle in the state,” Wade assured his wife. “We’re outfitted for anything. I’m more worried about you.”
“Call me every few hours so I don’t worry,” she told him.
“I will. Now kiss me,” he teased.
Caitlin turned away as the two embraced and said goodbye.
“Thanks for taking care of Rayna,” Wade said, giving Caitlin a quick hug.
“We’re good,” she assured him. “We have food, water, lights. We’ll sit in bed and play board games for the next twenty-four hours. Be safe out there.”
Captain Kinsella smiled and tugged at her hair, as if she were a child.
The two of them watched as his yellow truck took off into the storm, a world of white swallowing him up in seconds.
“Ready for some cider and banana bread?” Caitlin asked, heading downstairs. She peeked out the windows of the front door toward the porch. It was a winter wonderland. The trees heavy wi
th snow. Shrubs had disappeared, appearing like giant mushrooms. Three foot long icicles hung from the roofline. It was impressive and beautiful. Thank goodness they didn’t have to go anywhere.
In the kitchen, Caitlin sliced the banana bread and warmed up the apple cider on a battery-operated hot plate. Putting everything on a tray, she stuck cinnamon sticks into each mug and went back through the halls to the staircase.
Dusk had already come and gone. Shadows from the lamps flickered against the walls.
Caitlin was halfway up the stairs when Rayna suddenly screamed. She nearly dropped the tray. Hurriedly setting the tray of food onto the landing, she raced the rest of the way up.
“What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
Rayna didn’t answer. She stood in the middle of the bedroom floor, panic-stricken. Slowly, she looked down at her feet.
A puddle of water seeped into the carpet.
“What is that?” Rayna asked, fear on her face.
“Your water broke,” Caitlin said.
15
Dread rose up Caitlin’s throat. The roads were closed. All public buildings were closed. Schools had been let out that morning when it had begun to snow hard.
All power was out across the town. She couldn’t see a single light in the distance when she looked out the windows. It was a world of black.
She had heard earlier by radio that the hospital was working with half staff and generators.
“I don’t feel so good,” Rayna whispered.
Caitlin raced forward, catching her cousin by the arm to lead her to the bed before she fainted. Her face had gone pale and her skin was hot.
Hurriedly, Caitlin took her temperature and blood pressure. Both were elevated, higher than they should be. “Stay with me, Rayna,” she ordered. “Don’t you dare faint or pass out!”
“I think I’m going to throw up,” she whispered. And then immediately retched over the side of the bed.
Caitlin lifted Rayna’s legs up onto the coverlet and went into action, stripping the damp sheets. Getting Rayna into a dry gown and a cold compress on her forehead to bring down the fever. She took her blood pressure again. Not good. Rayna needed a hospital as soon as possible.
Instead of fainting, Rayna was now shivering and curling up into a ball. “Contraction,” she moaned.
Caitlin pressed a hand to her belly which was tightening hard as a rock. She glanced at her watch and noted the time. “I’m calling an ambulance.” Before she took her next breath, she had dialed 911. There was no answer so she hit the Off button and punched the numbers again. A busy signal now. The emergency number was probably overwhelmed with calls from the storm. Power outages. Potential lightning strikes.
“Contraction over,” Rayna whispered.
“Good girl,” Caitlin said, nodding. The contraction had lasted about thirty seconds. Even if her water hadn’t broken, this was real labor. This baby was coming.
She took some deep breaths, forcing herself to remain calm for Rayna. This was what she was trained for. Unexpected onset of labor—three to four weeks early.
Calling again, she finally got through to an emergency operator. “I need an ambulance at Starry Skies Bed & Breakfast at the east end of town.”
“What’s the emergency?” the woman said.
“Rayna Kinsella has gone into labor.”
“How many weeks is she?”
“Thirty-six to thirty-seven, but she’s got high blood pressure.”
“Contractions?” the operator asked.
Rayna nodded, overhearing the conversation while she tried to breathe through the next one.
When Caitlin looked at her watch, she saw that they were already four minutes apart. Not good. The baby was coming fast. She wanted to yell a curse word, but bit her tongue instead.
“Four minutes apart and her water broke.” Caitlin barked into the phone. “How soon can you be here?”
“All our ambulances are out. There are some trees down and a concussion.”
“Will you please dispatch a message to come and get us? Mrs. Kinsella can’t deliver out here. She’s now officially high risk.”
“Your name, please?” the dispatcher asked.
“Caitlin Webster. I’m her cousin and midwife.”
Caitlin turned away when she said that, hoping Rayna wouldn’t hear what she’d said and begin to panic.
“I’ll try to get in touch with the ambulance, but you may have to ride this one out. If you’re a midwife, she’ll be in good hands.”
“Aren’t there any other ambulances?”
“We only have two. The other ambulance is out at Westwood ranch. A child was hurt out there and he’s being brought in now.”
“Please, if there’s anyone that can help, we could really use it.”
Caitlin gave her their number and clicked off. “Right now, I’d take the Ides of March any day of the week,” she muttered.
“Another contraction,” Rayna said between gritted teeth.
Two and a half minutes! Slow down, she wanted to scream.
“Breathe, honey, keep breathing, slow and steady,” Caitlin said, keeping her voice calm. “Find your focal point, or just focus on me. I’m going to get you through this.”
Think, think! She ordered. Rayna had potential pre-eclampsia. She had the symptoms with her blood pressure and fever. Even the swelling in her hands and feet had become worse the last twenty-four hours.
Hopefully with cold compresses, Caitlin could avoid Rayna going full-blown and suffering a seizure. She had no oxygen for her, or respiratory therapist.
The best thing was to get this baby delivered as fast as possible, but seizures and blood pressure could occur or skyrocket even after delivery. She needed a hospital and Doctor Taggart.
“I’m calling Wade,” she said, to alleviate Rayna’s fears. But after three attempts there was no answer. He was either at the rescue site in a harness halfway down a cliff, or his phone was down due to lack of cell towers. Probably both.
“Dare I try to take you myself?” she wondered aloud.
Rayna rolled onto her left side, stress and fatigue lining her face. She was getting tired. Caitlin closed her eyes for a moment. They should have put her in the hospital days ago when they knew this storm was coming. When Rayna was having more symptoms of fatigue. She should have been thinking ahead!
It would be tough to get them both in enough clothes to survive the cold. And blankets for Rayna. Despite snow tires on her little Altima, Caitlin had never driven while it was snowing. The white stuff was piling up crazy fast.
What if she skidded off the road? Or the car died on her? Nobody else was out on the roads tonight so leaving the house was also incredibly risky.
Most of all, what if the baby came while they were still en-route? She’d need blankets for the baby, too. A heating pad she could plug into the car.
Caitlin began going over everything in her mind that she’d need. Her medical bag. Water. Food. Good grief, it could take her thirty minutes just to gather everything and load it, get Rayna dressed and in the car, let alone drive to the hospital at ten miles an hour.
The hospital was nearly ten miles away. Another hour of time. The scenario of driving the both of them was not comforting.
Peeking through the window, Caitlin watched the snow silently fall. Eerie and unsettling. With a sick feeling in her gut, she realized that it was too late to make it out of the driveway. In the dusky light she could see that three feet of snow was stacked behind her car’s bumper. It would take time to shovel it away.
“Dear Lord in heaven, help us,” she prayed.
“Call Quentin,” Rayna whispered from the bed, her forehead beaded in sweat.
“Of course, yes! Why aren’t I thinking?” Caitlin dove for her phone just as a horrible roaring sound came from outside. “Is that just wind or a tree going down? Please God, no,” she said out loud, hoping one of the big oaks wouldn’t come down on the roof.
Racing back to the window, she yanked asi
de the curtains. Headlights were coming up the narrow lane to the house. A car. No, a truck. A red monster truck.
The diesel truck pulled in, skidding to a stop and spraying snow over the entire front porch.
Quentin jumped out of the driver’s seat and raced up the steps. Without knocking, he burst through the doors just as Caitlin was flying down the staircase. She flung herself into his arms and he held her tight against the bulk of his chest. “You’re here, you’re here!” she cried in relief.
“How’s Rayna?” he immediately asked.
“Not good. Baby’s coming fast and I’m afraid she might go into full toxemia.”
“That’s bad, right?”
“Very,” Caitlin said soberly. “But how did you know she’s in labor and we’re stuck here without Wade?”
“This storm got worse than I thought it would. The roads are awful. Cars abandoned all through town. I’ve been thinking about you all day and I knew Wade would have to go out due to downed lines if nothing else, let alone a Search and Rescue. I was already loading up my truck when I got a call from Martha, the dispatcher.”
“But why would she call you?”
Quentin smiled and kissed her suddenly, hard and fierce. Caitlin wanted to melt into his arms. It was as though all was forgiven. All the anger, the fears, and uncertainty between them melting away, too.
“Don’t you know, Just Caitlin? Me and my obnoxious red truck are Snow Valley’s emergency ambulance.”
16
Caitlin laughed at his description of his truck. “You’re a miracle then, because I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life.”
“I hope it’s for more than just my monster red diesel truck,” Quentin teased.
“I’ll love your truck forever.”
“Is that a promise?”
She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him, pulling at his coat collars to bring him close.
“Don’t get carried away now,” he added. “We got a baby to deliver.”
Caitlin nodded. “Check on Rayna, I hate to leave her alone for more than a couple minutes. I’ll grab my medical supplies, water, and wipes from the kitchen. Yell down at me if anything changes with her.”
UnBreak My Heart_A Snow Valley Romance Page 10
