A Cowboy's Christmas Eve

by R. C. Ryan

  A young man stared back at them, his face pinched with worry. He was holding on to the rope of a toboggan. On it, wrapped in layers of quilts and blankets, was a girl, half-sitting, half-lying, her face mirroring her pain.

  “Oh, Colin. Hurry and unlock the door,” Anita called.

  As soon as he did, she thrust the door open and the man lifted the young woman, blankets and all, from the toboggan and hurried inside.

  “What’s wrong?” Anita stood aside as the young man rushed past her, carrying his burden into the warmth. “What happened to her?”

  Still holding her, the man turned to Anita, noting her white lab coat. “Are you the doctor?”

  “I am.”

  “Thank goodness.” In the light his face appeared even younger. Now that he was no longer frowning, he appeared dangerously close to tears. “We’re having a baby.”

  Chapter Five

  Follow me.” Anita led the way past the reception area and along a hallway toward an examining room, with Colin and the young man following.

  When Colin offered to help with his burden, the boy refused, saying, “It’s okay. She’s not heavy. I’ve got her.”

  The girl clung firmly to the boy, burying her face in his neck.

  Colin held the door and the young man carried her to a bed, setting her down with great care, as if to cushion any further pain.

  Anita was busy washing her hands at the sink. “I’m Dr. Anita Cross, and this is Colin Malloy.”

  “I’m Scott Kelly. This is Carly.”

  “Do you have a last name, Carly?”

  At Anita’s question, the girl glanced hesitantly at Scott before giving a nod. “Carly Jennings.”

  “Carly, I’ll need to examine you to see how far the baby has progressed.” Anita turned to Scott. “If you two gentlemen would step out, I’ll do my exam and you can return and hear the results.”

  Colin led the way out the door and into the hallway before turning to the boy, who was leaning nervously against the wall. “Are you two from around here?”

  Scott shook his head. “We’re both from Timberline.”

  Colin gave the boy a steady look. “That’s a couple of hours from here.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Where were you headed?”

  “To my grandfather’s cabin up in the hills.”

  “Your family having a holiday reunion up there?”

  He shook his head. “We just…thought we’d settle in there for a while.”

  “That’s a pretty remote area. You figured on delivering this baby by yourself?”

  Scott looked down at the floor. “We thought we had a few more weeks before the baby would be here. By then, we’d figure out where we wanted it to be born.”

  “All right, gentlemen. I’ve completed my exam. You can come back now.”

  At Anita’s words, Scott’s head came up sharply and he hurried into the room, with Colin trailing.

  Anita was smiling as she covered her young patient, now wearing a cotton gown, with a blanket. “It’s a good thing you got here when you did, Scott. The baby’s made good progress and is on its way.”

  “On its way?” Scott tensed. “How soon?”

  “I’d say no more than an hour.” She turned to Carly. “While I get a birthing room ready, you have two choices. You can stay here in bed, or if it feels better, you can walk the halls, as long as Scott stays right beside you.”

  “I can walk?” Carly started to swing her legs over the edge of the bed.

  “Hold on.” Anita put a hand on her shoulder and slipped a second gown over the other, to cover her back from neck to ankles. “You can walk only if it relieves some of the pain. And, as I said, only if Scott is right beside you. Any distress, and you get right back to bed and send for me. Agreed?”

  The girl nodded, and Scott hurried over to take her hand.

  With great tenderness, he helped her ease off the edge of the bed. Though her movements were clumsy, she looped an arm through his and walked beside him from the room.

  When they were gone, Anita hurried to a second room and began preparing it for delivery.

  Colin followed behind her. “You okay with this?”

  She arched a brow. “Delivering a baby?”

  “It could get complicated. She’s hardly more than a kid herself.”

  “Seventeen.”

  “She told you that?”

  Anita nodded. “She and Scott are both seventeen and seniors in high school.”

  “And they’re running.”

  Anita slanted him a glance. “He admitted that?”

  “Not in so many words, but it’s pretty easy to figure out.”

  She sighed. “We’ll have plenty of time to get to know them and, hopefully, to hear their story.”

  “I thought you said an hour.”

  She smiled. “Babies have their own particular timetables. They come into this world when they’re ready. Since this is a first and the mother is young, it could be quick and easy or slow and plodding. Until we see how it progresses, all bets are off.”

  She touched a hand to the frown that creased Colin’s forehead. “Getting nervous, cowboy?”

  “You bet. Walking miles through a blizzard is a piece of cake. Birthing a baby isn’t something I’m prepared for.”

  She patted his cheek. “Fortunately for you, I can handle this. And so can that young mother, whether she’s ready or not. All you and Scott have to do is stand on the sidelines and be the cheering section.”

  “If you say so.” When she started to turn away, he drew her back and tilted her face up to his. “I just hope, when all this is over, you’ll remember where we were before we were interrupted.”

  She gave him a smoldering look. “I’m not about to forget.”

  He placed a big, callused hand to her cheek.

  The flare of heat was so stunning, they both looked startled by the unexpected flow of emotions.

  Anita felt her heart take a sudden hard dip before shifting into high gear. There was such an incredible rush wherever he touched her. What would it be like if he kissed her? The thought of his mouth on hers had little fires starting deep inside.

  How was it possible that right now, when all her thoughts should be centered on the pending birth, the only thing she could think about was Colin and the way he made her feel?

  Maybe because he was so much more than any man she’d ever known. The fact that he was here, in a driving blizzard, proved that he was steady as a rock. The sort of man she would trust in time of need. Still, there was something raw and earthy about him that had her heart stuttering with barely contained excitement. He was so cool. So self-contained. A man’s man, accustomed to forging his own trails. And here he was, making her feel as if she were the only woman in the world, and he was thrilled to spend his Christmas Eve in a medical clinic.

  “If we were alone…”

  His words had her breath backing up in her throat and her heart hammering in her temples. “Why don’t you tell me what you’d do if we were alone.”

  “For openers, I’d do this.” He lowered his face to hers and covered her lips with a kiss that had her heart stuttering.

  Oh, the man knew how to kiss. How to make a woman feel special, cherished. She was enveloped in those strong arms while his mouth moved over hers in the most delicious kiss that had all the breath backing up in her throat as a fire began deep inside.

  “And then I’d…” His hands moved along her sides, causing the heat to build as his thumbs encountered the soft swell of her breasts. Her nipples hardened instantly, and she couldn’t stop the little gasp that escaped her lips.

  “If we were alone, I’d already have you out of these clothes so I could just take my time looking at you. You’re so beautiful, you take my breath away. I’m thinking a lifetime wouldn’t be long enough to get my fill of looking at you.”

  She ran her palms up his arms, across his shoulders. “You’re easy on the eye, too, cowboy. I think I like hearing all the t
hings you’d do if we were alone.”

  “That’s just the start of it. Next I’d—”

  “Dr. Cross!”

  At Scott’s cry, Anita touched a finger to his lips. “You’ve certainly got my attention. Hold that thought, cowboy. I can’t wait to hear how this will end.”

  She hurried out the door, leaving Colin frowning in frustration.

  He felt trapped by his own words. Hot as hell. While he’d been thinking he was seducing her, he was the one who’d been seduced. By the mere look of her. The touch of her. And now there was nothing to do but wait and hope this latest emergency didn’t take all night.

  My fault, he thought with a sudden wry laugh. That’s just what comes of trying to get time alone with a busy doctor while she’s being hit with one emergency after another.

  Sooner or later, they’d find their moment, he vowed as he trailed slowly behind.

  “Carly’s hurting, Doc.” Scott hovered over the girl, who was leaning heavily against the wall.

  “Are the pains worse?” Anita drew an arm around the girl.

  “Uh-huh.” Her breath was coming in short huffs. “Really bad now.”

  “On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, what number would you give your pains?”

  “Eleven.” Carly’s voice shook.

  “Then I’d say it’s time we get you to bed.” Anita signaled for Scott to take Carly’s arm as she led the way toward the sterile birthing room.

  While Scott got Carly settled in the bed, Anita bustled about preparing the instruments, many of which would be used only in case of an emergency.

  She wheeled a tiny bassinet next to the bed and prepared the items necessary for a possible premature birth. Heat. Light. Oxygen. From her calculations, the baby seemed a safe size, but she had to be prepared for any emergency.

  Colin stepped up beside her. “Can I do anything to help?”

  She shot him a brilliant smile. “Just having you here is a help to me.”

  She turned away, all brisk business now. “All right, gentlemen. Make yourselves scarce for a few minutes while I do another check on mama and baby.”

  Colin stood quietly watching as Scott paced the length of the hall and back, his face a mask of intense concern. It seemed a lot for a high school kid to handle, but this young man struck him as up to the task.

  Hoping to distract the boy, he asked, “You play any sports?”

  Scott paused. “Football. Soccer. Baseball.”

  “A man for every season, I see.”

  The boy managed a weak smile. “I guess so. It just comes natural to me.”

  “Varsity?”

  Scott nodded. “I’m captain of all three teams.”

  “That means you’re good.”

  He shrugged. “I try.”

  “And it means your teammates trust you to lead them.”

  Another shrug of his shoulders as he stared nervously at the closed door of the birthing room.

  Recognizing the boy’s fear, Colin plunged ahead, determined to keep Scott’s mind on anything except the coming event. “All that popularity with your classmates. You class president, too?”

  The boy shook his head. “That’s Carly. She’s the smartest and most popular girl in our class.”

  “Really? Is she into sports, too?”

  The boy brightened. “She’s a mean soccer player. I think if she put her mind to it, she could beat me. We’ve practiced together a lot. She’s the captain of her team, too.”

  “Either of you thinking about using it as a springboard for a college scholarship?”

  “That was the plan.” His smile faded. “I’ve got a job lined up right after graduation.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Ranching. My uncle Rick needs more wranglers. It’s all I know. All I want to know. I’ve been ranching with my dad since I was old enough to hold a shovel.”

  “You dad doesn’t need you?”

  Scott looked away, but not before Colin saw the pain in his eyes. “My dad said he expects me to be the first one in our family to graduate from college. He won’t let me work our ranch unless I promise to go.”

  “You can do both. Work as a wrangler and take classes online at night. Ranchers around these parts have done it for years. That’s how I managed both.”

  Scott shook his head. “That’s what I’m hoping. But not for a while. Carly’s going to need some help with a new baby and all…”

  “Yeah. But babies grow. You two could take a class each semester. Before you know it, the baby is in school and the two of you are college graduates.”

  Scott looked thoughtful. “Maybe. We’ll just have to—”

  “You two can come back in.” Anita’s voice from the doorway had Scott racing toward the side of Carly’s bed and grabbing her hand.

  Colin lifted a brow in question and Anita merely smiled. “Our baby’s making progress. It should be any time now.”

  “Would you like me to wait outside?”

  She shook her head. “You can stand behind Scott and be his backup.” In a whisper she added, “Be sure and catch him if he starts to drop.”

  Colin reminded himself to breathe as he followed her into the room and took up a position beside Scott, ready to catch the boy if the entire process proved too much for him. Of course, he had no way of knowing how he himself would survive if anything should go wrong. He hoped he could remain upright and not embarrass himself.

  In these past years he’d helped raise three nephews, had stepped in as his father had aged to shoulder more of the responsibilities of their huge ranch, and had assisted in thousands of animal births. He knew the whims of nature and had never felt overwhelmed by the blood and gore and brutality of it. But right now, as this scene was about to unfold before him, he couldn’t actively participate. He had no choice but to stand by and be nothing more than an observer.

  Or, as Anita had called it, a cheerleader. Something alien to his very nature.

  All his life he’d been in the center of all the action going on around him at the ranch. He had always assumed he would one day marry and have a family. It was the way of things. Living in such a loving, nurturing family, he’d taken for granted that he would follow his parents’ example. Theirs was such an amazing love story. But after the death of Patrick and Bernie, his dreams had taken a sharp turn. At first because of the pain his family was enduring and the need to try his best to be father and mother to his nephews.

  When had the years slipped away? One minute he was a fearless young man, sowing his wild oats. The next he was forty and still single.

  The seasons had come and gone in a flurry of ranch chores and family dramas, and he’d been content to deal with one thing after another. Now, suddenly, the arrival of Anita Cross in his world had changed everything.

  And right this minute, he wanted, more than anything, to carry her off to somewhere so isolated, they were the only two people in the universe. If that happened—when that happened, he mentally corrected—he would show her in every way possible just how much she had begun to mean to him.

  For now, caught up in this latest emergency, he would have to practice patience and step back to be nothing more than a bit player in a drama that was absolutely breathless to witness.

  That fact left him feeling, for the first time in his life, helpless and completely out of his element.

  Chapter Six

  Carly was struggling not to cry out each time a new pain rolled through her, but sometimes, when a particularly painful contraction began, she couldn’t contain herself.

  Beside her, Scott, wide-eyed and manfully fighting to maintain his control, kept murmuring words meant to soothe while reminding her to breathe.

  Colin appeared stoic, his eyes focused on the young couple. The girl in the bed was gripping Scott’s hand so tightly, her nails were drawing blood. To his credit, Scott, though clearly suffering every pain right along with her, kept up a continuous stream of loving words meant to comfort.

  Through it
all, Dr. Anita Cross was the calm in the center of a storm.

  “You’re doing really well, Carly. Everything is moving along like textbook.”

  The girl gave her a grateful smile before the next pain rose up and she squeezed Scott’s hand.

  “Did your doctor tell you if you’re having a boy or girl?”

  Scott answered for both of them. “We didn’t want to know.” He smiled down at Carly. “We wanted to be surprised.”

  “Interesting. And rare these days. Well, you’ll know soon enough. We’ll all know.”

  Just as Carly let out a piercing cry, Anita pressed a hand on the girl’s engorged tummy and smiled. “Any minute now, in fact. This is the big one.”

  At the startled gasp from both Scott and Carly, she said, “I’m going to ask you to push and not stop until I say so. Starting…right…now.”

  Carly’s hands fisted in the bed linens as she did as she’d been told.

  Standing at the head of the bed, Scott placed both hands on her shoulders, kneading, caressing as he breathed for both of them.

  Standing behind him, Colin placed a big hand on the boy’s shoulder and squeezed.

  With a sudden rush of fluid, the baby slid free into Anita’s waiting hands.

  “Carly and Scott, you have a beautiful baby boy.”

  She laid the infant, its umbilical cord still attached, on Carly’s chest.

  The baby gave a lusty cry.

  “With a very healthy set of lungs,” Anita added with a laugh before handing Scott a pair of sterile scissors. “Would you like to do the honors?”

  For a single moment, Scott looked terrified and astounded. Then, gathering himself, he walked to the side of the bed, accepted the scissors, and cut where the doctor indicated.

  “Good job. Have you decided on a name?”

  At Anita’s question, the two shared a secret smile.

  “Jesse,” they said in unison. The name was uttered on a whisper, as though in prayer.

  Anita’s composure slipped for just an instant as her eyes filled. “What a perfect name for a baby born on this day.” She wiped away her tears before glancing at the clock on the wall.