Lone Star Bride, page 23
“I’ll take care of your food for you. I want you in good shape for tonight.” His eyes narrowed as he examined her face. “You’re having another pain, aren’t you? And it’s only been a few minutes since the last one. You may not be dancing after all, sweetheart.”
“Wanna bet?” she asked smartly. “I hear the fiddler tuning up right now, and the sun is almost set. I’ll let the rest of the women clean up out here, and I’m heading for the barn to listen to the music.”
And so she did, on a chair brought from the house by Chet, who watched over her as if she were a fragile bit of china. “Sure you don’t want something else to drink, Miss Alexis?” he asked for the third time.
“You’re as bad as Jamie,” she told him, her grin belying her scolding. “I’m fine, Chet. Not sick, just ready to have a baby.”
“Well, as soon as Ellen and I share our first wedding dance, I’ll be back,” he told Alexis. “I want a slow one with you, ma’am.”
“It’s a date,” she said, smiling brightly even as she felt another pain gripping her.
“How close are they now?” Jamie asked from behind her, one hand on her shoulder as if he lent his strength to her.
“A bit closer, maybe every five minutes or so. I wish they’d start the dancing. I don’t want to miss everything by trotting off to bed.”
“How’s it going, Miss Alexis?” The elderly gentleman, Doc Matthews, before her looked at her with keen eyes and reached to take her hand in his. “Are you gonna deliver a baby tonight?” His lips curved in a grin beneath a snowy mustache.
“Sure looks that way, Doc,” she answered. “I’ve been aching and paining for a couple of hours now.”
“How close are the aches and pains?” he asked bluntly, his eyes probing her for a reply.
“About every five minutes now.”
“I’ll keep an eye on you. But first I’m going to dance with my missus, then I’ll be back. We might want to get you to your bed in the next hour.”
“All right,” she said, suddenly too weary to argue.
“Let me know when you’re ready to go back to the house,” Jamie said, his fingers tightening on her shoulder. “I’ll carry you, honey.”
“I’ll walk,” she insisted, and then almost thought better of it as another pain traveled from her back to the muscles below her belly. She inhaled sharply and then took shallow breaths, waiting for the pain to subside.
“About ready, girl?” Before her Minna watched her with a knowing gaze. “I’d say you’re about halfway there. Maybe even more.”
“You think so?” Alexis looked up at the older woman and attempted a grin. “I don’t want to miss any of the fun,” she said mournfully.
“You’ll be having enough fun of your own to cope with,” Minna said with a laugh. “But don’t worry for a minute, girl. Between Doc Matthews and me, we’ll take good care of you and in a few hours, you’ll have a beautiful baby to show for it.”
The doctor approached, the first dance completed, and held out his hand to Alexis. “I believe this is our dance,” he said formally, bowing over her and lifting her to her feet. And then he glanced at Minna, who shook her head. “Well, maybe not,” he conceded slowly. “How are the pains coming along?”
“Oh, they’re coming along all right. I’ll admit it hurts more than I thought it would, but so far, I’m doing fine.”
“Why do you suppose it’s called labor, young lady?” the doctor asked. “It’s the hardest work you’ll ever have to do, getting that baby born.”
“Well, we’re having our dance first,” James said from behind her. “We’ll do it out front, in case anything happens while I’m twirling you around, but we will dance, sweetheart.”
She looked over her shoulder at him as the fiddler began another song, his daughter accompanying him with chords that supported his melody. The barn had filled with couples, everyone having lent a hand at clearing up the tables, and now the dancing began in earnest.
Without a word, he circled her waist with one long arm and led her to the wide doorway, out onto the packed dirt before the barn. His arms held her close and Alexis leaned her head against his chest as they circled in time to the music. “I love you, Jamie,” she said softly. “Thank you for dancing with me.”
“I feel honored, ma’am,” he said, bending to speak close to her ear. “The baby doesn’t seem to mind me holding both of you so close, does he?”
“No, he’s been pretty quiet today, like he’s getting ready for the birthing.”
“He?” Jamie repeated the word she had used without thinking.
“He or she. I don’t really care,” Alexis told him, clinging tighter as another pain circled her and concentrated beneath her belly.
“Had enough?” Jamie asked her, bending to look into her face. “Ready to call it a night?”
“I think so. The ladies said my bag of water might break early on, and I don’t want to be embarrassed.”
“Better here than in the bed. Less of a mess to clean up, I’d think.”
“Just full of sympathy, aren’t you?” She leaned back and shot him a sour look. “I think maybe the next time, I’ll let you handle the labor end of the deal and I’ll say all the nice, encouraging phrases to help you along.”
He laughed aloud, and from inside the barn, Doc Matthews and Minna looked their way, both of them obviously waiting for some sign that Alexis was willing to take to her bed. With a nod of his head, Jamie verified their thoughts, and within a minute he had picked up Alexis and headed for the house.
Midway across the yard, she groaned as a harsher pain gripped her and with a gush of fluid, she soaked her dress and the front of Jamie’s best trousers. “You and your predictions. Now you have this mess to clean up, smartie.”
“I’ll strip you off inside the back door,” he offered, “and then get clean clothes for myself.”
“You’ll have to find something for me to wear first. I’m not going upstairs naked.”
“I’ll run ahead,” Minna said from beside them. “I’m sure I can find a quilt or a sheet to cover you, honey.”
“Thanks, Minna,” Alexis managed to murmur, as once more the tentacles of labor wrapped around her body and took her breath.
Behind them Doc Matthews headed for his buggy and retrieved his black bag, then hurried to catch up. “I doubt it’ll be long,” he said, puffing with every step. “Once the water breaks, the baby is usually ready to make an entrance.”
Inside the house, Jamie stripped Alexis as Minna wrapped a sheet around her. The wet dress hit the floor and was kicked aside, then Jamie bolted for the washroom where a pair of overalls hung, clean from washday. Within seconds he had changed his trousers and was back where Alexis stood, bent over and gasping for a breath.
Without a word, he picked her up and headed for the stairway. “I’m too heavy,” she whispered as he shifted her higher, the better to take the steps.
“Oh, no you’re not, sweetheart. Just hang on tight and we’ll make it in no time.”
Edging through the bedroom doorway, he hesitated as Minna dashed ahead to pull back the quilt and top sheet, then placed Alexis carefully against her pillow.
“You want the other pillow, too?” he asked, and she shook her head as another contraction wracked her body. There was no doubt that the baby’s birth was imminent.
The time went by slowly, and yet, James knew that it had been less than an hour since they’d reached the bedroom. The doctor bent over Alexis, his big hands careful as he examined her, waiting out a pain and encouraging her with a low voice, offering words of praise for the fine job she was doing.
“I haven’t done anything but moan and groan so far,” she told Doc Matthews.
“Ah, but it won’t be long before you have to do the final deed, young lady. You’ll be pushing that baby out into your husband’s hands. And it won’t be long now.”
“Into my hands?” Jamie asked, feeling himself grow pale at the thought.
“It’s the least you can do,” the doctor told him sternly. “After all, it’s your doing that she’s lying here having your child. And then I’m going to tie the cord and you’re going to cut it, right where I tell you to.”
“Don’t worry,” Alexis said, reassuring him. “You can do it, Jamie. If I can do my job, then you can take care of the easy stuff.”
With that, she stiffened again and as Jamie watched, she bit at her lip and held back the groan that begged for release. “Go ahead and yell if you want to,” he told her, wishing he could take her pain upon himself.
“With all those people out in our barn?” Barely able to gasp out the words, she tossed him a dirty look and clenched at his hand all the tighter. He bent over her and kissed her forehead, feeling as helpless as he ever had in his life. Nothing had prepared him for watching his woman suffer as Alexis did right now.
“No more babies,” he vowed softly. “This is too much for you to stand.”
“She ain’t the first and she won’t be the last,” Doc Matthews predicted. “There’s something about babies that fills a woman with joy, no matter if they belong to her or somebody else.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Minna agreed fervently. “I’m pretty near as excited over this one as I was with my own.”
“Well, she’s not going through this again,” Jamie said harshly. “It’s too much for a woman to bear.”
“We all do it though,” Minna told him.
With that, Alexis groaned, her body arching on the bed, the doctor’s big hand holding her still. “Just a minute now, honey,” he said quietly. “You’re doin’ a good job, girl. I’m lookin’ at a headful of dark hair right this minute.”
“A girl?” Alexis gasped.
“I can’t tell from this end,” he said with a laugh. “But if you’ll push real hard right now, we’ll know in a few seconds.”
Obligingly, Alexis pushed, her face reddening, her body straining with effort, and Jamie could only kneel beside her, whispering prayers that pled for her well-being.
“You’re gonna miss catching this baby,” Doc Matthews warned him, but Jamie shook his head.
“I’ll cut the cord, but right now I need to be here with my wife, Doc. You’ve been catching babies for a lot of years, and if you need a hand, Minna will be glad to do the honors.”
As he spoke, a piercing cry from Alexis blended with the wail of a newborn child and Jamie’s heart surged, his blood seeming to fill his body with an energy he’d never known. “Is everything all right, Doc?” he asked, looking through tears at the two people who were admiring a dark-haired infant.
“Fine as frog hairs,” Doc said proudly, as if he had done a good day’s work. “Best lookin’ little fella I’ve seen in years.”
“A boy?” Alexis whispered the words as she tried to lift her head from the pillow. “I need to see him,” she said. “Has he got all his fingers and toes?”
“Yeah,” Minna said. “And the most important part he owns is ready to squirt all over the two of us, Doc.”
“Won’t be the first time,” he said jovially. “Soon as we get this cord tied and Mr. Webster cuts it for us, we’ll put a diaper on this little guy and he can pee to his heart’s delight.”
“What’s his name?” Minna asked Alexis, holding the cord firmly so that the doctor could complete his job. With an abrupt motion, he beckoned to Jamie and handed him a pair of scissors from his black bag.
“Cut this right here, son,” were his instructions, and Jamie moved to stand nearer the foot of the bed, his eyes on the tiny mite who lay in Minna’s hands. No matter what he’d heard to the contrary, this was a beautiful baby. And he was perfect, with long legs and arms and a round little body, all of which gave promise of growing up to be a sturdy man one day.
“Let me see him,” Alexis insisted, and the doctor nodded at Minna.
“You’ve got one more job to do, missy,” he said. “We’ll have this afterbirth out of the way in a few seconds and then you can nurse your baby.”
Alexis followed his instructions and the rest of the birthing procedure went well. She held up eager arms for her child, and held him close. “Can we call him James, after you?” she asked the man who had knelt once more by her side.
“You can call him whatever you please,” Jamie told her. “How about a middle name?”
“After my father,” she said. “James Henry Webster. How does that sound to you?”
“Like a name to live up to,” he told her. “He’s gonna be a big man, honey. With those long arms and legs, he’s guaranteed to be a tall one.”
“Well,” she said practically. “Since I can’t call him Susanna, we’ll have to save that name.”
“No more,” Jamie said vehemently. “You’ve suffered enough, sweetheart. One baby is enough.”
“We’ll see. And it really wasn’t so bad, Jamie.”
“Mothers tend to forget the misery when they get their hands on that newborn,” the doctor said knowingly. “I told you, there’s something about the look of joy on a new mother’s face that makes it all worthwhile.”
“Now, you’d better go on out to that party in the barn and make an announcement, James Webster,” Minna told him. “Sounds like they’re breaking up anyway, so hurry and catch them before anyone leaves. Hank will be waiting to hear and so will Ellen and Chet.”
“Go on,” Alexis urged him, squeezing his hand a final time before she released him. “If Ellen hasn’t already left, tell her to come up and see him.”
The fiddler was packing his instrument into its carrying case when Jamie appeared in the wide barn door. All eyes were upon him and a hush fell over the crowd. Ellen burst through the throng to stand before him, her eyes shining with excitement.
Jamie bent and kissed her cheek and whispered against her ear. “It’s a boy, Ellen. Alexis is fine.” At that Ellen burst into tears and Chet hastened to stand beside her.
“Bad news?” he asked quietly.
“Not on your life,” Jamie told him. He raised his voice to be heard in the far corners of the barn. “We’ve got us a baby boy, named James Henry, and his mama is doing just fine.”
A round of applause met his words and Hank appeared out of the crowd, a wide grin on his face. “James Henry, huh? How about Henry James?”
“You’ll have to argue with Alexis over that one,” Jamie told him with a grin. “She gave him his name, and I found out a long time ago that it doesn’t pay to argue with the woman.”
“Can I go up and see him?” Ellen asked. “Who does he look like?”
“Looks just like a baby, to me,” Jamie answered blithely. “You’ll have to judge for yourself, I guess.”
Without another word, Ellen was gone and by the time she was halfway across the yard, Chet had caught up with her, his long arm clasping her waist, his head bending to speak to her.
“Yes, you can see him, too,” Ellen assured him, in a tone that carried to where Jamie still stood. He accepted the handshakes and congratulations of those who gathered around him, the ladies already planning on bringing out gifts for the new baby, the men casting him knowing glances and welcoming him into the world of fatherhood.
And then it was time for the party to dissolve, the families going to their wagons and buggies as they prepared to leave. The fiddler and his daughter had come in their own buggy and now, as they left, Jamie slipped the gentleman who had played throughout the evening an extra bonus. He received profuse thanks in return and was pleased to see the man hand his daughter some of his wages.
“She’s a good girl,” he told Jamie, watching as his daughter ran toward their buggy. “Always comes along to play for me. I told her we’ll have to get someone else trained for when she gets hitched herself. And if the number of young men hanging around is anything to go by, it won’t be too long.”
“She’s a pretty girl. Someone will be a lucky fella to snag her.” Jamie’s words were heartfelt, for indeed the young girl was a prime specimen of blossoming womanhood.
“Good night.” The words rang out from folks who’d loaded up their vehicles. “I’ll get my dishes later,” someone called out, and another voice spoke of a visit to the new mother and child in a few days.
Jamie watched them leave and then looked up to find Chet and Ellen coming toward him from the house. “Your wife is asking for you,” Ellen said. “She’s worried about who’s gonna cook breakfast in the morning.”
“I fry bacon pretty good,” Jamie said, “and we can always eat leftovers, if it comes to that.”
“Well, you go on up there and tell her to rest easy. The doctor wants her to stay in bed for several days. He said ten at first, but Alexis gave him a dirty look and grumbled that she didn’t have time to lie in a bed when there’s so much to be done. Almost makes me wish we weren’t going away for a few days.”
“You go and enjoy yourselves,” Jamie said firmly. “We’ll be fine and when you come back, we’ll be happy to see you.”
“Well, we’re not going very far,” Ellen told him. “Just to the next town. Chet went over and reserved a room for us the other day, and just eating someone else’s cooking will be a vacation for me.”
“We’ll be glad to have you back, but we want you to have a good time.”
“Guaranteed,” Chet said with a grin. “I’m planning on it.”
“I’ll just bet you are,” Jamie said, tossing the other man a smile and holding out his hand. In the manner of men the world over, they shook hands, both of them tall and strong men, both of them pleased at their choice of a wife.
“See you both soon,” Jamie called back as he strode to the porch and into the house. His stride was long as he headed for the stairway and he took two steps at a time, anxious to see his wife and child.
The doctor had packed his bag and was washing up in the basin, Minna pouring warm water to rinse his hands, and handing him a clean towel. “There you are,” Doc said, spying Jamie in the doorway. “We’re all settled in for the night, I think. The baby seemed to appreciate what his mama is providing for him, and he looks to be strong and sturdy to me. I’ll be by tomorrow to check up on both of them, son. You just make sure she doesn’t get up and start down those stairs in the morning.”
