Dakota Skies, page 65
When Bob came out of the office he found Merrily waiting for him. The woman had a sixth sense about trouble. Axel was in her arms and both of them were staring at him, their eyes anxious. Bob swore he’d never let them down, even if it meant losing everything he owned. They would do whatever they had to. He’d be a rich man as long as he had Merrily and their boy.
“Is something wrong?” she asked when he didn’t immediately say anything.
Bob hesitated, tempted to tell her. She was his wife, his partner. They were in this together.
“You don’t need to worry, Bob,” she said, shifting Axel from one hip to the other. “Whatever it is, I can take it.”
“Let me find out what I can first, okay?”
After a moment, she nodded. “If that’s what you think is best.”
“I do.”
“Okay.” She kissed Axel’s forehead and set the little boy down.
Bob left right away, seeking out Maddy. The sooner he talked to her, the better. It was hotter than blazes, not yet noon and already the temperatures soared into the nineties. The sun beat down on him in unrelenting waves as he hurried toward the grocery, trying to reassure himself that Maddy would know what to do.
“Morning, Bob.” She greeted him with her usual cheeriness as he walked into the air-conditioned store.
“Morning. Ahh—feels good in here.”
Maddy, who was looking very pregnant these days, had a full staff working for her. The Loomis twins were constantly there now that school was out and she’d recently hired a manager.
“Got a moment?” he asked casually.
“For you?” she asked with a grin. “Any time.”
He glanced in both directions. “I’d prefer if we could speak privately.”
His request didn’t seem to surprise her. “That’s fine,” she said, and led him to the small office at the rear of the grocery.
Once inside, she closed the door, sat down at a battered metal desk and motioned him toward the remaining chair.
“Now what can I do for you?” she began.
“I want to ask you something.”
“All right,” she said, leaning back. “Just as long as you don’t want to know how much I weigh.”
He laughed as he took the chair opposite her, but his worries soon overcame his sense of humor. “Suppose I had a friend,” he said, resting his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands.
“A friend.”
“And say this friend knew a couple who had a child.”
“Okay,” Maddy said.
“Only this couple abused the child.”
Her expression sobered. “What kind of abuse?”
“Physical—there are scars. My friend said there were scars,” he corrected.
“So you…your friend has evidence of this abuse.”
He nodded. “What if the situation looked real bad for the child and it seemed the only sensible thing to do was take him away from that dangerous environment?”
“Take the child to the proper authorities, you mean?”
“No.” There, he’d said it. She had to know he meant Axel. “What if that person decided to keep the child herself?” he went on. “What if that person loved the child more than life itself and would risk anything to keep him?” The questions came fast, with no breath in between.
Maddy’s eyes were serious now. “Oh, Bob.”
“Not good?”
“Not good at all. I don’t even want to tell you the number of laws your friend has broken. Please don’t tell me this friend took the child across state lines?”
He hesitated, then nodded.
Maddy closed her eyes. “Oh, Bob, that’s big trouble. Transporting a kidnapped child across state lines is a federal offense.”
“Any recommendations?” he asked, swallowing hard.
“I have a friend, a very good friend in Savannah, an attorney who specializes in helping people in just these types of difficult situations. Now, don’t worry. I’m sure everything’s going to work out.”
“Will this attorney friend of yours be able to recommend someone here in North Dakota?”
“You’ll have to discuss that with Doug.” She pulled open a drawer and removed a personal telephone directory. “Give his office a call,” she said as she reached for a notepad and wrote out the phone number.
“My friend…doesn’t have a lot of money.”
“I understand,” she said, ripping off the sheet. “But don’t delay. Phone him as soon as you can. And this is important….”
“Yes?” Bob said.
“Follow his advice to the letter. All right?”
“To the letter,” Bob echoed. Folding the sheet of paper, he inserted it in his pocket. Then he glanced up and met Maddy’s eyes. “We never had this conversation, right?”
“It never happened,” she reassured him.
When he stood to leave, Maddy surprised him. She stood, too, and gave him a hug. He couldn’t help feeling he was going to need all the hugs he could get in the coming months.
He thanked her and then left. As he came out of the store and stood in the piercing hot sun, Buffalo Bob knew that he was about to enter the fight of his life. He was up to it, though. Merrily, too. They would find a way to keep Axel.
Bob felt a sense of relief. He had options. First thing he intended to do was contact this attorney friend of Maddy’s. And if worse came to worst, they’d leave the country. Hell or high water, they’d be together and really, that was all that mattered.
His wife was waiting for him when he returned, her eyes worried. “Everything all right now?” she asked.
He smiled and nodded. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
* * *
Jeb and Maddy woke before dawn. Neither had slept much, and Maddy could barely rouse herself to get out of bed. A phone call had come from Joshua the night before. He thought they should know that the police had contacted Sarah. Apparently Calla had run away from Willie’s, gotten into trouble and was currently in a shelter for runaway teens.
Sarah and Dennis had left immediately for Minneapolis. Sarah was desperately worried and so was everyone else.
Jeb had prepared a cup of herbal tea for Maddy by the time she joined him in the kitchen. Because of the heat, she wore only a thin cotton gown. She yawned. With the baby due in a couple of weeks, she was constantly tired.
“You feeling okay?” her husband asked, his concern producing a frown.
“Oh, yes,” she assured him, trying to smile. With everyone so worried about Calla, it was hard to think of anything else.
“I’ve got to see to the herd,” he said, his reluctance noticeable. He had a cell phone in his shirt pocket, but they both knew that he was often out of range and it might well be impossible to reach him. “Are you sure…”
“Go,” she instructed, pointing toward the door. “I’ll be fine. Margaret’s coming over to keep me company.”
“But—”
“Just go, Jeb. The sooner you finish your work, the sooner I can have you back here.”
He nodded. “You’re not driving into town?”
“No. I don’t need to.” Pete had everything under control, and she wanted him to have the experience of managing the grocery on his own.
“Good.” Jeb’s relief was apparent. “And if you hear anything about Calla…”
“I’ll let you know first thing,” she promised.
He moved toward the door, then stopped. “Margaret’s coming when?”
“She’ll be here by nine.”
“Good.” He grabbed his hat from the peg by the back entrance.
“Wait.” His concern prompted her to detain him. Just for a moment. “Come here, rancher man,” she said, crooking one finger toward him. “You’re not getting out that door until I’ve made sure you have a reason to hurry home.”
Jeb didn’t need any urging. He wrapped his arms around her nonexistent waist; their kiss was passionate and afterward they clung to each other. Maddy hated to lose the comfort of his arms but finally persuaded him to leave.
Maddy thought about Calla as she dressed. The conversation with Bob a week earlier was another worry. Because he’d asked her not to, Maddy hadn’t told anyone—not even her husband—about Bob’s friend.
As she made the bed, Maddy experienced a twinge in her back that worked its way around to her front. It went away but returned later when she was brushing her teeth. The only person she could ask this early in the morning was Hassie Knight.
“A twinge?” Hassie repeated.
“It’s too soon for the baby,” Maddy insisted.
“Are you saying you think you’re in labor?” Hassie cried excitedly.
“Hassie,” Maddy said. “I’ve never been in labor before. How would I know? That’s the reason I phoned you.”
“Did you time these…twinges?”
“No.” Maddy couldn’t think of any reason she should, especially since she was convinced it couldn’t be labor.
“Where’s Jeb?”
“He’s out with the herd but he won’t be gone long. You know about Calla, don’t you?”
“The whole town knows and we’re all worried sick.” But Hassie sounded angry, too. “Are you alone?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Margaret’s on her way, or she will be soon.”
“Call her and ask her to come over now.”
“Hassie,” Maddy protested. “You’re overreacting.”
“When she arrives, have her drive you into town. Leta Betts and I will get you to the hospital from here.”
Maddy rolled her eyes. “I’m not going without Jeb. Not after he attended all those classes with me. I need him—he’s my birthing partner.”
“The hell with Jeb. If he was fool enough to leave you by yourself, then he’s plumb out of luck.”
“Forget it, Hassie. I’m not leaving this ranch without my husband.”
The twinges had become regular and they were more than twinges now. She was in labor; she was sure of it. Following Hassie’s advice, she decided to time the pains. She was standing in the kitchen, staring at the clock, when she felt a sharp cramping and gasped, cradling her abdomen. Not until the warm liquid gushed from between her legs did she realize that her water had broken.
“Oh, no,” she whispered, unsure what to do. She phoned Jeb and just as she feared, a disembodied voice informed her that unfortunately her call could not be connected.
Margaret arrived almost immediately afterward, and Maddy was so grateful she nearly hugged her.
“Not to worry,” her neighbor told her with the utmost confidence. “I’ve delivered more calves than you can count. A baby can’t be that different.”
“But, Margaret…”
“First thing we’re gonna need is a good sturdy rope.” At Maddy’s frightened look, she added, “Just kidding. Let me get you into bed and then I’ll phone the doctor and he can tell us the best way to proceed.”
Maddy appreciated Margaret’s calm acceptance of the situation. Her pains had increased in intensity and the contractions were now less than five minutes apart. They’d gone from about fifteen minutes to five pretty quickly, she thought.
A long time passed before Margaret returned to the bedroom. “What did the doctor say?” Maddy asked.
“He wants you to leave for the hospital right away.”
“I can’t,” she protested. “It’s an hour and a half away—it’s too late.” She clenched her teeth as the next contraction hit and tried to breathe through it. “I…won’t go…without Jeb.”
“Did you try to phone him?” Margaret picked up the bedside phone and Maddy called out the number. Each attempt was met with the same recorded message.
“Doesn’t he know better than to go out of range?” Margaret muttered impatiently.
“Jeb isn’t out of range, the buffalo are. He won’t be long, I’m sure of it.”
But her husband seemed to take forever. By the time Jeb walked into the bedroom, Maddy was clutching the headboard in an effort to get through the contractions.
“Maddy…”
“Jeb, oh, Jeb,” she cried, reaching for him, needing his strength.
He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the sweat-dampened hair from her forehead. The alarm on his face intensified. “Why aren’t you at the hospital?” He glared accusingly at Margaret.
Maddy would have defended her friend, but another contraction came just then, claiming all her energy.
“You’re her birthing partner. She refused to go without you,” Margaret told him, leaning against the door. The sleeves of her shirt were rolled up past the elbows. “Now listen, I can’t say I have a lot of expertise in delivering babies, but I talked to the doctor again and he says we shouldn’t be moving Maddy now. The contractions are too close.”
Jeb’s face was panicked.
“Don’t worry—the doctor gave me some instructions. Also, I phoned Hassie and she’s on her way, along with Leta Betts. They both have lots of experience with this, so you’re going to be in good hands.”
Jeb stared helplessly at Maddy, but she smiled reassuringly.
“Jeb, what better way for our child to enter this world than surrounded by people who’ll love him?”
Jeb closed his eyes and kissed her forehead. “I should never have left you this morning. My gut told me to stay put. I should’ve listened.”
“It’s going to be all right,” Maddy told him, then braced herself for the next contraction.
Julianne Marjorie McKenna arrived at 4:32 in the afternoon, screeching at the top of her lungs. She was pink-skinned and dainty, weighing in at only six pounds three ounces, according to the bathroom scale. But what she lacked in weight she made up for in spirit. Her wails echoed through the house.
With tears in his eyes, Jeb McKenna held his daughter protectively in his arms. The infant released one last quivering cry, her lower lip trembling, then abruptly closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Exhausted but unspeakably happy, Maddy watched her husband and daughter.
Jeb’s gaze found hers. “She’s so beautiful…just like you,” he whispered. Maddy knew it was his love of her speaking.
Hassie, too, had grown tearful. She and Leta, with Jeb’s whole-hearted assistance, had coached her through each stage of labor. Margaret had stood by her side, as well, offering encouragement.
The phone rang and it was Lindsay, disappointed to have missed all the excitement. She’d been in Grand Forks for her doctor’s appointment and stopped to have lunch with Lily Quantrill.
Soon the bedroom had emptied as Maddy nursed Julianne for the first time. Jeb sat silently beside her, watching his wife and child.
“This seems incredible to me,” he said.
She glanced from the tiny bundle in her arms to her husband. “You mean the baby?”
“Everything. That you should be with me here…that we could have created this beautiful, perfect child. I swear to you, Maddy, I didn’t know it was possible to love anyone this much.”
She reached out her hand to her husband, and Jeb clasped her fingers in his, then raised them to his lips.
“Welcome home,” he said softly. Maddy knew he was speaking to his daughter but the words were full of meaning for her, too.
In Buffalo Valley, with Jeb, she’d found home.
EPILOGUE
From: Lindsay Snyder
To: Angela Kirkpatrick
Date: September 7th
Subject: Buffalo Valley Update
Dearest,
The house is quiet for the moment—a rarity since Joy was born—so I thought I’d answer your last e-mail. Both Gage and I are adjusting to parenthood, including those midnight feedings. Gage is a wonderful father. I found him standing over Joy’s crib this morning just watching her sleep. When I asked what he was doing, he told me he still couldn’t quite grasp how it was possible to love this tiny being with such intensity. I married a wonderful man and feel more blessed every day.
I’m thrilled that my daughter is just three weeks younger than Maddy and Jeb’s Julianne. Maddy’s been my best friend nearly all my life and I’m so happy to think that our daughters will grow up being friends, too. Maddy loves being a mom, just like me. I’m taking an extended maternity leave, which was a difficult decision. But I wanted to spend more time with Joy before I went back to teaching school. Leta is eager to look after the baby any time we let her. Joy is fortunate to have such a loving grandmother close by.
Thanks for asking about Sarah and Dennis. Yes, they’re married, which infuriates Calla. She’s decided to live with her father again. I can’t help feeling Calla’s doing this to upset her mother—and if that’s her plan, it worked. Sarah and Dennis drove to the runaways’ shelter and she refused to even talk to them. Then, apparently, Sarah’s ex showed up and there was a bit of a scene. Calla left with her father—no goodbye, even. Sarah is miserable and wants her daughter with her, but for now, this is Calla’s choice. That’s the bad news. The good news is how wonderfully well Buffalo Valley Quilts is doing. Last week there was a couple in town who’d driven all the way to Buffalo Valley to meet Sarah. They bought one of her quilts in Fargo while on vacation and were so impressed they wanted to see the company for themselves. It turns out they have a chain of gift shops in Oregon and wanted to know if she could supply them with a hundred quilts. A hundred! Sarah’s never had such a large order. She’s hired three women and is currently training them. It looks like she’s going to need to expand into the shop next door. Everyone in town is pleased for her. Now, if only Calla would come to her senses…I’d like to shake that girl sometimes.
