“Well… as much as I love hearing you and Red worked things out, I still expect to share in some of the co-parenting benefits. I get first dibs on babysitting for all your date nights, and I’m coming over for newborn snuggles anytime I want.” She clears her throat, and the sound of her fingers tapping a drum roll comes clear across the line. I have no idea what the hell she’s on about, and my lungs fail to function as I wait for her to finish the train of thought. “Because I’m moving back to Wells Canyon.”
My entire body jolts, a lightning strike of adrenaline buzzing under my skin. “Oh, my God. You are? What? Why? When? You swore you’dnevercome back here.”
“Yeah, well…. That was before Mom’s diagnosis.”Shit. Of course.“Dad can’t do it all by himself. My sister is going through it with Jonas right now—her hands are so full, I doubt she’d be much help with Mom. So I reached out to Dr. Brickham, and he was ecstatic to be able to offload some of his patients. Maybe start slowly retiring.”
Dr. Brickham has been the only doctor in Wells Canyon for longer than I’ve been alive. He’s ancient and crotchety and makes house calls in a beat-up old pickup truck. My first memory of him is from when I wasabout five-years-old; I ate the cheesiest poutine of my life while watching him fix a guy’s dislocated shoulder in the middle of the bar.
“He has to be close to two-hundred-years-old now. It’s about time his immortal, ghoulish self retires.”
“Yeah,” Blair sighs. As excited as I am for my best friend to come back, I know how torn she must be. The one thing worse than dealing with feeling stuck here like I’ve been for the last thirteen years, is finally getting out of the small town you were born and raised in, only to be forced back to care for your sick mother. If I wasn’t going to have a baby to take care of soon, I’d be packing my bags and moving into the Hart’s home so Blair didn’t have to.
“When are you moving?”
“I gave my notice at the hospital for the end of February. So… first week of March.” Her voice perks up a bit. “At least I won’t have to miss a single moment of my niece’s life. Honestly, getting to see her all the time makes the thought of moving back hurt a lot less. So thank you for getting knocked up.”
“Glad my messy situation is helping with yours. Shit, I wish I could help you move but… for obvious reasons, that’s a no go.”
“It’s all good. Whit and Dad offered to help, and it’s not like I need to bring a lot to move back into my childhood bedroom.”
“I’m sorry, Blair.”
“Is what it is. As much as I love my life here, I need to be there for my parents. I want to spend time with Mom while I can… and Dad refuses to admit he needs help, but he does.”
“Selfishly, I can’t wait to have you around. I know this isn’t at all what you wanted for your life, but maybe it’ll turn out to be a good decision. Lord knows we need some better medical care around this place.”
She laughs under her breath. “What? You have a problem with Brickham doing sutures out in the hay field?”
“Prime example of why my doctor is in Sheridan. That crypt keeper isn’t welcome near my vagina or my baby.”
“She’s the size of a pineapple now, by the way.”
I jokingly dry heave. “We’ve officially reached the point where the size references are so big it makes me terrified knowing she has to come out one way or the other. Stop.”
Blair cackles. “Girl, a pineapple isnothing. Just wait.”
30
Red
35 weeks (baby is the size of a footlong sub)
Ireplace the wad of chewing tobacco tucked into my lip and nudge Heathen’s side with my heel to move her along faster. If there’s any hope in hell I can shower and get dinner started before Cass gets here, this damn mare needs to cooperate for once in her life. I swear she understands my anxious need and is purposefully ignoring me.
With the afternoon sun heating my back, turning the Carhartt jacket into a personal sauna, I hop out of the saddle. Knowing we’re so close to home—and dinner—she finally picks up the pace. Leading her into the barn, I come face-to-face with Austin heading down from his office.
“Hey, boss.” I drop the lead rope and begin untacking. “Thanks for babysitting Odessa and Rhett tonight.”
I was smart enough to go directly to Cecily with my request to babysit in order to give Jackson and Kate a date night. All so I’d be able to use the nice kitchen in the big house for dinner with Cass. It would’ve been a lot easier and more convenient to have dinner at her house in town like usual—the routine we’ve fallen back into since the night she showed up here—but I can’t give her my super-late Christmas present unless we’rehere. Though try explaining that to Cassidy without blowing the whole thing.
“You owe me.” He follows behind me to the tack room.
“Yeah, yeah.” I toss the saddle down on the rack with a dusty thump and turn to him. “Just trying my best to make this work out, y’know?”
He snorts. “Yeah, I know that feeling.”
“I know ya do, boss. Right from the day Filly showed up here, you only had eyes for her. And that’s how I’ve felt about Cass since that rodeo.”
“Better go get your shit together, then. She’s gonna take one look at you like this and run the other way.” He gestures to my appearance—filthy jeans, shit-covered boots, and a wrinkled long sleeve. He’s right. I have a lot to do and not much time to do it if I want tonight to be perfect.
