He was pretty sure those puppies couldn’t be more than a few days early, but her words sent a shiver of fear down his spine. It would be next to impossible to get to the animal hospital in this weather.
She set the crate down and opened her coat.
Henrietta immediately thrust her snout into the box and the babies mewled and nuzzled at her.
Relief flowed into Ransom’s veins. The babies were small, but they were just as they should be. It was only that Hailey had never seen a newborn puppy before.
“Their eyes aren’t even open yet,” she whispered sadly.
“Let’s get them back with their mama,” Ransom said, grabbing a quilt from the back of the sofa and laying it on the floor by the fireplace.
Hailey and Henrietta watched as he lifted the babies gently out and placed them together on the blanket.
He was proud to see Henrietta go to them immediately and nuzzle them close to nurse again.
“We made it,” Hailey said, crawling over to stroke Henrietta’s head.
Henrietta’s tail thumped on the blanket and Hailey smiled down at her new friend.
“What do you think?” Hailey asked, looking to Ransom. “How early are they? Are they going to survive?”
Ransom gazed at the little ones, so tiny, yet nursing lustily like perfectly healthy baby shepherds eager for their meal.
The truth was that Henrietta would have been absolutely fine on her own in that unheated barn. The puppies were healthy and strong, and Hailey hadn’t needed to do what she had done, bringing them all home to Ransom in the middle of a snowstorm.
But it was so brave, so selfless…
His heart ached at the thought that she had done this kindness in spite of her own fears and the very real danger of being out in the elements herself.
“Hailey,” he said gently. “I know they look tiny, but they’re going to be just fine. Actually, this is how every newborn puppy looks.”
“But their ears,” she murmured. “And their eyes are closed.”
It had been a long time since Ransom had wondered at the tiny, folded ears and closed eyes of a baby dog, but he saw them again now, through her eyes. For a moment he felt the same awe he had the first time he saw a litter of newborn pups.
“I know,” he agreed. “They look so vulnerable, don’t they? But they’re just as they should be. And Henrietta looks great too.”
“She’s a very good mama,” Hailey agreed immediately.
“I know she’s very happy to be warm right now,” Ransom told her truthfully. “And since she’s here, we can pamper her with extra food right away.”
Hailey observed the big dog in silence for a moment.
“I didn’t really need to bring them here, did I?” Hailey asked after a moment.
Ransom hesitated for a moment, but he didn’t want to be anything but honest with her.
“No, you probably didn’t need to,” he told her. “But I’m really glad you did.”
“You’ll be telling this story all over town,” she sighed. But her eyes were twinkling and she looked like she wanted to laugh.
“Not if you don’t want me to,” he told her truthfully. “But I think people would really get a kick out of it. Now let’s get you some dry clothes. I think you’re in worse shape than they are.”
Her laughter rang like bells, and he felt himselffalling harder than ever for her, even though the situation was hopeless.
She’s with that actor,he reminded himself.Have some self-control.
An hour later,Ransom was at the stove as Hailey padded down the stairs. Her hair was wet and she was swimming in his old football sweats, but her cheeks were rosy and he was glad she was warm again.
