Only then did he catch sight of the woman lying on the blanket in the shadow of the tree. She faced away from him. His pulse hammered as he urged Pinto through the mess of branches and logs that cluttered the ground, Sean and Gil plunging through behind him. Was she dead?
Once more, he scanned the area. Where was Dinah? Only a single saddle pack lay next to Naomi.
Lillian jumped from her horse and raced to Naomi’s side as Jericho reined in and did the same.
"Naomi, what's wrong?" His niece dropped to her knees by the woman’s head.
The steady heaving of her shoulders made his chest tighten with panic and relief at the same time. She was alive, but something awful had happened.
Was she having the baby? This was too early.
Where is Dinah?
Had something happened to her, and Naomi was lying here distraught? A new wave of terror slammed through him.
He crouched beside Naomi. "What's wrong?"
She looked miserable in the late afternoon light, and her shoulders rose and fell with every heavy breath as her eyes lifted to him. "Pains. Dinah. Went. For wagon."
His gaze dropped to her belly as his mind whirled. She was giving birth.
No.
He looked up at Gil, who'd dismounted and looked as panicked as Jericho felt. Sean still sat on his horse with wide eyes. Clearly, neither knew what to do.
Jericho had no idea.
Dinah.
She would know. She could stop the baby coming if anyone could.
He leaned down to Naomi again. "Where did Dinah go?" She wouldn't leave her sister for long.
Naomi took in a slower breath, then blew it out with a long exhale, her shoulder sagging with the effort. Had the pains stopped?
She turned her gaze to him more fully. "A freighter passed us on the road just before we turned off here. Dinah went back to ask him if he would take me in his wagon."
Jericho frowned. Dinah was going to trust a stranger with their lives? He started to rise, but crouched again. "He was headed toward Helena?" He still didn't know why Dinah and Naomi had turned toward Helena themselves, but he would have to ask that question later.
Thank God they'd heard Naomi’s cry.
" Missoula. She should be back by now." Naomi still sounded out of breath, and her eyes drifted closed. She looked exhausted.
He touched her shoulder. "Rest while I go find her. Hopefully your pains are over now."
Her eyes flew open, wider this time. "Over? They're coming every few minutes."
He squinted. "You mean they come and go?" Was that normal? He had no notion of how childbirth progressed, but he'd assumed it was steady agony until the babe finally…came out. Even the thought of what happened made his ears heat.
Her eyes closed again. "Yes, that's normal. Please find my sister and bring her to me."
She clearly thought him useless as a midwife.
He surged to his feet. Seems they agreed on that fact.
That and the urgent need to find Dinah.
He moved around Naomi to speak quietly with his brother, and Lillian crowded in with them. She would likely play a part here greater than what should be expected of girls her age.
