“Don’t you want a baby?”
“I do, I mean I did, later on maybe when the house was finished, and the saloon wasn’t hanging over our heads.”
“Are they the only reasons you’re hesitant?”
“No,” Morgan acknowledged with a frown. “In my time, it would have been different. Callie Mae and the baby would have the very best medical care available. We would have been able to know everything was going as it should be. There would have been ultrasounds to measure the baby’s growth and wellbeing, as well as tests to make sure Callie was in good health. Hell, we would have had pictures of the baby long before it was born and even know if it was a boy or a girl.”
“No kidding?”
“Yes, just like they looked inside of you to see exactly what the damage to your leg was, they would have looked inside Callie’s belly. I know it sounds strange, but…”
“No, I believe you,” Mead replied, nodding his head. “The medical field is impressive where you come from, and I benefitted from the skill of incredible doctors and nurses. I guess I can understand your concerns, but women have healthy babies in my time too. Like Ma says, you need to have faith everything will turn out fine.”
“I know.”
“And whatever you do, don’t let Callie Mae know how worried you are. It will only upset her and make her more fearful than she might already be.”
“You think she’s frightened?”
“Maybe. Probably,” Mead suggested. “Most women want children, but I imagine it would be a little scary. I mean their bodies go through all sorts of changes, and they probably worry about whether the baby will be healthy, and there’s the pain of childbirth too. Don’t make it any worse for her and don’t try to tell Doc how to manage her care. The last thing we need is another slip up like today.
“Doc is a smart man. He’ll start asking questions. I know he’s already suspicious of myremarkable recovery.”
“You’re right, Mead. I need to keep my fat mouth shut and not let the situation become any more uncertain. Any ideas about how we can get Laurie to agree to Matthew’s proposal?”
“I have a couple.”
“Good. Is there any news from Cara? I haven’t been out there in a few days.”
“There was a letter two days ago, and I have to tell you Morg, I didn’t like the tone of it. I’m afraid she’s planning something drastic.”
“Such as?”
“I’m not sure, and I’m hoping Micah is keeping a close eye on her. She’s desperately seeking a solution, and she doesn’t trust us to handle things on our end.”
“Cara can be impulsive, and patience is certainly not one of her virtues. Too bad we couldn’t get a message to Micah without her intercepting it,” Morgan stated in frustration.
“We can’t. She jumps on any correspondence like a duck on a June bug and answers so fast I have to wonder if she’s sleeping in the lab. It’s a little eerie.”
“I know. Being married to her was always a little unsettling. A woman who is so much more intelligent than you can be annoying. It was like she had an answer before I could even ask the question,” he said with a slight shiver that Mead did not miss.
“Well, she’s Micah’s responsibility now.”
“That she is, and may God help him. She’ll outwit him in a heartbeat.”
Mead laughed and spurred his horse on.
“You don’t know Micah!”
CHAPTER 13
FROM HERE TO THERE
Cara thought she was well prepared the night she slipped away from her husband. Stealthily, she entered the government building where she and Micah had top security clearance. Turned out getting in was no problem. The night guard was well familiar with her and her appearances at odd hours. If he wondered what was in the bags she carried, he didn’t ask.
Dressing was another matter entirely. It took more than an hour for her to finagle herself into the clothes. The corset, despite being altered by Lucy, still squeezed the breath out of her. The bustle looked ridiculous once she got the blue flowered dress over it and that required a do-over. She struggled with the shoes, swearing and cursing, finally only securing a few of the buttons with the hated hook.
When she finally straightened, one stocking was around her ankle and she’d put a rip in the other. Where the hell were the damn garters? Searching through her bag she finally located them and slipped them up her legs to hold the stockings.
