“They’ll take care of you,” Brett said, as if he felt her fear. He helped to settle her onto the gurney.
But Trish grabbed the hand she’d held in the truck. “Don’t go,” she implored him.
“I’m not leaving,” he said. “I’ll just get the truck out of the way. I’m staying.”
She believed him, just as she’d believed back in the barn that he would help her. So she released him.
“How long ago did the pain start?” Livvy asked as she and the nurse steered the gurney to the ER.
“A…less than an hour…”
“Wow, Brett must have broken every speed limit there is to get you here,” Livvy said, and her lips curved into a smile.
“He drove safely.” Trish defended him.
“He was probably afraid to jostle you for fear the babies would fall out,” Livvy said. She had her hand on Trish’s belly. “How long has it been since your last contraction?”
“I—I…don’t know if they were contractions,” she admitted. “My belly got so tight, and then I have this pain in my side.”
The nurse and doctor exchanged a glance over her gurney.
“What?”
“Hopefully just Braxton Hicks contractions,” Livvy replied.
“False labor,” the nurse said, and she smiled down at her. “Though it probably didn’t feel that way to you.”
The woman’s hair was such a silvery blond that it was almost white. And her eyes were nearly silver, as well, and vaguely familiar.
“We’re going to check you out and check out these babies, too,” Livvy said. “We’ll make sure everyone is doing well. Do you have an ob-gyn in Willow Creek?”
Trish shook her head. “I was supposed to get a referral from my doctor in Sheridan, but…” She hadn’t been entirely convinced that she should stay at the ranch—that she could stay if the Lemmons and Frankie didn’t want her there. And while she’d agreed to settle the will, she still wasn’t sure that they wanted her there.
“We can get you a referral if you want,” Nurse Sue offered as she jerked aside a heavy vinyl curtain.
“Are you staying?” Livvy asked as she steered the gurney between the curtain and a concrete wall. “In Willow Creek?”
Trish nodded. “Yeah, your brothers didn’t tell you?”
Livvy’s face flushed. “I don’t talk to my brothers as much as I should.”
“You’re busy,” Sue said, defending her.
And they were both busy, hooking machines up to her. Checking her blood pressure, pulling over an ultrasound machine. But they talked as they moved around her.
“My brothers are busy, too,” Livvy said. “We’re getting better at communicating than we used to be.”
“I’ve not even been back a week,” Trish said. “Maybe they don’t think I’m going to stay.” She wouldn’t blame them since she hadn’t been entirely convinced herself. Then she sighed. “Or they don’t want me to stay.”
“Well…” Livvy looked uncomfortable. “I know it’s been a tough time for everyone after your dad died.”
Tears sprang to Trish’s eyes. And she nodded.
Sue pressed a tissue into her hand. “Let’s get you into a gown,” she said. She helped Trish change out of her maternity bib overalls and T-shirt into the gown. Then she lifted the gown and put a dab of gel on Trish’s belly.
“We’re going to check on these babies,” Livvy said. “Make sure they’re okay.” She pulled the ultrasound machine closer and moved the wand over the gel on Trish’s stomach. “There’s your little girl.”
Trish stared at the screen and the perfect little profile of her daughter. Then the wand moved, and another little face appeared, a thumb inserted in the mouth.
