Chapter Thirteen
Cassie’s breath came in sharp gasps as she paced the length of the house, each step measured and deliberate. The pains that gripped her were like none she’d ever known. Her blond hair, usually so neatly styled, clung to her forehead in damp tendrils.
“Lord, have mercy,” she whispered between clenched teeth, her blue eyes narrowing with each wave of discomfort.
The door creaked open, and Judy, cheeks flushed from the rush, hurried in, with Hortense trailing behind her. Hortense, with her years of midwifery, cast a practiced eye over Cassie and nodded firmly.
“Judy, go fetch Andy,” Hortense instructed, her voice a calm anchor in the storm of Cassie’s mounting distress. “It’s time.”
“Right away,” Judy said, the words tumbling out as she turned on her heel and darted back outside to inform Andy his child was on its way.
Alone now with Hortense, Cassie ceased her pacing and leaned heavily against the sturdy dresser, its surface littered with the implements of childbirth. She had no idea how she was going to make it through the birth of this child, but she was going to do her best to not make a fool of herself.
“Can’t this baby hurry up?” Cassie huffed, trying to add humor to the situation but falling flat.
“Nature takes its course, dear,” Hortense replied, preparing linens with deft hands. “You’re doing just fine.”
Fine felt like a foreign concept to Cassie as another contraction seized her. She grasped the edge of the dresser, herknuckles whitening. Hours slipped by, marked by the rhythmic ticking of the modest clock on the wall and Cassie’s low moans.
“Never...going to end,” Cassie muttered, the usual formality of her speech fraying at the edges.
“Shh, now,” Hortense soothed as she supported Cassie through another wave. “Your body knows what it’s doing.”
As the night wore on, Cassie’s resolve began to fade. Her strength ebbed, leaving her with a raw, primal urge to scream—to unleash the frustration and anticipation that swelled within her.
And scream she did, a sound that echoed off the walls and spilled out into the cool evening air.
“Let it out, Cassie,” Hortense encouraged, not flinching at the display of raw emotion. “It’s all right.”
WITH THE FINAL PUSH, a stillness fell over the room, punctuated only by the soft cry of new life. Hortense, with practiced hands and a tender smile, wrapped the tiny baby in a homespun blanket and presented it to Cassie.
“Look what you’ve done,” Hortense said, her voice filled with warmth as she placed the baby in Cassie’s weary arms.
It was a girl—a beautiful little girl with wisps of blond hair like her mother. Cassie had been so sure she’d bear a son to take after Andy, to work alongside him on the ranch. But here she was, holding a tiny little girl, who seemed too delicate to touch.
“Hello there,” Cassie whispered, her voice a pale echo of its usual surety. She took in the miniature features, searching for the overwhelming surge of love she’d been promised.
But it didn’t come.
Instead, she felt a curious detachment as she studied the face that somehow mirrored her own blue eyes and Andy’s dark,determined brow. A pang of guilt nestled into her chest. Wasn’t a mother supposed to be consumed by love the very second she laid eyes on her child?
“Why don’t I...” Cassie started, her gaze not leaving the infant’s face.
“Give it time, dear,” Hortense reassured, patting Cassie’s hand. “Love’s got a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it.”
Cassie nodded, hoping the wise midwife’s words would prove true. For now, she held her daughter closer, praying the emotions would come.
The door creaked open, and Andy’s boots thudded softly on the wooden floor as he approached with a mix of caution and awe painted across his face. His eyes were wide with an emotion that seemed to be a mix of joy and disbelief.
“Is that...?” His voice trailed off as he came to stand beside Cassie’s bed.
Cassie looked up at him, her blond hair clinging damply to her forehead. “A girl,” she confirmed, her voice steadier than she felt.
Andy let out a slow breath, the corners of his mouth lifting into a tender smile. “She’s beautiful,” he murmured, gazing down at the tiny bundle in Cassie’s arms. “Like a little daisy.”
Cassie’s lips twitched, a hint of her humor finding its way through the exhaustion. “Daisy, huh?” She considered the name, turning it over in her mind like a smooth stone from the creek. It was simple, sweet, and somehow fitting for the delicate life she cradled.
Andy nodded, his eyes never leaving the infant’s face. “Yeah. Daisy.”
