LITMIR.BIZ

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Even him, Matt thought.

      “She’d been caring for Hardy for over a year.”

      “And we helped her.” Them and Pa. That was when Matt had fallen in love with her. “So?”

      “She left so soon after he died. Maybe she was grieving so hard she couldn’t think clear. Remember how I was after Amy ran off with that married man she’d been seeing while engaged to me?”

      When he had lost his first fiancée, Russ had been negligent, withdrawn and as cantankerous as a bear with a thorn in his paw. Maybe Annalise had been a couple of those things, too. And if she had stayed in Whirlwind, Matt thought angrily, he could have helped her through it.

      His brother shifted, disrupting the shadows. “Maybe she made a mistake by leaving then.”

      “A mistake to go when she did, maybe, but claiming not to know about the baby? That was no mistake. That was a flat-out lie.”

      It had been some years since he and Russ had talked about this in detail and his brother’s calm suggestion still angered him. And solved nothing. She was back, but for how long?

      At the thought, hope rose. She had left once; it was entirely possible she might leave again. He jerked a thumb toward the hotel door. “Get back in there. I don’t want Lydia taking a strip off my hide because she can’t find you. You’re the groom, remember?”

      There was an innate contentment about his brother these days, a sense of calm. Despite the somber expression on his face just now, Russ was happy. Settled. Matt had once thought he wanted that with Annalise. But he didn’t. Not with her, not with any woman.

      Seeing his first love had left him feeling raw, cornered.

      “You’ll be in for the toast?”

      Matt nodded. “Get me a glass of champagne, okay?”

      “If you’d rather, I can ask Pa to give it.”

      “I’ll do it.” Annalise Fine wasn’t going to ruin this night more than she already had. Matt had moved on—many times—from her. He could do it again.

      As his brother opened the door, he said, “I’ll be clear-headed when I make the toast, Russ. I won’t let you down.”

      The other man squeezed his shoulder. “I know that.”

      Matt stayed outside a few more minutes, trying to calm the fury pulsing through him.

      After finally catching the band of rustlers who had been stealing cattle from the Triple B and surrounding ranches in several counties, he had anticipated things going back to normal, looked forward to a rest. The Landis brothers, all seven of them, were awaiting trial in Abilene’s jail because Taylor County was where they had done the majority of their rustling. Callahan and Nolan counties planned to extradite the gang to their respective counties once the Taylor County trial ended.

      The capture of the seven bastards had been a long time coming and the result of more than just Matt’s efforts. He had every right to feel victorious. And Annalise had leeched it right out of him.

      He had a Stockraisers’ Association meeting to attend in two days. Exhausted after months of spending intense effort on the rustlers, he didn’t look forward to the trip, but he was glad to have it. Come tomorrow morning, he would be on his way to Graham and away from Dr. Annalise Fine. And when he returned to Whirlwind, he intended to stay away.

      In the days after seeing Matt, Annalise stayed busy. She treated a case of pneumonia, several sore throats, an earache and accepted an invitation out to Riley Holt’s for supper. She had known him and his brother, Davis Lee, her entire life and welcomed the chance to meet their wives, Susannah and Josie.

      She had also examined J. T. Baldwin’s injured leg. She wanted to examine him more thoroughly before saying she agreed with the doctor from Fort Greer that he would walk again. At the end of their visit, Matt’s pa had mentioned—twice—that her former beau had been gone all week to Graham for a Stockraisers’ Association meeting.

      She had murmured some unintelligible comment. She didn’t want to know where he was or what he was doing. She didn’t want to think about him at all.

      Five nights after Russ and Lydia’s wedding celebration, she responded to a frantic plea from Davis Lee Holt, Whirlwind’s sheriff, to examine his pregnant wife, who had begun to bleed.

      It was well after dark when Annalise stood at the foot of Davis Lee’s and Josie’s bed, asking questions. It was difficult enough to see her lifelong friend terrified, but the fear of miscarrying their baby on both his and his wife’s faces wrapped around Annalise like a coil of barbed wire.

      For a heartbeat, the pain of her own miscarriage was so sharp she couldn’t breathe. She forced away the memories, struggling to keep all her focus on her patient.

      Seven months along, Josie lay in the big bed. The lamp on a table beside her was turned as high as it would go and the soft amber light showed she was as pale as chalk. Annalise could see the sheen of sweat on both their faces.

      “This has happened before,” Davis Lee offered hoarsely.

      Annalise frowned. “Miscarriage?”

      “Two.” The bleakness in his eyes cut her to the bone.

      Two? Her heart twisted. Going through one had nearly destroyed her will to live. “You said the bleeding just started?”

      “Yes.” Josie pushed a strand of brown hair out of her eyes. “I realized it was happening about ten minutes ago and sent Davis Lee for you.”

      “That’s good.” Annalise was glad she lived only a hundred yards from the couple. She started to lift the sheets at Josie’s feet, expecting the lawman to step out of the room as other men did. When he didn’t, she glanced up.

      Josie took her husband’s hand. “Is it all right if he stays?”

      Annalise was surprised. In her experience, men didn’t want to be anywhere around female issues. “If that’s what you want.”

      As Davis Lee eased down on the edge of the bed, Annalise raised the linens, noting the crimson stain was in only one spot.

      Davis Lee spoke softly to his wife. “Just keep your eyes on me, honey. It’s going to be okay.”

      Josie gave him a small smile.

      The man’s tenderness put a lump in Annalise’s throat.

      The blood didn’t appear to be spreading and there were no clots. That was promising.

      She lowered the sheet to cover Josie’s feet. “The bleeding isn’t heavy. That’s a good sign. Have you had any cramping?”

      “Only at the beginning tonight.”

      “Do you have any pain now?”

      “Some, but it isn’t sharp. It’s the baby, isn’t it?” Josie asked fearfully.

      “Yes,” Annalise said gently.

      Tears welled in the woman’s green eyes. Davis Lee stroked his wife’s hair, his eyes closing briefly as agony streaked across his handsome features.

      Annalise’s chest ached. “You’ve done everything right so far—stayed in bed, sent Davis Lee for me.”

      “So now what?” he asked quietly.

      “More of the same. Josie, I’m afraid you’ll be confined to bed for the duration of the pregnancy.” The other woman’s history made the outlook even more grim, but Annalise had no intention of saying so. “You must take extra care. Especially considering your two previous losses. You have less than two months to go. Right now, complete bed rest is your best chance of keeping this baby.”

      “But—”

      Davis Lee squeezed his wife’s hand. “You heard the doc, Josie. You aren’t going to lift so much as a needle.”

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