Page 51 of The Cowgirl's Chosen Love
Brad rose to his feet, gesturing Lisa to the free spot at his side. The position put her directly across from the other woman who was eyeing her with great curiosity.
They all settled, and then, thank goodness, Brad took charge of the conversation.
He ran a hand over his shaved head, smiling easily at Josiah. “You did a good job pinch-hitting yesterday.”
“Hey, delivering newborns is a job perk. Some times are messier than others, but it was kind of fun setting up for a delivery where I wasn’t too worried about accidentally being kicked halfway across the room.”
“Was that your first human delivery?” Julia asked. “Because it was nice to come in and not have people freaking out.”
“First time. And I don’t know that I get the actual baby count since you guys came in for the finish.” He snuck his fingers under the table and grabbed Lisa’s hand. “I’ve lost count of how many other creatures I’ve help bring into this world.”
“I’m glad you were willing to come.” Lisa turned to Brad. “I was worried the ambulance wasn’t going to make it past the block on the bridge.”
“Good thinking, because it wouldn’t have. But for the next six months, Julia is apprenticing with the Heart Falls emergency services. Not as extensive as an ambulance, but definitely first-responder. It’s a trial program we hope will improve rural coverage without huge costs.”
Julia spoke up and it was the strangest thing, like listening to a familiar voice from a familiar face, but with a fraction-of-a-second pause in the wrong places. “I have to do a practicum for my EMT and I’ve wanted to live in rural Alberta for a while.” She glanced at Brad and her cheeks flushed before she straightened and went all professional. “Brad was one of my trainers during my first year and he always spoke about Heart Falls like it was a magical place.”
That sounded like a good opening. “Where are you from? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.”
Julia smiled. “It’s kind of like the elephant in the room, isn’t it? Trying to figure out why we look so much alike? I’m from Calgary originally, but Mom and I moved to Vancouver when I was five. She always joked that the Alberta skies were calling me home every time I got restless.”
Brad’s phone went off. He grinned as he pulled it out. “Sorry, guys, I’ve got to take this.”
“Emergency?” Julia asked, straightening as if ready to leap out the door.
“My fiancée.” He rolled to his feet, happiness clear and present. “I’ll be back.”
As he left the table, Josiah leaned toward Lisa. “I’ll stay if you want, but if you’re okay on your own…?”
She squeezed his fingers. “We’re fine. Thank you, though. For everything.”
Josiah tucked his fingers under her chin and lifted her face for a kiss. PDA-level heat, but sweet enough to make a chill run up her spine.
He tapped her on the nose. “Call me.”
She watched him walk away before turning back to Julia. “We’ve been abandoned.”
The other woman was examining her closely. “Are you okay with us chatting by ourselves? Because, I’ll admit, I’m curious like crazy, but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or on the spot. If you want to wait until—”
“I have no problem talking with you alone,” Lisa assured her. Although it was very thoughtful that Julia was worried. “I’m from Rocky Mountain House, a smaller community north and west of Calgary. My mom passed away over twenty years ago, but if there’s any family connection between us, I doubt it’s from her side. You look an awful lot like a Coleman.”
Julia’s expression went sorrowful. “My mom passed away a year ago.”
Lisa was struck with the urge to reach across the table to offer a sympathetic hand squeeze. “I’m sorry.”
Julia shook her head. “It was quick—breast cancer. She’d beat it once, but the second time, nothing helped.”
“Fuck cancer.”
The other woman nodded her agreement firmly, her eyes bright with tears she blinked away. “I miss her like crazy. But I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to derail our conversation.”
Screw it. Lisa leaned forward and caught Julia’s hand, squeezing it briefly before letting go. “It’s never a bad time to talk about the people we’ve lost. Honestly, I don’t mind one bit.”
Julia nodded again. “Thanks. In the meantime, I don’t want to take up your whole day but I am curious. You live in Rocky Mountain House and you mentioned you’ve got other family… You and your sister look a lot alike.”
“There’s Tamara, me, and our older sister, Karen. But there’s also extended family, which means a lot of people wearing a face very similar to this.” Lisa drew a circle in the air in front of her head.
The other woman lifted her eyes toward the ceiling, thinking hard. “It was just me and my mom. She was a single child, and her family was from Ontario. I never met them.”
