Page 41 of A Cowboy's Claim
Which was something Sydney knew in theory. Actually opening up and saying something, even to the woman who gave birth to her—that wasn’t a skill Sydney had ever cultivated. “I know that. Thanks, Mom.”
Thankfully, Grandma Bel was back, and then the two of them told Sydney all about the garden show they were helping to organize in two weeks’ time. Sydney ate her sandwich and finished her lunch, enjoying the conversation on one level while feeling totally detached on another.
The connection between the two of them. That mother/daughter link where they finished sentences for each other and interrupted with new stories and happy thoughts?—
She didn’t have that with Marie.
She didn’t know if shewantedthat or if it just made her ache in ways she couldn’t explain.
“Thanks for the call, Gram. Good to see you, Mom.”ThatSydney could honestly say as she accepted their air kisses and finished the call.
She tucked the phone into her pocket, cleared her throat, and switched gears. There was always something that needed doing.
Out at reception, Jenny pulled Sydney to the side. “I have a note on the calendar that Tessa Turm is due this week. I keep track of all our patients so I can send them baby cards, but I think something’s wrong.”
“What kind of wrong?” Sydney demanded as she leaned over the computer screen.
“She transferred her prenatal care from this clinic to the one in Diamond Valley. There’s a note on her chart that you suggested she should get to know the doctor there. The Turm farm is halfway between Heart Falls and Diamond Valley, so it made more sense to drive north all the time instead of south to see you. She should’ve been having her prenatal visits there, but when I called the clinic to find out if she’s had the baby, they said they haven’t heard from her.Ever. She hasn’t been in for any prenatal care, not even these final two weeks.”
Shit. Sydney took a deep, steadying breath. Out of all the medical situations she had to deal with, pregnancy and labour were at the absolute top of herI hate itlist. “Can you phone to find out how she is?”
“I tried,” Jenny said. “Her voice mail is full, so I can’t even leave a message to tell her to give us a shout.”
“Guess I’m making a house call, then,” Sydney offered with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.
The trip to the farm would take a good twenty-five minutes. She debated for less than a second before punching through a call to Declan. It would be easier to warn him where she was going rather than him dropping everything the instant she crossed whatever radius he had the GPS warning set for.
She was positive he was still tracking her, because of course he was.
You’ve reached Declan Skye. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you when I can.
Thank goodness. “Hey, Deck. Since we never did really talk out the wholeyou’re tracking mething, I assume you’re about to discover I’m leaving town. I’m headed to the Turm farm. Mrs. Turm is pregnant and I haven’t seen her for a while. I don’t expect any problems, but I’ll be cautious. Please stay home.”
She hung up, surprised at the sense of comfort humming in her chest. It felt strange to make that kind of call, and yet?—
It felt good to know someone cared.
Which dropped on top of the contact from her grandma and mom, and her mom’s insistence that Sydney needed to learn to ask for help. And wasn’t that a fucked-up mess.
Yeah, it was just a big ol’ slew of emotional bullshit Sydney wasn’t keen on having to deal with. Shut it down, tuck it away. Focus on the next thing to do and do it brilliantly.
The work drill was something she needed to do this trip especially, considering this was a pregnancy visit. The whole shut-down part.
The longest gravel driveway in the world led to a tidy bungalow sitting beside a massive barn. A single, small blue car was parked outside the house with no sign of anything else. Tessa’s husband was obviously not home.
Still, Sydney took her time. She looked around carefully even as she greeted the dogs that eagerly met the truck, tails wagging, barking happily. “Hello, guys. Yes, hello. Where is Tessa?”
Everything around the barn and arena remained quiet as Sydney made her way to the house. Before she reached the front door, the sound of weeping and crying made her quicken her step.
She jerked the front door open. “Tessa, it’s Dr. Jeremiah. I’m coming in.”
Her announcement was met with another shriek of pain.
Sydney rushed forward, everything outside the here and now shoved aside.
9
Sydney followed the noise, the cries of pain speeding her step until she found Tessa in the primary bedroom. The woman clutched the footboard of the bed with one hand, the other cradling her extended belly. She had her head down and was weeping and screaming in turn.
