Page 103 of Brooke's Bliss
“I pretended to be dead, and when I was alone, I made my wayhere,” Noah continued as he allowed Brooke to help him to the back where Nellwas currently fighting through a contraction.“I counted at least seven men,but I suspect the interviewees were sent in to tell Kingman when it was a goodtime to murder us all.So nine men and one woman, give or take.”
“And they’re in the big house?”Henry asked the questionblandly, as though all his emotion and anxiety had been shoved deep.
“Yes.I heard some as I was lying there,” Noah managed.“They have Shane.I think they want something from him.”
“He saw something he shouldn’t have,” Brooke said but thenwhy… “If that’s true, then they would have killed him.Why all the drama?Whyrisk this?There’s something more here than silencing a witness.That man saidthey could use him against Bay.”
It made no sense that Kingman would put himself in thisposition when it would be so easy to arrange an accident for Shane.For Bay,too.Why risk becoming aDatelinespecial when he could keep thisquiet?
“It doesn’t matter,” Henry said.“Not now.I’m going to getto the radio Trev keeps in the office.I’m fairly certain Kingman is the reasonwe don’t have cell service, but I bet he hasn’t taken the radio offline.Nell,I love you.”
“I love you, too, Henry,” she said as she held Lucy’s handand her whole body seized.
Henry disappeared like a wraith.Brooke took her eyes offhim for one second and he was gone.
He left the dead body behind.It was dead, right?“Should Icheck and make sure he’s dead?”
Nell groaned.“I assure you my husband doesn’t make mistakeswhen it comes to this.He’s dead.You should barricade the door.”
“After she helps me,” Noah replied.“I need to be closer.Lucy hasn’t actually delivered a baby on her own yet.”
He was covered in blood.Brooke moved in beside him and lenthim her strength.She walked him into the stall where Nell was…open and ondisplay.
Lucy knelt between her legs.“You’re doing great, Nell.Noah, I think she’s fully dilated.I’m not great with the centimeters’ thingyet, but I can see the baby’s head.”
Noah nodded Brooke’s way, and she helped him down to theground, back to the wall.He sat behind Lucy so he could see a bit of what wasgoing on.“How close are her contractions?”
Brooke ran to the door, shotgun in hand.She quickly found apitchfork and slid it through the handles.The doors opened out.It wouldn’thold forever, but it would at least give them a fighting chance.
“Two minutes,” Lucy said.She had her bag open and pulledoutantibac.“I know I should wash my hands, but thisis going to have to do.”
“Brooke, there’s a hose in the back.Could you fill a coupleof pails?”Noah asked.
She went back to where he directed her and was so gratefulthat whoever was in charge of this place believed in organization andcleanliness.The metal pails used to feed and water the barn animals lookedlike they’d been cleaned and dried.She located soap and carried that back,too, along with the big roll of duct tape she found.
Nell wasn’t the only one who needed medical help.She had tokeep Noah alive until Doc could get here.
Huh, someonehadbeen shot.Doc knew what he wasdoing.
If he’d heard anything she’d said, Doc was likely trying tofigure out what was happening.The first thing he would do would be to callNate Wright.
She prayed Bay was still at the sheriff’s office.
“I need to put pressure on that wound,” she explained.
Noah hissed as he shifted but allowed her to do what sheneeded to do.
After she’d duct taped Noah together, she sat down for amoment and held Nell’s hand.“Just breathe, Nell.We’ll get through this.Tellme what you’re naming this baby girl we’re about to be blessed with.”
Lucy had Noah’s kit out, the two of them deciding what shecould and couldn’t use.
“I was going to name her Justice Heart Flanders,” Nell said,sweat dripping from her forehead.Her face was red but she was handling it allwith such grace.She laughed before her whole body went tense.“Henry hates it.I think I might change it if we survive.”She gritted her teeth and squeezedBrooke’s hand tight.“Noah, how is this possible?It took so long with Poppy.”
“All pregnancies are different,” Noah said, his voice a bitstrained.“Often the second comes on much quicker than the first.Like yourbody knows what to do.Or baby Justice there really wants to be here.”
“Lucy,” Nell whispered.“I’m naming her Lucy.Lucy BrookeFlanders.She’s going to be my fierce warrior girl.I don’t know how I knowthis, but I won’t understand her all the time.She’ll be like her father.Idream about her.Poppy is mine but this one is…”
Brooke held her as she suffered another long contraction.“Ispeak for both of us when I say I’ll be honored and I’ll always help her.Always.”
