Page 176 of Huckleberry Hill
“How do you like that?” I asked with a laugh. I winced as she rubbed the salve into my skin. “Ow, that hurts.”
“There.” She screwed the lid back on. “Now I’ll wrap it and we’ll get you settled on the couch. You need anything, you tell me and I’ll get it for you.”
“Wait a second,” I said. “You know I’m having a baby and you’re being pretty calm about it.”
“Ah, honey.” She cradled my cheek with the hand that hadn’t been drenched in smelly salve. “I know it’s what you’ve always wanted. Now tell me how your father reacted. Don’t leave out any details.”
I smiled, but held in another laugh, not wanting to jostle my side which had begun to tingle from the homemade ointment.
“He was very happy,” I said. “But also demanded that Declan and I get married right away.”
“Uh hmm. Not surprising.”
“Not surprising at all.”
“So? Is there going to be a wedding?”
“Eventually,” I said. “Declan hasn’t officially asked me to marry him. But he told Dad we were getting married so right now Dad is happy.”
“It won’t take him long to propose.” She wrapped my abdomen loosely with an old sheet that had been cut down and then lowered my shirt. “He’s crazy about you.”
“I’m crazy about him.”
“So he’s happy then, about the baby?”
“Very.” I sighed. “I called Salem and the girls to tell them the news. So as far as people go, everyone knows who needs to know. It’s so weird. Not that long ago, I was at rock bottom. It’s insane how fast things can change.”
The storm had blown itself out, but not without causing a fair bit of damage to the ranch. Several fence posts needed repair, along with washed out roads and a creek bed that had shifted ten feet in one spot and rerouted itself to a new location. We were lucky, though. All our livestock survived, and we had no water damage to any of the buildings. The same couldn’t be said for some of the neighboring ranches.
Declan and I were staying in the main house, me in my childhood bed and Declan in Salem’s room. And it had nothing to do with my father’s watchful eye or any antiquated rules about not being married and sharing a bed. This time it was for my comfort as well as the fact that Declan was up before dawn. Everyone agreed I needed my rest.
Not just to heal but because of the baby. Apparently, I was supposed to live life on easy mode after finding out I was pregnant. Not that I was complaining. Especially since Muddy brought me breakfast on a tray while I lazed on the couch and watched TV, Tempest curled up at my feet.
We had family dinners, laughing and joking and my world felt complete. But every now and again, I’d look at the empty chair where Salem was supposed to sit, and I’d have a twinge of sadness. Not to mention the absence of my mother. I imagined that as my pregnancy progressed, I’d miss her more and more.
I made an appointment with an OBGYN in Coeur d’Alene. Huckleberry Hill had a small family practice, but no specialists. I was desperate to know how far along I was. I was worried. My infertility might have suddenly disappeared, but it had left a bad taste in my mouth and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
One night a few days after I’d gotten out of the hospital, Declan and I were getting ready for bed, brushing our teeth in the joint bathroom.
He spit into Salem’s sink. “God, I love how big this bathroom is.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty great,” I admitted. “I do miss our cute little cabin, though.”
“Well, we’ll be able to move back in there once you’re on the mend.” He looked at me. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. That salve is a godsend. It tingles and numbs the area. It does make my eyes water, though.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“It’s horrible.” I wrinkled my nose.
“I can hardly smell it, actually.”
“Really? Huh. I wonder if I’ve got pregnancy nose already.”
“Probably.” He set his toothbrush down and then dropped to his knees.
“What are you doing?”
