Page 10 of 40 and Flirting (with Disaster) (Silver Foxes of Black Wolf’s Bluff #5)

Ten

T he light scent of Iris’s perfume filled Jamie’s nostrils as he handed her into the car.

The intimacy of it tightened his groin. Something about being in a dark car with a woman filled a man with temptation.

Maybe it was a throwback to those teen nights when parking was forbidden—not that he anticipated parking with Iris. He definitely wouldn’t mind, but…

He closed her door firmly and rounded the back of his Mercedes. Keep it together, old man.

The warm purr of the engine filled the silence as he buckled his seat belt, then checked to be certain Iris had hers secure. Just as he put the car in reverse, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled his cell out.

Michael.

“I need to take this, Iris. Just a sec.”

Her soft smile stuck in his mind as he answered his son’s call.

“Michael?”

“It’s time, Dad.”

Jamie swore his heart skipped a beat. “You’re sure?”

His son chuckled in his ear. “How many times have we gone through this? I know what I’m talking about.”

“Of course you do.” Michael helped him manage the herd; if he said Baby was in labor, she was in labor.

“I’m calling Dr. Everest as soon as I get off the phone with you.”

Since she was still at the pub, she would be right behind him. Except he had Iris to take care of.

“All right. I’ll be there asap.”

Michael hung up without answering. Jamie turned toward Iris. “Baby is in labor.”

Her eyes went wide, a brilliant smile lighting her face. “Finally!”

Yes, finally. Anticipation thrummed in his belly alongside nerves.

Iris was reaching for the door handle. “I can get a ride—”

He didn’t know where the impulse came from, but he gripped her wrist, holding her in the car. “Come with me.”

Iris shook her head. “What?”

Yes, this felt right. “Come with me.” He smiled, letting his excitement free. “Have you ever seen a foal born?”

Iris settled back in her seat. “No, but—”

“Then come with me.” Honestly, he couldn’t think of anyone he wanted to share this moment with more than the woman beside him. “Iris, I can take you home, no worries. We have time. But…come with me. Please.”

The words to convince her were on his lips, but he held them back. She already knew how important Baby was to him. She knew how much he had worried and waited for this moment. And she wanted to come; he could see it in her eyes. All she had to do was overcome her hesitation enough to say yes.

The tension that seemed ever present in her body when she was with him slowly relaxed. “Yes. I’d love to—”

Go with you ? See the miracle of life being brought into the world ?

Spend more time with you ? He wasn’t certain how she’d planned to finish that sentence, and he found right now he didn’t care.

All that mattered was the word yes. He couldn’t hold himself back—he surged in to kiss her hard on the mouth.

Before she could respond, he was back behind the wheel.

“Let’s go. I promise I’ll take you home after. ”

From the corner of his eye he saw Iris reach up to touch her lips, and satisfaction filled his chest.

“How long does labor normally last?” Iris asked as he pulled away from the curb.

“A few hours, though it varies just like with women. But Baby usually delivers pretty quickly.”

“Lucky girl,” Iris muttered. He gathered that meant her own labors had not been short.

Sympathy tugged at him, remembering Michael’s delivery and how long it had taken to bring him into the world, how hard it had been to watch another human being suffer like that, and he grasped her hand where it lay on the console between them.

She jerked at his touch, but she didn’t pull away.

They traveled in companionable silence, her hand inside his, for several minutes before he reached the turnoff to the interstate.

“How far out of town do you live?” Iris asked.

“About halfway between Black Wolf’s Bluff and Gatlinburg. My place is situated on the northern end of Douglas Lake.” He’d been lucky to discover the land before buying in the area had become too precious to afford.

They absently talked about the lake and the ranch until Jamie reached the gate at the head of his driveway, marked prominently with a wrought-iron carousel horse with the words Flying Horse Ranch encircling it.

He reluctantly released Iris’s hand to signal the remote.

As he pulled through, a truck moved into the driveway behind his car—Dr. Everest. He waited for her to pass the gate before signaling it to close.

The two vehicles reached the house just as Michael jogged up from the path to the barn.

“My son,” Jamie told Iris, a hint of pride in his voice. Iris’s look said she heard it and understood. They exited the car at the same time.

Michael was breathing heavy as he met them at the front of the car. “I think something’s wrong.”

“What?” Laura called as she slammed her truck door closed. Without pause she hurried to the back to grab her equipment.

Jamie listened, fear rising, as Michael described what was going on.

Normally Baby’s labor progressed within a couple of hours, but Michael had been watching her for almost that long, and other than restlessly lying down and getting up repeatedly, she did not appear to be advancing.

Excessive sweating, restlessness, obvious distress.

“Any sign of the foal?” Jamie asked.

“No presentation, and her water hasn’t broken, but no red bag,” Michael confirmed.

Iris made a small sound as if confused. “It’s a sign of premature placental abruption,” Jamie explained. He hadn’t realized his hands were fisted at his sides until Iris gathered one between hers, her gentle strokes along his forearm and the back of his hand expressing compassion without words.

Laura joined them, equipment in hand. “Let’s go.”

Michael tossed a set of keys to Jamie, taking a second pair in his hand. They jogged toward the ATVs at the head of the lane down to the barn. Jamie glanced back at Iris, sudden concern hitting him. Taking in her white pants and heels, he said, “You’re not really dressed for this.”

“You’ve got time,” Laura yelled over her shoulder as she hopped onto Michael’s ATV. “I need to examine her and get the lay of the land.”

Torn between taking care of his two girls, Jamie hesitated.

“It’s okay, Jamie. I’ll be fine.”

But Iris wouldn’t be fine, not if Baby required longer than expected to deliver. Taking a firm hold on his emotions, he turned back and took her elbow, guiding her toward the house. “We have a few minutes. Let’s get you taken care of.”

The trip through the house was a blur. He hoped at some point that Iris became intimately familiar with his home—especially his bedroom—but right now wasn’t the time.

He led her into the primary at the far end of the house, crossed to the night stand, and flipped on a lamp.

He’d always hated overhead lights shining in his eyes, and his room was set up mostly with lamplight.

Moving toward the closet, he threw over his shoulder, “Let me grab you something to change into.”

Iris was sputtering excuses behind him, but he ignored her. As he rummaged through his dresser, he found some thin cotton sweatpants and a T-shirt that, while they would definitely be big on her, would work for the time being. He carried them over to her. “Trust me?”

A tiny smile played over her lips despite the concern in her eyes. “Of course I do.”

He handed her the clothes. “You don’t want to get your clothes dirty in the barn. I should’ve thought of that before inviting you, but…”

Iris stared intently up at him. “But what?”

“But I wanted you here too much to think about anything else.”

Her face softened, and for the very first time, she reached for him instead of the other way around. Her warm hand landed on his chest, pressed firmly against his heart. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything.” Though he wanted to keep her touching him forever, he urged her toward the en suite. “Just change so I know you’ll be more comfortable while we wait.”

While Iris was in the bathroom, he grabbed some jeans and a shirt and changed in the walk-in closet, then retrieved a couple pairs of sports socks from his top drawer.

The bathroom door opened a minute after he returned to the bedroom—obviously Iris wasn’t one to make a fuss about wearing his clothes.

Although he had to say, seeing his favorite T-shirt on her did funny things to his gut.

He handed over a pair of socks. “I think Marilyn, my housekeeper, has some rain boots in the mudroom that should fit you.”

Iris looked over his change of clothes, her gaze appreciative, took the socks without complaint, and followed him back to the kitchen. When they’d both donned socks and boots, he led her out to the ATV. They were at the barn no more than ten minutes after Laura and Michael.

“What’s happening?” he asked as Michael turned at his approach. His son stood at the half door to the birthing stall, one arm resting on top. The fluorescent lights above the generously spaced stall highlighted the copper tones of his hair and the unease darkening his eyes.

“Not sure yet.” The words were tense—Michael held almost as much affection for Baby as Jamie did. Still his gaze swept behind Jamie toward Iris, and a tinge of amusement lightened his voice. “Your mare?” he asked under his breath.

Jamie gave Michael a warning look. Turning to Iris, he gathered her closer to him. “Iris, this is my son, Michael. Michael, this is Iris Daniels.”

The two shook hands while Iris smiled warmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Michael. I only wish it were under less concerning circumstances.”

“Thank you.” Michael’s words were sincere, as was the appreciation in his eyes.

The three of them turned when Laura approached.

“How is she, Doc?” Jamie asked.

The vet’s brow was knitted—not a good sign. Jamie tensed.

“She’s not showing signs of a rupture or abruption, but I’m not feeling the foal in the canal either.”

“Is she breech?” Michael asked.

Laura shook her head. “I don’t think so. The baby was in position the last time I checked her.” Looking back at Baby, who prowled the stall restlessly, she said, “Could be the foal is bigger than we thought. Not sure. Right now we will monitor, but if she doesn’t progress soon…”

Jamie felt a lump in his throat, and his hand tightened in Iris’s. Baby and the foal had to be all right. He couldn’t accept anything less.

He spent the next hour in the stall, alternating between rubbing Baby’s cheek as she pressed her forehead to his chest, and sitting beside her, crooning to her with long sweeps of his hand down her sweaty neck as she lay on her side.

Minutes seemed to tick by like molasses, but every time he glanced up, Iris was right there at the stall door, her arms resting atop it, staring intently at him while he cared for the mare.

Sometimes she spoke quietly with Michael or Laura, but most of the time she was silent, watching and waiting right along with him.

He felt her presence as if she were standing or sitting beside him, felt the encouragement and support he needed so badly, and he realized in those long moments that he wanted this in his life—her at his side, and him at hers, supporting each other, encouraging each other. Loving one another.

Yes, love. Did he love her right now? They hadn’t known each other long enough for that to happen, but he knew himself, and he knew this was different than any other relationship he’d ever considered or been involved in.

He wanted this with every fiber of his being, and the thought of not having it, not having her…

He couldn’t consider that possibility any more than he could consider anything but a perfect outcome for Baby and her foal.

Baby was standing, her head at his chest, when he felt her push hard against him. A glance told him her muscles were tensing through her belly. “She’s pushing.”

Laura was at his side immediately. Her competent hands ran along Baby’s stomach, and suddenly a gush of liquid escaped the mare, telling them Baby’s water had broken.

Laura waited, with Jamie barely breathing, until the constriction in Baby’s muscles let up.

A smile lightened the tension that had held them all frozen. “Yep. Looks like we’re moving.”

The next half an hour seemed to take a lifetime.

Laura checked again, and though she found one hoof and the foal’s nose in the birth canal, the second hoof was missing.

It took some maneuvering, but she was finally able to correct the foal’s position, and shortly thereafter, two small hooves appeared at the opening.

Jamie felt like cheering but settled for crooning to Baby, who decided to lie down one final time.

Every muscle in her body came to bear on her baby, and within minutes the filly was born.

The birth relieved both of them, he was sure, but especially his Baby. As her foal left her body, his mare gave the biggest sigh, the sound exhausted. A soft whinny left her closed muzzle.

“That’s right. She’s finally here, love,” Jamie whispered to her.

But all wasn’t over. As he watched, heart in his throat, Laura worked to get the foal breathing.

Tense silence filled the stall, and when he glanced at Iris, he saw tears glistening on her cheeks, eyes glued to the tiny filly now lying in the straw.

Moments later a cough sounded from the newborn, and when Laura backed away, the filly tossed her head in the air, looking for her mama.

Finally.

The relief nearly shattered him. Seeming unaware of the drama, Baby moved calmly to her feet, over to her foal, and began to clean the little one’s sleek black coat.

Jamie got to his feet as well and, after checking that the baby was definitively alert, made a beeline for Iris.

Across the barrier of the door, her warm arms surrounded him, and only then did he feel like he could take a full breath for the first time in hours.