Page 25 of Before You Can Blink (Rust Canyon #4)

With my rock’s arms wrapped around me, I finally let emotion overtake me. For the first time in as far back as I could remember, I felt the hot sting of tears burning behind my eyes and didn’t do a damn thing to stop them from falling.

Daisy only held me tighter, whispering words of comfort that were drowned out by my sobs, my heart feeling like it was being torn in two with the pain of losing a man who’d become like a brother to me over the past decade.

“It could’ve been me,” I choked out.

“But it wasn’t.” A kiss was pressed to my forehead. “And I thank God every day for that miracle.” Her heavy sigh reached my ears. “I know right now you’re swarmed with guilt that you survived your fall when Murphy didn’t, but it’s not your fault.”

“It’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not,” she agreed. “But he knew the risks, and in the end, he died doing what he loved. ”

“How—” I swallowed thickly. “How am I supposed to go on without him?”

“The only way you can. By taking it one day at a time. By honoring his legacy by keeping his memory alive.” She placed a hand over my fractured heart. “He lives in here now.”

This woman. She was the only thing keeping me afloat as the stormy seas swirled violently, threatening to drag me under.

I only hoped that someday I would be able to repay the favor.

June

The lights of the cabin were dimmed, but Aspen wasn’t asleep. Instead, she knelt at Daisy’s side, where my wife was propped up against the headboard, her shirt pulled up to expose the taut skin of her round belly.

Aspen’s tiny head turned when she heard the door latch, and she exclaimed, “Dada!”

I kicked my boots off and hung my hat. “Hey, sweet girl. What are you still doing up?”

Our daughter placed both hands atop Daisy’s bare stomach. “Baby!”

For the first time in the weeks since Murph’s death, my lips curved into a smile. “Tell me more. What’s that baby doing?”

Her bright blue eyes went comically large, and Aspen’s rosebud lips dropped open before she yanked her hands away. “Oh!”

A chuckle broke free from my chest. That little one tumbling around in there shocked me every time too. But it was, hands down, one of the most incredible things I’d ever experienced.

Daisy smoothed the copper curls away from our girl’s forehead. “He’s just saying hello to his big sister. ”

I shook my head. “You’re gonna be mighty disappointed if that wiggle worm turns out not to be a boy.”

Her gaze remained locked on Aspen as she let out a wistful sigh. “I don’t think so. We make some pretty amazing baby girls.”

“That we do.”

She extended an arm out to me. “Come lie with us, Daddy.”

I peeked down at my dirty clothes. “I should shower first.”

A mischievous gleam sparkled in her eyes. “We can wash up together after Aspen goes down. If you wash my back, I promise to wash yours.”

Humming, I replied, “You know I can’t say no to that.”

“Was counting on it, cowboy.” Her voice grew breathy, and she bit down on her lower lip so hard that the edges turned white.

Kneeling on the bed, I used a thumb to pry that pink pillow free of her teeth. Against her mouth, I murmured, “Careful, Daze. Teasing me like that in front of the kids is only gonna get you punished.”

With barely an inch of space separating us, I felt the vibration of the shiver that traveled the length of her body.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a cuddle session with my family to attend to.” I settled onto the mattress at her side, marveling at the stark contrast of my tanned hand against the pale skin of her stomach.

Aspen’s tiny fist closed around one of my fingers as the baby we would soon meet rolled beneath my palm.

Daisy’s soothing touch roamed over my shoulders almost absent-mindedly, and it struck me that her silent support never faltered.

She was always there, giving me what I needed, even when I didn’t know what to ask for.

Having weathered the loss of Murph, I needed this reminder that my whole world, all my reasons for living, was right here in front of me. Whether I had five, ten, or fifty more years to give them, I was going to give them my best .

July

Mucking stalls was grunt work, something often passed off onto newer ranch hands, while they earned the respect of the crew. But since we could only afford a barebones staff, it usually fell to me to pick up the slack, even if that meant shoveling shit in the stifling heat of summer.

My shirt dangled limply from my back pocket, having been discarded almost immediately, and the thought had crossed my mind more than once to ditch my jeans.

But the mental image of how ridiculous I would look walking around this barn wearing only a pair of briefs and boots was enough to keep the denim firmly in place.

“Hey.” The soft greeting had me lifting my head to find Daisy at the open door to the stall.

I swiped an arm across my forehead to keep sweat from running into my eyes. “What’re you doing out here?”

“Got restless while Aspen was napping.” She held up the baby monitor that just barely had the range to reach the barn from the cabin.

“Back still bothering you?”

“Off and on,” she admitted, pressing a palm to her lower spine and wincing.

If I was suffering in this heat, Daisy was downright miserable less than two weeks away from her due date.

She could barely stand to wear clothes most days, and when she did, they were usually sundresses that fit her pre-pregnancy, and her giant watermelon belly had the front hitching up so high it was a miracle her underwear wasn’t on full display.

The poor thing had cried tears of relief during our appointment yesterday when Doc Stevens offered to schedule an induction for next week.

But even though she was unbearably uncomfortable, my wife refused to complain.

“How about I finish up in here, and then I’ll take Aspen out for a while so you can soak in a cool bath?”

Daisy pursed her lips as she considered it. “You sure you don’t have too much work to get done?”

Was I about to tell my pregnant wife that work on a ranch was never done and make her feel guilty about allowing me to give her a moment of rest and relaxation that would hopefully alleviate some of the physical burden from carrying my child?

Not on your life.

“I was due for a break anyway.” A little white lie never hurt anyone.

Grabbing my pitchfork, I got back to work. The sooner I got this done, the sooner I could get down to the cabin and grab Aspen. “Shouldn’t be more than another ten or—”

My words were cut off by a sharp gasp that had me stopping mid-shovel. Lifting my head, I caught Daisy staring back at me like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide, mouth hanging open.

“What—” That’s when her eyes tracked downward, and when mine followed, I saw the puddle at her feet.

Oh, shit.

Heart jumping into my throat, I tried like hell to stay calm. Everything was going to be fine. They’d broken her water when she was in labor with Aspen, and that girl hadn’t been born for another eight hours. We just needed to get to the hospital. That was my main focus now.

“It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay.” I wasn’t sure which one of us I was trying to convince—me or her.

Her pretty face contorted in pain right before she doubled over, gripped her belly, and let out a low moan .

That jolted me into action, and I rushed to her side. One hand rubbed down the length of her back, while the other kept a firm hold on her elbow to keep her upright. “Breathe,” I coached. “Just breathe.”

“Hurts,” she whimpered.

“I know, but you’ve gotta keep breathing.” Last time, the epidural had kept her from feeling much of her contractions, so I was flying blind on how best to support her through the waves of pain.

Panting, Daisy managed to straighten, leaning her weight on me. “It’s passed.”

“Good. Let’s get down to the cabin, and we can drop Aspen off at Ma’s on the way out of town.”

We made it halfway down the aisle before Daisy’s knees buckled without warning, and her keening wail bounced off every surface, boomeranging back to reverberate through my skull in surround sound, loud enough to make my ears ring.

I gritted my teeth, my forearms and biceps straining with the effort to keep her from collapsing to the hard concrete at our feet.

When her howls of agony trailed off, she rasped, “Not gonna make it. Set me down.”

My eyes volleyed between the woman at my side and the yawning door to the barn, where beyond lay the cabin and, more importantly, my truck.

No, we couldn’t stop.

I tried to tug her forward. “We’ve gotta get you out of here. Come on.”

Breathless, she shook her head. “Jett, I can’t.” Eyes squeezing shut, she grimaced. “Here comes another one.”

Fuck. She was barely getting a break in between.

We needed to get out of here. Now.

“I’ll carry you.”

I bent at the waist to scoop her into my arms, but she protested with a sharp, “No! ”

Panic flooded my system. “Daze. Please.” I wasn’t above begging. Not right now.

Tears streaked down Daisy’s face. “I don’t want to scare Aspen.”

“Goddammit,” I gritted out low under my breath. It’s not like I could admit that I was downright terrified when my wife was more concerned about our daughter in this situation than herself.

“Okay.” I inhaled a shallow breath, which was all the vise tightened around my chest would allow.

Scanning the space, my eyes landed on the door to the tack room, and inspiration struck.

Practically dragging Daisy over to a stack of haybales against an empty stall, I eased her onto her knees.

Immediately, she leaned her forearms atop the rough bundle, her head coming to rest between them as her hips rocked and she hummed through whatever war her body was waging—one I would never fully understand.

Pressing a kiss to the damp skin at her temple, I murmured, “Hold tight. I’m gonna call for help, but I’ll only be gone a second.”

She didn’t acknowledge me, her focus clearly elsewhere.