How the fuck was I going to do this? What if Maverick couldn’t get to the hospital in time? What if I had to deliver the baby alone?
I can’t do this.
We got back to the house and I changed as quickly as I could through another two damn contractions before getting Brandy situated and myself back in the truck. We didn’t even make it off the ranch. A huge branch from one of the trees lining the drive had fallen across the road.
“Well, shit,” Bad grumbled.
“We could just off-road it,” Cash replied with a shrug, spitting into his spitter cup.
Bad glared at him. “You can explain to your mother what happened to her truck when we break anaxle.”
“What’re we gonna do? I can’t—” Another burst of pain.
Cash’s worried hazel gaze met mine as he noted another contraction. “They’re comin’ quicker,” he said, glancing at his dad.
“Let’s see what we can do,” Bad replied, grabbing a pair of work gloves out of the driver’s side door. “You stay here,” he called to me as he opened up the truck and got out. I didn’t even hear the door shut, that's how loud the rain and hail were. Cash growled out something under his breath and followed suit, leaving me alone and in silence.
I stared ahead, trying and failing to see anything through the windshield. Just blurry shapes that were darker in some places than others. I don’t know how much time passed, but the contraction that pulsed through me this time brought tears to my eyes, knocking the air from my lungs so thoroughly I couldn’t even cry out.
I pulled my phone out again, but there wasn’t a single bar.
Bad and Cash climbed back into the truck a few moments later, both soaking wet and cursing up a storm.
“It’s too fuckin’ big,” Bad growled out.
“What?” I sniffled. “What does that mean?”
Cash offered me what I think was meant to be a reassuring grin. “It means we ain’t gettin’ off this ranch.”
My chest squeezed, my heartbeat drowning out the sound of hail and rolling thunder—no small feat. “But…the baby.”
Another hopeful grin from Cash. “We’ve birthed baby calves before…how much harder can it be? Right, Dad?”
Tears rolled down my cheeks, fear and dread coiling around my heart. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to throw up. I—another. Fucking. Contraction.
Chapter fifty-seven
Ain’t Even Met You Yet
Maverick
Itried calling Cheyenneback. Again. And again. And again.
But it was no use. I couldn’t keep a signal long enough to get the phone to ring. I paced back and forth, uncaring of the rain pelting down on me, soaking me to the bone.
Ryder frowned from his spot by the broken fence as I stalked for him. “You get ahold of her?” He had to shout over the wind and rolling thunder.
I shook my head. “I can’t get a fuckin’ signal.”
“Shit…” His frown deepened as he glanced between me and the fence. What should have been a relatively easy fix had quickly turned to shit with the rain and mud. Not to mention, it was cold, wet, and so slippery that Ryder and I spent more time trying not to fall or get stuck in the mud than actually repairing the fence.
“What do you wanna do?” Ryder asked.
I blew out a breath and wiped a hand down my face, but it did little to rid it of water. My hat might as well be useless at this point. “I don’t fuckin’know,” I growled.
Had her water broke? Was she okay? God, I hated that I wasn’t there for her.
I knew it. I just fuckin’ knew something bad was going to happen. I’d felt it. Felt it like I’d felt this storm brewing for days now. But I’d never thought this would’ve taken us as long as it had.
