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Shrugging, Eli shook her head and put her hand on her forehead. “Not really.”
Sarah mulled that thought over in her mind before she patted Eli’s leg. “I’m going to put the coffee on while you wake up some.”
“Sure.”
While Sarah made coffee, she heard Eli rustling around in the den before she showed up, still half-asleep in the kitchen. Eli grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it before she grabbed two more, offering one bottle to Sarah. Taking it, Sarah twisted the cap and sipped slowly. “Why were you up all night?”
Eli drew in a sharp breath as she paused mid-drink. “Couldn’t stop thinking.”
“About Bridget?”
“Amongst other things.”
They stood in silence together as the coffee percolated. Sarah wasn’t quite sure where to go with this conversation. She was beyond curious as to why Bridget would keep Eli up and what those other things were, but she did not feel it was her place to ask. She didn’t want to pry.
When their coffee was ready, Eli pulled down two travel mugs and filled them. “Come on.”
They walked together after donning jackets and boots, down the trail to the barn where they slipped into the cab of the truck. Eli took a long sip of her coffee, hissing as it burned her tongue, and then pulled out to head toward the fields.
Turning to face Eli as they came to a stop, moonlight the only light to see by, Sarah reached over and grabbed Eli’s hand, feeling the rough skin on her palm and her fingers as she gave a gentle squeeze. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to, Eli, but just know, if you want someone to talk to, I am here, and I will listen.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. Really.”
Sarah smiled softly and turned to face the front of the cab when Eli gasped and then cursed. “What is it?”
“We’ve got a calf stuck. It’s breech.”
Eli inched the truck forward, turning the headlights onto the cow off to the left of where they’d parked. Sure enough, she stood there, her calf partway out as she tried endlessly to push the calf the rest of the way.
“I’m probably going to need your help.”
“My help?” Sarah’s voice rose. “What do you think I’m going to do? Hold the light?”
Eli raised a brow at her. “Pull.”
“Fuck that.”
Grimacing, Eli got out of the truck and left the door open as she moved toward the cow. Sarah followed a few steps behind, wondering just what was going to happen. When they got to the cow, Eli put her hand on the cow’s neck and cooed to her softly, calming her down. Even Sarah could see it worked.
Her heart raced as Eli moved down the cow’s body to her back end and checked out the calf. Her hands moved to break the sack as she gripped the feet and pulled. Sarah stood in shock as she watched, wondering what the hell she was supposed to be doing other than staring in awe at this woman before her. She was so calm and collected, so cool and wide awake after being asleep just moments before.
“Sarah. Come help.”
“What do you want me to do?”
Eli let out a breath. “I need your muscles. Grip here and here. Pull on three.”
Sarah stepped next to Eli so they were shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip.
“Just so you know, we’re going to get dirty.”
“Dirty?”
“Yup. One. Two. Three. Pull.”
Together they leaned back, digging their boots into the soft ground and pulling on the calf’s hooves with everything they had. It took two more times for them to catch a good contraction with the mama cow and for all three of them to work together.
The calf slid to the ground below and immediately Eli moved over it, clearing its nose of the sack and blood and whatever else there might be. Sarah didn’t really want to think about it. She hovered over Eli while the cow tried to get her nose in there to sniff and lick.
