Frontier Gift of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 5) (32 page)

“Look how black his hair is. Just like yours,” Jane told her. “He’s such a handsome boy.”

“He is and he’s huge,” Kelly said, helping Catherine discretely remove her sweat soaked shift and don a fresh one. “I can’t believe he came out of you. If I hadn’t seen it, I would not have believed it.”

“It’s no wonder he got stuck in the wrong position,” Rory said. “He must be at least twenty-two inches long.”

Artis still stood by the bed, body stiff, and speechless. Her green eyes widened, she simply stared at the squirming red babe.

“Artis, is that the first birth you’ve witnessed?” Rory asked her.

“Aye! The first birth of a person,” she said. “I’ve seen countless lambs and foals born. But this was far different. The sheep and horses did na cry out. If we had na given Catherine this rag to bite down on, her throat would likely be raw from her cries.”

It had been Artis’ job to hand her the cloth whenever a sharp contraction or pain hit. And Artis was right. Not wanting to scare the children or Sam, she’d managed to stifle most of her moans and screams into the rolled cloth.

“It’s a pain you soon forget,” Mrs. Wrigley told her.

“’Twas also far grander than an animal birth,” Artis said, “a new human soul coming into this world. God bless him!”

“God bless him,” they all echoed.

“And ye were so brave! To have endured such agony without ever complainin’,” Artis told her. “And ye only shed a few wee tears.”

“Thank you, Artis, and everyone else, for your help,” she told them.

She sat up and watched as Jane wrapped a miniature sheet and blanket loosely around the infant and handed the tiny bundle to the doctor.

Still seated, Rory laid her crying babe across his lap, unfolded the blanket, and gave her son a quick examination. The babe’s cries tugged at her heart.

Catherine held her breath until Rory stood and said, “Here you go, mother. He looks well and exceptionally healthy.”

Rory handed her what had to be the most beautiful babe in the entire world.

Her mouth fell open as he ceased crying the instant she hugged him against her. He smelled like fresh air, soap, and lavender and his skin was unbelievably smooth and soft.

She gazed proudly at her son. The moment she’d dreamt of so often over the last months finally happened. She held her precious son in her arms.

A babe that was half Sam and half her. And all theirs.

Her heart was so full, tears threatened again. She couldn’t wait even another minute to show their babe to his father. “Artis, would you go get Sam, please?”

Artis’ face lit, as though she were honored to be the one to fetch Sam. “Are ye sure ye’re ready?”

“I’m sure,” Catherine said. “Tell him to come and meet his son.”

“Aye. May the other men come in too?” Artis asked. “Bear will want to, I know. He’ll likely be hard to stop.”

“Not just yet. Hold them back a few more minutes, until after I’m more presentable,” she said. “I want to wash my face and put my robe on.”

Artis left and Catherine gazed back down at her babe’s sweet face. Never had she set eyes on such an amazing sight. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, but she was sure they would be blue since she and Sam both had blue eyes. He had a complete head of hair, Sam’s strong jaw and chin, and her nose. His features were so flawless that any more perfection would have made him too beautiful for a boy. “You’ll be a fine man someday, just like your father,” she told him.

The door flew open and Sam stormed into the room and rushed to her side. “Are you all right?” Then he glanced down and saw the swaddled
bundle in her arms. He took a sharp intake of breath and froze.

“I’m fine. Meet your son,” she said, angling the babe so Sam could see his face.

Sam touched the top of the babe’s head with the tip of his finger as if to verify that he was real and then smiled broadly.

“May I hold him?” he asked.

“Of course,” she answered.

Sam reached out and gingerly took their son into his arms. Cradling him tenderly, he stared in awe, his eyes glistening.

If she lived to be a hundred, she would never forget the look of wonderment on her husband’s handsome face. She also saw something she’d never seen before—a new contentment.

But when he shifted his gaze to her, she saw things she readily recognized. Love. Respect. And strength.

“He’s spectacular,” he whispered. “Remarkable.”

“Yes, he is, isn’t he,” she agreed, “because his father is too.”

“Hello, my boy,” Sam said. “Merry Christmas.”

The squirming babe reached up toward Sam’s face. His movements were a bit jerky, but he seemed determined.

Catherine watched in amazement as their son, seeming quite alert, tightened his tiny fingers around Sam’s chin.

Sam’s head was lowered, but she saw a delicate tear trail down his rugged face.

The sight of the two together put a smile on her face and an imprint on her heart that she was certain would last a lifetime.

“He opened his eyes,” Sam breathed, “he’s looking right at me.”

“What color are they?” she asked.

“Deep blue, like yours,” he answered.

Sam continued to gaze into his son’s eyes as Rory stepped up next to him. “Are they both well? Any concerns?” he asked the doctor.

“They are both hale and hearty,” Rory said. “Catherine did not tear as badly as some women are prone to. She should be up and about in a couple of days and completely back to normal in a couple of weeks.”

Sam let out a deep breath. “I’m so relieved you are both well,” he told her. “Rory, we have you to thank for that. Without you…,” he swallowed hard, “this could have been a disaster.”

“Thank you for believing in me,” Rory said. “There was a time when no one did. Even myself.”

“You are a fine doctor, Rory,” Catherine said. “I only wish you lived nearby.”

“One never knows what the future holds,” Rory said. “Sometimes our lives change when we least expect it.”

“Indeed,” Catherine agreed. Three years ago, she never would have expected this new life. She not only had a new husband—one that actually loved and appreciated her this time—she had two sons. And a new home. And a wonderful large family of brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews.

“All the hard work is done, Catherine,” Rory said. “Now all you have to do is rest and be sure your son starts to suckle. Just lay his mouth near a nipple. He’ll know what to do. We’ll give you parents some privacy now.”

Carrying away all the soiled rags, linen, and water, Kelly and Jane followed Rory out, but Mrs. Wrigley lingered for a moment smiling at them. “You’re the very picture of a happy family. I’ll go wake Little John and tell him the good news.”

“No, let him sleep,” Catherine said. “I’m so weary now and it’s so late. We’ll see him in the morning after we’ve had a little sleep. In fact, please tell all the others that we will see them all in the morning.”

“All right. Then I’ll make you some more of my mugwort tea,” the cook said. “It will help you sleep and ease your soreness. In the morning
you can sit in a few inches of warm water to soothe your tenderness.”

“How do you feel?” Sam asked after she left. “I know that was beyond difficult. You must be incredibly weary.”

“I am, and I’m sore of course. Yet I feel surprisingly relaxed,” she answered. “I think I could sleep for a week though.”

“I feel the same way,” he said. “I’m glad that interminable wait is over.”

“What time is it anyway?” she asked.

“I don’t know exactly. But it’s nearing midnight,” Sam said. “So he was born on Christmas day.”

“Waiting must have been hard for you,” she said, sympathizing.

“It was nothing compared to what you endured. But it was a long night. It started snowing again a couple of hours ago.” He glanced over at the hearth. “Your fire has gone out. You must be getting cold.” With one arm he grabbed her robe off the chair at her dressing table and laid it over her shoulders. “I’ll bring in some logs in a minute and get the fire blazing again.”

“That will be nice, but first, let’s see if he will start nursing,” Catherine said, sitting up a little more. “Hand him to me.” She could see that Sam was reluctant to let go of his new treasure. “You can have him back in a little while. I promise.”

Sam gently laid their son in her arms and propped a couple of pillows behind her back. Then he gave her an unhurried kiss. His lips tasted wonderful—warm, soft, and full of love.

As she kissed him back, she let her own lips convey all the joy she felt in her heart. She was loved, blessed, grateful, relieved, and so very happy.

When he stood and gazed down at her, she could see those same emotions in his eyes. And when he smiled, his broad chest swelling with pride, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Her husband.

And now he was also the father of her son.

With her heart beating rapidly, a mixture of excitement and trepidation swirling around it, she placed the babe’s mouth to her nipple. To her relief, he immediately latched on and started sucking quite hard.

“That’s my boy,” Sam said. His smile broadened in approval.

A tiny hand touched her breast above her heart and it made happiness surge through her heart. She exhaled a long sigh of contentment and peace.

They both gloried briefly in the shared moment and then she asked, “What shall we name him?”

Sam touched the fine dark wisps of hair on their babe’s head with the tip of his finger and warmly smiled down at her.

“How about Rory?”

Chapter 33

S
am woke to the sound of…a baby crying. It took him a second to absorb the fact that it was
his babe
.

“He’s just hungry,” Catherine said. “I’ll take care of him. Go back to sleep.”

Sam doubted that he could fall back to sleep so he rolled toward her on his side. With his head propped on his elbow, he reached over and put his first finger in Rory’s fist. The strength of the babe’s grip astounded him. “How are you feeling this morning?” he asked her.

“Sore, but well. I’ll be fine in a couple of days,” she said as she brought their son to a breast. He rooted around for a moment and then greedily sucked. Her face was alive with affection and delight.

They both watched with fascination until he seemed to finish.

“Shall we dress and go introduce our son to his uncles and cousins?” The excitement on her face was echoed in her voice.

“Yes!” he said, excited himself. “If you feel up to it.”

“I do. I feel like celebrating!”

They both washed up, donned their clothing, and then dressed Rory for the first time.

“He seems so tiny,” Sam said.

“Tiny! He didn’t feel tiny coming out of me,” she protested. “He’s enormous.”

“He is a rather long-legged fellow,” he said, smiling, “just like me.”

“If he keeps eating like he just did, he’ll stay that way,” she said, laughing.

“You look lovely,” he said, admiring Catherine from head to toe. She had tried on a number of her better gowns to find one that fit well. She selected a high-waisted gown that was one of his favorites. The rich blue silk and satin complemented her dark hair. And the lace-trimmed neckline showed off her full rounded breasts.

“Thank you, husband,” she said, putting the finishing touches on her hair. “It will be a while before my waist is back to normal, but it’s nice to be able to see my feet again.”

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready. Will you please carry him out?”

“How shall I carry him? In my arms or over my shoulder?”

Catherine grinned and then patiently showed him.

He picked the babe up cautiously. When Rory didn’t cry, Sam’s mouth curved into a smile. “I might just get the hang of this.”

Catherine placed her hand on his forearm for support and they slowly made their way to the noisy front room. In addition to the puppies yapping, Sam heard Bear and Stephen arguing about who would win the horse race, Jane telling the children a story, and Mrs. Wrigley revealing to Artis and Kelly how she made the biscuits he could smell baking. The yeasty fragrance made his mouth water.

“Would anyone here like to see the most handsome baby in all of Kentucky?” Sam asked above all the commotion.

Everyone froze as the three entered the room and then the family rushed toward them.

“Easy, wait, don’t crowd,” he cautioned. “Let Little John come up
first.”

They all moved aside as his oldest son made his way to the front, eyes wide as goose eggs. “I thought he would be bigger,” Little John said.

“He soon will be,” Stephen said, “just look at Samuel here.” The smiling toddler sat on Stephen’s hip, his little legs already almost reaching Stephen’s knees.

“I have a brother!” Little John said, proudly turning to tell everyone.

“And he’s a braw one. ’Tis the longest new bairn I’ve ever seen,” Bear said, holding his palms about three feet apart.

Artis laughed. “Ye’re exaggeratin’ again, Bear. He’s na
that
long! But the lad will surely grow to be as tall as Sam.”

Rory peeked in over Kelly’s shoulder and then glanced up at Sam. “What’d you name him?”

Sam and Catherine glanced at each other and then they both looked back at the smiling doctor and said, “Rory.”

Rory’s face paled. Then his eyes widened and his voice quavered as he asked, “You named him after
me
?”

“We did,” Catherine said. “If not for you, he might not be alive. And I most certainly wouldn’t be. We owe you so much.”

“Are you pleased?” Sam asked.

Though he didn’t answer straightaway, Rory’s face spoke for him. He looked at the babe wistfully, his eyes misty. “I…” he tried, but stopped, then peered at Sam and then at Catherine. “I am honored,” he finally said.

Kelly kissed her father’s cheek. “I’m proud of you Papa.”

“And since my own father is departed, I would be grateful if you would agree to be his honorary grandfather,” Sam said.

Again, Rory appeared taken back but enormously pleased. “Thank you,” was all he could manage.

“Well then,” William said, “we will have to think of a nickname for
either the bairn or Dr. McGuffin.”

“Oh no, I’m too old to start responding to a new name,” Rory protested.