The Price
Authors: Cary West
Black Thunder Series
The Price
By Cary West
Copyright © 2014 Cary West
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above author of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
ISBN:1499693699
ISBN-13:978-1499693690
DEDICATION
In loving memory of my father
CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Welcome to The McBride World
Chapter 3. Mothers vs. Husbands
Chapter 4. Letters of Unrequited Love
Chapter 5. Gauntlets and Battle Axes
Chapter 6. Showdown at The Wild Horse Saloon
Chapter 7. Meltdown with a Cherry on Top
Chapter 8. It’s an Equilibrium Thing
Chapter 11. He Never Looked Better
Chapter 13. Generous to a Fault
Chapter 14. Give ´Em The Old Razzle Dazzle
Chapter 21. Love Will Find a Way
Chapter 25. She’s Got Friends in Low Places
Chapter 26. Help Is On The Way
Chapter 28. Moving Heaven & Earth
Chapter 30. Time’s Running Out
To my family, thank you for your patience, love and support.
A special thank you to all my beta-readers, Stephanie, Debbie, Lisa, Amy. Your keen eyes have helped make this book better.
To my editor, Stacey Kucharik, thank you for all your hard work.
To my cousin Steve Shalot, Thank you for your final proofing and giving it that special touch.
Also a special thank you to all the wonderful nurses, caregiver’s, and hospice workers for taking such wonder care of my parent’s and allowing me the grace to complete editing of The Price.
And I want to say an extra special thank you to all my readers because you are what matters the most. Your patience is greatly appreciated waiting for this story to be released in November rather than July while I took care of my parents that both simultaneously got ill.
The Zephyr winds blew at the base of the canyon, kicking up a cluster of dust as the afternoon’s sun cast it’s glow over the high desert terrain. Kate McBride stood by the open range, hair blowing across her face while her dress billowed its soft crepe material like a flag, flapping against the clear Nevada-blue sky.
She stood listening for the thunderous sound of hoof beats, and the loud short snorts of a locomotive while her eyes roamed over rock and range hoping to catch sight of the great noble beast.
It was there, along the foothills that he always emerged. The regal black stallion, thundering across sagebrush and dirt, like a winged horse full of strength and pride.
Black Thunder
, the words pressed against her lips as the dark steed captured her scent and moved along the hillside towards her. He was more commanding than she remembered, exuding a powerfulness with strong black legs and head arched high.
But as he drew near, Black Thunder tamed his wild nature, and halted beside the familiar blonde-haired woman, transforming itself into a gentler creature.
He nodded his head as if to greet her, and she acknowledged by stroking the rim of his elongated nose. He snorted, spraying his mist over her, connecting to her scent while her hand ran along the side of his cheek then down over his mane, feeling the contrasting softness to his coarse strands of dark fur.
She lingered for a moment then continued on, moving two delicate hands along his back. He nodded again, then bowed like a prince, and beckoned her on to his back.
She accepted climbing on as long legs clung to the strong beast while her arms wrapped around its neck, before laying her head to rest against the richness of black.
Oh, how she loved to meld to his spirit, joining to the rhythm of his lost song, the long forgotten exchange, except in her dreams. It was here, where she communicated with Black Thunder, in this slumbering plane, for in wakefulness he was three hundred miles away.
Jack leaned over Kate and watched her sleep, a heavenly smile etched upon her face and the murmuring of Black Thunder escaping from pink soft lips.
“Wrong stallion, baby,” he whispered in her ear. Why did she always have to dream about that blasted horse? A more fitting dream would have been their wedding seven months before when he hurried her down the aisle sealing her to him permanently, and then vice-versa on their wedding night.
He was ready to do a little sealing of his own right now, drawing a sleeping Kate into a spoon-like fashion. He was coaxing her from her dreams as his hands rolled over her engorged sized belly then went roaming between her thighs and right to his favorite spot. “You’re wet,” he said with a start, ignoring his normal morning’s arousal upon the discovery. “Come on baby wake up, you’re wet.”
“Hmmm.” Kate purred and pressed her back further into the recesses of her other stallion, liking the way she was being nudged awake from her blissful dream. “So I am,” she murmured still in between states of sleep and dawning.
“No Kate,” he declared and she heard the sound of alarm in his voice. “I mean you’re soaking wet.”
Her hand replaced his and her eyes darted open with a start. He was right. She was soaked. Kate threw back the covers and quickly stood. Now standing erect with feet strode apart, she looked down just in time to watch her water break.
She looked up at Jack with disbelief then as reality sunk in, a slow smile shined from pregnant cheek to pregnant cheek and her eyes lit up like two blue globes.
“I do believe you’re going to become a daddy today, Jack McBride,” she stated.
His mouth dropped clear to his chest and his eyes blinked a thunderstruck green. In all their time together, Kate couldn’t ever recall Jack being at a loss for words.
“Jack-” She stated again as she felt a slight twang to her belly and back. “Jack did you hear me? The baby’s coming.”
At least someone is
, he thought as his counterpart relinquished all hold on the woman with a belly the size of a watermelon. “Are you sure?”
“I’m pretty sure,” she stated, looking down at the puddle between her feet and feeling another sharp pang. “All your hard work is ready to pay off and if that contraction is any indication of how this is going to go, I think we’re going to become parents fast.”
Jack jumped to his feet with his heart beating like a drum in his chest. All his hard work had indeed paid off, resulting in another contraction with Kate breathing through the quickly escalating labor pain.
In the course of several hours, with Jack giving his expert instructions on the art of Lamaze while escorting Kate into the pick-up truck, then out of the pick-up truck when they reached
Caron City’s
B
irthing Center,
Kate’s labor hit its final stage and the hour had come for the arrival of their first child.
Jack positioned her into the perfect labor position on the birthing bed all the while ignoring the mid-wife and her own instructions to a now full-labored Kate who was ready to push.
“Come on, baby. You can do it,” said Jack as Kate squeezed his hand tighter.
She closed her eyes and bared down, pushing with everything she had. When the pain subsided, Kate laid her head against the pillow to rest. Jack brushed the damp strands of blond from her face.
“You’re doing great, Kathryn,” said the mid-wife, hunched between two very long legs, ready to catch the best
home run
of Jack’s life.
“You hear that, baby? You’re doing great,” said Jack, as he wiped her face with a cool, damp cloth. “We’re almost there.”
“I know we’re almost there.” Kate pushed his hand away, not wanting to feel anything wet on her face. “Or did you forget there’s a bowling ball stuck right between my legs!”
Jack laughed. He was getting ornery, as the contractions grew stronger.
“Can you give me another push?” said the mid-wife, forcing back a humorous smile.
“Yes,” cried Kate as she sat up and with all her might pushed again.
“Here it comes, your baby is crowning!” the mid-wife exclaimed.
“Oh Jesus.” Jack grew excited, moving from helping his wife, to an observer watching the Blessed Event. “His big fat head is sticking out. One more baby, and it’s all over.”
“You got that right,” Kate cried and went to push again. “I swear to God, Jack McBride, you will never touch me again!”
“Ah Kate, you don’t mean it,” he smiled, positioning himself by her side again.
“I do mean it!” She cried as she grabbed his hand and squeezed, then pushed. “You are never touching me again.”
“Who are you kidding?” Jack grinned with amusement as he moved between Kate and the mid-wife. He wasn’t about to miss witnessing the birth since he worked so hard to get her that way in the first place.
“Pay her no mind,” he continued with his wide-eyed grin, glancing at the mid-wife. “Hell, we’ll be back in the saddle riding again before the six weeks are up!”
The mid-wife jerked a quick glance at the sandy-haired man before forcing her attention back to Kate.
“Not this time!” Kate screamed and pushed again.
She felt a whoosh and a second later; she heard the cry of their newborn child enter the world.
“Oh my God,” shouted Jack in an overload of joy and excitement. “We got a son, Kate. We got us a son, and he’s one healthy little buckaroo!”
“Glad to oblige.” Kate flopped back on the bed exhausted with happy, elated tears spilling from blood-shot eyes.
“You want to cut the cord, Jack?” the mid-wife asked him.
“Hell yes,” he beamed.
The mid-wife handed him the scissors, and Jack cut the cord from its mother’s womb, then took the baby in his arms.
He extended his newborn son, cradling his head in between his palms and allowing his tiny feet to rest just above his elbows. Jack’s eyes filled with wonder, taking in minuscule hands and tiny button nose, breathing in his son’s newborn smell, bonding him right to his heart. It took all of three seconds for Jack to fall deeply and madly in love with their creation.
“Welcome to my world, Jesse McBride,” he whispered, as his emotions spilled out and oozed all over his son. “I’m your daddy and I’m always going to love you good. So remember that!”
Jesse stared at his daddy with innocent blue eyes, connecting to his parental green, then delicately opened his mouth and released an ear-piercing, banshee-like scream, as if to reply,
I’m going to be just like you. You got that
!
WELCOME TO THE MCBRIDE WORLD
The McBride ranch was never going to be the same. Rugged cowboys with rough speech and arms the size of bricks were now reduced to blubbering fools, cooing and awing over the new edition to the McBride household. Rugged cowboys with arms the size of bricks and rough, cantankerous speech had been reduced to blubbering fools, cooing and awing over the new edition to the McBride fold.
Jesse McBride stayed curled up in his blanket while two large arms folded around him. He seemed to be transfixed on a pair of grey eyes, and watching with fascination, the bouncing handle-bar mustache, hovering just above his own baby blues.
He cooed, and all the hired hands cooed back. He scrunched up his tiny face and they all chuckled, fawning over the babe while scrunching their own faces to match. And then Jesse spit up.
Kate McBride giggled, as she observed every single rope-slinging male take a step back and turn a shade of a green. All except Mark, who reached for a bib and wiped the infant and then his chest from the regurgitation.