Chapter 18
Enoch jolted awake, flinching a bit as his healing wounds pulled. Darkness surrounded him, so why had he awakened? His bed… That’s right, he was in the barn.
Willow.
He peered between the boards into her stall.
The mare was pacing, her tail swishing up and down. She paused to paw at the straw, then let out a low nicker.
It was time.
He watched a few minutes longer, just to gauge where she was in the process. Had her waters broken yet? At that point, she wouldn’t be able to stop her laboring. But if he brought Mandie too soon, Willow might worry about the spectators and slow the birthing down.
In the dim light from the lantern he’d left burning, he could see the sheen of sweat on her flanks, the tension in her muscles as she paced.
Then finally, she lifted her tail, and a gush of fluid splashed onto the straw. That had to be it.
As Willow dropped to the ground with a groan, he pushed to his feet and slipped out of the barn.
Things could happen quickly now, and he hated for Mandie to miss any part. Seeing new life come into the world was, indeed, special.
When he stepped into the house, the place lay dark and still, the embers of the fire casting a faint glow in the main room. He moved quietly down the hall and paused at Mandie’s door so he could knock.
“Mandie?” He kept his voice low. “The foal’s coming now.”
A rustle of movement came from within, then a moment later, the door opened. Mandie stood before him, a shawl thrown around the same dress she’d been wearing before bed. Some of her dark hair pulled loose from her braid, framing her beautiful face in a way that made him want to pull her close.
Her eyes glimmered with excitement. “Is everything all right?”
“So far.” He stepped back to allow her passage. “But we should hurry. She’s already down.”
She strode ahead of him, and he had to lengthen his steps to keep up. He followed her out the door and across the yard, then grabbed the barn door for her as they both slipped inside.
Mandie slowed inside the barn and crept forward to stand outside the opening to Willow’s stall.
The mare lay on the ground still, but faced a different direction than when he’d left her.
This angle gave them a somewhat awkward view of her abdomen, with all four feet facing toward them as the mare lay flat and grunted.
She was pushing through a pain, and a glimmer of white appeared by her tail.
He moved up beside Mandie and pointed to the spot as he kept his voice low. “There it is.”
She jumped beside him, as though she’d not expected him to speak. When she sent a quick look up at him, he couldn’t help a grin.
A grunt from the stall pulled their attention back to Willow. The mare was obviously straining, the rippling muscles easily seen where sweat plastered her thick coat.
He kept focus on that white bubble at the horse’s tail, larger now than before. The white glimmer expanded, inch by painful inch. One end darkened, and a tiny black hoof broke through the slippery bubble.
Mandie gasped beside him, the sound almost drowned out by Willow’s heavy breathing. “Is that...a foot?” Her whisper held a tremor of awe.
Enoch nodded, his chest tight with anticipation. “The front feet come first, then the nose.”
Tension in the air thickened as they waited for the next hoof. And waited.
At least a minute must have passed since their first view of the foot, but no more activity.
His eye tracked back to the mare, up to her shoulder.
Willow bobbed her head against the stall floor, then raised it, tucking her chin tight to her chest. Veins rose across her shoulders and abdomen.
Everything in the horse fought to expel this new life.
Mandie grabbed his arm. “Something’s wrong.” Panic laced her voice. “We have to do something.”
He covered her hand with his own to steady them both. “She’s all right.”
Her gaze flicked to him, filled with concern. “The baby’s not moving.” Her words edged with panic. “What if it’s twisted inside?” Her hand gripped even tighter around his arm—a touch of warmth he hadn’t realized he craved until now.
He kept his voice low, hopefully calm enough to soothe both females. “It’s just the shoulders. That part’s always tricky. Once they’re through, you’ll see—the little one will start moving.”
Mandie turned her gaze forward again and tensed as the mare gave an awful groan and pressed flat against the ground. With a whoosh, the foal spewed halfway out, the white bubble pulling away to reveal a tiny brown head. From ears to shoulders was still covered with white though.
“Oh.” Mandie breathed the sound, probably not realizing she’d spoken.
He couldn’t help watching the woman instead of the horse. In the lanternlight, with such wonder on her face, her beauty stole his breath. Made his chest ache too much to let in air.
Mandie’s fingers dug into his arm, forcing his focus back to the mare and foal. “Is he breathing?”
Enoch studied the foal. The nostrils flared the slightest bit. Good.
Before he could reassure Mandie, Willow moved. With a final massive effort, the horse surged to her feet, and the rest of the foal slipped out onto the straw, tearing away the white bubble with a tangle of spindly legs.
For one heart-stopping moment, the babe lay motionless. Please, Lord.
Then the little chest heaved, and the foal sneezed, shaking its head as it drew in gulps of air. Willow turned and gave a soft nicker as she began licking the birthing fluids from her baby’s face.
Mandie sagged against Enoch, her head dropping to his good shoulder as she let out a tremulous sigh. “Oh, thank God. I was so afraid...”
He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. Had she been thinking about the fact that she’d be giving birth, too, in a few months? Seeing Willow’s pain must surely have raised all kinds of worries. He’d been a thoughtless cad, suggesting she be here for this birthing.
But then she let out a tremulous sigh, her body shifting against him. “That was…incredible.” Her voice wavered with emotion. “I’ve never seen anything so amazing.”
Enoch nodded, his throat tight. No matter how many times he witnessed this miracle, it never failed to move him.
With Mandie pressed warm against his side, her scent surrounding him, the moment seemed to stretch and suspend.
He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to risk shattering this fragile connection growing between them.
And yet as her movement spiked pain in his burned skin, he knew they would only cause each other heartache. Could either of them endure more?
The foal lifted its head, blinking in the dim light. Those long legs splayed out in all directions as it tried to coordinate them. Willow continued her licking, cleaning her baby, and getting its blood flowing.
“It’s a filly.” Enoch grinned. “A strong one too, by the looks of her.”
Mandie sighed, and some of the tension drained from her body as she leaned into him. “She’s perfect.”
Perfect. The word echoed in his mind as he looked down at Mandie, her face soft with wonder and joy. The urge to pull her closer, to press his lips to hers, nearly overwhelmed him.
And when she lifted her face to look up at him…he could no longer stop himself.
He raised his free hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing the silken skin.
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, her lips parted slightly, an invitation he couldn’t resist.
Slowly, giving her time to turn away, he lowered his head. When his lips met hers, all rational thought fled.
Her mouth was soft and warm, molding perfectly to his. A small sound escaped her, somewhere between a sigh and a whimper, and it nearly undid him.
He deepened the kiss, his hand sliding into her hair to cradle the back of her head. She tasted of sweetness and hope. The water his parched body had been craving.
Her fingers curled into his shirt, holding him close as she returned the kiss with a tentative passion that set his blood on fire.
A lifetime could have passed and he would have been happy to stay in this place. Nothing existed beyond the feel of Mandie in his arms, the rightness of her body pressed to his.
A snort from the stall broke the spell.
Mandie pulled back, her breath coming in soft pants. Her eyes were wide and dark in the lantern light, her lips kiss-swollen and tempting.
He shouldn’t have done that. Should he?
He’d asked her to marry him. She might be his in truth one day soon.
But he didn’t want a connection with her. Did he? He’d promised himself he wouldn’t let his heart grow attached. He wouldn’t leave himself vulnerable.
So he forced himself to pull back. To put space between them. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” His back throbbed along with his head.
She ducked her chin and shook her head, turning back to the mare and foal. “It was just the excitement of the moment.”
A lie. And his body hummed with confirmation of that fact.
This woman stirred him like no other ever had. Not even Charlotte. Looking back, he’d been drawn as much to Charlotte’s family as to her. The idea of having parents in his life again. A complete unit, not broken and scattered like his own.
But Mandie.
Everything about this woman drew him. That kiss. Her beauty. Her determination. Her gentleness.
He took a step back, forcing himself to turn away. He should find the cloths he’d brought out to help dry the foal.
Best he get to work so his heart didn’t lead him down another painful trail.