Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2)(96)

Mel walked outside with them and gave Jodie’s hand a pat. “You’re going to be fine.”

She stood on Doc’s porch for a few minutes after they were gone. She noticed Cheryl Chreighton weaving around the side of the boarded-up church, an unmistakable bottle in her hand. Mel ran a hand over her belly and silently vowed that after the baby came, she’d find a way to get that woman some help. That she wasn’t a patient was irrelevant. She was a human being in need. When Mel saw a need, she went to work on it.

The breeze picked up and became a brisk wind and the sky was darkening. A few heavy drops fell on the street in front of her and she thought about how much she’d enjoy a heavy rain on a lazy afternoon. It took Mel only a couple of minutes to decide Doc was probably right—she should take the rest of the day off. Her back was killing her. A hot shower and nap sounded fine.

She went over to the bar and hopped up on a stool. “Hello, gorgeous,” Jack said, leaning across the bar to put a brief kiss on her lips. “How are you feeling?”

“Huge,” she answered. “How are things around here?”

“Calm. Quiet. Nice.”

“Can I have a ginger ale, please?”

“Coming up. What’s going on with you?”

“Doc took a patient to Valley Hospital in the Hummer—possible appendicitis. So I’m going to take the afternoon off. Can I borrow your truck? Can you get Rick or Preacher to run you home later?”

“I think that can be arranged. Want me to take a break and drive you home?” he asked.

“That’s sweet, but I like having the truck. I hate being stuck out there without wheels. If you need it, I can scrounge around for Doc’s keys….”

“Nah, take it. I’d rather have you in my truck.”

She took a sip of her ginger ale and lifted her eyes toward the ceiling as there was a loud crack of thunder. “I think I’m going to have a hot shower, put on my flannel nightie and let the rain on the roof rock me to sleep.”

“I can come wake you up a little later,” he said. “I’ll rub your back.”

“It’s driving me crazy,” she said, pressing a hand against the small of her back. “This kid must be sitting on my spine. When he’s not dancing on my kidneys.”

Jack held both her hands across the bar. “I know this has been rough lately, Mel. Pretty soon he’ll be here and you can start to feel better.”

She smiled prettily into his eyes. “You know I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”

“It’s the greatest thing anyone has ever done for me,” he said. “I love you so much.” He came around the bar, fishing his keys out of his pocket. He walked her out onto the porch. She took a deep breath. “Smell that air? Don’t you love the smell of rain? It’s going to bring us flowers.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll see you in a few hours. See if you can get some sleep. I know you don’t sleep through the night.”

She gave him a pat on the butt and went down the porch stairs to his truck. She waved as she cut a wide U-turn and drove out of town. Her back started to really throb as the wind along the road picked up steam and was blowing hard, whipping the branches wildly against the truck. Then there were several bright flashes of lightning and the rain pelted the windshield with gale force. She was within a quarter mile of the cabin when a sharp pain ripped across the front of her abdomen, and when she pressed her hand there she felt the rock-hard tightening of her uterus and she thought, shit! You dummy! Who let you be a midwife? You’re in labor! Back labor! All day long! And some of yesterday, too!

Right in front of her in the road lay a pine, obviously cut down by a lightning strike, and she was too late to stop. Swerving, she at least didn’t hit it head-on, but she ran the left front bumper into it and caused the right front wheel of the truck to veer off the shoulder.

Distracted by the contraction, she’d almost had an accident. Make that, worse accident. At least the air bag hadn’t deployed—that could’ve been bad, given her advanced pregnancy. She’d go back to Jack; go to the hospital.

She put the truck in Reverse and the tires spun. She tried again and again, rocking the truck. And now, she thought, I have made a real mess of things. Why didn’t I stay at the bar ten more minutes? Time enough for this first really good contraction to kick in!

She had no option but to walk the rest of the way to the cabin and call Jack. It wasn’t far; she wasn’t going to drop this little acrobat on the ground. But, she thought, I am going to be very, very wet. And I’m having a baby a little sooner than I thought.

Seventeen

Mel had to climb over the thick trunk of the tree, heavy with branches, which was a challenge, belly and all. She had her medical bag, the collar of her coat pulled up high. It was necessary to lean into the wind, bending a bit as she pushed forward. She hadn’t gone far when another contraction seized her. Whoa, she thought—the last one wasn’t long ago. But—first baby—there was lots of time. She was no doubt going to labor for hours, then have to push for more than an hour. Don’t panic—there’s plenty of time. But she hated the thought of trying to get back to a vehicle over that tree trunk. Well, she thought, he’ll just have to carry me. Good that I picked me a big, strong man!

On the porch of her cabin, it happened again. Another contraction. She counted—it was nice and long. Little doubt—this was it.