“Can you tell me how you came across this woman?”
“No.”
“Is she from around here?”
“No.”
“Well, John, you’ve got my curiosity up. We’ll be waiting for both of you, and we’ll have an incubator ready, too.”
“Thanks, Caro.”
“No problem. Do you want me to call your parents?”
“Yeah, just tell them I’m all right. I’ll talk to them later.”
“All right. I will.”
When John handed the phone back to the driver, he looked at John. “That’ll be twenty dollars.”
John didn’t question the amount. He dug in his pocket for his wallet and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. He handed it over without argument.
“How are you doing?” he asked Lucy.
“I think my pains are coming faster.”
“Caro said we should have plenty of time to get you to the clinic. She’ll take care of everything.”
“Who is she?”
“She’s my cousin, one of the doctors in town.”
“Oh, so she knows about having babies.”
“Yep. She’s had a couple herself.”
“Who is her husband?”
“The sheriff.”
“You know the sheriff?” the old man asked, suddenly interested.
“Yes.”
“He’s the one I’m goin’ to see!”
“That’s good. I’ll show you where his office is.”
“Okay.”
Lucy gasped as another pain, more intense this time, seized her.
“Try to relax, Lucy. I know it’s hard, but we’ll be there soon.” He put his arm around her, still enveloped in the comforter. Her scent wafted to his nose and in his mind he was back in his truck spending the night with Lucy wrapped in his arms.
“You two live in Rawhide?”
John squeezed Lucy’s shoulder, forgetting about her pain until she grimaced again. “Yes, we do.”
“Nice place. I was gonna settle down there, but I didn’t. I heard about the sheriff, though. They say he does right by people.”
“Yes, he does.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna talk to him.”
“You got a problem with someone in Rawhide?” John asked.
“Yeah!”
“I know a lot of people in Rawhide. Maybe I know who you have a problem with.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I might.”
“Nope.”
John gave up the puzzle of the stranger. He didn’t really care about him as long as he got them to the hospital in time. And they didn’t have much time left. He felt Lucy trying to relax, but the pain came even harder than the last time. He checked his watch surreptitiously, noting the time was nine-twenty-nine. The last pain had been at nine-twenty-one. He didn’t say anything to Lucy. And he certainly didn’t want to urge the old man to drive faster.
But he hoped they got there soon.
When they passed the turn to his family ranch, he smiled. At this speed, they were five minutes away.
“Uh, you’d better slow down inside the city limits. You don’t want to meet the sheriff from the back of a squad car.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Can’t we just tell him we have an emergency?” Lucy asked.
“Good thinking, girl,” the driver said as he accelerated. “That’ll do it!”
They got pulled over two minutes later, just as they entered the town.
The deputy pulled behind them and approached the car. “Pardon me, sir, but did you know you were going eighty miles an—”
“Dave,” John interrupted him, leaning toward the driver’s window, “we’re trying to get to the hospital. She’s in labor.” He nodded toward Lucy.
The deputy sprang to action. “I’ll lead the way!”
John laughed under his breath. There was no traffic on Rawhide’s main road, but now the deputy was turning on his siren and motioning for them to follow him. It was a little ridiculous, but John didn’t suggest the driver slow down again.
He noticed Mike coming out of his office to find out what the siren was for. He’d come to the hospital to talk to his wife.
The squad car came to a halt beside the clinic and the old man pulled right in behind it.
“Thank you so much for helping us.” John started easing Lucy out of the truck.
“You aren’t going to pay for the gas?” the driver asked.
Lucy stared at the man, but John reached for his billfold again. “I guess that would be twenty dollars again, wouldn’t it?”
“Well, it might a’ been more, but I’ll let you slide, seein’ as you’re having a little one.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t forget my luggage,” Lucy reminded him.
Since two nurses were bringing a gurney down the slanted sidewalk and Lucy would be cared for, he reached in for the luggage. Then he followed Lucy and the nurses into the clinic.
“John?” Lucy called, holding her hand out to him. “Will you—will you mind going in with me? I—I’m scared.”
“Yeah, I’ll go in with you, Lucy.”
“Thank you so much.”
He grinned. “I guess that will be twenty dollars, right?”
She smiled back. “That man would’ve charged us for breathing if he could figure out how.”
“Probably. I was just glad I had enough twenties to last us. I think he would’ve thrown us out if I hadn’t.”
“He kept staring
