Read Mail Order Baron (The Brides of Tombstone Book 3) Online
Authors: Cynthia Woolf
Mail Order Baron (The Brides of Tombstone Book 3) (19 page)
Worry clouded his face. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I just need to get to bed. Now.”
“On our way.” Ben began to run. He got to the bedroom and waited while Julia stripped the bed, leaving only the sheets.
“Set her down on the bed, please. Molly, lay back and lift your knees for me,” Julia instructed. “I see you’ve already got towels and water here for me. Thank you. That’s very thoughtful.”
Molly did as she was told and waited for Julia to examine her. “I didn’t want you to have to get all the supplies after the baby is here.”
“Well what do we have here?” Julia glanced up and smiled. “Looks like your little one is ready to meet us. She’s crowning. Ben, now is the time for you to leave.”
“No, I’m not leaving.”
Julia smiled. “Good man. Now go hold your wife’s hand. Molly I want you to start pushing. Squeeze Ben’s hand if you need to. The baby is ready to come. Okay, Molly, push.”
Molly pushed as hard as she could and then had to rest and catch her breath.
“Okay that was good, now do it again. Push.”
Again and again, she pushed, her hands grabbing onto the sheets or squeezing Ben’s hands. Followed by her gasping to draw in air.
“One last good one and the baby will be free. Push. Push.”
Molly bore down and felt the baby slide from her body.
Julia caught the child and held her up by the foot to let the fluids drain from her. “You were right Molly, you have a sweet little girl.” She cleaned the baby’s mouth with her finger and swatted her on the butt.
The little one let out a wail.
“Oh, let me have her.” Molly held up her arms.
“Let me get her cleaned up first.”
Julia cut the cord and tied it off then Molly watched as she wet a cloth in the warm water and cleaned the child, marveling at the tiny body and limbs. Then she wrapped her in a blanket swaddled her tight and handed her to her mother.
She looked at the incredible creature she’d just given birth to and was immediately in love. The baby cried, though they were such small cries it was almost a squeak. “She’s beautiful.”
Ben stood at the head of the bed. Molly looked up and smiled. “Meet your daughter.”
He sat next to Molly so he could see the baby. First though, he gave Molly a kiss. “Thank you for giving me my daughter.”
Brimming with happiness, she couldn’t stop smiling. “You’re not disappointed she’s not a boy?”
“Not in the least. Now let’s look at her.”
Molly unwrapped the baby so they could see her little body. Together they counted her fingers and her toes. They each ran their fingers through her soft brown baby hair. Her squalling let everyone know she was still an unhappy infant. Molly pulled open her nightgown and put the baby to her breast, nudging her with her nipple until the baby latched on. Molly gasped and winced as the baby began to suckle.
Ben looked down at his wife and daughter. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“What shall we name her?”
“I’ve been thinking about that.”
“I thought you might since you knew all along we were having a girl. Though just how you knew I don’t know.”
“I don’t know either, but I was certain of it. Anyway, I thought we would name her Charlotte Roberta King. We could call her Lottie.”
Ben leaned down and kissed Molly’s forehead. “That sounds good to me. Look she’s opening her eyes. They’re blue.”
Julia was cleaning up the linens and herself. “All babies have blue eyes. It will be a while before you’ll be able to tell if she’s keeping those pretty peepers.”
“I’m taking these down to the laundry and then I’m heading home. You three get to know each other.”
Molly gazed at Julia, tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“Oh, you’d have managed.” Julia smiled. “Women have been having babies forever. Ben would have had to do the catching is all.”
“I don’t know that I could have,” said Ben. “So I’m doubly glad you were here.”
Molly gazed up at her beloved husband. “Thank you for giving me Lottie. I’ve loved her from the moment I knew about her. I love you both so much; I don’t know how to express the feeling, or what I would do without either of you.”
Ben had tears in his eyes, too. “I feel the same. You and Lottie are my life and I love you more than I ever thought possible.”
Molly marveled at how much Ben had changed. From the stern, inattentive man he was when they first married to the wonderful husband, and now father, he’d become.
She and Ben stayed there, watching their daughter, rubbing her little belly and then her back when Molly tried to burp her.
Molly felt like the luckiest woman in the world. She had a handsome husband she loved and who returned her love and now a beautiful daughter.
No one could ask for more.
EPILOGUE
June, 1893
Molly sat in the front pew of the church looking back toward the door just as everyone else was. Sitting with her were her children. Ben Jr., nine and as handsome as his father, sat on the opposite end of the pew, next to him was his sister, Mary, aged five.
Next to her were the twins, Amelie and Angela, two, who had made their father’s hair gray with their antics. Baby Matt, sat on Molly’s lap. He’d just learned to walk and was squirming, wanting down to walk.
Her first-born, Charlotte, looked beautiful in the pink gown her mother had bought her. She walked down the aisle on her father’s arm. Lottie was so beautiful. Today marked her christening. A bit late, but quite relevant for today’s town.
Molly couldn’t look at Lottie without seeing her as a brand new baby. They’d been through so much, Molly and Ben, before Lottie was born, ten years ago.
Now, their marriage was stronger than ever and they had five more little ones to raise. She wondered what Ben would say if he knew she was expecting again. She hadn’t told him because she didn’t want to ruin Lottie’s day. She didn’t think he would be too happy. Before the twins came, they’d been talking about traveling and had started those same talks again when Matt became old enough that he didn’t have to be carried everywhere.
Ben walked Lottie down the aisle and they stopped in front of reverend. Then Ben came and sat down next to Molly. He took her hand in his. “When were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“That you’re expecting again?”
“Shh, we’ll talk later.”
Later came after the communion party guests had all gone home, the children were all tucked into their beds and Molly was braiding her hair for bed.
Ben lay on the bed, his arms crossed behind his head on the pillow. “So? Give me the news about the baby.”
“How do you know? I haven’t told anyone and I haven’t even been to see Julia or Matt so I know they haven’t told you?”
“Your body tells me. Your breasts are a little heavier and definitely more sensitive. That only happens when you’re expecting.”
“Well, I was going to tell you tonight. I didn’t want to ruin Lottie’s day with the news.”
“How would that ruin her day?”
“Well, I didn’t think you’d be too happy. The twins are only two and Matt is just one and now another one is on the way. At this rate we’ll never get to travel like you want to do.”
Ben was off the bed like a shot and came close. He knelt in front of her as she sat at her vanity. “Having another child is not what we expected that’s true, but I love and want every child we have together. They are a part of us, conceived in love and wanted very much by parents who love them.”
Molly felt the tear as it trailed down her cheek. “I love you so much.” She placed her palm on his jaw and brought his lips to hers.
He kissed her like he always did when they were alone. Even after all these years his kisses still warmed her heart and made her toes curl.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cynthia Woolf
is the author of six historical western romance books and one short story with more books on the way. She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.
Their closest neighbor was about one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.
Cynthia is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance, of course, about a little boy she liked at the time.
Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.
Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she’s made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.
Connect with Cynthia Online
OTHER TITLES AVAILABLE
The Brides of Tombstone 1
The Brides of Tombstone 2
MAIL ORDER BARON
The Brides of Tombstone 3
The Brides of San Francisco 1
The Brides of San Francisco 2
The Brides of San Francisco 3
Book 1, Destiny in Deadwood series
Book 2, Destiny in Deadwood series
Book 3, Destiny in Deadwood series
Book 1, Matchmaker & Co. series
Book 2, Matchmaker & Co. series
Book 3, Matchmaker & Co. series
Book 1, Tame series
Book 2, Tame series
Book 3, Tame series
short story, Tame series
novella, Tame series
WEBSITE –
www.cynthiawoolf.com
NEWSLETTER –
http://bit.ly/1qBWhFQ
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