The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,322

she’s not progressing as she should.”

“Jesus,” Robert Lee whispered.

“Pray to Him as you ride,” she said, and then hurried back up the stairs.

Robert Lee headed for the shed to saddle his horse, running as he went. He untied a poncho from the back of his saddle and pulled it over his head. It wasn’t much protection from the downpour, but it was better than nothing.

The thunder and lightning had long since passed, leaving behind nothing but the rain. As he rode, the wind blew it in his face. He pulled his hat down a little tighter on his head, tilting the brim just enough to keep it out of his eyes. Twice, his horse lost its footing and slipped, the last time going all the way to its knees. He pulled hard on the reins and leaned back, barely managing to stay seated. Relief swept through him when he finally saw the lights of Denver City.

The town had grown so much in the past years that it took longer to ride through Main Street and the doctor’s house was at the far end of town.

Unknowingly, he rode past it in the dark, and then quickly backtracked, with his heart in his throat. He dismounted and ran toward the door.

After a round of frantic knocking, he saw the faint glow of lamplight through the curtains at the window. When his call was finally answered, it was Mildred, the doctor’s wife, who let him in.

“Robert Lee? Is that you?” she asked, as she held a lit candle above her head.

“Yes, ma’am, it’s me. We need the doctor up at the Potter house. Letty is in labor.”

“Oh lord, Angus is out of town tending a family with typhoid. He won’t be back for at least a day or more.”

Robert Lee felt sick.

“Then you come.”

“Do you know what kind of trouble she’s in?”

“No, ma’am. Alice just came downstairs and told me to go get the doctor.”

“All right. I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I’ll come. Just let me get dressed.”

“Oh… ma’am… I’m sorry, but I didn’t bring the wagon.”

Mildred Warren waved him toward a chair on the porch.

“Will your horse carry us both?”

“Yes, ma’am, but—”

“I can ride. I won’t win any prizes, but I can ride.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Robert Lee said, as he took a seat in the chair. “But if you don’t mind me asking… please hurry.”

The door closed between them. Robert Lee bowed his head, and for the first time in years, really prayed.

Within minutes she was back, wearing a pair of her husband’s pants and a long overcoat.

“If Letty can dress like this, then I suppose I can, too,” she said, and took the help Robert Lee offered as she crawled up on the horse.

As she claimed, it wasn’t pretty, but she was astride. Robert Lee climbed on behind her, and together, they rode back up the mountain to Letty.

Letty was tired—so tired she didn’t think she’d ever be rested again. She wanted to quit and just close her eyes, but she didn’t have the luxury. She was in the middle of a breath when the next wave of pain came, pulling and twisting at every muscle in her body until she felt as if she was coming apart. She arched toward the pain, and then screamed as it rolled down the length of her spine.

Delilah was in tears.

Mary was tight-lipped and frightened.

Alice was almost as weary as Letty, determined that this birth would not be a disaster.

They’d put Katie to bed hours ago, but unknown to them, she was still up and sitting in a corner of the upstairs hall, afraid to close her eyes.

She was the first to hear the commotion downstairs, and jumped up and hid. She saw Robert Lee dragging someone up the stairs, and scooted to her room before she was discovered. They were dripping mud and water all over Miz Letty’s clean floors, and thought about telling them they were going to be in trouble, but she decided against it and stayed put.

Mildred was shedding her coat and hat as she went, and it was all she could do to keep up with Robert Lee as he hurried her along. But his haste came to an abrupt stop when he heard Letty scream.

“God in heaven,” he muttered.

“It doesn’t mean anything except that it hurts,” Mildred said, and dumped the last of her weather gear in the hall by the door. She left the door ajar as she rushed inside, giving Robert Lee a