Sammy's Story Read online

  “We can start those advertising things I suggested. The bakery is willing, and so is Bob. I talked to him at the reception.”

  “Thank you!”

  Sammy shrugged. “I’m happy to help where I can. I also have an in with the girl who does the radio ads. I could talk to her and see if she’d cut you a break, and we could plan a grand opening kind of thing.”

  “Who does the radio ads?”

  “She just moved to town a few months ago, but I really like her. Her name is Courtney Raymond. I met her when her sister, who already lived here, had a baby. Then she moved to town a few months later. She’s pretty awesome.” Sammy vaguely wondered how Courtney and Bart would like each other, but she didn’t say anything.

  “Cool.” He stopped the truck in front of the clinic. “We’re finally alone.” He gave her his best lecherous look, and she giggled.

  “And I didn’t even have to cook!” she said enthusiastically. “That’s the best part about it being my wedding. No cooking necessary!”

  He laughed. “Well, I cook some, too. We won’t only have a choice of Bob’s burgers or your cooking. I promise.”

  “Glad to hear it. I do get called away more than I would like. Babies like to be born at night.”

  “I’ve heard that!” Barry said. “We’ll make it work.” He grabbed his suitcase from behind the seat in his truck. “I just brought enough clothes for a couple of days. I figure I’ll move in slowly. I don’t have a renter for the apartment yet anyway.”

  “Is that where Bart’s staying while he’s in town?”

  “Yeah. He’s been told not to drive for a week. The concussion is worse than he realized.” Barry shook his head about his brother driving with a concussion.

  “Tabby was appalled. And we had him help us into the church, and halfway in I noticed the mark above his head and his dilated pupils. She dealt with him, but she was annoyed we’d had him help.”

  “It wasn’t her fault. It was his. And with a head as thick as my brother’s I’m surprised he was able to get a concussion.”

  “Does he get them often?”

  Barry shrugged. “It goes with being on the circuit. I’ve had at least a dozen.” He tried to play off the multiple injuries he’d dealt with, even as he worried about his brother going down the same road he had.

  “I can’t believe you say that so casually, and I’m thrilled you’re not doing that anymore.”

  “Me too. Mostly.”

  Sammy frowned at him as she set her purse onto the couch. “What do you mean mostly? Do you miss it?” She suddenly could picture herself with two kids, at home alone, while he was off riding a bronco. It was not a life she wanted for herself or her future children—imaginary or not.

  “Sometimes. It was such a big part of my life for so long. I know I made the right decision when I stopped, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss my friends and the crowds.”

  “Would you ever go back?”

  He shook his head. “No. It wouldn’t make sense for me to go back. I’d injure myself again, and it would be all over. If the bookstore doesn’t pan out and I can’t make enough money from writing, I’ll find someone around town looking for a hired hand. I’m pretty darn good with horses and cows.”

  “I’m sure you are. You couldn’t help but be good with them.”

  “I keep telling Bart the same thing. We talked for a bit at the reception, and I told him to work for me part time and find a part-time job as a cow hand. Wouldn’t be nearly as dangerous as staying on the circuit, and we’d be close.”

  “Does he have a relationship with his father?” Sammy asked.

  Barry nodded. “He does. His dad wouldn’t back off when Mom tried to force him to stop seeing Bart. My brother spent every summer with his dad, and I was always so jealous of him for getting to do that.”

  “I can see that. You didn’t have a dad, and you thought of his father as a dad . . . you would have had to be very jealous. How long was his dad married to your mom?”

  “Three years, I think. Probably her longest marriage if I think about it.” He frowned. “No, that was Bob. She was married to Bob for six years or so. The whole time I was in high school, and a couple of years more.”

  “Was Bob a good man?”

  He shrugged. “Sure. He had a ranch, and I got to learn a lot. I didn’t mind him.”

  Sammy was a little surprised at how little she knew about this man she’d married. Of course, they’d known one another less than a week. What had she been thinking?

  He kissed her then, and she remembered exactly what she’d been thinking. She’d been thinking he turned her insides to mush every time he got close to her.

  She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around him, thrilled that this time, they wouldn’t have to stop. She felt his hands on the little buttons on the back of her dress, and she pushed his jacket off his shoulders.

  Her dress was pooled at her feet when she heard an incessant beeping. She tore away from him. “I have to see who’s texting.”

  “Ignore it!” He reached for her again, pulling her back toward him.

  “I can’t. It might be a patient.” As much as she wanted to ignore it, there was no way she could.

  He groaned softly but allowed her to move away from him.

  She apologized as she read the message. “I’m so sorry. With my work, I don’t have a choice but to be chained to messages.” She read through it. “I have a patient on her way. She’ll be at the clinic in five. Baby’s on the way.” She hurried to him, kissing him softly. “Changing into my scrubs, and I’ll be back when I can.”

  He nodded, watching her run off. He wondered how much of his married life would be this way.

  Sammy crawled into bed at just after seven the following morning. “I’m going to get thirty minutes sleep before I have to start my day. I will probably nap through my lunch hour.”

  “I can bring you a burger.” Barry propped up on one elbow, looking down at his beautifully exhausted wife.

  She shook her head. “I’ll be too tired to eat. I keep little snacks at the office, and I’ll eat them between patients. I’ll be fine.” With those words, her eyes were closed, and she was sound asleep.

  He watched her for a moment before getting out of bed. Hopefully she would get enough sleep and not be exhausted all day. He wanted to make love with her but not to her detriment. She needed her sleep.

  Sammy was dragging all day. She was thankful for the nuts and raisin snacks she had hidden in a variety of places around the office. They would keep her going between naps. She had an hour and a half break in the morning between patients, and she took it in her bed, getting up just in time to meet with her next patient.

  As she’d told Barry she would, she slept through her lunch hour. By the time she got off work, she was ready to climb into bed for the rest of her life. She was sleeping before Barry got home, and he quietly made supper, waking her up to eat it. “I know how tired you are, but you need to eat as well.”

  She nodded, her eyes mostly closed as she ate the omelet he’d made. “I’m sorry. I want to spend time with you, but I need to sleep!”

  He nodded. “I know. By midnight, you’ll feel like you again, and we’ll spend some time together then.”

  She smiled, wiping her mouth. “Midnight sounds lovely.” She walked back into the bedroom and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  At eleven thirty, he showered and got ready for bed, knowing she’d finally have a little more energy and they could pick up where they left off. Just as he walked into the bedroom, her text notification went off again. She sat up, reaching for her phone.

  Whatever she read made her jump to attention. “Tabby’s in labor. I have just enough time to shower before she gets here. I’m going to be an aunt!”

  Barry sat down on his side of the bed. “Congratulations.” Obviously, he’d be waiting a while before anything happened with his new wife, but that was all right. She was going to be an aunt.

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nbsp; He climbed into bed and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. He knew she had to do her job, but he was ready to have a real marriage as well. He closed his eyes, reminding himself that this is what he’d signed up for. She’d told him a few times that emergencies had to come first. This was an emergency. All births were.

  Sammy delivered her nephew around noon the following day and carefully put him into Dallas’s arms. “I can’t believe you called a sub just so you could help me with this delivery.”

  “I can’t believe you’d be surprised,” Dallas returned with a smile. She carefully bathed the baby before laying him in Tabby’s arms.

  “I don’t even know what you’re naming him!” Sammy said. How had her sister never divulged that information?

  Tabby sighed. “We’ve been arguing about his name since we found out it was a boy. You’ll know as soon as a real decision has been made.”

  “All right. But my nephew cannot be nameless forever!”

  “He won’t be. I hope.”

  Sammy washed her hands and cleaned up the room. “I can’t believe Arch isn’t here!”

  “He took that business trip, knowing I wasn’t due for two more weeks. I called him, and he headed back, but . . . he didn’t make it in time.”

  “Well, you did great. I’m excited for you.” Sammy kissed her sister’s cheek. “I had Angela call everyone to cancel all appointments for today. So, I’m going to get a nap before my husband gets home. You okay?”

  Tabby nodded. “I’m going to stay here for another hour or two. I know what to do.”

  “I know you do. I wouldn’t leave anyone else this way.” Sammy left the clinic and went back to her house, leaving Dallas in charge. She stripped and climbed into bed, hoping for a few hours of sleep before Barry got home.

  Barry left work on Wednesday afternoon and went up to his apartment to get more clothes. He couldn’t believe he’d been married forty-eight hours and he still hadn’t made love with his new wife. Hopefully the run of deliveries would cool off for long enough for them to consummate the marriage before she had to run off again.

  Bart was there, still hurting and sleeping most of the time.

  “You made any decisions yet?” Barry asked.

  Bart shook his head. “No, but I’m thinking seriously about your offer. If I could find a part-time job helping out on a ranch, I could spend the rest of the time at the bookstore with you, and we could take turns getting our books written.”

  “I can give you the names of a few men in the area who might be hiring. I think Sammy would be able to expand on the list if you’re really interested.”

  Bart frowned. “Do you miss the rodeo?”

  “Honestly, I do sometimes, but I’m glad I left. It was breaking me physically. There’s no crowd that can cheer loud enough to make that worth it. And I have my bookstore, and now I’m married to Sammy . . . no I made the best decision for me. I can’t make your decision for you, though if I could, I’d tell you to leave. You don’t need to ruin your life with injuries.”

  Bart nodded. “I’ll consider. I’ve thought of nothing else during my waking moments since I got here.”

  “Well, you probably need to recover from that concussion before you worry about it too terribly much.”

  “I agree with that.” Bart shook his head. “I love my life, but I’ll love it more if I’m not constantly worried about dying.”

  “Good.” Barry got to his feet, his packed bag beside him. “Anything you need before I head back? I could run to the store for you.”

  Bart sighed. “What I really want is a burger. Are there any good burgers in town? I don’t think I could stay on my feet long enough to cook one.”

  “I can get you one from next door. There’s a place called Bob’s Burger Barn. I swear Bob is a genius. Best burgers I’ve ever had, hands down.” Barry frowned at his brother. “I’ll get you one before I head back.”

  Bart shook his head. “If it’s next door, there’s no driving involved, and I think the fresh air would do me good. I’ll head over myself.”

  “I’ll walk over with you, just to make sure you’re steady on your feet.”

  Bart shrugged. “You don’t have to, but I’d enjoy the company. Give me five minutes.”

  As they walked, Barry told Bart about all the different burgers available. Bob was still there when they walked in. Bob usually only worked during the day. “Bob, this is my brother Bart. He’s craving a burger.”

  Bob grinned. “You came to the right place.”

  Barry ordered a couple of taco burgers to go and sat with his brother while they were cooked. “You have to try the fried cheese curds,” Barry told Bart. “They’re amazing.”

  “I don’t even know what that is!”

  “It doesn’t matter. You just have to try it!”

  “Fine, I’ll try it!” Bart shrugged. “Everything on this menu looks amazing.”

  Barry grinned. “Well, if you don’t mind working with the cows after they’re dead, you should get a job as a cook from Bob. He is hiring right now, and you’re an excellent cook.”

  Bart frowned. “Cooking in a restaurant? I don’t know about that . . .”

  “Just until your first book sells.”

  “I’ll think on it.”

  Bob came then with Barry’s to-go order and took Bart’s order. Barry slipped out of the booth. “See you soon.”

  “I may wander down to the bookstore tomorrow. I’m staying awake a little longer at a time as the concussion heals.”

  “Sounds good.” Barry left, heading to his truck. He wanted to get home with the burgers before Sammy started supper.

  When he got home, he found his wife in a pair of old pajamas, looking exhausted. She was standing in the middle of the kitchen, looking around as if she was confused.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Trying to figure out what to make for supper. I’m so tired!”

  He smiled, holding up the bag in his hand. “I stopped at Bob’s.”

  Sammy was ready to cry with relief. “And this is why I married you!” She took the bag from his hand, grabbed a couple of plates, and took it to the table. “How was work?”

  “Great. I had my best sales day yet. The bakery didn’t wait for a flyer and has been talking me up to locals and visitors.”

  “Oh, good. I was hoping they’d start on that soon.” She pulled her burger from the bag and put the cheese curds in the middle of the table. “How’s Bart doing?”

  “That’s why I went to Bob’s. He wanted a burger, so I walked him over. He was pretty amazed at all the different kinds of burgers Bob had available.” He took one of the cheese curds and popped it into his mouth. “Tabby’s baby is okay?”

  She nodded, her eyes lit up. “I deliver babies all the time. Not every day, but several a month. And I have to say, there is nothing like delivering a baby that’s related to you. I held that little boy and just cried.”

  “I’m glad! What did they name him?”

  Sammy shrugged. “They hadn’t picked out a name yet. I’m sure they’ll let me know soon, though, because I have to put it on the birth certificate.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He reached out and took her hand in his. “I’ve hated having to sleep without you the past couple of nights.”

  She sighed. “I’m sorry I keep running off. I’m going to be delivering double the number of babies now, too, with Tabby being on maternity leave.” She shook her head. “That’s why I suggested waiting to get married until she was back.”

  “I’m glad we didn’t wait, but I wish you were home a little more.”

  “Me too!” She finished her meal and leaned back. “I’m going to take a shower and get ready for bed. I know it’s early, but my sleep has been messed up by all the babies being delivered.”

  “I’ll be waiting for you,” he said, winking at her.

  “I appreciate the waiting.” As she walked past him, Sammy kissed his forehead. She did hate that she was called
away just when things were getting all hot and heavy between them. At least they hadn’t had a chance to get started the night before.

  After her shower, she walked into the bedroom, and he was sitting on the side of the bed, frowning.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “You got a text.”

  She groaned. “Are you kidding? This town needs to stop having babies already!”

  He grinned. “At least I know it bugs you as much as it does me.”

  She took her phone and glanced at the screen. “They’re going to be at the clinic in five minutes. I need to change into scrubs.” She looked down at the frilly nightgown she was wearing. “I tried.”

  “I know you did. It’ll happen. There aren’t enough people in this town to have babies every night forever.”

  “This is true. The full moon will be over in a couple of days. It always slows down after that.”

  Barry grinned. “I thought someone just made that up!” Full moons really had an impact on the number of babies born?

  “No, there really are more babies born during a full moon. It’s nutty.” She grabbed her scrubs and hurried into the bathroom to change. When she was finished, she went back into the bedroom and kissed hm. “See you after this baby is born.”

  “It’s a good thing you love what you do so much.”

  “Isn’t it?” she asked. She ran from the room, because she was too tempted to stay with him and make a baby of their own. Her hours had never bothered her before, and now they were getting on her last nerve.

  She hurried to the clinic and got things ready for the delivery, realizing how much she missed her sister as part of this process. They usually did everything side by side.

  While she waited for her patient, she called Tabby. “What’s my nephew’s name?”

  Tabby laughed. “I think we’re naming him Wright. Arch is a big fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, so we’re naming him Wright Steven. I wanted to name him Steven.”

  “Works for me! I’ll put it on his birth certificate. How are you feeling?”

  “Tired, but good. No problems. If there are any, you know I’ll call.”