The Matchmaker's Match

{Chapter} 4

Toni managed a weak smile and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re a good husband.”

Just then, while her hand was still buried in his hair, another contraction came over her. Her hand clamped around a chunk of his hair and she screamed.

Erik felt his face contort as she nearly tore his hair out of his head. Toni didn’t even realize that she was torturing him in her screaming. The pain passed, and not a minute too soon. Erik felt his head to make sure all his hair was still in place.

“It’s almost over, Mrs. McBride” The doctor said.

Erik kept a close eye on the young doctor, just to make sure he didn’t peek at his wife more often than was necessary. He didn’t trust young doctors. Seemed like Sundance had a new doctor every six months.

“You’re doing splendidly, Toni” Katie encouraged from the foot of the bed.

Toni took a few deep breaths and nearly crushed his hand when another contraction came.

“Push” The doctor commanded.

Toni’s face contorted, and Erik had to look away. He hated seeing her in pain. It did things to him, like make his stomach queasy and his knees wobble.

“It’s coming, Toni. Just push” Katie smiled.

“Stop smiling!” Toni growled as she put all her effort into pushing.

Katie’s smile disappeared and struggled not to resurface.

A few moments later, Toni held an ugly, funny colored crying mass in her arms.

Erik snarled. Sandy had looked equally ugly. Well, all babies looked the same, didn’t they? Erik just expected his own to look better.

“Look at him!” Toni’s relieved and proud voice reached Erik’s ears and suddenly he, too was proud of the little thing.

Wait.

“Is it a he?” He asked the doctor.

Doc nodded.

Erik grinned with pride and looked down at where Toni cradled their son in her arms, rocking gently back and forth. She looked so tired, so weak… so not herself. Yet the pride in her eyes made all of that seem trivial.

“You wanna hold him?” Toni asked.

Erik sat on the side of the bed and accepted the little bundle into his arms.

“Hey little guy” he mumbled.

A wave of love passed over him, the same way it had when he had held Sandy for the first time. He felt the incredible responsibility of having another child to care for.

“Have you decided on a name?” Katie asked.

Toni smiled. “Justin. Justin Cade McBride.”

Katie smiled. “That’s a perfectly good name.”

“Erik, we have to clean them up now. We’ll call you back in when we’re finished,” Doc said.

Erik gave Justin back to Toni and smiled at her. “You did good, honey.”

Toni smiled back. “Thank you.”

Erik kissed her sweaty forehead and left the room, rejoining the cowboys.

He heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s a boy.”

The entire room whooped and hollered and laughed. Erik smiled and shook his head. He knew how the cowboys didn’t want another woman around the place.

In the midst of the congratulatory group, Erik was relieved because the nine-month trial was over, yet he knew that there were only more trials to come.

**********

Katie left Toni sleeping and walked out with the Doc. The entire front room was packed with dusty, smelly cowboys.

“Oh for Pete’s sake, guys. You’d think Toni was dying or something,” she complained teasingly.

“It sounded like it” little Jay said.

Katie laughed and saw the doctor out before turning to the men. The dawn sun broke through the windows and over their weary faces. Aubrey had fallen asleep in Wade’s lap and Sandy was sleeping on Rawhide’s shoulder. Jay looked bright eyed and bushytailed, but he was the only one.

“A’ight boys. We’ve gotta cattle drive in a few weeks. Let’s get to work” Mark spoke up.

The cowboys started filing out the door, then Katie caught sight of Adam, who had finally put his hair back in its ponytail.

“Adam? What are you doing here?” she asked.

“He got hired on, Katie” Wade told her.

Katie’s jaw dropped. Adam wasn’t a cowboy! He was a deputy sheriff. This was tragic! There was no way she was going on that cattle drive with him around.

Yet what other choice did she have? She was the only decent cook around this place.

Sighing in resignation, Katie followed the cowboys out the door. She wanted to go back to bed, that’s what she wanted to do, but there was the pressing problem of Jane’s match. She had to at least get the two in a relationship before the cattle drive. Adam was a good match for her, but something deep inside wanted to spare Jane the pain when Adam took her heart and broke it onto a million pieces.

　

*“I don’t understand, Adam. This doesn’t make any sense to me” Katie was on the verge of tears.

“One day I’ll explain it to you, I promise. I have a really good reason for this, believe me” Adam defended.

Katie rolled her eyes. “Sure you do. More like you tired of me, is that it? Found someone better? Someone who was a better friend? Someone who treated you better? Someone who didn’t have a mind of her own? Someone who…”

“Katie, listen to me” Adam interrupted. “You are the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“Yes, you’re proving that right now, aren’t you?” Katie was unnaturally sarcastic, which hinted that she was very angry with him.

Adam sighed. “I don’t expect you to understand, honestly. I can see why you would be upset right now, but you’ll thank me for this one day.” *

　

Katie closed her eyes against the memory. Sure, she would understand. Well, now it’s been five years and she still didn’t understand a single thing.

She did thank him, though. Because of her heartache, her relationship with Ben was much sweeter than it would have been had she not at least tasted love before.

Looking up at the sky, she muttered into the clean air. “I miss you, Ben.”

Her stomach clenched with the familiar feeling of grief, making her feel as if she would never get over her fiancé’s death.

No, his murder.

********

Thanks a ton for reading! You guys are awesome.

I think it's confirmed now that Adam and Katie had a past relationship. What do you guys think of that?

What do you think Uncle Mark is up to?

That pic is just to help my fascination with bluebonnets:P