Sleigh Bells in Crimson by Michelle Major

Author:Michelle Major
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-01-10T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“Grab towels from the closet in the hallway upstairs, plus scissors from the first-aid kit, rubbing alcohol and dental floss in case I need to tie off any of the umbilical cords.” Caden didn’t turn around as he issued the order, all of his attention focused on the pregnant dog.

They’d moved Cocoa into the laundry room of the main house the night before, when Caden had finished the whelping box he’d built for her.

Although Caden assured her it was a normal part of the process, it had broken Lucy’s heart that the animal didn’t seem to know how to settle on the bed of blankets Lucy had given her. It was as if Cocoa didn’t trust something so soft. Instead, she’d curled up next to the makeshift bed on the hardwood floor, letting out a heavy sigh.

When Lucy had come in the house after the volunteers went home, Cocoa finally climbed into the whelping box, pawing at the blankets and tearing apart the sheets of newspaper as if she was making a true nest.

Lucy had let the dog out back for a potty break, then scooped a bowl of kibble and put it on the floor next to the bed. She’d gone upstairs for a shower, but when she’d returned to check on Cocoa, she realized something wasn’t right.

The dog was lying on her side on top of the newspaper, her chest rising and falling in shallow pants like she was having trouble getting air. She moaned softly when Lucy touched her but hadn’t moved despite Lucy’s gentle coaxing.

Then Lucy had noticed a black, tarry discharge on the blankets, and she’d thrown on boots and rushed out to find Caden.

Worry making her movements jerky, she gathered the supplies and returned to the laundry room.

“She’s in labor,” Caden said, running a gentle hand over Cocoa’s belly.

“And it’s all going like it should?” Lucy asked, dropping to her knees next to him just outside the whelping box.

“Maybe,” he answered, but she could tell from his tone that there were complications.

“What is it?”

He shook his head. “It seems like the first pup should have come out by now. You can see the contractions rolling across her belly, and she’s pushing, but this dark-green-and-black discharge isn’t normal.”

“So what do we do now?”

“We wait.”

“Shouldn’t we call Dr. Johnson or—”

“Megan’s office is an hour’s drive from the ranch, and she lives another twenty toward Aspen. That’s when the roads are dry. By the time she gets out here, we won’t need her. We have to believe Cocoa can do this on her own.”

Lucy wasn’t a big fan of having faith in anything, but now she smoothed a hand over the dog’s head and whispered, “You’ve got this, girl. We believe in you. You’re so tough, and these puppies can’t wait to meet their mama.”

It wasn’t until Caden pulled her against his side that she realized tears were dripping down her face as she spoke. She turned her head in to his shoulder and cried.

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