Lone Star Bride by Carolyn Davidson

Author:Carolyn Davidson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2006-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Spring 1904

The pastures were green with new growth and the lush grasses provided the horses with a nourishment they seemed to enjoy more than their rations of hay and oats that had nourished them throughout the cold weather. Although the winter had consisted more of rain than snow.

But the meadows were not only appealing to the horses, but to those who cared for them, those who had a vested interest in this place. And a part of that interest was contained in the heavily pregnant mares who were ready to deliver their foals. The birthing stalls were the ideal places for such events to take place, but many of the mares dropped their progeny in the far reaches of the pasture.

Whether it was an inborn thing or not, Jamie worried that they labored without someone to watch them, perhaps take care lest they run into trouble in the worrisome venture of birth. Although, as Hank told him, animals had been surviving for years without human help to guide their young into the world, it was still Jamie’s concern. He felt responsible for these animals. Even the cows who delivered calves out on the back forty weighed heavily on his mind until he was able to ride out and be sure that all was well with the livestock he cared for.

The idea that he was a worrywart amused Hank, but to Jamie’s surprise, he had a staunch champion in Alexis. She, too, fretted over the mares, worried that the colts and fillies be tended to immediately, the small creatures able to nurse, as they must, in order to survive.

But even with these worries, she bloomed. There was no other word that could describe her in Jamie’s mind. She was rounding out nicely, her skin was fresh and almost translucent and her hair was growing at an amazing pace, reaching below her waist when it hung loose. Her cheeks were rosy, her arms already tanning from the spring sunshine and she looked like a woman who was thriving despite the aches and pains of pregnancy.

The baby would be born in the late summer, she thought, and announced to her father and Jamie that she would ride as long as she felt good enough to climb into a saddle. Although they turned thumbs down on her training activities, she did force a reluctant admission from them that she could walk the new colts and fillies and teach them to trust the humans who cared for them.

Keeping the records straight was a chore that Jamie gladly gave to Hank. And that gentleman was meticulous in his book work. It looked to be a prosperous time for the Double C, and Jamie’s letters to Brace were glowing with reports of the new life on the ranch, of his own happiness and joy he’d found here.

A dark rumor had reached Jamie, and he’d asked the men to keep a sharp eye out for trouble, especially now that Alexis was not riding her usual fast mount, and was at a distinct disadvantage, due to her pregnancy, should she need to flee from a stranger.

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