Free Her Lone Cowboy by Donna Alward Page B

heel.
    “Beautiful will do the work herself. I’m just there for backup. But I don’t even have a full set of hands, Lily. If I need something, it would be helpful for you to be there to hand it to me.”
    She nodded mutely, staring down at her jeans and white sneakers. What in the world was she getting herself into?
    She trotted after him to the barn, his long strides eating up the ground between the two buildings. As they neared the door, he offered her an encouraging smile. “Relax, Lil. Keep your voice soothing and soft—it’ll be comforting. Imagine you were having a baby and how you’d like it…no bright lights, no loud noises, just soothing and comfortable, right?”
    Lily blinked back stinging tears and squared her shoulders. He couldn’t know how his words hurt. Maybe it was the renewed experience of being involved with a wedding or the fact that every time she saw Lucy and Brody together she was reminded. She’d thought she’d done a good job of forgetting and moving on. But lately it seemed to hit her from every corner. Once upon a time she had wanted children for herself. She and Curtis had talked about it, agreeing to wait until after they were finished school and both working before starting a family. A girl and a boy. Lily held back a sigh. Once upon a time she’d dreamed of a happily ever after that didn’t exist. A happy ending that she was no closer to now than she was before.
    But if Noah was willing to do this one-handed, she could find the wherewithal to help.
    They stepped inside the dark barn, quiet except for someshuffling from the stall nearest Andrew’s clinic space. Noah grabbed a box and slid inside the stall, simply watching as the mare lay on the bed of soft straw.
    “Shouldn’t we do something?”
    “Not yet. Hopefully we won’t have to.” He spoke in a low voice. “I can’t believe Andrew’s not here. We knew it would be soon, but we kind of expected a late night, not a midmorning birthing.”
    Lily looked around her. The mare lay on her side, breathing heavily, the whites of her eyes showing. The straw was dark beneath her and Lily got a horrible feeling.
    “Noah…” She stared pointedly at the spot, but he only smiled.
    “Her water broke, just like a woman’s would. That’s all.”
    “You’ve clearly done this before.” Maybe he didn’t need her help and she could escape to the house.
    “I grew up here. Of course I did, many times.” He smiled at her, and it seemed to light up the dim stall. “Some of my favorite memories are of the three of us down here late at night when a mare was foaling. Afterward Dad always made us hot chocolate. Sometimes, if it had been a very long night, we got to miss the morning of school.”
    “He indulged you.”
    Noah nodded. “Not often, but sometimes.” He kept a close eye on the mare. “This time I thought we’d have the resident vet in attendance. We don’t know much about her history, previous foals, nothing. Jen basically rescued her from the side of the road.”
    Lily was familiar with the story, and the fact that Noah’s agitation had subsided helped to calm her, as well. Her eyes widened as one hoof emerged, then another. She held her breath as she waited.
    After several minutes without progression, Lily saw Noah’s brow pucker. “Hand me the towel,” he said softly, andLily bent to retrieve the soft cotton from the kit. She watched, fascinated, as Noah crooned low words to the horse, amazed as he used the stump end of his right arm to anchor the towel against the tiny hooves as he wrapped it around and then gripped the fabric in his large hand.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Giving her a little help.”
    Mesmerized, Lily watched as Noah worked on his knees, easing the hooves toward the mare’s feet rather than out, inch by inch. “Good girl,” he murmured, sweat beading on his forehead. Lily saw his bicep bulge as he tugged gently but firmly.
    The head and shoulders appeared and Lily gaped, unable to turn