Free Maverick Wild (Harlequin Historical Series) by Stacey Kayne

for breath, her long hair and white gown drenched with sweat.
    “Here’s the clean linen.” Garret dropped the stack on the floor beside Margarete. “Cora’s here to help,” he said before bolting from the room.
    “Almost there,” Margarete said, her focus on Skylar.
    Skylar curled forward, groaning and gritting her teeth through the pain.
    “Doin’ good, angel,” Tucker soothed, though his expression was tight with fear. She fell back against him and a shrill cry filled the room.
    Cora stared in sheer fascination at the purple, glistening life in Margarete’s steady hands.
    “A girl,” the woman said.
    “A girl?” Tucker repeated.
    Numb with shock, Cora glanced toward the bed. Still racked with the pain of childbirth, Skylar continued to breathe hard, her eyes pinched tight.
    “ Rápido, take the baby.” Margarete looked directly at Cora. “ Vámonos! ”
    Cora stared at the wailing infant and the knotted cord protruding from its tiny belly. A hard rush of fear kept her rooted in place.
    “I’ve got her,” Chance said, stepping in front of Cora. He knelt beside the old woman and wrapped the baby in a white blanket. “Sky, which color ribbon?”
    “Green,” Skylar said in a pant. She opened her eyes, a smile touching her lips as she looked at her daughter. “For Emily.”
    The name of Chance and Tucker’s mother. Tears stung Cora’s eyes.
    “I’ll have you bundled and warm in just a moment,” Chance murmured to the squealing baby as he carried her past Cora to a chest of drawers. Water steamed from a bowl beside a stack of fresh cloths. Chance placed his niece on a bed of blankets and unwrapped her. Emily’s bleating cry increased as he dunked a rag into the water and began to wash her face before bathing her thin little limbs.
    Cora moved closer, watching Emily’s skin flush to a soft pink beneath Chance’s gentle strokes, his hands appearing so big on such a little infant. He shook out another cloth and swaddled her bottom in a diaper with amazing precision and finesse.
    “You’ve done this before.”
    “I watched Margarete when Josh was born and caught on quick enough. I couldn’t expect Skylar to go back to working with the horses if I wasn’t willing to do my share of diapering.”
    The thought of Chance playing the role of nursemaid brought a smile to her lips. He worked Emily’s little body into a gown with impossible ease. He pulled the soft white cotton down over her tiny pink feet and cinched the green ribbon threaded through the bottom. Finished, his big hand scooped up his tiny niece. The moment he cradled her close, Emily’s cry subsided. She nuzzled into him and drew a shuddered breath.
    “There, now,” he said, smiling down at the wide contented blue eyes staring up at him. “Spread out that thick blanket,” he said to Cora, nodding toward the folded stack at the end of the dresser.
    Cora rushed forward and did as he asked.
    A second baby squealed behind them.
    “Pretty as her sister,” said Margarete.
    Chance stepped forward, rolling the bundled baby toward Cora’s bosom, at the same time positioning her arms around Emily’s tiny body.
    “Got her?” he asked, his hands still holding her arms in place.
    The most precious blue eyes blinked up at her. Cora swallowed her fear and nervousness and gave a firm nod.
    A baby .
    She didn’t know why the sweet bundle in her arms came as such a shock. But it did. She’d never seen anything so perfect and sweet.
    Chance walked by her with Emily’s sister, saying, “Yellow for Grace.”
    Cora stood beside him as he repeated the bathing process. Grace didn’t complain as her sister had, but watched her uncle with wide curious eyes as he rinsed her tiny blond curls and cleaned between all of her tiny fingers and toes.
    “She likes her bath.”
    “She must take after her mama,” Tucker said from behind them.
    Cora turned to see Tucker stacking pillows against the headboard as he and Margarete helped Skylar into bed.