WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 28, FOREVER AFTER

 

          On the way back from the waterfall, Luke and Hannah had talked about an engagement ring. Hannah told Luke she didn’t particularly want one, that a simple gold band on her finger when they married would be perfect. They also talked about a date and neither one wanted to wait too very long. It was decided they’d see if the church was available the Saturday before Halloween. WFR Treks would be done for the season and the preparatory work for the next year wouldn’t have begun.

None of the staff were terribly surprised at the news and all were pleased to be invited to the wedding at the church or the reception they’d have back at WFR. For the next couple of weeks, Luke and Hannah talked about what kind of wedding they wanted to have. Once they’d established what was important to them both, Hannah talked to the minister and made arrangements for a late morning wedding service.

They’d decided that Stevie would walk his mom down the aisle to Luke and Luke would be waiting with Calli in his arms. Stevie would then sit with Miz. Lionel and Luke would hand Calli to his best man, Joe. They both felt it was important to include both children, to show each other and their family and friends they were definitely a family.

Hannah asked Celia to be her matron of honor and the two of them went to the larger town an hour away for lunch and to find a dress. Hannah didn’t want white and finally found a soft, new-leaf green dress. It was a very smooth tightly-woven wool with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. It cinched her waist and the full skirt flowed down to her knees. She felt gorgeous just standing there in the dress and her boot socks. If she braided just some of her hair away from her face and let the rest flow down her back and over her shoulders, it would be perfect and even better than a veil.

Dale and Miz. Lionel took over the reception plans. It would be held in the dining hall and between the two of them and Miz. Lionel’s cadre of church women, they’d have more than enough food to celebrate. Anita and Emily asked to set up and decorate the dining hall. All in all, it seemed as though WFR’s entire staff and many of the town folk were going to help with Hannah’s and Luke’s wedding.

Now they were officially engaged, they were spending more and more time together, especially once all the guests had departed. It was extremely hard to keep their hands off each other, but sitting together, hugging, kissing and carrying on the way two new lovebirds would made both of them so happy. It was torture having to wait, but both knew from their experiences in the beginning that it would be worth it after they were married.

The days seemed to both fly by and move with the speed of a snail, but, the day finally arrived. Celia helped Hannah dress at the church and she had never felt more beautiful or feminine. Stevie wore his new little suit and looked adorable. Hannah had found a little dress and shoes for Calli that were a dark green that would match Stevie’s and the men’s ties. Hannah could hear the organ playing and was more than ready to follow Celia down the aisle.

Luke stood to the left of the minister, holding Calli who kept trying to pull on his tie. When he saw Hannah start down the aisle with Stevie, it was all he could do to keep tears from forming in his eyes. She looked so beautiful as did his daughter and Stevie was so handsome. Luke felt his heart swell with joy, love and pride.

When Hannah reached Luke, she knelt and hugged and kissed Stevie. As practiced, Stevie held Hannah’s hand out to Luke and took his place by Miz. Lionel. Luke waited until Hannah stood and kissed Calli before he too kissed the little girl and handed her off to Joe. They turned and faced the minister, huge smiles on both their faces.

The minister began the wedding ceremony, “We are gathered here today to celebrate the relationship of Hannah and Luke and to be witnesses and supporters of the commitment they will hereby make. We are the most important people in their lives and they invited us hereto publicly recognize that we, each of us, have played and will play some part in their lives.

“Hannah and Luke asked me to thank each of you for being here and to recognize how important each and every one of you are to their lives as well as how grateful they are for your love, friendship and support. Now, Hannah and Luke will recite their vows.”

The minister stepped back and Hannah and Luke turned to face each other. They clasped hands, looked into each other’s eyes and began to speak simultaneously.

“I Hannah/Luke take thee Luke/Hannah to be my lawfully wedded wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better which we have had and now share with each other, for worse which we have already endured and forgiven,”

Suddenly, Calli decided it was time to practice the new word she’d just discovered, “Dada, dada, dada” carried throughout the church. She bounced in Joe’s arms and reached out for Luke. “Da, da, da.” Calli was getting impatient because Luke was ignoring her. Their guests were either smiling or laughing a bit at the interruption.

Both Hannah and Luke smiled and stopped their recitation so Luke could turn to Calli and say, “Shhhhh, Dada’s busy.” When he turned back to Hannah, he said, “Now, where were we?”

Together, they began to speak again, “For richer although we don’t believe life could bring us more riches beyond what we already have in our children, family and friends; for poorer and again with the love and support of our children, family and friends, it’s unlikely we’ll experience poorer; in sickness which will find us at each other’s side or in health, which we will endeavor to maintain for and with each other; and forsaking all others, we hereby promise to love and to cherish each other and our family for as long as we both shall live.”

The minister stepped forward and Hannah and Luke turned to him. He asked for the rings and said, “These rings which you will now exchange are made of precious gold metal that was formed into a circle. This circle has no beginning or end and is therefore a symbol of infinity. It is endless and eternal just as the love you share should be.”

He turned to Luke and handed him one of the rings. Luke took Hannah’s left hand and slid the ring on her finger as he said, “This ring is a symbol of my undying love and in giving it to you, Hannah, I promise to always love you, support you and share my life with you.”

The minister handed Hannah a ring. She took Luke’s left hand in hers and slipped the band onto his finger as she said, “This ring is a symbol of my undying love and in giving it to you, Luke, I promise to always love you, support you and share my life with you.”

“As you have both vowed to take each other as wife and husband, as you have pledged your love, faith and commitment for all time with the exchange of rings, I now pronounce you wife and husband. You may kiss each other.”

Luke and Hannah turned toward each other and took one step each. Hannah’s right hand came up to Luke’s cheek as his right hand sought her waist. Their kiss was simple and very sweet, a perfect finish to the wedding they had designed.

Together they turned toward their family and friends. Luke said, “You all know we’re having a party to celebrate this wonderful occasion back at the ranch. We hope each of you will join us and look forward to seeing you there.”

Luke turned to Joe and retrieved Calli while Hannah held her hand out to Stevie. Arms around each other’s waists, they walked back down the aisle as a united family to the church doors and out.

There hadn’t been such a gathering at the ranch since Thomas had passed away. This time, it was a real party and not a wake. Hannah and Luke stood at the door to the dining hall and welcomed and thanked each guest for coming. In their invitations, they had requested no gifts be given because they already had pretty much everything a newly married couple would need. Some people didn’t pay any attention and brought colorfully wrapped gifts that Luke and Hannah would later find held some special meaning and would always bring at least one of them, and usually both a smile or happy memory over the years.

A few hours later, everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. The buffet had been replenished several times, the wine and beer flowed freely and the music had been turned up at some point. Hannah and Luke cut the cake, had their first dance and listened to the toasts offered by not just Celia and Joe, but some of the other friends in attendance.

Finally, they had a moment to themselves and leaned against the dining hall wall. Luke snugged Hannah close to his side and whispered in her ear, “Have you had enough party? Wouldn’t you like to sneak out of here with me and go some place private? How about where it all began, how about the waterfall?”

Every cell in Hannah’s body had come alive with Luke’s breath in her ear. “The waterfall. Isn’t it a bit cold for the waterfall? But yes, I’d love to be alone with you, just the two of us.”

“Then, let’s go. We can slip out, dash for the house, put on some warm clothes and disappear like a new bride and groom are supposed to.” Luke responded, pulling Hannah toward the side door.

Somehow, they managed to get away. Luke had planned ahead and asked Joe to saddle their horses. Hannah didn’t know how they were going to manage at the waterfall. It was October and while some days were fairly warm, the nights were too cold for skinny dipping and anything else that involved taking your clothes off. True, they were hot for each other, but she didn’t think they could generate that much heat.

She shouldn’t have held any doubts about how her wedding night would be and she actually hadn’t, she’d just thought it would happen in the house in what was now their bed. When they arrived at the waterfall, she was surprised to find Luke had somehow managed to get up there without her knowing. There was a tent waiting for them, a fire ready to be lit on the rocks by the pool. She couldn’t believe how romantic it all was. When she looked inside the tent, there were big sleeping bags zipped together, with small firefly lights around the perimeter. Luke had also shared his plan with Celia and the saddlebags on his horse contained wedding food and drink, including champagne and actual glass glasses.

Luke lit the fire and then took care of the horses, bringing their saddle blankets back to lay upon the rock beside the fire. Hannah sat down and held her hands out to the fire. Luke sat beside her, turned her to face him and gently kissed her mouth. Immediately, they both lost control, kissing and touching and pulling on the layers of clothes that covered the skin they so badly wanted to touch. They’d barely begun when Luke’s and Hannah’s pants were open and sliding down their individual thighs.

So great was their need, their want for each other after such a long time, that Luke was on Hannah and in her and she welcomed him eagerly, hot and wet and beginning to orgasm almost as soon as he finished his first thrust. Luke could feel the pulsations of her orgasm and it was barely another thrust or two before he plunged into her as hard as he could and emptied himself. They lay there together gasping and breathing hard while the last ripples of their orgasms slowly dissipated.

Then, they both burst out laughing. “Oh my God, that was so good. I’d forgotten just how good a mutual orgasm could feel.” Hannah managed to say between giggles.

“I know exactly what you mean. I really wanted to make this night special, to love you slowly and completely; but once I kissed you, knowing we didn’t have to stop, I just couldn’t keep from getting inside you as soon as possible. But I promise to make it perfect before the night is over.”

“Luke, it was perfect. You don’t need to prove anything to me or do anything to make it extra special. I’ve waited and wanted you for so long. In case you didn’t notice, I wasn’t exactly holding back when it came to getting you naked and inside me.”

“There was a part of me that was afraid it wouldn’t be as good as it was back when we were first together; but you know what Hannah, my lovely wife, it’s even better than I remembered.”

They kissed and touched a bit more before Luke withdrew and they set their clothes to rights. Luke built the fire back up and they shared the wedding feast and champagne Celia had packed for them. Replete, they lay on the saddle blankets and watched the fire die down. Hannah was almost asleep when Luke shook her and suggested they get inside the tent.

Inside the tent, the double sleeping bag opened to reveal rose petals scattered over the bottom and the pillows. Kneeling and facing each other, they kissed and touched and licked and hummed and murmured as they removed each other’s clothing slowly piece by piece until they were both completely nude.

Luke kissed Hannah slowly and gently, determined this time would be last longer than the few minutes of the first time. In turn, Hannah kissed and touched and stroked Luke until they both lay down upon the sleeping bag, the rose scent coming up to surround them as their warm bodies crushed the pale petals. Luke kissed and licked his way up and down Hannah’s body, but avoided the hot wet confluence of her thighs. Hannah raised up when he returned to her mouth and did the same for him, avoiding his huge member pulsing against his belly.

Finally, Hannah lay back and Luke covered her body with his. Her thighs parted and allowed his cock to touch her wet entrance. She reached down and opened herself while guiding Luke’s penis inside. He moved slowly, so slowly and Hannah wanted to grasp his ass with her legs and ram him inside. Luke resisted and soon he filled Hannah completely. He rested, barely moving while they kissed and told each other how much love they shared, how being together like this made them happier than they’d ever been in their lives. 

Slowly Luke withdrew and slowly he slipped back inside. They set a leisurely rhythm that gradually caused their arousal and need to deepen and grow. Eventually, the pace began to quicken and Hannah’s legs came up around Luke’s ass, pulling him tightly to her each time he thrust. Their breathing began to quicken and Hannah began to moan as the feeling intensified. Luke panted and grunted with effort as he tried to control himself and Hannah, tried to prolong the agony and ecstacy of their union for as long as possible.

Finally, Hannah could hold back no longer and when her legs drove Luke as far into her as possible, she raised a bit and rubbed against the base of his penis. She could feel the orgasm she’d been holding back rise up and demand release. She let herself go. Luke lost control at the same time, pumping himself into her, letting his own climax sweep him away.

It was a bit of time before their breathing and heart rates slowed, and once again, they hugged each other and laughed. They agreed it had been even better than they had imagined and tangled together, began to fall asleep.

Luke was almost gone when Hannah giggled one last time and whispered, “Just think Luke, we’re going to be able to do this as often as we like for the rest of our lives.”

Luke smiled sleepily, pulled Hannah closer, and murmured. “Yes, for the rest of our lives.”

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 27, A DISCUSSION AT LONG LAST

 

         July 4^th came and the ranch decided not to hold a fireworks show. It was far too dry to be safe. Instead, the festival that had been held in town for time immemorial was touted to the guests and most of them decided to attend. Luke and Hannah took both the kids and went themselves.

The town folk had finally stopped ignoring Hannah or acting as if the Whore of Babylon were walking down the sidewalk. Most stopped to look at and admire Calli and ask Stevie if he liked being a big brother. They wanted to know how she was doing, if Calli was a good baby; pretty much all the usual give and take that had permeated Hannah’s life since she’d arrived all those years ago. Of course, there were a few who turned their backs or looked right through her, but it didn’t bother her because they weren’t the people that really mattered to her.

While Luke took Stevie on the rides that were appropriate for his age, Hannah moved through the various displays of home-canned goods, quilt-making and other fair exhibits. She particularly liked the floral exhibits and decided she was going to have a flower and herb garden. She made note of some of the names so she could ask for their advice later on.

When she met up with Luke and Stevie, her son was carrying a rather large plush bear. His dad had tried his luck at the various games and managed to win the thing for Stevie. Hannah figured it would become Stevie’s new bed partner that very evening.

They moved on to the fair food vendors. Hannah stayed away from her favorite hot spicy fare since it gave Calli indigestion, but found more than enough, you can only get it like this at a fair, food. She was stuffed by the time they were finished. Luke also made a wide variety of choices and Hannah didn’t believe he’d actually be able to eat the entire turkey leg and everything else. He had to be miserable when he’d cleaned all those plates. At the same time, Luke allowed Stevie to have all the junk food he desired from cotton candy to some kind of shaved ice. Hannah hoped Stevie wouldn’t upchuck in the truck on the way home. Hell, she hoped she wouldn’t upchuck on the way home.

Hannah wanted nothing more than to unbutton her jeans, but that wasn’t a possibility. They wandered around and finally found a place that would allow them a view of the sky over the lake that was some distance away. The town fireworks would be shot off there because it would be safer than anywhere else. Finally, it got dark enough for the show. All too soon as far as Stevie was concerned, it was over and time to head for the ranch.

Finally, Hannah thought as she unbuttoned her jeans and drug a pair of pajama bottoms out of the drawer. She was almost back to the size she’d been before Calli’s birth, but there were enough pounds to go that her jeans were still way too tight, especially when she made a pig out of herself. Stevie had fallen asleep on the way home and Luke had carried him inside. Hannah assumed Luke was putting him to bed. It had been a very long day for all of them and she herself was very tired.

Ready for bed, Hannah was almost there when Luke appeared in her doorway.

“Stevie’s sound asleep. I didn’t bother with jammies, just took off his shoes and jeans. Did manage to get him to pee even though I had to hold him up, so he should be good for the night.”

“That’s great. I just hope Calli isn’t too fussy tonight. I’m really tired.”

Luke walked into her room to stand before her. “You know no one else is back yet. It’s just us in the house. God, how I want you Hannah. Don’t you think I could join you here instead of having to be upstairs all alone?”

Luke’s arms had gone around her as he spoke, and Hannah leaned into the warmth of his body. He felt so good pressed up against her and she could tell he was very aroused. His lips found the sensitive place just behind her ear that he knew made her tremble and tremble she did.

Hannah could barely breathe for wanting Luke. She was more than ready to rip his clothes off and her own as well and give herself up to the delights she knew he could give her. Luke was slowly walking her backwards toward the bed as he kissed his way from one side of her neck to the other and finally to her mouth. They were both breathing and wanting so hard. For an instant, Hannah thought about pulling back, but Luke’s tongue found its way into her mouth and all thoughts of anything but having him inside her disappeared.

They would have fallen on the bed and ravished each other except for Calli. As if she knew Hannah was being sorely tempted, the baby woke up and began to cry. It was her I’m wet and hungry cry. She wasn’t going to settle back down until she’d been changed and fed.

Luke groaned as Hannah slowly pulled away. Hannah felt like groaning herself, but knew the two of them had to talk about the future before they had sex again. Thanks to Calli, she’d been spared another mistake, although maybe it wouldn’t have been a mistake. Still, she couldn’t know until they had a conversation about the future. If Luke was going to leave, then she didn’t want to get any closer to him than she already was.

Hannah smiled at Luke and said, “Good night. See you in the morning.” And turned to pick up Calli. It was then she noticed her sexual arousal had also caused her milk to let down and both her shirt and bra were soaked. She figured as close as she’d been to Luke, his t-shirt had to be wet as well. She’d have put on dry clothes after she changed Calli and before they climbed in bed to nurse.

Finally in bed with Calli latched on, Hannah allowed herself to remember all the wonderful times she’d had with Luke in the past. She was so horny now that she figured once Calli was finished and asleep, she’d have to take care of herself and was sure it wouldn’t take long at all. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Hannah fell asleep before she could summon the energy for self-pleasure.

The next morning things were back to normal with neither Luke nor Hannah talking about the night before or making arrangements to have a serious discussion. That was just fine because the ranch was busier than ever with guests who wanted to participate in as many of the activities as possible. Their lives remained just as busy all through Labor Day.

It wasn’t as though they ignored each other or spent less time together, it was just conversations were pretty much limited to staff and activity schedules, supplies, guests arriving and leaving, how Stevie and Calli were doing and the wide variety of the various aspects of business on a daily basis. There really wasn’t time to spend reflecting or planning or anything that didn’t involved either the ranch or the kids.

Hannah knew if they were a couple it would have been different. They would have had at least the nights together. Instead of saying good night at her bedroom door before she entered and Luke went upstairs, they could have said that in a much more personal and pleasurable way. Hannah didn’t know about Luke, but she was feeling extremely sexually frustrated. And, yes, she knew how to relieve herself, but it wasn’t the same as having Luke as a partner. She wished the season would come to a complete end. She hated the fact they’d even booked a couple of weekends in October.

Luke was also feeling the strain of their relationship. He often fantasized about throwing Hannah across his saddle and riding off into the hills where they could have their way with each other. There were times when he wanted to snap and had to actually stop and take a deep breath or two before he responded to Stevie, Hannah or one of the staff.

The only time Luke actually felt calm and centered was during the time he spent with Calli. He and Hannah had continued the daily habit they’d established at the very beginning. While she was with Stevie after dinner and put him to bed, Luke took care of Calli. He had been amazed on almost a daily basis at how quickly she grew and changed. The first time she giggled instead of just smiling, he thought his heart would melt. Her vocalizations made no sense, but they were always accompanied by the smiles and laughs. She loved to stand up while he held her hands, her little knees bending and straightening. That always made her giggle. The first time she rolled over when he was changing her, he thought his heart would stop because she was so close to the edge of the table. From that point, she seemed to take off and was almost sitting up on her own by Labor Day.

During their time together, Luke did it all. Besides changing her diaper, he gave her baths and was careful to make sure he was always right there. It was then he realized just how strong Hannah’s genes had been in the development of this little person. She had Hannah’s smile, her eyebrows were slowly growing as was her hair and it looked as though it would be the red-gold that Hannah’s was. Calli also had her mother’s long fingers with perfectly formed fingernails. The arch of her foot was high and her toes were also long and even just like Hannah’s. No matter how hard he looked, Luke could not see anything in Calli that wasn’t Hannah. He was grateful for that because it would have been just a little bit harder to love her so completely if she’d looked more like the father, whoever that was.

Because of the drought, WFR had stopped the treks to the waterfall even before the end of summer. The waterfall was more of a trickle and didn’t provide enough water to completely fill the pool. As it was, some of the places downstream were having difficulty getting enough water to meet their needs.

Toward the end of September, it was still hot and Hannah was tired of practically every single thing in her life. She decided what she needed was at least an afternoon away from all the guests, staff and kiddos. She asked Emily if she would mind looking after both Stevie and Calli and then invited Luke to join her in a ride about the ranch, just the two of them. She hoped they’d have an opportunity to talk, and suggested they go first to check on the waterfall and pool.

“Well, the flow hasn’t increased or decreased since I was here mid-August.“ Luke said when they arrived. “It’s a good thing it keeps flowing since the pool would be horribly stagnant if it didn’t.”

Hannah dismounted and let her horse’s reins drop. “It sure doesn’t look like it did before. Everything’s so dry and brown, practically no green at all except for right at the edge of the stream and pool. I sure hope we have a very wet fall winter and spring. I’d never dam up the flow, but the idea of jumping into that water is so inviting.”

“Well, there’s nothing stopping us.” Luke responded. “It’s not likely anyone is going to be riding up this way.”

Hannah found some shade and sat down, leaning back on her hands. “I don’t know about that, but I do think it’s time we talked about us and the future, don’t you?”

Luke walked over and sat beside Hannah. “Yes, I think it’s way past time we had a conversation about us and our future together. You know how sorry I was and am over the whole Jamison thing. I can’t apologize any more than I already have. I also think since I came back, we’ve been as honest with each other as possible. I know I’ve held nothing back and I’ve tried to show you just how much I love you.”

“Yes, I know,” Hannah said, sitting up and turning to face him. “You’ve been absolutely amazing with Stevie and Calli as well. You moved right back into helping with ranch business and Joe, Dave and Dale have nothing but positive things to say about you and your efforts.”

“That’s good to hear, but the only positive opinion I want or need is yours, Hannah. I think you still love me and I want to stay here. I want us to be a family.”

“Does that include Calli?”

“Are you kidding me? I mean do you really have to ask me that question? Haven’t you noticed how much I value my time with her, how much she delights me each and every day?”

“Yes, I have, but I need to know, to make sure you aren’t just acting a part so you can be with me and Stevie.”

Luke reached out and took Hannah’s hand in his. “I’ve never told you this, but being at Calli’s birth was just about the most meaningful experience in my entire life. When the doctor handed her to me, she opened her eyes and it was as though she could see right inside my head. And, even though I knew babies that young don’t smile, I swear, she smiled at me as though she knew me. Hannah, I fell in love with her that very instant and nothing about her, Stevie or you has changed that. It’s only grown as has my love for Stevie and you.”

Hannah covered Luke’s hand with hers. “Luke, you have no idea how happy I am to have you tell me this. I too want us to be a family, but there’s no way I could have Calli’s life be unequal to Stevie’s or any other child’s in any way. I have watched you with her and could see how much she means to you. I just needed to hear you say it.”

 “So, Hannah, does that mean you will marry me?” Luke asked. “I’m not on bended knee and I don’t have a ring in my pocket, but will you please marry me?”

Hannah’s face lit up with a huge smile. “Yes, yes, yes. I can’t wait to be your wife.”

Luke stood up and pulled Hannah to her feet. “How about we shed these clothes and jump in the pool? Maybe we could make love in the water like we did in the beginning, you know, to celebrate our future? You have no idea how long and how much I’ve wanted to be skin-to-skin with you since I came back. God, Hannah, let me love you, please let me love you.”

Hannah stepped back. “There’s nothing I want more in the world right now than to strip, get all wet and have you love me while I love you, but we went about it the wrong way the first time. This time, we’re going to wait until our wedding night, or afternoon or whatever, so if you plant another seed, there won’t be anyone talking behind our backs. So, no, no lovemaking right now. But please know I want to so very much.”

Luke pulled Hannah into his arms. “Okay, we’ll do it your way. I can wait if it means we’ll be together, that we’ll raise Stevie and Calli and however many more we have together.”

“Yes, we will, Luke. But we’d best mount up and head back before I lose my grip on my desire for you and throw caution to the wind, or into the pool.”

They shared a long and passionate kiss before mounting their horses. As they rode through the meadow back toward the ranch, they rode side-by-side, holding hands.

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 26, CHOOSING A NAME

 

          True to his word, Luke and Stevie were back at the hospital before her doctor showed up to release her and the baby. When the doctor did arrive shortly after they had, he overlooked the fact Stevie was on the bed with Hannah, quite engaged with watching his little sister nurse. He did ask Luke to take Stevie into the hall while he did his examination.

“Well, Hannah, everything looks just fine this morning, so I’m going to send you home. The baby can go as well provided she’s been checked out too.  And, have you chosen a name for her yet?”

“Yep, they came in first thing and told me she’s perfect. As for a name, I think her first or middle name will be Grace. But I feel like I should talk to Stevie and Luke and see if they have any ideas about a name. We’ll do that once we get home and I’ll mail in the birth certificate once it’s filled out.”

They discussed Hannah’s check back and her doctor left, telling her he knew she’d call if she had any problems or questions.

When they left the hospital, Hannah, had, of course, to ride in a wheelchair. Stevie wanted to ride in her lap, so she passed the baby off to Luke who walked alongside as the nurse escorted them to the door. Luke had checked out the new baby car seat and very carefully put the little girl in place. Then, he buckled Stevie up next to her, saying, “Now Stevie, you’re the big brother, so you know it’s your job to look after her back here, right. You let your mom know if you think there’s any kind of a problem, okay?”

“You bet, dad, you bet. How can I tell though? She’s all wrapped up and I can barely see her nose.”

“Well, son, she may not be able to talk, just yet, but I know she’ll let you know if there’s a problem. She’ll cry big time. That’s what babies do.”

As Luke pulled out of the hospital parking lot, Hannah looked in the mirror at Stevie who was very attentively looking at his little sister. He wore his concentration frown. She leaned over to Luke and very quietly asked, “Since when did you become so knowledgeable about babies and such a great dad?”

Luke glanced at her and said, “It’s amazing what you can learn from a book or ten. Plus, I think every single woman I’ve come in contact with the last couple of months has offered a ton of advice. How could I not be prepared?”

Hannah smiled and responded, “Well, if my opinion matters at all, you are doing a bang-up job. Gold stars, gold medals, whatever you’d like in recognition, all you have to do is say the word.”

“Hannah, you know what I’d like. I’d like us to be a family. I love you.”

“We should talk about that at some point, but not right now. I think it’s a subject that deserves our undivided attention, just the two of us.”

“You’re right, but I don’t want to wait forever, okay?”

“Okay.”

At the ranch, it was just like when Stevie came home, except everyone gathered in the dining hall instead of the house. All the staff exclaimed and ooohed and aaaahed over the little pink bundle. A couple of them asked Hannah about the name and Hannah put them off saying she wanted to talk to Stevie about the choices. She didn’t mention Luke as part of that, but she had already decided to include him. She didn’t say anything because she didn’t want staff to think she was putting any pressure on Luke to be the baby’s daddy.

“Okay, everybody needs to get back to work and this baby and I need to head for our room. It will soon be time for the little miss to eat again and I could certainly use something softer than this chair on which to put my own bottom.”

Luke swung Stevie up in his arms as they escorted Hannah and the baby to the house. In Hannah’s bedroom, Stevie watched as the baby was changed and wanted to know why the baby didn’t have a penis like him. “Well, Stevie, that’s the difference between girls and boys. Boys have a penis and girls don’t.”

This led to a bit of a further discussion about how girls peed and pooped and from where. Hannah looked up once to see Luke doing his best not to laugh out loud.

Ensconced in her comfortable nursing chair, Hannah put the baby to her breast and asked Luke and Stevie to get comfortable because they needed to have a discussion. Once they were settled, Hannah continued, “This little girl needs a name. I’ve already decided that Grace, after my grandma, should be either the first or middle name. I thought the two of you might like to talk about the baby’s name. And, Luke, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s entirely your choice.”

Stevie jumped right in, “How about Minnie? Or Daisy? I love those names. If you don’t like those, maybe Tinkerbell. We could call her Tink, just like Peter Pan does. Wendy, Wendy’s good.”

“Well, Stevie, we know you love all the Disney movies, but maybe we could give your little sister a name that wouldn’t get her teased by other kids. What do you think?” Luke asked.

“Why would kids tease my sister about her name. I’d beat them up if they did.” Stevie said emphatically.

“Hang on there boyo,” Hannah said, “You won’t be beating anyone up because you’ll be too smart for that. And, you haven’t been to school yet, but some kids aren’t always nice. Anyway, let’s ask Luke if he has any ideas.”

Luke shook his had and said the first thing that popped into his head, “My favorite name is Hannah, but I don’t suppose you’d name the baby after yourself?”

Hannah laughed and responded, “Nope, not ever.”

“Okay, your name is a palindrome. What about a name like that. I happened to look up a few just in case you asked my opinion. Madam, I offer for your consideration the names Ada, Elle, Ava or Izzi. And, did you know the meaning of Hannah is Grace? Maybe you were named that for your grandma.”

“No, I didn’t know the meaning of my name. I never bothered to look it up. Do you know the meaning of the names you suggested, Luke?”

“Ada means Noble, Ava means Grace, Izzi stands for Mighty and there was no meaning for Elle.”

“What does my name mean, mommy? Does my name have a meaning?”

“Yes, Stevie, I looked up your name too and it means Garland or Crown.” Luke responded in lieu of Hannah.

“What about your name dad, what does it mean?”

Luke laughed. “Yes, I looked up my name too since I was browsing through a huge list. My name means, Bright, White, Light-giving.”       

“Okay, gentlemen, I think we’re getting a bit off topic. So, Stevie, what do you think about the names your dad suggested?”

“I don’t know mommy. This is hard. I still really like Tinkerbell.”

“Well, honey, we’re not naming your sister Tinkerbell, but if it has to be a Disney name, how about Calliope from the movie Tangled. You haven’t seen that one yet, but the name comes from there. We could call her Calli Grace for short.”

Hannah looked from Stevie’s face to Luke’s and added, “I really do like the sound of Ada Grace and Ava Grace, but Ava Grace would be like saying Grace Grace. Anyway, as I call off the names, raise your hand if that’s the one you want. This Little Mite needs a name of her very own.”

Hannah had used her free hand to write down the various ideas. Slowly, she called each one off with Grace as the middle name. When finished, each one of them had voted for a different name. Hannah heaved a big sigh and said, “I didn’t think this was going to be so hard. We simply cannot call her Minnie Ava Calliope Grace. That’s way too long of a name. Maybe I should just choose all by myself.”

“Why don’t you put those three names out to our staff?” Luke asked. “Give them a chance to vote for their favorite. I bet they’d love to be part of all this.”

Hannah looked at Luke with surprise and admiration. “What a good idea Luke. Why don’t you and Stevie make the list and put it in the dining hall. Once everyone has voted, we’ll name Little Mite. Meanwhile, both she and I need a bit of a laydown. I’ll see you both at lunchtime.”

With her Little Mite bundled into the cloth chest carrier, Hannah walked down to the dining hall. Sure enough, staff there for lunch were tossing the names around and talking about which one they liked best or which one had the best meaning. She had to look at the list Luke and Stevie prepared to find out what her choice, Calliope meant which was Beautiful Voice. She also saw Luke had looked up the meaning of Grace which was God’s Favor. She hadn’t known that either.

A number of staff expressed their appreciation for being included in the naming process. Luke did have a great idea, Hannah thought. It’s served to bring all the staff together and help smooth over the fact they have no idea who this baby’s father could be. She’d have to remember to thank him profusely for the idea.

The day passed with Hannah spending most of her time in the house with the baby, nursing and resting. At bedtime, Luke got Stevie bathed and into his jammies. Then, they both came to Hannah’s room and joined her on the bed. They brought the big jar with all the votes staff had cast. Stevie pulled them out one at a time and Luke read the name. He handed it to Hannah who put it in the correct pile. Minnie Grace did get a few votes, most likely to please Stevie, Hannah thought and wondered if Luke, like her had voted for that one. The popular choice was Calliope Grace, or Calli for short.

Stevie was disappointed, but went off to bed willingly after giving Hannah a huge kiss and hug and little Calli a very soft kiss on her head. Luke came back after he’d read to Stevie and the boy had fallen asleep. “So, Luke, did you vote for Minnie Grace?”

“Well, I couldn’t see Stevie’s favorite choice going vote-less. You must have been one of the other two, I’d say since you’re asking me about my vote.”

“Yep, I didn’t want his little heart totally broken. I’ll just bet Joe was the third vote.”

“Anything I can get you or do for you before I make my rounds and lock up?”

“Yes, Luke, if you could bring me another pitcher of ice and water. I’ve almost emptied this one. I don’t think I’ve ever drunk as much as I did when nursing Stevie and now, I’ll be drinking gallons more while nursing Calli.”

Luke brought the water and then stuck his head in the door again when he got ready to climb the stairs to his room. He really wished he was able to climb into bed with Hannah and Calli. Not for sex, but just to be with them. He hadn’t gotten his hands on Calli as much this day as he’d had yesterday and he missed the warmth of that little body. He’d have to make a bigger effort tomorrow to spend time holding her.

Hannah and Luke were grateful for the couple weeks before the high season began Memorial Day weekend. Staff did most of the work, but they both needed to do their share. Luke was amazed at how Hannah bundled Calli up in the material she wrapped around her body and went about her chores and business. When Calli got fussy, Hannah would maneuver her shirt and the material, allowing Calli to nurse on demand, no matter what her mother was doing. He asked Joe about that and was told Hannah had done the exact same thing with Stevie only it had been a bit harder because they didn’t have as much staff and she had to take care of more responsibilities than now.

After a couple of days, Luke asked Hannah if he couldn’t have some baby time with Calli after dinner. They’d all go up to the house and while Hannah spent time with Stevie, Luke would sit with the baby in a comfortable chair. First, he’d hold Calli next to his chest and look into her face. She always seemed to recognize him if she was awake. She still seemed to look directly inside his head and it left him with a feeling of awe and amazement and quite possibly love. If she was a bit fussy, Luke would put his feet up on the coffee table and place Calli on his thighs. He’d move his thighs back and forth, gently rocking her while he hummed some country song. Eventually, he’d bring her back to his chest and cuddle her tight while she either fell asleep or rooted around for something to eat.

This became an every-day habit for the four of them. Stevie spent time with Luke during the day and was usually put down for his nap by Luke. After dinner, it became Stevie’s time with his mommy. They’d play games, Hannah would give him his bath, get him ready for bed and once Stevie had said good night to his dad and sister Calli, Hannah would read to him until he fell asleep. After that, Hannah would scoop up Calli and head for bed herself.

The days seemed to fly by. Everyone was busy, busy, busy taking care of the guests, keeping up the ranch and all the various chores and schedules it took to keep everything running smoothly. Hannah and Calli slept in her room and Luke continued to bunk in the upstairs room. It was getting harder and harder though for both of them, especially once Hannah had recovered from Calli’s birth and her hormones sort of returned to normal. It was all she could do to keep from climbing the stairs to Luke’s room and she thought it might be all Luke could do to walk past her door and climb those stairs each night.

Luke and Hannah didn’t discuss their thoughts or feelings, but both felt and knew the time was coming when they were going to have to deal with each other in a more serious and quite possibly life-changing way. They both began to search for some time and space just for the two of them, because there was no way they could continue to live in the same house as they now were.

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 25, THE BABY'S BORN

Hannah couldn’t believe the hospital staff didn’t wheel her right into the delivery room. She had been so frightened by the strength and frequency of the labor pains; she’d been sure she’d have it before she got to the hospital. After she was examined, Hannah was told she’d only dilated to a six, so she had a bit to go yet. The exam was barely over when Luke came into the room. His eyes were huge and he looked scared to death.

“What’s happening?” he asked, moving to her bedside and taking her hand.

“Nothing for the moment.” Hannah responded.

“I thought you were about to have this baby in the truck. What happened?” Luke whispered.

“You don’t have to whisper Luke, and this is sort of the way it works. I seriously thought the contractions were coming so frequently and so hard that my body was ready to push…oh God, here comes another one.”

Luke did his part, looking at his watch to time the contraction while Hannah squeezed his hand so hard, he was sure he’d have more than a single broken bone. When it was over, Hannah relaxed against the pillow and let go of Luke’s hand. “Could I have a cold washcloth. I’m so hot and sweaty. I hope this doesn’t go on for hours.”

“Hours, this could last for hours?” Luke questioned, running cold water in the sink. He came back and put the wet cloth on her forehead. Hannah took it and wiped her face and neck.

“Yes, it could go on for a while. If you want to call Joe and see if he can come, that’s fine. And, could you make this cold again, please.”

Luke took the not warm cloth and moved to the sink, saying over his shoulder, “I’m not calling Joe. I’m staying. I’m staying for however long this takes. I want to be here with you. I want to support you.”

Together, they worked through the next couple of hours. As the contractions came closer and closer, Luke couldn’t believe the pain Hannah seemed to be experiencing. He did everything he’d learned to do in the birthing classes, but it wasn’t the same at all. The classes had been informative, but they didn’t spike his heart rate, they didn’t make him anxious and they certainly hadn’t made him feel as helpless as he felt. And, the anxiety and helplessness only seemed to increase the more time went by.

Hannah had done this once already, so she had some experience. Still, she turned into a different person than he’d ever known before. She panted and beathed like a bellows.  She sweated, her face becoming as red as a freshly shined apple. Her braid also became sweaty.  More than once, Hannah used language he’d never heard her use in all the time he’d spent with her. After one particularly hard contraction, which made her squeal as though she wanted to scream the building down, she cursed yet again and stated she was never ever going to do this again, no matter what.

It wasn’t long after that, she was checked again and within two more contractions, during which Hannah wanted to push so badly, she let go of Luke’s hand and grasped the bed rails.

“Hold her down Luke,” the nurse admonished. “Hold her shoulders down. She can’t push until the doc gets here.” Then she told Hannah, “Not long now honey.” To which Hannah muttered through clenched teeth, “Fuck you!!!”

The doctor came into the room pulling on his gloves. “I gather you’re ready to have this baby, hmmm, Hannah.”

“More than ready. Oh God, it’s coming. I have to push.”

The doctor positioned himself between Hannah’s spread thighs and Luke moved into position behind her. Hannah sat up and Luke braced her back as the doctor ordered, “Okay, now push Hannah, push hard.”

It felt to Luke as though Hannah became one entire huge muscle. Her entire body seemed to clench as she pushed and screamed with the effort.

“Okay, Hannah, relax for just a minute. The next one will do it.”

Again, Hannah leaned forward and Luke braced her. Once again, she seemed to become one huge muscle as she bore down with all her might. Luke thought her scream could have been heard back at the ranch. His ears rang. Hannah slumped back and Luke moved to her side.

“Well, lookee here, you’ve got yourself a little girl.” The doctor said as he held up what couldn’t possibly have been a human child. She was all wrinkly, covered with bluish or reddish stuff and resembled nothing so much as a little piglet. He cleaned the baby’s nose and mouth and laid it on Hannah’s tummy. He looked at Luke and asked, “Do you want to cut the cord.”

“Can I, may I,” Luke asked, looking at Hannah.

“Go ahead Luke,” she responded with a huge smile.

The umbilical cord taken care of, one of the nurses wrapped the little girl tightly in a blanket and handed her to Luke. He had practiced with a doll at the classes, so he knew how to take her, but he’d had no idea what it would feel like to actually hold a warm, newly birthed child. As he held her, she opened her eyes and gazed directly into his.  He knew she really couldn’t see anything just yet, and still, it seemed as though she looked directly into his soul, into his brain, maybe into his heart. Then, although Luke also knew they could not smile at birth, her lips curved upward. It was as if she was saying, “Here I am. You are falling in love with me this instant.”

Luke realized Hannah was talking to him. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Hand her here. I want to nurse her a bit before they take her away to clean her up.” Luke handed her over and watched as Hannah helped the little rosebud of a mouth find her distended nipple. Hannah flinched as the baby latched on and began to suck hard.

“Did that hurt?” Luke asked. “You looked like that hurt. Is it supposed to hurt?”

Hannah smiled beatifically and smoothed the baby’s cheek. “Yes, it does hurt when they initially latch on, but it’s a sweet pain, not one that makes me miserable. Oh, look at her. She’s adorable.”

They moved Hannah into a room while Luke accompanied the baby and neonatal staff. He watched closely as she was cleaned up, weighed and measured and tested. When they were all done with her, they swaddled her tightly, put a little hat on her head and told Luke to take her to her mom.

Once again, the baby looked up at him as though she already knew who he was. Then, she closed her eyes and tried rooting around his chest. “Sorry babe, but I don’t have the equipment you need.” Luke told her.

In Hannah’s room, Luke handed her the baby and said, “The women in the nursery said I should tell you she passed all the tests with flying colors. She weighs seven pounds, twelve ounces and is 21 inches long. And, I think she’s hungry because she kept trying to get at my boob while I was walking here.”

Hannah, too, had been cleaned up some. She lowered her hospital gown and gave the baby the nipple she hadn’t yet nursed from. “What a good little eater you are,” Hannah told the baby. “Yes, you are.”

          Luke watched as Hannah’s eyes fluttered closed. She had to be tired from giving birth, so he didn’t try to talk to her about anything. When the baby’s mouth left the nipple, Luke stood and gently pulled the sheet up over the two of them. Then, he just sat and watched as they both slept. Sitting there, alone with his thoughts, he couldn’t believe how full his heart felt. He hadn’t expected to feel this way. She wasn’t his child, but somehow in those few moments, he believed they had bonded. Maybe it was being part of the process, being at the birth, Luke didn’t know. All he knew was that the little baby girl’s first look and smile had been just for him, as though she knew she had to win him over at the get go. And, Luke had to admit, he was pretty sure she had. Time would tell though.

Eventually, the doctor came by to check on Hannah. “I’m going to keep you overnight this time. I know I let you go home right away with Stevie, but you lost some blood and I want to make sure your uterus is contracting the way it’s supposed to. Having the baby nurse will help, so I’m glad to see that’s going well. If you have a good night, you and the babe can go home first thing.”

Soon after, they brought Hannah’s dinner and Luke held the sleeping child while Hannah ate. Finished, she asked for another pitcher of water. “Have to drink a lot to make milk.” She said, adding, “Why don’t you go pick Stevie up and bring him back for a couple of minutes, then the two of you can go on back home.”

Luke told Celia and her family and Stevie that it was a baby girl. “Shoot, I wanted a brother.” Stevie frowned and folded his arms across his chest.

Amid calls of congratulations and we’ll be out to see them soon, Luke fastened Stevie in his car seat. “I really wanted a brother.” Stevie said again, angrily.

Luke finished with the fasteners, but didn’t move away. He looked at Stevie very seriously and said, “Well, pardner, girls can be pretty amazing. Your mom’s a girl you know. Guess that means you don’t want to go see this baby sister and your mom, huh? Guess we’ll just go on home.” Luke acted as if he was going to close the truck door.

“No,” Stevie yelled, “I want to see them. I want my mom.” Luke could tell the boy was on the verge of tears.

“Hey, Stevie, of course we’re going to go see them. You mom asked me special to bring you even though you’re not supposed to be in the hospital. So, you have to be really quiet so we can sneak you in. Okay? Think you can do that?”

Stevie nodded his head and Luke closed the door. When he climbed into the driver’s seat, he could see the boy had his thumb in his mouth. He didn’t do that very often any more, but he had to be scared about this new development in his life.

 At this hospital, Luke scooped Stevie up into his arms and reminded him they had to be very quiet. Stevie hid his face in Luke’s shirt as though if the staff couldn’t see his face, they wouldn’t know he was there. When they reached Hannah’s room, Luke put Stevie down and stood back while the boy approached the bed.

“There’s my best boy.” Hannah said, holding out her free arm. “Why don’t you come on this side and climb up here by me. I need a hug and a kiss really really really bad. I worked extremely hard today.”

Stevie cautiously climbed up on the bed and let his mom hug him. He put his arms around her neck and gave her some kisses. “Oh, I feel so much better now Stevie. Thank you. Would you like to meet your little sister?”

Stevie nodded his head. “Maybe you could give me a hand with this Luke? I don’t want to stop hugging my boy, but I can’t unwrap our girl with only one hand.”

          Luke went to the opposite side of the bed and lifted the baby out of Hannah’s arms. “You want me to unwrap her?”

“Yes, Stevie needs to see all of his baby sister.”

Luke laid the tightly bundled baby back on the bed and carefully pulled the blanket away. “Look Stevie,” he said, “Look at her little fingers and toes. Aren’t they amazing? You once had fingers and toes just like this. Here give me your hand. Look how much bigger your hand is now. You’re going to be such a terrific brother; I just know it.”

Luke looked up to see Hannah’s eyes full of tears. “Hormones,” she whispered, “just hormones.”

It was then the baby woke up. She squeaked for a minute, then moved her head around as if searching for something, probably a nipple. Luke picked her up and held her in such a way she could see her brother’s face. “This here’s the best brother and friend you’re ever going to have little miss.”

Hannah and Luke both watched as Stevie looked at his new sister and it seemed as though his sister was looking at her brother. For a bit, they seemed to stare into each other’s eyes, then she yawned and turned away.

“Mom,” Stevie kinda whispered, “I think she likes me. I love her. Can we go home now?”

“Honey, mommy has to stay in the hospital overnight, but you and Luke or Joe can come get me and the baby first thing in the morning.”

Stevie was very tired and becoming cranky, “I don’t want to go home without you. I’ll stay here. I’ll sleep right here with you all night.”

“What about me pardner?” Luke asked. “Am I going to have to drive all the way to the ranch by myself? Am I going to have to eat dinner all by myself? I know there’s lots of other people back home, but it’s sure gonna be lonely without you and your mom. So, how about it? I’ll even let you sleep in my room if you want.”

Luke’s offer cured the crankiness and the tears for the moment. With hugs and kisses and lots of reassurance from his mom, Stevie allowed Luke to pick him up. At the door, Luke turned back, “We’ll be back here first thing, won’t we Stevie. We promise.”

Together they headed for the truck and home.

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 24, WINTER PASSES

 

         When Luke and Stevie were gone, Hannah went to the dining hall and radioed all staff asking them to meet there. Once everyone was assembled, Hannah told them of the plans she and Luke had made. When finished, she asked if anyone had any questions.

Jo was the first to speak up. “So, Luke’s going to be in the house on the same floor as me, Dave and Emily? He’s not going to be in your room?”

“No, this isn’t a trial marriage or relationship. Luke is going to stay there so he can have better access to Stevie, plus be aware of my pregnancy as my body changes. I’m not planning to trap him into marriage so both my children will have a father. If we love each other enough, maybe eventually we’ll become a couple. For now, we’re just coparenting Stevie in the same house.”

“You said something about Luke taking on ranch responsibilities. Are you going to assign those or is he just going to do whatever he wants?” One of the men from the bunkhouse asked.

“I haven’t yet talked to Joe, but Joe is the foreman or supervisor if you will of all the staff that performs ranch work. I’m hoping Joe is willing to have Luke report to him. When Luke was first here years ago, he worked with Gramps, Joe and Dave. He was more in charge then than Joe, but we’ll see how he does when he’s not running the show. That okay with you Joe?”

There were some additional questions about Luke’s responsibilities, whether or not he’d be paid like everyone else, all of which Hannah referred to Joe. Hannah ended the meeting by encouraging anyone who came up with additional questions or concerns to bring them to her or Joe. Everyone went back to work and she returned to the house.

While she waited for Luke and Stevie to return, she took sheets and towels to the empty room that would be Luke’s. She made the bed, put the towels and washcloths on top of the dresser. Luke could put them in the bathroom himself on the empty rack in there. She made a note to tell him he had to do his own laundry, including changing his linens. She figured he’d be smart enough to figure out what he needed to do to join his fellow roommates when he saw the lists posted in both the hall and bathroom.

Hannah was back in the dining hall when they returned. She watched through a window as they hauled the various boxes and bags toward the house. She had to smile at Stevie, doing his best to haul his share. He’d go a few steps and have to set his bag down before taking it up again to proceed. Luke would stop each time to encourage him along.

When they joined Hannah at a table a short time later, Stevie was still excited and pretty much went from table to table to tell his friends that Luke was his daddy and wasn’t that just so cool. Following dinner, Hannah proposed she do some work in her office while Luke got Stevie ready for bed. She’d join them in an hour or so to kiss Stevie good night.

From that night forward, Luke took on his dad responsibilities without whining or complaining. If Hannah indicated she wanted to be the one to take care of whatever Stevie needed, Luke backed off. She didn’t horn in often because she’d already had almost three years with her son and Luke needed his time.

In addition to caring for Stevie, Luke listened to Joe and took on whatever chores he was assigned. He didn’t argue or quibble about what they were or how they might be done better or more quickly. He gave Joe and the rest of the staff the respect they all deserved and did his best to fit in as one of them. And, the staff became very comfortable with Luke as time passed. Hannah was grateful to all of them.

Christmas came and went as did the new year. Even though Luke wanted to provide Stevie with an entire toy shop, he listened to what Hannah had to say and curtailed his spending so the boy wasn’t overwhelmed with too many packages.

Meanwhile, Hannah’s body continued to change and swell some as they baby inside grew. She found Luke looking at her much larger boobs fairly often before his gaze would fall to her belly. She could almost see him thinking he’d dearly love to caress those bigger boobs. For that matter, she’d love to have them caressed. For some reason, just like last time, she was so horny, it was all she could do to ignore her body’s desire for Luke’s, but she persevered and didn’t make or allow any overtures. By January, her tummy had gotten large enough for notice and the potential for movement was getting close. Hannah asked Luke to tell Stevie about his upcoming sibling.

“You don’t have to tell him it’s your baby. All you have to do is tell him there’s a baby boy or girl in my tummy. You can tell him that it will be months yet before it gets here. Then, you answer any questions Stevie may have. I’ll be right there with you to help out if needed.”

Hannah was impressed with the way Luke told Stevie the news and even more impressed with his responses to Stevie’s questions, although he did breeze by how the baby got in mommy’s tummy. When finished, Stevie had to see Hannah’s belly, so they both joined her on the couch. She raised up her sweatshirt and slid her pants beneath the small swell. “There’s really a baby in there?” Stevie asked, poking at her belly button.

“Yep. It’s not very big now, but it will keep growing. Soon, I’ll be able to put your hand on my belly and you can feel the baby move around.”

“Really mom, that’s so cool. Isn’t that really super cool daddy?”

Hannah had to hand it to Luke as he told his son, “Yes, it’s just about the coolest thing since you were in your mom’s belly.”

The days moved on and just before Stevie’s birthday, Hannah felt the first quickening, not enough to share just yet, but it would be soon. At the rate her belly was growing, if the doctor had told her it was twins, she wouldn’t have been surprised. There again, Luke had accompanied Hannah to all her appointments, gone into the exam room and asked pertinent questions. He really was trying.

With Stevie’s birthday Luke’s gift-giving was a bit of a different story. Luke could not be dissuaded from getting his son a brand new and larger pony than he’d had since his first birthday. It was a Shetland and absolutely gorgeous. Luke had talked to Joe, Dave and Dale about the purchase. The men had been supportive and went together to purchase tack that was big enough and as beautiful as it was sturdy. It complimented Stevie’s new animal handsomely.

Stevie was so excited about his new mount he could hardly wait to get in the saddle. He had to wait though because there had been a huge snowfall. He also decided he would name the new pony Goldy because it was such a pretty gold color. Then, when he looked at his old pony, his eyes filled with tears. “Oh, what about Spot? He’s going to be so sad. I love Spot.”

“That’s okay honey,” Hannah knelt so they were face-to-face. “You can still take care of Spot and ride him some, but he is getting older and you are getting bigger. I’m sure Spot and Goldy will become friends when they are out in the pasture together. Look, Spot is already trying to reach his muzzle out to Goldy.”

Sure enough, the two ponies appeared to be bonding and it made Stevie feel much better. As soon as the snow had melted enough, Luke had Stevie out in the parking lot and pasture on Goldy. Some times he would mount a horse himself and walk around with Stevie and other times, he’d just walk beside Stevie as the boy learned to control this larger pony.

At the beginning of March, Hannah asked Luke and Stevie to join her. Again, she pulled up her shirt and lowered her waistband. “Now, you have to be a bit patient, but the Little Mite is being very active just now. Of course, as soon as you expect it, the baby always stops.” She took one each of their hands and placed them on either side of her belly.

“Did you know that when you were in my tummy like this, I called you a Little Mite as well, Stevie.”

“You did? That’s so cool mom. Isn’t that cool dad?” Then, Stevie jumped and pulled his hand back. “It moved. I think that Little Mite kicked me.”

On the other side of her belly, Luke pressed his hand a bit harder against the swell of her tummy. As if the Little Mite didn’t want to play favorites, Luke suddenly felt something, he couldn’t tell if it was a hand or a foot, but it pushed against his hand with surprising strength. He was absolutely amazed. He’d felt horses, cows and dogs when they were pregnant, but it didn’t compare to how he felt, knowing it was a tiny human inside. He so wished he’d been there to feel Stevie kick and stretch and punch, but he pushed that thought away, determined to enjoy this experience as much as possible.

The next few months flew by as the ranch got ready for Memorial Day Weekend. By mid-May, Hannah was even bigger than she’d been with Stevie. When the baby stretched, she felt as though the feet or hands or whatever had gone beneath her lungs and reached the back of her throat. She was uncomfortable, actually miserable and so cranky she didn’t even like herself. Hannah had reached the point where she wanted this over, done, finished. At her doctor’s appointment the following week, she was going to demand he induce her that very afternoon. Enough was enough.

Hannah didn’t make it to the doctor’s appointment. Her water broke while she was standing in front of the stove Sunday morning. Of course, the majority of staff at WFR were away, going to church, having a day off, or just away on their own personal business. Joe, who’d agreed to be her birth coach again was also gone. When the first labor pain grabbed her, she had to lean against the counter and hang on. It seemed to last forever even though she knew it was only about a minute.

When Hannah let go of the counter and turned, Luke was right there. ”What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Hannah sighed. “It’s time I went to the hospital. I need to change my pants and socks first and get my bag.”

“I’ll bring you some pants and get your bag.” Luke responded. “What are we going to do with Stevie?”

“I thought I’d leave him with you.”

“How are you going to get to the hospital? Pretty much everyone is gone. I’ll need to take you. Stevie can come too.” With that Luke ran off down the hall to return with everything Hannah needed. He stood her up, pulled her pants and panties down, sat her down, yanked her socks off, then redressed her beginning with the socks. Hannah was grateful Stevie wasn’t there to see.

Luke was amazed at the size of Hannah’s stomach in relation to her legs. Her belly was huge and distended. He couldn’t believe she was able to move around and take that huge belly with her. And, yes, he’d sort of seen it when he and Stevie were feeling the baby move, but seeing her naked from the waist down really emphasized the size.

“You just sit here. I’m going to get Stevie and then we’re outta here. You okay? God, I hope you’re okay.”

Luke was back in no time and carefully led her down to the truck. While she climbed in, he buckled Stevie into his car seat. “Mom’s having the baby? Are you having my brother or sister now mom?”

Hannah could feel another contraction building. She took hold of the door handle and squeezed as hard as she could until it passed. “I think you’d best get me to the hospital soon Luke. Feels like this one doesn’t want to wait much longer.”

Luke drove carefully, but as quickly as possible down the ranch road and on to the highway, doing his best to answer all of Stevie’s questions while Hannah lay her head back against the headrest and prayed they’d get there in time. She didn’t really want to have this baby in the front seat of the truck.

Entering town, Luke said, “We’ll drop Stevie at Liam’s house….”

“No” Hannah gasped. “No. You have to take me to the hospital now. You can take Stevie after.”

Luke pulled into the ER, got out and ran inside where he yelled for help. Turning back, he found Hannah ready to get out of the truck. She was only waiting because she was telling Stevie to be good, that she loved him and couldn’t wait to show him his new brother or sister after a while.

Placed on a gurney, hospital staff wheeled her away as Luke climbed back in the truck and headed for Liam’s house. There, he asked Celia to take care of Stevie and thanked her profusely since they hadn’t even called first. Back in the truck, he gunned it down the street and hoped like hell he’d get back to the hospital in time. He’d done the childbirth classes with Hannah, but knew she thought Joe would be with her. Well, Joe wasn’t. It was going to be him and even though he could hardly believe it, he was really looking forward to helping her birth this child.