Cowboy Take Me Away (Rough Riders 16)

After a minute or so he slowly raised his head.

“You okay?”

“Hell no. Might take me a decade or two to get over the shock.”

“Lord, I never even considered picking a girl’s name.”

“At least you know it’ll start with a C like all the others,” he said dryly.

“Just for that smart comment, I’m not picking a C name,” she retorted.

Doctor Haskell wandered over with a pink-wrapped bundle. “Your daughter is a healthy seven pounds, thirteen ounces. She’s twenty-three inches long and passed all her prelim tests. So we’ll give you a few minutes before we finish the medical stuff.” He placed the bundle in Carolyn’s arms. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Carolyn loosened the blanket. She pulled back the little pink and blue striped hat, revealing coal black hair. She murmured, “That’s nothing new. Bet the girl has blue eyes too. Stem-less variety or not, she’s still a McKay, through and through.”

The baby didn’t move or open her eyes as they checked her out. Carolyn hoped that meant she’d be sweet and mellow.

“She’s beautiful, Mama, like you. You done good again.”

“I can’t believe we have a girl. The boys will flip.”

“Everyone is gonna flip, sugar. She’s the first McKay girl born in this country. I’d have to ask my dad, but I don’t think his father had sisters in Ireland.”

“Then she should have an Irish name.”

“Agreed. Oh. Go ahead and contact that nunnery school you went to in Montana and get her enrolled now.”

Carolyn laughed and kissed his cheek.

But she suspected Carson wasn’t joking.

They brought their daughter home two days later. There was enough food from well-wishers to feed even their hungry army of boys. Enough pink clothing and toys to warrant the girl getting her own room.

Carson carried their precious bundle into the living room and sat next to Carolyn on the couch. She was exhausted and had spent a good portion of her time in the hospital sleeping. She suspected Carson had spent his time staring at the newest addition to their family with nothing less than awe.

Carolyn unwrapped the blanket. “Come on, boys, and meet your baby sister.”

The boys gathered around, staring at her.

“What’s her name?” Colt asked.

“Keely.”

Cam and Colt exchanged a look.

“What?”

“That’s a dumb name,” Colt said. “Why didn’t you name her something cool like Farrah?”

She heard Carson mutter, “Jesus. Farrah. Really?” and she elbowed him.

“It probably ain’t too late to change it,” Colby suggested.

“Her name is fine, don’t listen to them, Mom,” Cord said. “At least it don’t start with a C.”

Cam leaned over and poked her belly. “She looks scrawny to me. I bet she cries a lot, huh?”

“All babies cry. You cried a lot if I recall,” Carolyn said.

Cam looked horrified.

That’s when Carson noticed Carter had hung back. “Hey, Carter, come on over here and take a gander at your scrawny, bawlin’, baby sister with the weird name.”

Carolyn elbowed him again.

Carter pressed himself into Carson’s side. “She’s little.”

“Yes, she is. And she’s lucky that she has five big brothers to protect her.”

“I made something for her. Don’t go nowhere,” he warned and raced off.

“Do you know what it is?” she asked Carson, since he’d been home with the boys at night.

He shrugged. “No idea.”

Cord, Colby, Colt and Cam had already disappeared.

The back kitchen door slammed and Carolyn heard Carter huffing and puffing. He came around the corner carrying… Dear God, what was that? It looked like a gigantic bowl made out of mud. With bits of straw and twigs sticking out all over.

“I made a nest for the baby! A big one like an eagle’s nest! And she can sleep in it in my room. I even used chicken feathers and picked all the worms outta the mud—”

In his excitement, Carter tripped and the nest went flying. It landed on the carpet with a wet thud and mud splattered everywhere. Hay and feathers floated in the air while she and Carson sat there in complete shock.

Then Carter started to wail about his broken nest. His crying startled Keely and she screwed up her face and began bawling too.

“At least we know her lungs work,” Carson said over the escalating cries.

Hearing the commotion, the older boys tore around the corner, pushing and shoving each other as they jockeyed to be the first one into the room, not paying attention as usual, so a jubilant Colt became airborne after his feet connected with the muddy nest. Then Cord and Colby skidded across the carpet, knocking each other down. Cam managed to avoid the dog pile, but he fell into the coffee table, launching a glass of grape Kool-Aid into the air in a cloudburst of purple rain.

Carolyn closed her eyes and counted to ten. Then she pressed her lips to her sweet baby’s head and whispered, “Welcome to chaos central, baby girl. I’d tell you it’s not always like this, but that’d be a lie.”

The light became dim again.

No! Don’t send me back into that nothingness.

Carolyn fought to remember what happened next as she waged a silent battle with the encroaching darkness…and lost.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hospital, Day 4—morning

“Ma’am? I’ll have to see what’s in the box.”

A soft voice answered, but he couldn’t make out the words—or who the voice belonged to.

Carson scooted forward and saw a tall, lithe blonde woman standing at the nurse’s desk while they inspected whatever she’d brought him. While he appreciated their vigilance, he was pretty sure he knew what was in that box and his stomach rumbled.

Domini turned and faltered a step when she saw him staring at her. “Carson. I didn’t expect you to be right there.”

“Not a lot of other places to go.” He eyed the package and felt a tug on his heart. The outside of the white box had been decorated in marker and crayon with hearts and flowers.

“I see that gleam in your eyes and yes, these are for you. Liesl baked them all by herself. Oxsana and Sasha decorated the box.”

Across the top they’d written, Love you, Grandpa!! Get Well Soon, Gran-gran!! Miss you!!

“I’m a lucky man to have the best granddaughters in the world,” he said huskily. “Tell my girls thanks and that me’n Gran-gran will treat them to ice cream when she’s feelin’ up to it.” He opened the box. “Oatmeal raisin. My favorite.” He snatched one off the top and bit into it. “Damn that girl can bake. Takes after her Gran-gran.” He finished the cookie in two bites.