Tempted by Trouble

chapter FOURTEEN


He held her up then slowly, lazily let her down. She rode his thigh between her legs; thank God she’d run behind a haystack. Her body responded on cue, already conditioned to his touch. She trembled.

Carolina’s feet touched down, but not her heart. In his arms, she didn’t need anything. She didn’t understand exactly what was going on between them. Lust, for sure … but things were changing fast. From a week ago to now, they’d danced around a firecracker attraction that exploded and kept sending off sparks.

“Baby,” he said, easing away.

Brandon waved his hat. “Matt,” he said, out of breath. “Bring Carolina. The dam’s not doing well. She’s trying to bear down. It’s too early.”

“We’ll ride back with you.” His arms tensed around her. The feel of him tore about her concentration. Just last week she’d been accused of being some sort of ice princess. Not anymore; around Matt she’d become a wanton woman, hungry all the time for him.

“Time to deliver a baby.”

He pulled her close and whispered, “You sure you’ve done this? It can go from bad to worse in the span of a heartbeat.”

“I hope you’re not questioning my ability.”

“Naw. Just your stomach. I’ve seen men lose their lunch.”

“Then I’m glad I’m not a man.”

“Me, too.” He tore his gaze away from her chest. A thrumming pulse set in his jaw. Her nipples were erect points. She pulled her shirt and adjusted her bra. It wasn’t her fault he did this to her. She crossed her arms over her chest.

The feel of his thumb caressing her jaw, made her stutter, and press her face into his hand. “I’m sorry about the picnic. Rain check?”

“Absolutely.” Her heart thudded so hard it felt as though it was ready to bust apart. She whispered, “Shall we ride back with Brandon?”

“It’ll be faster. We take the utility road next to the fence.”

“I’ve got a medical bag in the SUV.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“We can send one of the stable hands to pick it up.”

• • •

The dam was down on her side. “She’s not doing well at all. Water still not broke. This means we need to confirm dystocia … delivery difficulty.”

“Isn’t this too early for that?” Matt asked.

“No. Would you rather do this?”

“I can, but I would prefer a professional.”

Carolina leaned down on her knees. Brandon handed her rubber gloves and arm shields.

She stuck her hand inside the cow. Feeling around, she pushed forward, not stopping until she could feel the cervix of the cow. “She’s fully dilated. The calf’s misaligned. Not only that, there’s an obstruction along the pelvic rim of the dam.”

Brandon nodded. “You’ll turn the calf?”

“I will. This baby is large, just as you suspected. We’ll need traction. I don’t use chains. Do you have nylon cords if we need them? New ones. I’ll not risk going septic. Obstetric lubricant … at least five gallons.” She glanced back at the cow, now trying to get up. “We may need up to ten or fifteen. I want a clean blanket to keep the cow warm. And let’s get her head out of that gate.” She didn’t like that the cow’s ears were down and she was less than responsive.

“She might bite you.”

“If you don’t do what I said, I’ll bite you. That’s fair.”

“I’ll need about five gallons of warm water. We’ll mix it with the lubricant to help distend the uterus. Then I can turn the calf. Though first, I must tell you … I don’t know if it’s alive. Once the water has broken, I’ll check reflexes. Then we’ll know the next step.”

She scrubbed her fingers, hands, and arms with antiseptic, and then washed down the cow. She patted the hide of the cow dry continuously murmuring soothing words. Brandon brought in her bag and she reached for her stethoscope and flashlight. She also put on a headlamp and turned it on. “Her pupils are responsive, yet her eyes are filmed. She’s low on calcium.”

Matt rolled out several five-gallon buckets and Brandon filled one with warm water. Carolina opened and dumped lubricant into each of the buckets and mixed. She had changed into a Tyvex suit and goggles and kept mopping up the seepage of fluid from the cow.

“I’m going to open the uterine sac and then we’ll define her posture and position. Her heart rate is increasing. She’s stressed. I wish we had a heart monitor. That would be a good addition for future births. Her lungs and heart are on her left side, but I’ll track her trachea on the right.”

“Do you have a pump for the lubricant?”

“We use a funnel. Give me a second.”

Carolina removed a U-shaped tool and a set of scalpels. She applied lubricant up and over her arms. With the sleeve and funnel in place, Brandon began to pump the lubricant solution into the cow. Matt filled another bucket with water and mixed in lubricant.

“Let’s do this,” she said.

Matt stopped and came by her side. The yellow sac was already distended from the cow. She placed a rubber channel to capture the fluid. “On three, I’m going to cut and then we’ll drain the fluid.”

She counted and ruptured a small section, directing the pinkish white fluid toward the drain. Matt wiped up the splattering on the floor. Carolina cut a slit, wide enough to permit her arms.

“I’ll examine the calf now.” She pressed her palms together and inserted her arms as if diving. She pushed her arms apart, running her hands up over the calf. “Reflexes are good. Baby wants out.”

Carolina gritted her teeth kneeling down into position behind the cow. “I need to get some leverage to bring the calf to a forty-five degree angle.”

Matt scooted up next to her on the floor. “Use my legs. I’ll wedge them under your elbows.” He lifted her and she was able to reposition the calf.

“There’s nothing I can do about the protrusion on the pelvic bone of the mother. I’d like to try and deliver the calf before any pelvic lock occurs. Do you think you can help extract the calf?”

His chin was hooked over her shoulder. His hands were grasping her thighs and rear-end. Brandon eyed them as if they were crazy. “What about the cords?”

“I’m going to see if we can use just an extra set of hands instead of forcing an extraction. Matt, slide your hands down next to mine. I need to turn the calf and position its hooves to come down the birth canal. Typical problem may be the neck turning. I’ll guide the calf’s hooves if you can keep your hands on its head.”

It took them nearly an hour and half to turn the calf and then reposition. Carolina was drenched in sweat. She took a moment to reexamine the dam and calf. “You’ve got an energetic male here. Let’s try to get this little man’s head closer to the surface.”

She sat back on the ground with Matt angled up behind her. Together they worked moving the calf in time with the dam’s labor contractions. The calf hooves were extended and its nostrils were visible. They moved out of the way and came at the cow from a diagonal angle. “The contraction is peaking. Let’s move this calf.”

They pulled in tandem; it was like removing a huge cork that was vacuum-sealed. At the end of the contraction, the calf moved back half the distance they’d assisted it. The contractions were coming every few minutes. “I don’t like the way the calf’s tongue is swollen. We’ve got to get him out. Now. Let’s stand and we can use our legs.”

At the beginning of the cow’s contraction, they positioned their hands. Carolina lifted one shoulder over the rough spot of bone, afraid the breastplate of the calf would snag. Her gloves tore and she felt a sharp pierce to her arm, fiery and burning. The calf was coming toward them. “Again, help me lift and rotate a quarter turn. That’s it. God help us. That’s it.”

The calf came away from its mother amid a rush of fluid. Carolina took a towel and wiped off the calf’s face. She suctioned out the nostrils, and removed her gloves.

“Shit,” Matt said, staring at the blood dripping down her arm. “Brandon,” he thundered.

“What? Jesus Christ.”

Matt came up to and pressed his fingers over the wound. “Brandon, get something for a tourniquet.”

“No. I’ll elevate it and put pressure on the wound. This calf needs to breathe. I’m fine.” She held onto the gashed area of her arm. “The dam needs to drink some warm water and we have to present the calf to her.”

Only after the cow began to lick her calf did Carolina allow Matt to treat her arm. Brandon and Rory took over cleaning up and moving the cow and calf to a clean pen.

“You did good. Real good, baby.” He kissed her cheek. “Let me see your arm.”

“Not a big deal.”

“We need to get you to a hospital. You need stitches.”

“No. I’ll be fine. Do you have medical tape? Then we’ll antiseptic wash and butterfly the scrape. That will hold it together. I’m not leaving until I see the cow and calf are stable. She’ll deliver the placenta and then I’ll be satisfied.”

All in all, it took nearly five hours for the birth to be completed. They were exhausted arriving at Matt’s house. “Bath?”

“Please. Yes, that sounds absolutely divine.”

“We should divest ourselves of these clothes in your mud room.”

“I don’t have a mud room.”

“Really? This is a ranch.”

“I opted for a laundry room. Come with me.” He took her around the side and they entered into the hallway off the kitchen. There was a large room with hooks and shelves. Empty except for a washer and dryer and detergent.

“When you said you’d just moved in, you were serious.”

“I’ve only been here for about a month. I didn’t have a chance to hire anyone beside Becca, who you should know is my cousin’s wife. But I don’t see that continuing, not after the last time you two met up. Don’t worry … I’ve taken care of it. My uncle and I are trading housekeepers. You should get along splendid with Mrs. Rourke.”

“I didn’t have a problem with your former employee.”

“Let’s just get undressed.”