Swallowing, Madeline stepped forward, her gaze drifting from the suffering mare to her husband, his brows drawn down in concern as he turned to her. “You’re here. Good.”
Madeline drew in a shaky breath as a cold lump settled in her stomach and her fingers grew chilled with dread. Why had he called her out of bed? What could she possibly contribute that he could not?
“The foal is stuck,” Derek explained, his hand running along Milly’s back as he stepped up to her tail, which kept swishing from side to side. “She needs our help.” His gaze shifted to Madeline’s, the look in his eyes saying more than a thousand words as he tried to gauge her reaction. “She needs your help.”
With wide eyes, Madeline stared at him before a frown drew down her brows. “What? Why? How? I mean…” Trailing off, Madeline tried to focus her thoughts. Although she could not say in what way she could possibly be of help, the look in her husband’s eyes told her that she would not like it…and that he feared she would refuse him.
Holding his gaze, Madeline swallowed, her hands balling into the fabric of her loose-fitting breeches. “What do you want me to do?”
Derek inhaled a slow breath. “For some reason, Milly is not strong enough to push the foal out. I need you to reach inside and pull out the front legs.” He nodded to her when her eyes grew as round as plates. “Then I will help you pull it out.”
Shaking her head, Madeline took a step backward. “W-why can’t you do it?”
“I’ve tried,” her husband replied, failure and guilt written all over his face…as well as a sense of helplessness that chilled Madeline to her bones. “My hands and arms are not small enough to reach the foal.”
Although Madeline felt a deep desire to help Milly, to help her husband and wipe that look off his face, fear chilled her veins. “I-I c-can’t,” she stammered, backing away another step. Never had another’s life rested in her hands, and she was terrified that she would not be able to do what needed to be done, that she would let everyone down.
Milly.
Her husband.
Herself.
If she did not try, she could not fail, could she?
It was a twisted logic, and yet, Madeline clung to it. Her husband had been right about what he had said to her earlier that night. Never had anyone depended on her. Never had she been asked to fight. Never had she needed to face down her fear.
Never had she been given the opportunity to fail…
…and have the consequences be beyond social repercussions.
Stepping away from the mare, her husband came toward her, his long legs carrying him over in two strides. His gaze held hers as he grasped her chilled hands, warming them with his own. “Yes, you can,” he said, conviction in his voice as his dark eyes drilled into hers. “She will die if you don’t. They will both die if you don’t.”
Madeline swallowed, angry with her husband for putting such a burden on her shoulders, and yet, strangely proud that suddenly she was the one who was needed, who could help, who could turn this around.
Only Madeline was not sure if she could be the person her husband thought her to be, and once again, failure loomed over her.
“This is the moment of truth,” Derek continued as his fingers rubbed hers, bringing them back to life. “Challenges are never easy, or they wouldn’t be challenges. Strength is not the absence of fear,” his gaze was imploring as it held hers, “but bravery in the face of it.”
Gritting her teeth, Madeline closed her eyes, unable to bear her husband’s imploring gaze any longer and wishing herself far, far away…
…until a soft nicker reached her ears, and she opened her eyes and turned her head toward it.
In the box across from Milly’s stood Arion, Derek’s trusted gelding. Leaning forward, he stretched his massive neck, kind eyes resting on the small mare as he nickered softly, the sound soothing and comforting.
The ghost of a smile flickered over Madeline’s face as a sense of loyalty and support engulfed her, and she knew that she could not refuse her husband no matter what he demanded of her. Tonight, they all stood together, and they would all fight for Milly’s life in whichever way they could.
Blinking back the tears that had appeared as though out of nowhere, Madeline turned back to her husband, her gaze briefly brushing over his hands wrapped around hers. “I will try,” she promised him as much as herself.
A deep smile came to Derek’s face and his eyes lit up as his hands gently squeezed hers. “I knew you would. Thank you.” Holding on to her right hand, he pulled her toward the shivering mare.
“Hello, Milly,” Madeline whispered, brushing a hand down the mare’s neck as the horse turned to look at her. Warm eyes found hers, and yet, Madeline could clearly see pain and suffering in them, which the mare bore with such strength that Madeline felt humbled. “I shall do what I can,” she promised the young mare and then stepped back to the horse’s rump.
Allowing her husband to guide her hands, Madeline leaned into him, listening to his whispered words as he spoke softly into her ear. His warmth engulfed her, keeping her grounded, keeping her safe.
Whenever a contraction took Milly, Madeline gritted her teeth, feeling the horse’s powerful muscles squeeze her arm as though it were made of pudding. Her whole body tensed, and her hand searching for the foal’s little hooves stilled.
“Are you all right?” Derek’s concerned voice reached her ears as his warm breath brushed over her skin, his arms still holding her steady.
When the contraction subsided, Madeline nodded. “I’m fine.” Then she closed her eyes and began her search anew, feeling somewhere deep down that there was not much time. Milly was growing weaker. The foal needed to be born.
Now.
Feeling around for the foal’s small hooves, Madeline felt as though her arm was a lifeline, reaching out, offering safety to someone in danger of drowning.
If only she could reach the little foal. Maybe her arms were not long enough. “I can’t feel it,” she gasped as tears streamed down her face and desperation clawed at her heart. What if she could not do it?
“Take a deep breath,” her husband whispered in her ear, one arm wrapped around her middle while the other rested on her shoulder, willing her trembling muscles to still. “Don’t think about what you fear will happen. Only think about what you need to do. Push everything else away.”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Madeline slowly moved her arm when her fingers unexpectedly brushed over something hard. “There!” she exclaimed, and her eyes flew open. “I think I have something.”
“Good! See if you can grasp it,” her husband instructed, hope clear and bright in his voice.
As her fingers brushed over the small hoof, feeling its rounded shape and reaching up to touch the thin leg, Madeline felt her heart soar. “It’s a hoof! I found one!”
“The other should be right next to it. Can you feel it?”
Reluctant to relinquish her hold on the little hoof, Madeline splayed her fingers, trying to feel for the other. Just as disappointment began to claim her heart, her little finger brushed against the other hoof. “There!” Holding on to the first leg, Madeline moved her arm until she could grasp both legs with her hand.
“Do you have them?”
Madeline nodded as her fingers tightened.
“Then pull,” her husband instructed. “Pull with everything you have. This won’t be easy.”
Setting her feet against the ground, Madeline leaned back, feeling her husband’s hands on her shoulders, and pulled the foal’s legs forward with all her strength.
Still, they hardly moved.
Another contraction clawed at Milly, and Madeline tried to relax her muscles until the onslaught on her arm ceased. Then she gritted her teeth and once more pulled with all she had, feeling the little legs follow slowly…ever so slowly. She pulled and pulled until she had to stop yet again, waiting out another contraction. However, by then, her arm was almost free, the little hooves just outside her husband’s reach. If she pulled them a little farther, he would be able to help.