"Are you hurt?" he asked anxiously. "What happened?"

"My foot is caught," she said. "I twisted my ankle. I couldn't get it free. And I think I pulled my shoulder out, but I can move it so I don't think it's bad."

Ryan bent over her trapped foot and gently pried it loose. He ran his fingers over the tender areas. "I don't think it's broken," he said, relief evident in his voice. "It's swollen, but it looks to just be a sprain."

Her breath caught as her belly tightened again, this time much more painful than before. "Oh!"

Ryan yanked his gaze to her, worry creasing his brow. "What's wrong?"

A sudden gush of wetness surged between her legs. Followed by yet another spasm low in her belly.

Oh G.o.d, she was so stupid. She was in labor. Wasn't it supposed to hurt more than this? All she'd felt was a mild discomfort. Minor tightening, but the problem was she'd been feeling it all day. Had she been in labor that long?

"Ryan, I think my water just broke." She tried to keep the anxiety out of her voice but knew she failed miserably. "And it hurts. I think I'm in labor."

Ryan paled. "How long?"

"All day, I think."

He cursed long and hard. "Why didn't you say anything?" he demanded. "Why did you come out here?"

Tears filled her eyes as another contraction left her breathless. "I didn't know," she gasped out as a tear spilled over onto her cheek. "I didn't realize. I'm sorry."

He gathered her in his arms and rocked back and forth. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I was just so scared.

G.o.d, we couldn't find you anywhere. I was so afraid of losing you." He raised his head and looked around.

"G.o.d d.a.m.n it, where are they?"

She stiffened in his arms again and moaned softly as another contraction struck.

Ryan's hand shook as he checked his watch. "That wasn't even two minutes from the last."

"Ryan!"

Holly and Ryan both looked upward as Adam shouted down to them.

"Down here! I'll need help getting her back up," Ryan called. He looked at Holly and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, love. We'll take care of you."

She squeezed back. "I know you will."

Adam slid down a few seconds later and knelt beside Holly, deep concern etched in his face. "Are you okay, baby?"

18.

She nodded.

"She's in labor, Adam."

Adam jerked around to Ryan. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Holly said dryly.

"f.u.c.k," Adam swore. "We've got to get her the h.e.l.l out of her and down the mountain."

She raised a hand and gently cupped his cheek. "There isn't time."

"What do you mean there isn't time?" Adam demanded.

"Her contractions are too close together," Ryan said grimly. "I think she's close."

Adam's face drained of color and panic flared in his eyes. Ethan shouted from the top, and Adam hollered back, "Stay there. We're bringing her up."

Adam bent and gently scooped Holly into his arms. He nodded toward Ryan. "Climb up, we'll have to relay her up. I don't want to take a chance on falling with her."

Ryan scrambled up the slope, stopping several feet up. He dug his feet into the soil and reached down for Holly. Adam carefully moved upward until he reached Ryan. Then he eased Holly into his brother's arms before scrambling ahead of him.

When they reached the top, Ethan reached down for her, hugging her tightly against his chest. His breaths came ragged and his heart pounded against her cheek.

"Thank G.o.d you're all right," Ethan whispered as he kissed her forehead.

"She's in labor," Adam said shortly as he and Ryan climbed up beside Ethan.

Ethan's grip tightened around her. "Go get her things. I'll take her to the Rover."

"There's no time."

"What do you mean there's no time?" Ethan demanded.

"It'll have to be here," Adam said quietly. "Her contractions are coming too close. We don't have time to get her into town."

Holly moaned as another contraction, this one much stronger than the last, ripped across her belly.

Ethan swore and took off across the ground at a fast pace. Adam and Ryan hurried ahead toward the cabin.

"Ethan, I'm okay," she gasped out. "You don't need to worry."

He pressed another kiss to her forehead as they neared the cabin. "I'll always worry about you, doll."

When they entered the house, Adam and Ryan rushed into the bedroom. "Put her here," Adam directed, motioning toward the bed. "We need to a.s.sess the situation. Ryan, you get on the phone and see if we can't get the midwife up here p.r.o.nto."

Ethan set her down on the bed as another contraction gripped her. She closed her eyes, clenching her teeth. For something that hadn't been painful throughout the day, it sure was making up for lost time now.

19.

Adam smoothed worried hands over her face, pushing her disheveled hair from her eyes. "I'm going to strip you down, baby. I need to see what's going on."

She nodded and sucked in another breath as another pain followed closely on the heels of the last.

Adam peeled away her clothing, taking care with her injuries. Ethan hovered by the bed, his face a study in panic.

"Oh G.o.d, Adam, I feel like I need to push!"

Adam tossed her pants aside and took stock of the wide, panicked eyes that stared up at him. His own gut was clenched with so much anxiety he couldn't even think straight. But he knew he had to be calm for Holly and try to make her as much at ease as possible.

"Listen to me, baby. I need you to try and calm down and breathe deep. Don't push yet if you can keep from it."

Ryan strode back in. "She's on her way, but it's going to be a while."

"We don't have a while," Adam muttered.

"What are we going to do?" Ethan asked as he walked over to join his brothers. "I don't have a clue about delivering babies!"

Adam shrugged, working to keep the clawing panic from his voice. "We've delivered foals. It can't be that different."

Holly raised her head from the bed and leveled a disgruntled look at him. "You did not just compare me to a horse."

He grinned, feeling the tightness recede from his chest just a bit. They could do this. They would do this. Holly was depending on them.

"Ryan, you go get behind her and do your best to keep her calm," he said in a low voice. Ethan you and I need to wash up then you have to find me some supplies. I need something to clamp the umbilical cord, and I need one of those bulb syringes we have in the medical box outside. Get whatever else you think we need because I can't think straight to save my life. And hurry the h.e.l.l up."

20.

Chapter Five.

Ryan sat behind Holly, his arms around her, hands resting on her belly. She leaned back into his chest, her back cradled in his pelvis. He moved one hand up to push her hair from her face as another contraction seized her body.

She trembled in his arms, and it was all he could do not allow his fear to override all else.

When he'd returned to the house after exercising the horses, he hadn't been able to find her anywhere.

In that moment, a whole host of terrifying scenarios ran through his mind. Crazy, insane ideas, but they'd scared him nonetheless.

Her ex-husband had escaped from jail. Or maybe he'd hired someone else to kill her.

It brought back the memories of the night he'd lain helpless on the floor while Holly had been taken from him. His inability to save her, the fact that he'd failed her when she needed him most.

He closed his eyes and buried his lips in her hair. The sting of tears burned his eyelids, and he took deep steadying breaths to try and remain in control of his emotions. He wouldn't fall apart. Not now. Not when she needed him to be strong. He wouldn't fail her again.

"Breathe, baby. Deep breaths. That's it," Adam encouraged.

Adam was positioned between her legs while Ethan hovered over his shoulder.

"Oh G.o.d, it hurts!" she cried.

Her back arched and Ryan could feel the tension in her body, like a rubber band at full stretch.

"You're crowning, baby. We're almost there. Close your mouth. Breathe in through your nose then hold it and push. One long push. Let's see our baby."

At Adam's calm direction, she quieted. Ryan could feel her suck in a deep breath and then she bore down.

"That's it, love," Ryan whispered in her ear.

Ryan's hands cupped her belly, trying to infuse his strength into her.

"That's it!" Adam said in an excited voice. "Come on, baby, one more good push. You can do it."

An agonized rasp tore from Holly's throat and Ryan hurt for her. He ached. Felt her effort. Lived it with her. G.o.d, he wished he could take her pain. He'd do anything for her not to suffer like this.

"Aaaaah!"

"Okay, rest a minute," Adam urged. "The head is out. That's the hard part. Let me suction and then we'll work on getting our baby the rest of the way here."

Ryan looked down to see a wide grin splitting his older brother's face. Behind him, Ethan stood, his face alight with amazement, with awe.

"I need to push again, Adam."

There was panic in her voice as if she wasn't quite sure what she should be doing. Ryan kissed her hair and rubbed her belly with his hands, wanting to do something to offer her comfort.

Adam reached up and squeezed one of her hands. "Go on and push, baby. One more good push and we'll be done."

Holly's back arched once more and every muscle in her body tensed. Then she relaxed, much like a wilted balloon. She fell back into his arms, like a limp noodle. She breathed raggedly, her chest rising and falling with exertion.

Ryan looked down once more and met his brother's eyes.