“I can’t believe my mother had six of us,” Creed said, after Aberdeen let out a loud groan. “Can’t she have some medication to dull the pain?”
“She’s too far along,” the nurse said.
“Can I have some pain medication?” Creed asked.
The nurse smiled at him, at the edge of tolerance. “Perhaps you’d like to go sit outside in the waiting area. We’ll take good care of Mrs. Callahan.”
Aberdeen let out another gasp. Creed’s gaze flew to her, his teasing spirit gone. He was panicked. There seemed to be a lot of pain involved, and he hadn’t meant to do this to her. She was never going to become Mrs. Callahan.
She was going to hate him forever.
He went through his litany of jobs Pete had suggested: Ice chips, tell her she’s beautiful, stay out of the way except when she wants to squeeze your fingers to the bone. Try to be helpful. Try.
Creed stayed at the bedside, scared out of his wits. Good-and-stomped cowboys suffered, but even they hadn’t seemed to be in this much agony.
Creed closed his eyes and prayed.
Thirty minutes later, Aberdeen gave one final shriek that went through Creed—he seemed to feel her every pain—and suddenly the doctor smiled with satisfaction.
“It’s a girl,” the doctor said, and Creed went light-headed. He sank onto a chair as nurses scurried to clean up baby and Aberdeen. He was out of breath; there was no more strength in his body.
Then it hit him. The baby that was squalling up a storm and being fussed over by the nurses was his. He jumped to his feet and hurried over to get a glimpse.
She was beautiful.
He went to tell Aberdeen. His heart constricted as he saw how exhausted she was.
“How are you doing?” he asked, and Aberdeen gave him a wan smile.
“How are you?” she asked. “I thought you were going to fade on me.”
“No,” he said. “I’m tough. Not as tough as you, though. You win.” He bent down and kissed her on the lips, so she’d know she was beautiful. A kiss seemed to express his feelings better at this moment than words.
Then he remembered he was in this predicament because he’d never said the words (Sam’s shot about clairvoyance came to mind), so he just threw himself out on the ledge. “You’re beautiful,” he told her. “I may never get you pregnant again, but I want you to know that I love you fiercely, Aberdeen Donovan. And this may not be the time to tell you, but if you don’t put my ring back on your finger and marry me, I’m going to…I’m going to cry like my daughter.”
Aberdeen smiled. But she didn’t say anything for a long moment. She closed her eyes and he thought she looked happy. Content. He brushed her hair back from her face, thinking she really was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life. Of course he was in love with her, had been always, but now she’d given him an amazing gift, so he loved her even more.
“I saw him one day,” Aberdeen murmured, and Creed said, “Who?”
“The Native American. He was on your ranch, probably a thousand feet from the house. He waved to me, so I went to talk to him. He was tall, and had long, braided hair and such kind eyes. He said he was watching over the horses.”
“The Diablos?”
“He called them that, but I didn’t know what he meant at the time. And he said not to be scared, that all things worked out for the Callahans. That you would know your parents through this baby.”
He blinked. “He told you that?”
“I didn’t understand what it meant. But now I do. He said he’d known your parents a long time ago, and this baby was a gift to them. And then he left.”
Creed was shocked. He’d never spoken to Aunt Fiona’s friend; neither had any of his brothers, as far as he knew. “Our parents died long ago,” he said. “I’m not sure how a baby can be a gift to them. But I’m okay with the theory.”
“Have you ever talked to him?”
Creed shook his head. “He comes around to talk to Fiona about once a year. I don’t know why. It’s one of those things Aunt Fiona is mysterious about—one of many things, I suppose.”
“He was nice. I liked him. I’ve never seen so much peace in someone’s eyes.” She looked at him. “I’ll marry you, Creed Callahan.”
His heart soared. “You will?”
She smiled. “Yes.”
A nurse came between them for a moment, handing Aberdeen her pink-blanket-wrapped baby, and a delighted smile lit Aberdeen’s face. “She looks just like you.”
“Don’t say that,” Creed said, “I want her to look just like her wonderful mother. There are no beauties in my family tree, just unfortunately unhandsome brothers.”
“There’s a beauty now.” Aberdeen kissed the top of her baby’s head. “She’s so sweet.”
“That she gets from your side of the family.” Creed was so proud he was about to burst. “Are you really going to marry me?”
Aberdeen handed him the baby, which he took carefully, lovingly. “I am, cowboy. I’ve decided you’re the prince I’ve been waiting for.”
He was so happy he wanted to cry. “What took you so long?”
“I was afraid you might be the wolf in my fairy tale, not a prince. You had me fooled for a while.” Aberdeen smiled. “I was determined not to make any more mistakes. But I never stopped thinking about you, and after a while, I knew you were the only man I could ever love.”
“When were you going to tell me?” Creed asked. “Because I’m pretty sure the last several months have just about killed me.”
“After you told me,” she said simply, and he groaned.
“I’m going to tell you every day of your life how much I love you,” Creed said. “I’m going to keep you convinced that you made the right decision.”
“I am,” Aberdeen said with conviction. “I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m marrying the most wonderful man in the world. Now name your baby.”
He hesitated, glancing down at the sleeping child in his arms. “I don’t know anything about naming babies. What if I pick something she hates later on?”
She smiled. “Don’t you have a favorite female name?”
“Aberdeen,” he said with a decisive nod.
That made her laugh as she lay back against the pillow. “I’m going to sleep now, but when I wake up, I want you to have named your little girl. Surprise me with your creativity.”
“No pressure or anything,” he said, and he looked down at the tiny lips, adorable closed eyes, sweet cheeks of his daughter, knowing the old Navajo was right: This baby connected him to the past he could barely remember. But he knew his parents had loved him, just as he loved this child. Joy filled him, and then it came to him. “Joy,” he said, and Aberdeen opened her eyes.
“That’s lovely,” she said.
“It’s what I feel when I look at you,” he said, and she knew his heart was in his words. “And when I hold this little baby…” He leaned down to give Aberdeen a kiss. “Thank you is all I can say. And I will love you until the end of time.”
“You’re going to make me cry,” Aberdeen said, but he sat down next to her, and touched her face, and suddenly Aberdeen didn’t feel like crying, only smiling, with joy.
Creed Callahan wasn’t loco, she knew. He was her prince, her man, and the hottest cowboy she’d ever laid eyes on. All hers.
All her dreams come true.
Creed leaned against her and Aberdeen drifted, loving feeling him by her side, holding their baby. It was the sweetest moment, starting their family. She murmured, “I love you,” and Creed said, “Joy says you’d better,” and then he kissed her again.
It was perfect.
Joy.