Her water had broken contractions visible as her belly tightened. But something was wrong. Rose could see it in the mayor's eyes in the way she kept looking at her flank. How long has she been down? Rose asked already, moving to examine the mayor.
20 minutes, maybe less. Hank's face was worried. She's early, not due for another week. Rose knelt beside Delilah, ran her hands over the mayor's belly, felt for the fo's position, and her blood went cold. The fo turned back, she said quietly.
It's breach again. That's impossible, Wyatt said. You turned it weeks ago. I watched you. Fos can turn multiple times before birth.
It's rare, but it happens. Rose's mind was racing. And if we don't turn it again right now, we lose them both. She looked at Wyatt, saw her own fear reflected in his eyes. They couldn't lose Delilah.
Not tonight. Not when they'd already decided to sell her to save everything else. The universe seemed to have a cruel sense of humor. What do you need? Wyatt asked.
Same as before. Water towels, my instruments, and luck. A lot of luck. Hank ran for supplies. Rose stripped off her coat, rolled up her sleeves.
Her arms still achd from the work of the past two weeks, but she pushed the pain aside. This was too important to fail. Delila groaned as another contraction hit. Time was running out. If the mare started pushing with the fo in breach position, it could rupture her uterus.
Kill them both within minutes. Rose reached inside, feeling for the fo. Found the hawks where the head should be, just like before. But this time the fo was larger, taking up more space, less room to maneuver. This is going to be harder than last time, Rose said.
The FO's bigger, less space to work. Can you do it? Rose met Wyatt's eyes. Saw absolute faith there. He believed she could do this.
Believed in her skill, even when she wasn't sure she believed in herself. I can try. She began the same process as before, pushing the hawks up and back, trying to create space to bring the head around, but the fo fought her strong and stubborn. 10 minutes passed. 15.
Rose's arms burned. Sweat dripped down her face despite the cold. "It's not working," she gasped. "The F's too strong. Every time I get it positioned, it moves back. " "Another contraction hit Delilah. " The mayor screamed a sound Rose had never heard a horse make.
A sound of pure agony. "We're losing her," Hank said quietly. Rose pulled her arm out, thinking frantically. "There had to be another way. Some technique she'd seen her father use some method she'd read about in Anna's medical books.
And then she remembered traction. She said, "We need ropes, soft ones. We loop them around the fo's hawks and pull while I guide from inside. Use the mayor's contractions to help rotate the fo. " "That's incredibly dangerous," Wyatt said. "You could tear the uterus.
We're out of safe options. This is our only chance. " Wyatt didn't hesitate. "Tell me what to do. " Rose talked him through it. Soft cotton ropes looped carefully around the fo's back legs. Wyatt positioned at the rear, ready to pull.
Rose with one hand inside the mayor, guiding Feeling for the exact moment when a contraction would give them the leverage they needed. "Wait for it," Rose said. "Wait, wait. Now pull. " Wyatt pulled steadily while Rose guided from inside. The FO rotated slightly, not much, but something.
Another contraction. Another pull. The Fo moved more this time. They worked in sync. Rose calling the timing Wyatt providing the force.
Pull, rest, pull, rest. Inch by painful inch, the fo began to turn. 20 minutes of coordinated effort. Rose's entire arm was numb. Wyatt's face was gray with strain.
And then suddenly, the fo rotated fully. Rose felt the head come around, felt the front legs extend. We did it, she breathed. The foss in position. Delilah pushed.
Once, twice. The fo's head appeared, then shoulders. One more push and the fo slid free in a rush of fluid. It lay motionless in the straw. Rose grabbed towels, began rubbing the fo vigorously, stimulating circulation.
Come on. Come on. Breathe. Nothing. She cleared the fo's nostrils, made sure the airway was open, rubbed harder.
Breathe. Damn. You breathe. The fo's chest hitched. Once, twice, then a full breath.
Its eyes opened. It lifted its head. Rose sat back. Tears streaming down her face. It's alive.
The fo's alive. Wyatt dropped to his knees beside her, his own face wet. And Delilah. Rose checked the mayor. Exhausted but stable.
No sign of rupture or excessive bleeding. She would recover. She's going to be fine. They sat together in the straw, watching the fo struggled to its feet on wobbly legs. A cult Rose saw, strong and perfectly formed.
The culmination of everything Wyatt had been breeding toward, and in the morning they would have to sell both mayor and fo to Clayton Burch. The injustice of it threatened to break Rose's heart. But then Delilah knickered softly, calling to her baby, and the cult answered, stumbling toward his mother on uncertain legs. Found her udder and began to nurse. Life continuing despite everything.
Hope refusing to die. Rose leaned against Wyatt bone, tired but also strangely at peace. "We'll find another way," she said quietly. "There has to be another way. " "There isn't," Wyatt replied. But his arm tightened around her.
"But thank you for refusing to give up. " They sat in the foing stall until dawn, watching mayor and full bond, watching the miracle they'd fought so hard to preserve. And when the sun rose, bringing with it the deadline they couldn't meet, Rose made a decision that would change everything, she stood brushed straw from her clothes. "I'm going to town," she said. "Rose, the bank won't give us more time. " "I'm not going to the bank," Rose's voice was steady, determined. "I'm going to see every rancher I've helped in the past 2 months, and I'm calling in every favor, every debt, every ounce of goodwill I've earned. " In 3 hours, that's impossible.
Then I'll make the impossible happen. Rose grabbed her coat. Because I refused to hand Delilah over to Bir. I refused to let him win. She paused at the barn door, looked back at Wyatt.
Do you trust me with everything I have? Wyatt said without hesitation. Then trust me now. And don't sell that mayor until I get back. Rose rode into town as the sun cleared the horizon, pushing the borrowed horse harder than was wise.
But she was out of time and out of options. The first stop was Tom Bradley's ranch. He answered the door in his night shirt, alarmed at the early hour. Rose didn't waste time with pleasantries. I saved Bets's life.
You said you owed me a debt. I'm calling it in now. Today, I need whatever cash you can spare. Tom's eyes widened, but he didn't hesitate. How much?