Read Online Dashing Druid (Texas Druids) by Lyn Horner - Free Book Online Page B

stars during roundup along with Tye and the others, but he wanted to be with his children tonight since their mother would be tending Jessie.
    They arrived shortly after dusk. Nearing the corral, Luis pointed to the house, where light from the parlor window showed David pacing the front porch just as Sul had described. “It is good I came. Maria is busy. She was midwife also for Noracita’s birth, and it took many hours.” Reining in, he dismounted beside the corral gate.
    Tye shook his head, eyeing his brother-in-law. “Looks like he could do with some tending, too,” he said in amusement, alighting from his saddle.
    Luis grinned. “ Sí , perhaps you should go and keep the patrón company. I will see to your horse.”
    “Aye, I suppose I’d better.” Thanking Luis, Tye headed for the house. As he climbed the porch steps, he noted David’s haggard appearance.
    “Good evening,” he said.
    “Evening,” David muttered. He strode back and forth, never missing a beat.
    Tye removed his hat and slapped it against his pant leg to knock off some of the accumulated dust. “How’s she doing?”
    “How the hell should I know? Maria won’t let me in there.” Halting abruptly, David plowed a hand through his hair. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bark at you. But Maria only allowed me a few minutes with Jessie, and now . . . . Christ! I hate this waiting and not knowing!” His voice sounded ragged with worry.
    Tye laughed. “Well, you’d best resign yourself before ye end up with apoplexy. I should think you’d be used to the wait, having gone through it before.”
    David shot him a fierce glare. “Someday, you’ll learn how it feels to stand by helpless while your wife fights to bring your child into the world. I promise you won’t be laughing then.”
    Nonplussed, Tye stared at him, imagining Lil Crawford with a dark-haired infant cradled against her breast. Saints above, she truly had bewitched him! He was not looking for a wife or children, he firmly reminded himself. Then he thought about how dangerous childbirth could be. Women died from it all the time. That wouldn’t happen to Jessie. Surely not!
    “You’re right,” he said unsteadily, dropping onto a cane-bottomed porch chair before his knees buckled. “I ought not to make light of the situation, but I can’t bear to think of something going wrong.”
    The fire in David’s gaze died back. “I know. God, I know.” He sighed heavily and resumed wearing a path in the floorboards.
    Steadying his voice, Tye asked, “Where’s the wee colleen and your father? I’m surprised he’s not keeping vigil with ye.”
    “He’s looking after Nora. She wanted her mother, and I couldn’t make her understand. I don’t have the patience right now.” Pausing again, David stared hard at the door, as if willing Maria to appear with the news he waited to hear. He pinched his eyes tiredly. “Damn, why does it have to take so long?”
    This time Tye held his tongue.
    His stomach growled a moment later. He and Luis had left camp before supper. “Uh, are ye hungry, by chance?” he asked, ashamed of his ravenous appetite at such a time.
    David was on the move again. “No. But I . . . I think Maria left something out if you want to eat.”
    “Mmm. Well, maybe I’ll just have a bite or two.” Excusing himself, Tye followed the main corridor through the house to the patio out back. He washed up quickly at the well and went to scrounge what he could from the kitchen. The old cookhouse still stood in a far corner of the patio, and Maria used it when cooking for the ranch hands, but David had installed a kitchen for Jessie when the ranch house was rebuilt. Recalling how proud she was of her fancy six plate cook stove and other conveniences, Tye prayed she’d be enjoying them for a long time to come.
    Once he’d filled his belly he rejoined David, finding him with his hand braced on the porch railing, staring into the night. Tye watched him for a moment, then turned