Page 32 of Samuel

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No. Just work in the office today, okay?”

“Of course.”

Sam and Zeke left, their hushed words distantly registering with her.

Evie sat back in her chair, just as an alert chimed on her phone.

Shoot. She had her doctor’s appointment later that morning, and completely forgot to mention it to Sam.

“Looks like we’ll just have to leave Sam a little note in case he gets back to the office before we do, Jellybean. Hopefully he won’t be too mad that we have to leave.”

Another chime on her phone caught her attention. This time a text. Her stomach sank as she read the message.

You’re going to pay, bitch.

“She’s so beautiful, Evie. You can already tell she’s going to be a little princess.” Emma stared down at the ultrasound picture.

“She really is,” Grace agreed. “Look at her little nose. It’s so dainty, just like her mama’s.”

Grace had been chatting with Emma over lunch when Evie stopped in to grab treats for the guys before heading back to the ranch. She hadn’t meant to stay so long, especially withthe groceries she picked up still in her car, but she wanted to share the special moment with her new friends.

“Dr. Hayes says she's on the smaller side for her gestation.”

“Is he concerned?” Grace asked.

“No. Not yet. It just means I need a few more growth scans to make sure she’s keeping up. What are you doing?” Evie laughed as Emma handed the ultrasound back to her and started putting chocolate muffins on a plate.

“We need to fatten you up, Evie. Auntie Em will love this baby no matter what, but as the official town baker of Bell Ridge, any niece or nephew of mine is required to have rolls.”

Evie laughed. “I’ll take that under advisement. I wish I had more time to chat, but I’ve got to get back to the ranch.”

“How is everything going with Sam?” Grace asked.

“He’s at least warmed up to me. But something happened with the herd this morning. He rushed out of the office and wasn’t back by the time I had to leave for my appointment. That’s why I have to get back. I want to make sure everything is okay.”

“Well, let us know if it’s anything we can help with. We’ll volunteer Seb and Jackson to help and then we can have girl time!” Emma laughed.

“Yes!” Grace agreed. “And no matter what, girl time is needed.”

“I’d love that. I’ll let you both know. Thanks for the treats, Em.”

“No, no, no. Come on, Opal. Just make it back to the ranch for me, okay?”

The car sputtered and clanked, before steam started rising from the hood. Evie pulled to the side of the road and parked, resting her head on the steering wheel.

“Shoot!” She didn’t want to have to call for help. She knew Sam was swamped with whatever happened to the herd, and now she was about to burden him more. But Jellybean pressing on her bladder and the sweat that was already trickling down her back had her grabbing her phone.

The line rang and rang until his voicemail picked up. He was probably still out of range.

“Hey, Sam. It’s Evie. Honestly, this is no big deal, so please don’t worry. I had a doctor’s appointment for Jellybean in town, and my car kind of died on me on the way home. I’m not even sure where I am…I think I might have taken a wrong turn at the creek. Anyway, I’m just going to call for a tow truck, but I didn’t want you to worry if you got back to the office and I wasn’t there. Okay, I’ll let you know.”

She tossed the phone into her passenger seat and leaned back, closing her eyes as she ran her hand over her belly. The baby was having a field day in there, kicking up a storm. Maybe she could feel the heat creeping into the vehicle now that the car was off and the air condition was no longer working. Poor peanut.

Okay, Evie could do this. She could figure out a local towing company and get them to bring the car back to the ranch. Grabbing her phone once more, Evie searched for the nearest tow company or garage.

Twenty minutes later, the sweat was pouring off of her as she laid with the driver’s seat fully reclined, trying to relax the tight muscles in her belly. Maybe she should have tried to walk a few miles back to the ranch. Her stomach ached. Why hadn’t she thought to bring some water with her? Evie smoothed her hand over her belly, trying to calm the pains down.

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