Riding Hard by Vicki Lewis Thompson

with Drake in the privacy of his bedroom, the thrill of an impending new life was damned exciting. Nerve-racking, too. If she’d had a working number for Jerry Rankin, she would have called him now. She was sad that he wouldn’t be here.
    At least Drake would be, and she had great confidence in him. He was far steadier and competent than she’d given him credit for when they’d first met, but she hadn’t understood him then the way she did now. She wanted to learn more, because she suspected he’d acted out of character when he’d had sex with Regan’s fiancée. That behavior didn’t fit the man she knew.
    Pulling on a worn pair of jeans and a T-shirt, she shoved her feet into her boots again. If those boots could talk... She shook her head and smiled. Drake would never let her forget how she showed up in the barn dressed the way she had been. For a brief moment she imagined talking about it years from now.
    But that would mean they’d keep in touch. It would mean they’d maintain a relationship where talking about a wild night in the barn would make them laugh instead of cringe in embarrassment. It would mean neither of them would be with other people. It would mean... No, she wouldn’t continue that line of thought. What a pointless thing to do at this stage.
    She used the flashlight app on her phone to light her way to the barn. She could have done that earlier, but she hadn’t wanted to announce her presence prematurely. She’d wanted to surprise him, and by God, she’d done that. In so many ways.
    She chuckled, feeling a touch of pride as she relived those moments. She’d done it. She’d conquered her fears, at least for tonight, and experienced something remarkable. Lesson learned.
    Once inside the barn, she switched off her flashlight app and quickly made her way down to the end stall. It was unlatched. Dottie still lay on her side breathing hard while Drake crouched near her head, stroking her and talking to her.
    Tracy couldn’t hear the words, but the low rumble of his voice sent warm shivers down her spine. “How’s it going?” She hesitated to step into the stall. The process scared her more than a little, even though she wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
    Drake glanced up, his expression filled with a kindness and empathy that tugged at her heart. “She’s coming along. Every time I see this, I thank God I’m not a woman. It’s rough duty, giving birth.”
    “I thank God you’re not a woman, too.”
    He grinned. “I appreciate that. How’re you doin’?”
    “Couldn’t be better.” She could elaborate on that and say she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive, but she didn’t want to gush, as if she’d never experienced sex that good. Which she hadn’t.
    His grin widened. “I’d go along with that, sweetheart. In fact, I—” He stopped talking as Dottie stirred and lumbered to her feet. “Guess she needs to move a bit.”
    “Is that normal?”
    “Absolutely.” He snapped a lead rope on her halter. “If you’ll move back, I’ll bring her out and walk her up and down the aisle.”
    “But what if she has her baby out here on the bare floor?”
    “She won’t.” He started toward the front of the barn. “She’ll let me know when she’s ready to lie down again.”
    “Okay.” It made Tracy nervous to see Dottie parading around when she needed to be settled on a bed of clean straw near the equipment Drake had laid out.
    He turned and led the mare back toward Tracy. “You look worried. That foal isn’t going to suddenly drop out of her with no warning, like a gum ball popping out of a machine.”
    That made her laugh. “I suppose not.”
    “Ever been in a maternity ward in the hospital?”
    “Not as much as you might think. There’s a growing tradition around here of having babies at home. But yes, I’ve been in one a time or two.”
    “Do you remember seeing pregnant women walking up and down the corridor?”
    “I guess I have, now that