Hero in Cowboy Boots Chapter 5

Hero in  Cowboy Boots  Chapter 5 Pt. 2 V. 1 wc 883

 

June 7 10:00 a.m.

Mark stopped in the hospital gift shop and selected some fresh flowers and a tiny cowboy outfit for little Mark Lee before strolling up to Jayda’s room.  She was in the bathroom, so he stood outside her room and watched the normal hospital activity going on around him.

Nurses, doctors, visitors, and other staff members scurried around him, everyone on a mission. But they all smiled at him, and some even congratulated him on his new son.  He smiled but didn’t correct them, only dreamed it was true.

Jayda had impressed him with her courage and devotion to little Mark Lee, and her smile just made Mark’s day. Especially since his surprise in the naming the day before. What an amazing and wonderful day that was, despite the lack of sleep for all of them!

He smiled as he recalled the  middle-aged lady who waited on him in the gift shop. She congratulated him on the new baby, thinking Mark was the father. How sweet!

Hearing Jayda cooing softly to her baby, Mark knocked on her door and waited for her to signal him to enter. Her smile when he opened that door made his heart sing. What is that all about? They’d only known each other for a few hours. How is she bewitching him so fast?

He’d vowed to never marry or fall in love again after Lucinda’s abandonment. He’d swore he could be happy without a female around. Yet here he was: all hearts and flowers over a woman he’d known for less than a full day. It was ridiculous! But wild horses couldn’t drag him away from this room today.

“Hi,” she  greeted him. I hoped you’d make it back today. I know you are busy on the farm. Did you have any tornado damage?”

“No, thank God. I saw a few branches lying on the ground, and some lawn furniture tipped over. That was the extent of it.  I drove by your house too. I didn’t see anything disturbed there either.”

“Thank you. That’s great news. Did you have breakfast this morning? They serve delicious sausage and cheese casserole in the cafeteria. I ate some. I felt ravenous this morning.”

“Awesome, but I ate some toast and a couple of hard-boiled eggs at home before I left.  Maybe I’ll catch some lunch later on before I head home.” He moved closer to the bed and peered over the blankets at Mark Lee. “How’s the little guy doing today?”

“Oh, he’s just doing great! The doctor says he’s in the upper percentile on all his APGAR scores, whatever that means. The doctor seemed pleased and so did I too. I wish I had taken some prenatal classes when I first learned I was pregnant. I thought I could save some money and that was the most important thing to me at the time. After all, women have been having babies without doctors since Adam and Eve. But then a nurse told me I was very lucky, because many of those babies are born with birth defects or miscarried, or died right after birth! If I had known all of that, I’d have taken the classes and seen a doctor regularly like most moms do now.”

 Jayda gazed down at her son and smiled. Her face gentled and she looked up at Mark. “There are things more important than money.”

Mark’s gaze went from the baby to Jayda’s face and his breath caught mid-breath. She looked so beautiful. She had taken some time since yesterday to apply light makeup, and it enhanced her natural beauty.

Mark’s heart did some gymnastics in his chest, and he let out that breath. Lord help me, I’m falling in deep for this girl. In two days!

He cleared his throat and swallowed. “Yes, Jayda. There certainly are.”

“Oh! I almost forgot! I can go home tomorrow! Isn’t that cool? Uh, since my car is in the ditch…is there any way you could take me home? I’ll pay you back!” Jayda pleaded with Mark.

“Yes! I most certainly can take you home, and there’s something I meant to tell you yesterday, but I forgot.”

“What?” Jayda looked up at him. She couldn’t imagine what he was talking about.

“Yeah, well, when I got home yesterday, after chores were done, I took my tractor and pulled your car out of that ditch. There didn’t seem to be any damage done during the storm, so I was able to drive it to your place. I parked it behind  your barn so that if Brad comes by looking for you, he’ll think you are gone somewhere. So I’ll just drive you to your house. I can move the car wherever you wish after that.”

“Oh Mark, I’m so sorry I’m such a burden to you. I’m causing you so much extra work and I have absolutely no way to repay you.”

“Nonsense! It’s no extra work for me. Besides, it’s not every day I get a baby named after me, Jayda. That’s worth a million dollars to me!”

Mark placed a hand on hers on the baby blanket. The look he gave her made her heart skip, then her pulse quickened until it was racing.  Those gorgeous blue eyes!

Hero in Cowboy Boots Chapter 4

Pt. 2 V. 1 wc 883

 

June 7 10:00 a.m.

Mark stopped in the hospital gift shop and selected some fresh flowers and a tiny cowboy outfit for little Mark Lee before strolling up to Jayda’s room.  She was in the bathroom, so he stood outside her room and watched the normal hospital activity going on around him.

Nurses, doctors, visitors, and other staff members scurried around him, everyone on a mission. But they all smiled at him, and some even congratulated him on his new son.  He smiled but didn’t correct them, only dreamed it was true.

Jayda had impressed him with her courage and devotion to little Mark Lee, and her smile just made Mark’s day. Especially since his surprise in the naming the day before. What an amazing and wonderful day that was, despite the lack of sleep for all of them!

He smiled as he recalled the  middle-aged lady who waited on him in the gift shop. She congratulated him on the new baby, thinking Mark was the father. How sweet!

Hearing Jayda cooing softly to her baby, Mark knocked on her door and waited for her to signal him to enter. Her smile when he opened that door made his heart sing. What is that all about? They’d only known each other for a few hours. How is she bewitching him so fast?

He’d vowed to never marry or fall in love again after Lucinda’s abandonment. He’d swore he could be happy without a female around. Yet here he was: all hearts and flowers over a woman he’d known for less than a full day. It was ridiculous! But wild horses couldn’t drag him away from this room today.

“Hi,” she  greeted him. I hoped you’d make it back today. I know you are busy on the farm. Did you have any tornado damage?”

“No, thank God. I saw a few branches lying on the ground, and some lawn furniture tipped over. That was the extent of it.  I drove by your house too. I didn’t see anything disturbed there either.”

“Thank you. That’s great news. Did you have breakfast this morning? They serve delicious sausage and cheese casserole in the cafeteria. I ate some. I felt ravenous this morning.”

“Awesome, but I ate some toast and a couple of hard-boiled eggs at home before I left.  Maybe I’ll catch some lunch later on before I head home.” He moved closer to the bed and peered over the blankets at Mark Lee. “How’s the little guy doing today?”

“Oh, he’s just doing great! The doctor says he’s in the upper percentile on all his APGAR scores, whatever that means. The doctor seemed pleased and so did I too. I wish I had taken some prenatal classes when I first learned I was pregnant. I thought I could save some money and that was the most important thing to me at the time. After all, women have been having babies without doctors since Adam and Eve. But then a nurse told me I was very lucky, because many of those babies are born with birth defects or miscarried, or died right after birth! If I had known all of that, I’d have taken the classes and seen a doctor regularly like most moms do now.”

 Jayda gazed down at her son and smiled. Her face gentled and she looked up at Mark. “There are things more important than money.”

Mark’s gaze went from the baby to Jayda’s face and his breath caught mid-breath. She looked so beautiful. She had taken some time since yesterday to apply light makeup, and it enhanced her natural beauty.

Mark’s heart did some gymnastics in his chest, and he let out that breath. Lord help me, I’m falling in deep for this girl. In two days!

He cleared his throat and swallowed. “Yes, Jayda. There certainly are.”

“Oh! I almost forgot! I can go home tomorrow! Isn’t that cool? Uh, since my car is in the ditch…is there any way you could take me home? I’ll pay you back!” Jayda pleaded with Mark.

“Yes! I most certainly can take you home, and there’s something I meant to tell you yesterday, but I forgot.”

“What?” Jayda looked up at him. She couldn’t imagine what he was talking about.

“Yeah, well, when I got home yesterday, after chores were done, I took my tractor and pulled your car out of that ditch. There didn’t seem to be any damage done during the storm, so I was able to drive it to your place. I parked it behind  your barn so that if Brad comes by looking for you, he’ll think you are gone somewhere. So I’ll just drive you to your house. I can move the car wherever you wish after that.”

“Oh Mark, I’m so sorry I’m such a burden to you. I’m causing you so much extra work and I have absolutely no way to repay you.”

“Nonsense! It’s no extra work for me. Besides, it’s not every day I get a baby named after me, Jayda. That’s worth a million dollars to me!”

Mark placed a hand on hers on the baby blanket. The look he gave her made her heart skip, then her pulse quickened until it was racing.  Those gorgeous blue eyes!

Hero in Cowboy Boots Chapter 3

Hero in Cowboy Boots Ch. 3 V.1 wc1650

LITTLE MAN GETS A NAME

The door opened to a nurse in blue scrubs, wearing a name tag that read Stephanie. She had a wheelchair and it was turned so Jayda could sit easily. She told Jayda, she would be taken straight to delivery and asked for Jayda’s wallet with her insurance information so she could be processed in admissions.

“Do you have a regular doctor?” Stephanie bent down close to Jayda and smiled.

“No-o-o,” Jayda moaned, in another contraction. The nurse placed a hand on Jayda’s abdomen and  felt the rigidity. She timed Jayda’s contraction and then hustled her to the Delivery Room, Jayda’s bag and purse on her lap.

Another nurse appeared to show Mark where the Obstetrics waiting room was located. He looked a little panicked. The nurse explained that it might take a few hours, or it might take a few minutes. She expressed an opinion it might be a few minutes in this case. She smiled and asked if he wanted to remain until the baby was born, or if he needed to leave.

“Oh I’m in this for the long run. This is the most exciting thing I’ve ever done, since my military days.” Mark grinned, relieved that his responsibility for getting her to the hospital was over. He couldn’t wait to see what the baby would be like, and he wondered how this all fit into his life.

It occurred to him. He’d always wondered what it would be like to have kids. But was Jayda married? If so, where was her old man? He should be here with her, not Mark. Anger welled up in Mark’s heart. He’d like to get his hands on the jerk who left her to deliver and possibly die in that ditch.

He sat in a recliner in the small waiting room, put his feet up and closed his eyes. He tried to think about Jayda, not her old man. That jerk! He should be hung by his---.

Mark interrupted his thoughts with more Christian thoughts. He didn’t know her situation yet. He shouldn’t condemn him until he had the whole story.  He might not even know he had a baby coming. He might be dead. He might be military overseas. There could be any number of reasons why he wasn’t there for Jayda. Mark didn’t know what her story was, but he was intrigued and wanted to learn more.

Two hours later, Mark woke with a nurse gently putting a hand on his shoulder. He jumped at first, instincts reacting from his military duty in the war. But the angelic face smiling down on him certainly didn’t look like a threat.

“Mr. Reeves? My name is Angela. Are you here for Jayda Michaels? She would like you to come to her room, if you wish.”

“Jayda? Is she ok? Did she have the baby? Is the baby ok? Is it a boy or girl? Yes, I would like to see Jayda. Lead the way.”

The nurse led Mark down a hall toward the north end of the hospital and up three floors to where a sign above a double-door read Labor and Delivery. She buzzed in  on an intercom, and the doors opened. A nurse’s desk positioned right in front of the doors was occupied by several nurses and doctors, busy with their paperwork and computers. She led the way to the nurse’s station and spoke to a pretty nurse behind the desk with the name Gina on her name tag.

When Angela stopped in front of a door with the number 5 above the door sill, she stopped and asked Mark to wait just a second while she made sure Jayda was ready. Mark stood there, smiling and looking all around him.

The nurse stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. A few seconds later, she opened the door and motioned Mark in.

“She might be a little woozy yet from the anesthesia, but she’s fine. The baby is with her in the room.” Angela turned and left them alone.

“Hi,” Mark said softly. “How are you?” He held his hat in his hand, slowing turning it around in his fingers by the brim. Jayda was sitting up in bed, wearing a hospital gown. She had an IV in her left wrist, and the obligatory plastic bracelets on her wrists also. His eyes were on Jayda, on everything in the room, on the bundle she was holding in her arms. His gaze stopped there. “How’s the baby?”

“I’m fine. The baby is fine. He’s a little hungry right now, but he’s got ten toes, ten fingers, long skinny legs, and a set of huge lungs! He really screamed when he came out!” She laughed. “I don’t think he liked all the bright lights. Can’t say that I blame him. I don’t like bright lights either, unless it’s the sun on a warm day. Hey, thanks for waiting. I was hoping you would.”

“Hey, you didn’t think any self-respecting hero would just disappear, did you? That was a pretty exciting night. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Mark grinned at her and held it against his chest.

Jayda grinned. “It was exciting, wasn’t it? The nurse told me a tornado blew right through where I was in that ditch. Destroyed a barn just five miles north of my location. I don’t know if my farm was hurt or not. Did you have any damage?”

“I really don’t know. I haven’t been home yet.” Mark frowned. He hadn’t even thought about that. He took a deep breath and asked, “So how’s the little guy doing? Are you getting acquainted with him?”

“Oh Mark, he’s so adorable. Come here and see him.”

Mark tiptoed over to the bed and reached down to gently stroke her dark brown hair. So soft and fine. And skin like a porcelain doll. Exquisite! He daydreamed about the day he would have a son of his own.

He sighed and returned to the here and now, with no one to welcome him home after a hard day’s work. No one to cook for him and no one to enjoy life with. His expression turned to sadness just for a moment, but Jayda caught it.

“What’s wrong, Mark?”

“Huh? Oh I’m sorry. Nothing wrong. I was just woolgathering. So what are you naming him? Got any family you want to name him for? I hate to be nosy, but where’s the father? He should be here now, not me.”

 

Jayda frowned. “Oh no! I can’t let him see her. It’s not safe!”

“Not safe? What do you mean? Who is he? Is he in prison or married to someone else? What’s going on here? I’m sorry for being so nosy, but I’m concerned about the two of you. Who’s your support system? Do you have anyone else you can depend on?”

Mark moved closer to the bed and sat on a plastic and aluminum chair.

“Who helps you with your bills? You do have insurance right? Who’s going to help you with little guy while you heal? You’re not going to be a hundred percent right away, you know?”

Jayda’s eyes brimmed with tears. “I know. I’ve been stupid not to get things arranged for us. I guess I just hoped that Brad would realize that he loved me and would stick with me. But that was naïve, and really dumb. He could care less about me or little man. He said he’d rather see me dead than stand by me.”

Mark, shocked, said, “Brad? That’s the dad? He actually told you that? Why that---! How could any man do that to a woman he purported to care about?”

Jayda put her head down to her chest. “Yes, he told me that, and a whole lot more. I don’t know why I ever spent time with him. He’s definitely not the type of person I’d want to spend my life with.”

“I should say not!” Mark stood up, agitated. He paced the tiny room, rubbing his hand through his dark wavy hair. “If I had a woman like you, I’d treasure you, and your child. Even if it’s not my child. I’d love to have children. I never had any with Lucinda. I’m glad of that, because of our faulty relationship, but I can’t even fathom someone getting a girl pregnant and then just dumping her, and threatening her to boot! That just makes me furious!” Mark was almost shouting at this point.

Jayda put her fingers to her lips and quieted him.  “Mark, you need to be quiet here. I understand you are angry, and rightfully so, but please don’t wake the baby and everyone else in the hospital.”

Properly chastised, Mark sat back down. “They’ll probably be chasing me out of here pretty soon. I was curious. Have you given any thought to little man’s name?”

Jayda thought for a little bit. She looked down at little man, then at Mark. She stroked his fuzzy head and bit on her bottom lip in thought.

“Mark.”

“Yes?”

“No. I mean Mark. I want to name him Mark Lee, after you for saving me, and Lee after my dad. What do you think?” She glanced at him, hopeful he wouldn’t feel offended or angry.

It was quiet for a moment. Mark was staring at Jayda and little man, shocked and humbled by what she had just said.

“You don’t have to do that, Jayda. I would have helped anyone in that situation. I’m deeply honored, but you should name your baby after someone in your family. Your dad’s name, that’s good, but maybe it should be the first name---you know, Lee something or other, Jr. You know what I mean?”

“I know what you mean, Mark, but I’ve decided. Little man is now Mark Lee Michaels.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hero in Cowboy Boots Chapter 2

Hero in Cowboy Boots Ch. 2 V.1 wc 1402

THE RESCUE

As the headlights grew closer, Jayda prayed that this person would be someone who might help her, not harm her. She hated that she couldn’t trust people anymore. Brad ruined her naivete to the point that she cowered when people approached her.  Would God be that hateful that he‘d send someone who would do me harm? Surely not.

The lights were almost upon her. She gathered her purse, keys and the overnight bag she had packed for her hospital stay. The vehicle was a large pickup. It stopped in the middle of the road. The driver’s door opened and long jeans-clad legs ending in cowboy boots stepped out into the mud, followed by a tall man in a cowboy hat.

He left the pickup running and hop-skipped over the muddy road to her car window. Jayda rolled her window down just enough that she could ask for help.

The man leaned down and peered in through the narrow opening.

“Are  you needing some help, Ma’am?” a deep masculine voice asked with a country drawl.

“Oh, my goodness, yes! I almost hit a herd of cattle here in the road and when I swerved, I slid into this ditch,” Jayda blinked as rain and wind came through the open window and blew into her eyes.

The man shivered and huddled in a futile effort to avoid the rain and wind. Debris from the storm was swirling around the car. The man wiped moisture from his face and looked closely into the car.

“Are you alone? Are you pregnant?” The darkness of the night prevented him from looking very far into the vehicle.  

“Yes, and I’m in labor.  I need to get to Salina Regional Hospital right away!  Please! Can you help me?” Jayda begged. The man drew in a sharp gasp and then nodded.

“You bet, Ma’am, just let me get turned around in the next driveway and I’ll be right with you. Can you get your personal belongings you will need ready and I’ll transfer you to my pickup. I’ll be right with you.” 

He turned back to his pickup, an F-250 Ford pickup, and hopped back across the mud. He opened the door and drove away from her. About half a mile behind her, he made a U-turn and drove back to park behind her.

He once again hopped through the rain and mud to her driver’s side door. Jayda gathered her bag and purse, opened her door, and turned to step out. At that moment, another contraction hit and she gasped and cried out. “Just a moment. I’m having a contraction. It will just be a moment. Can you take these things to your pickup while I try to relax?”

“Of course, here, give them to me,” the man took her belongings and hurried back to his pickup where he put them in the cab. Back to her car, he hurried through the muck. He was soaked and shivering with cold, even though it was summer. But he was determined to help this damsel in distress.

Jayda tried to stand, but the road was slippery and she slid, almost falling in the mud.

“Oh, no! Let me help you!” the man grasped her arm and helped her to stand, putting his boots in front of her so she wouldn’t slide. When he saw just how advanced her pregnancy was, he put one arm behind her knees and swooped her up into his arms against his chest. “I don’t want to take a chance on your falling. I’ll just carry you. It’s not that far.”

Jayda looked into his eyes and saw kindness and compassion. She nodded and he walked as quickly as the situation permitted to the passenger door of his pickup. With his hands full, he struggled to open the door. Jayda reached out and opened the door. He backed up and she pulled the door open as much as she could.

“Thanks, lady. I wondered how I was going to get that open.” He chuckled and carefully deposited her on the seat of the vehicle. He softly closed the door and moved around the front of the pickup as rapidly as he could.

Once seated at the steering wheel, he looked over at her and smiled. It was a very nice smile, on a stunningly handsome face.  He removed his dripping cowboy hat and placed it on the bench between them, resting it on its crown.

“Ok, let’s get this baby to the hospital right now.” He put the truck in gear and they slowly started moving. “I’m not fond of the idea of delivering your baby here in this vehicle.” He grinned at her, and her heart gave a little flutter.

“Me neither,” she commented. “By the way, my name is Jayda. Jayda Michaels. I live just three miles west of where my car is perked in that ditch.”

She gave him a weak smile, as another contraction gripped her belly. She winced and grabbed the door handle in her right hand and the edge of the seat in front of her. At first, she held her breath and her face appeared tense and painful. Then she started doing the labor exercises she had watched on a video at home. That helped her relax through the contraction and soon she was able to talk once more. She regretted not having regular doctor visits through her pregnancy. But with no money or insurance, that hadn’t been an option.

“I want to thank you for what you are doing. You’re my hero. And I don’t even know your name,” she laughed.

“Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Mark. Mark Reeves. I live just about five miles west of  you. I own a farm there, which I inherited. I’m divorced. My ex-wife, Lucinda, didn’t like farm life. She’s a city girl and hated the animals, the smells, and everything about it.”

“That’s terrible. How did you get together in the first place? Oh, forgive me. That was intrusive and none of my business.” Her face flamed and she looked down at her belly, starting to feel another contraction building.

“Oh that’s ok. Don’t worry about it. It’s common knowledge around here. I met Lucinda while I was in New York. I was on leave from the Marines after returning from Afghanistan. I’d always wanted to see the Big Apple, so that’s where I went.  I hated it. There were so many people! I was surrounded by people but felt so lonely.”

“That sounds strange, but I can understand it. People in crowds don’t communicate well. Makes a person feel like an island in an  ocean!” Jayda scrunched her face up in pain, gripping the door handle. Her knuckles whitened from the pressure she was applying.

“Anyway, I was sitting in this bar commiserating with a drink in front of me. This  gorgeous brunette stepped up to the bar beside me and hopped onto the next barstool.”

“She put her hand on my arm and asked, “Are you going to drink that? Or can I have it. I’m out of money and I’m not ready to go yet.”

So, being the gentleman I am, I bought her a drink and we started talking. She was a student at Berkeley College and was on Christmas break. We hit it off—then. We dated for a few months, a lot of it letters while I was still on duty.  We tied the knot in front of a Justice of the Peace and when I was discharged, I brought her home to meet my parents.”

Jayda listened to his story, while tensing through several labor pains. She peered out into the dark night. The winds and rain had died down, and the stars shone bright in the sky.  She tried to relax, using her Lamaze breathing, and hoping they would arrive at the hospital soon, because she was starting to feel urges to push.

They pulled into the Emergency Room parking lot and Mark stopped at the ER door.  He rushed around to her side and opened her door, pulling her into his arms once more and ran for the door. Pushing the entrance intercom button, he shouted into the speaker. “I’m Mark Reeves and I have a woman in intense labor. Please let us in or she’ll be having this baby in your parking lot!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hero In Cowboy Boots Ch. 1

Here is Chapter 1 of my story. I hope you like it.

Hero in Cowboy Boots

Chapter 1

 

Jayda Michaels squinted as she tried to keep her five-year old Ford Escort between the ditches. Visibility was down to about ten feet. Rain and dust blew across the road like a dusty blizzard. Rutted from past drivers who also took a wrong turn in this storm.  Not a house in sight for miles added to her tension and fear. She needed to get to the hospital. Now!  She was about ten miles north and west of Salina on a narrow dirt road with little to no shoulders.

 

Another contraction gripped her belly. Harder this time. She watched the clock until it passed. Six minutes apart now and more painful. Her body stiffened until the contraction ended and then gradually relaxed. She cursed the baby’s father, Brad Jenkins, for deserting her in her time of need. It wasn’t fair to her baby, and it certainly wasn’t fair to her.

 

Tears gathered at a memory. It had been on a Saturday night, at Brad’s favorite bar, Barney’s Bar and Grill. Brad had promised he would stand by her when he first learned of her pregnancy. Even though he really didn’t want children. He “wasn’t even ready for marriage, let alone the whole diapers and baby bottles type of thing.” But he said he would stay with her---then.

He had never been kind to her. Good looks and a warm bed at night did not make her happy. She wanted a marriage made in heaven, like her parents’ marriage enjoyed.

 

She was not a church member, even though she believed in God and that if she believed in God, she would be saved. She didn’t see any reason why she had to go spend an hour every week with a bunch of hypocrites who stared at her and her burgeoning body and whispered about her.

 

Her pregnancy had been uneventful, for the most part. Jayda stayed at home, just leaving the house for groceries and supplies. She helped support herself by selling products online. Her bills were low, except for the mortgage, and the house was well insulated. She had no animals to take care of, no crops that she had to tend to, They were handled on a cash rent basis and no obligations to anyone else.

Jayda preferred to stay at home alone. Life was easy there. It was private. She had inherited just enough money to make ends meet if she was careful with her spending habits and busied herself with her online sales.

 

Jayda didn’t see much of Brad anymore and that was ok with her. She was tired of his abuse and slovenly habits. She socialized on Facebook and Snapchat. Occasionally, she would drive into town to the bar.  Not to drink, but to sip on some iced tea and enjoy conversations with friends.

 

Sometimes she spied Brad at the bar. He’d glare at her, but normally he avoided her and she him. As she came close to term, he pointed at her and laughed at her belly. So humiliating, embarrassing!

 

Then one night, Brad, well on his way to a fallen-down drunken state, and ruder by the minute, became especially obnoxious. His disheveled brown hair needed shampoo. His bloodshot hazel eyes   blinked often, trying to focus on the people around him. His clothing looked like he had slept in them with dirt and food stains on the sleeves and knees.

“Jayda, you knew when we got together that I didn’t want kids, or even a long-term relationship! Did you plan this all along? Did you think you were going to trap me into marrying you? Well, you can just think again, sweetheart! Brad Jenkins wasn’t born no kind of fool! I’m not marrying you, and I don’t want your damned kid! I could just kill you now and never feel a bit of remorse! Now, get the heck out of here and leave me alone!” He slammed his beer glass on the bar for emphasis, sloshing beer all over the countertop and causing other customers to stare and comment on the scene just witnessed.

 

Jayda ran, sobbing with humiliation and anger from the bar to her little red Escort. She drove herself home to her family home of all her twenty-five years. She missed her parents so much! She needed their advice and support, and--- just someone to love her. She wondered how she would survive this pregnancy. Still six weeks to go before her due date!

 

She didn’t try to contact Brad. Too much pride to throw herself at the feet of someone who didn’t want her. And this baby didn’t deserve a deadbeat dad either. Brad stalked her during the first few months, then he seemed to drop off the face of the earth. A sigh of relief, for sure. Life began to level out.

 

So, when she first started contractions on a late August night, she stubbornly refused to consider calling for an ambulance to take her to the hospital right away. Jayda determined to wait until closer to delivery time. The most common thing to do when alone and starting labor is to demand your significant other drive you to the hospital once your labor has been well established. Thanks to Brad’s immaturity and selfishness, that was no longer an option.

With few or no friends in the area, no money, no insurance, not even a steady doctor, her options seemed limited. A self-pregnancy test confirmed her pregnancy months ago. She had read books at the library about pregnancy and childbirth. The whole thing terrified her. She didn’t believe in abortion and couldn’t afford one anyway.

So here she sat, driving in the middle of the night through the pouring rain to a hospital she’d never set foot in, to have her baby. Water dripped from her long brown hair. Her brown eyes shone with unshed tears.

 

She turned on the car radio to check the weather forecast. Tornado warnings were posted for the entire area until four a.m. Two a.m. now, the clock read. The visibility was terrible. She couldn’t see five feet in front of the car. Debris flew across the road as the winds swirled around her car. A loud roar filled the air around the car, so loud she could no longer hear the radio. She shut the radio off and glanced in the rearview mirror. Visibility nil. Her little car began to rock violently, and the pressure caused her breathing to struggle. Terrifying.

 

Another contraction almost bent her over double. She jerked as   the baby kicked violently. Her belly muscles felt like she could bounce a tennis ball on it. “Oh, Jayda! You do get yourself into some fine messes, don’t you? I wish Mama were with me! She’d know what to do! And Daddy could be driving me to the hospital instead of myself having to do everything! “

Her parents were gone. Jayda teared up again. A plane crash killed them both at the same time a year ago, returning home from a Mexican vacation. No survivors. Everything burned to ashes. Jayda grieved so extremely hard since then. When Brad tried to comfort her, they conceived this child. Now she not only was grieving from her parents’ passing, but the loss of Brad as her support system, and unless she could get to the hospital, she might lose her baby too.

As sole heir to the farm, Jayda should have been set for life. Unfortunately, the farm was struggling, and she was behind on the mortgage. No experience at farming, she tried to lease the acreage to a neighboring farmer. The cattle, hogs, and chickens sold last year to help pay for the taxes and utilities. Even with that money, she still wasn’t keeping up with the mortgage payments.

 

Thinking about all her bad situations, Jayda almost did not see about ten head of cattle standing in the middle of the muddy road. She screamed and swerved, sliding into the shallow ditch. The cattle swarmed around her car and put their wet noses on the windowpanes, obviously hoping she would feed them some hay.

 

Jayda sat for a moment, violently shaking with shock, and looked around her, trying to get a bead on where she was. She could see headlights piercing the rain and wind, traffic was getting heavier at a crossroads about two hundred yards ahead. Finally, she must be close to the interstate highway. Fat lot of good that did her, though. She knew she was stuck in this ditch and going to deliver this baby herself, right here in this dang car.

 

The rain began to lighten up now, and visibility improved to about one hundred yards. As she stared morosely out of the windshield, she observed headlights turned toward her from the interstate.

“Oh, God, please! Please let this be someone who can help me!” Jayda prayed.

 

Always save before shutting down.

I know I haven't been posting lately..  I've  been busy writing. Two days worth of chapters in my book, Hero in Cowboy Boots. I had 8 chapters done, and was ready to start chapter 9 today. But when I went to check the end of Chapter 8, it wasn't there. None of the chapters I had written the past few days was saved to my computer or the cloud. It's gone.

I'm just sick. So much work gone, and it's all because I thought the computer was on autosave. I've learned a huge lesson but at what a cost! Anyone know any special tricks to get my story back? I have Chapter 5 saved. But somehow something got switched off, and so I have 3 chapters missing.

Oh well. It could be worse. I could have had a complete computer breakdown and lost the whole thing. So, I'll count my blessings, thank God for them and my lesson, and get back to work.

Word program is very frustrating to me. My cursor jumps all over the place while I'm typing so that very often, I'll be typing along, and all of a sudden, I'm typing inside words of the paragraph above. Sometimes it will be indenting after the first line of a paragraph, and I know I never typed that instruction. So, I have to stop and make corrections, and by the time I'm finished, I've lost my train of thought and have to stop and think where was I going with this paragraph?

I don't seem to have that problem when I'm typing on this site. Maybe I should just do all my chapters here in Blogger and then save them into Word. At least I'd have a copy in the cloud as backup.

Anyone who thinks writing is an easy job; you should try it sometime.

Back to work, Dixie.

Productive Writing

Today was fruitful. I started writing after breakfast, and by eight o'clock tonight I had four chapters finished in my rough draft, ready to start editing. 

This is exciting, watching as my brainchild, Hero in Cowboy Boots begins taking form and coming to life. The words flowed easily, and I tried to watch my passive verbs. I couldn't eliminate them all, but I whittled them down to a manageable amount. 

I also went to confessions at the church. We are counting down to the Easter season, and the Lord will occupy a large part of our time and hearts. My OCIA class is also making an impact. Both my husband and myself are praying and reading our Bibles, and trying to manage what we watch, say and read in our lives. I feel so free right now, knowing I am forgiven. Tomorrow I'll be able to take communion at Mass. What an amazing feeling!

For those of you who do not know Jesus, He is the reason I have survived for over 74 years. I can't begin to count all the times He has saved me, with the help of my Guardian Angel, who is kept very busy at times. Like the time I woke up on the left side of the Clifton river bridge, meeting a car that could have been full of kids and family or friends. Or the time I rode a dirt bike down a very long rocky driveway. A classmate was driving a car behind me going about 50 mph. One rock turned the wrong way could have caused me to crash  that dirt bike. We both made it and my friend was very impressed with my riding. But my parents were not so impressed. I didn't get to try that trick again.

I hope I can keep my sinning under control enough to take communion tomorrow. It's been a couple of weeks since I've been to communion.

May God be merciful to my soul.