Angel of the Cove (39 page)

From the other end of the bed came Martha's soft whisper. “Give her to me.”

Anna handed the baby to Simon. “I can take care of Martha from here on out.”

His arms tightened around the baby as he gazed down into the face of his brother's child. With a smile he placed the bundle in Martha's arms and watched her wrap the baby next to her body.

Anna was still busy, but he couldn't watch anymore. He knew there were other things to be done, but he was unable to help her. Her hands worked quickly, intent now on aiding his sister-in-law's body to begin the healing process from her great travail.

Sharing this experience with Anna and Martha had left him in awe of the miracle of childbirth. He couldn't count the number of animals he'd assisted through the years on the farm, but now he had been privileged to be a part of bringing a human life into the world. He gazed upward, a silent offering of thanks ascending to the Creator of the universe.

“Simon.” Anna's voice startled him.

“What?”

“Get that pot of blackberry tea I brought in a little while ago. Give Martha a big cupful and see that she drinks every drop. We don't want her to hemorrhage at this point.”

He turned to the table where the pot sat and did as she asked. By the time he had gotten Martha to drink all the tea Anna had completed her work. She bundled up the bedding and placed a clean covering over Martha.

Then she stepped back beside Martha and smiled down at the two. She turned shimmering eyes toward Simon. “Why don't you invite your brother in to meet his new daughter?”

Simon threw the door open and laughed at the sight of John standing just outside, his head turned as if his ear had been pressed against the wood. Simon grabbed him by the arm and drew him inside. “Come see the baby.”

John rushed to the bed and fell to his knees beside Martha. He buried his face in the cover and began to cry great gulping sobs. “I been so scared, Martha. I never been that scared in my life.”

Martha patted his head. “John, I'm all right now, thanks to Anna
and Simon.” She pushed his head up. “Don't you want to see our daughter?”

Slowly John raised his head and stared at the baby in Martha's arms. “A girl? We got a little girl?”

He stared at her a minute and then turned to look at Anna, his eyes wet. “Thank you for takin' care of my wife and little girl. I ain't never gonna forgit you for this.”

Anna hugged him. “I'm glad I could be here to help.”

John looked at Simon. “Brother, she's a fine woman.”

Simon smiled. “I know.”

Anna's face flushed, and she looked down at the floor. Simon stepped to the bed and bent over to look at the baby again. The red-faced infant clenched her fists and screamed out.

John smiled and touched her tiny fist. “I reckon I got me two beautiful women now.”

Simon nodded and turned back to Anna, but she wasn't there.

Anna backed slowly from the room as John and Simon bent to gaze at the infant lying in Martha's arms. Even though the window remained open all during the time she'd been there, the air in the room closed in, threatening to suffocate her. She had to get away from the fear that had consumed her since she first entered Martha's room.

In the kitchen she ran through the back door and into the yard. Her feet skimmed across the grass, wet with dew, until she reached the smokehouse. With a cry she ran behind the building and fell to her knees. She clasped her hands to her chest and stared across the fields just becoming visible in the early morning light. A new day was dawning, and new life had come into the world.

Her body began to shake at the memory of the fear that overwhelmed her during the long night. When she'd first examined Martha she had been sure the birth would end in tragedy, but it had not.
The thought of what she might have been required to do washed over her, and she cried out. Could she have done it if it meant saving Martha? And what about the next time she encountered the same circumstances?

She clenched her fists, raised her hands over her head, and shook them. “No. I can't do this again.”

She bent forward until her forehead pressed against the ground. She lay there, sobbing. And then someone knelt beside her. Gentle hands touched her shoulders. The voice she'd come to love whispered in her ear. “Anna, what's wrong?”

She straightened and looked into his eyes, then threw her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest. His arms came around her in a protective embrace.

“Oh, Simon. I was so afraid.”

He laid his cheek on the top of her head. “I was too, but you were wonderful. Martha was fortunate to have you here with her. We can never thank you enough for what you did for her.”

She pulled away and shook her head. “I was foolish to think I could ever work in Bellevue's maternity ward. I don't have what it takes to be a nurse.”

He frowned at her. “What are you talking about? You did what you were supposed to do, and because of you Martha and her baby are alive.”

“But I was afraid.” She began to cry again.

He smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I was too, but you stepped right in and did your job like you'd been doing it for years. You looked like you'd delivered dozens of breech babies. Your uncle couldn't have done it better.”

Her body jerked in a hiccup. “Really?”

“Yes. How did you know what to do?”

The hours she and Granny had spent practicing on the rag doll popped into her mind, and she suddenly realized God had prepared her for the moment when Martha would need her. “Granny taught me.”

His fingers under her chin tilted her face up. “Granny was right. God has given you a gift for this work. I saw it today. Don't ever doubt yourself.”

She swallowed and looked into his eyes. “I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there. Thank you, Simon.”

His arms tightened around her, and he drew her closer. “I want to be there with you all the time.”

Her heart pounded so she thought it would burst. “Simon…”

“I love you, Anna. God brought you to the Cove for me. I'd prayed He would send me someone to share my life. The minute I saw you I knew you were the one He'd chosen for me.”

“But…”

He shook his head. “There's no use arguing about it. I love you, and I know you love me too, whether you want to admit it or not.”

How she longed to voice the words he wanted to hear, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She reached up and stroked his cheek.

He closed his eyes at her touch. “Anna, be my love.”

As if of their own accord, her arms encircled his neck and drew his face toward her. With a little gasp he crushed her against him, his lips covering hers. Her heart soared as she welcomed his sweet embrace.

They clung together for a few moments until she pulled away. “We can't do this.”

She stood up and he rose to face her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Anna, I know you want to go to New York. But you can be a nurse right here in Cades Cove. The people here need you. I need you. Please don't leave me.”

She pressed her hands to her face and shook her head. “I can't think about this right now. I need to get back to Martha.”

He nodded. “All right, but this is not the end. We'll talk later.”

“Later.” She whirled and ran toward the house.

Once inside they entered the bedroom where John still sat beside Martha. John looked up and grinned. “We wondered where you two been.”

Anna tucked the stray locks of hair that had come loose from their pins back into place. “We had to get a breath of air. Sorry to be gone so long.”

Martha motioned for them to step closer. “We've decided on a name.”

Simon smiled down at her. “And what am I to call my niece?”

John and Martha smiled at each other before Martha spoke. “Anna.”

Surprise shot through Anna. “You want to name her after me?”

Martha reached out to grasp Anna's hand. “If it hadn't been for you, me and little Anna might both be dead now. We cain't ever thank you enough for what you done today.”

Tears blinded her. “Thank you. I consider it an honor to have your child share my name.”

She glanced at Simon, and her heart quaked at the love she saw shining there. How could she ever deny that she loved him?

Her head hurt and her body screamed for sleep. Maybe when she'd rested the answer would come to her.

In the week since the baby's birth Anna had washed more clothes than she thought possible. Since John and Martha had no family members other than Simon in the Cove, she had stayed on to take care of the new mother and baby. Her days spent cooking, cleaning, and watching Martha and the baby had helped her develop a new understanding of what her mother's life had been on the farm.

The work never seemed to let up. She straightened from bending over the washtub in the backyard, stretched her back, and squinted at the sun. She wiped her sleeve across the strands of hair plastered to her forehead and heaved a big sigh. But she really didn't mind all she'd done in the past few days, because John and Martha now seemed more like family.

When she began her work with Granny she hadn't thought she would become attached to those she worked with, but now she knew that wasn't true. There were new babies in the Cove who were alive partly because of her help. They would always be special to her because she'd been there at their births…but none would ever compare with little Anna Martin.

Every time she looked at that baby girl she was reminded of what a miracle she was. Anna also knew she would never be the same again after witnessing Martha's long ordeal. She would never again take for granted the birth of any child. But most of all she would always remember Simon's calming presence throughout the time.

In the days since the birth Simon had been a constant visitor. He was there for every meal, his eyes never wavering from Anna's. A bond had been established that night at Martha's bedside, and their souls had merged into one as together they faced the shadows of death. He told her he loved her, and those spoken words had changed everything between them. Up to then she could pretend they were friends, but that wasn't possible anymore. A line had been crossed, and she had to decide what to do. Maybe she could decide when she got back to Granny's.

Granny, now able to walk with a cane, had come to visit three days after the birth. Her face beamed her pleasure at Anna's care of Martha and the baby. She'd hugged Anna and announced for everyone to hear, “I don't 'spect I could've done a bit better if'n I'd been here myself. Anna, you got the gift in your hands.”

Those words of praise coming from the legendary granny woman of the mountains thrilled Anna's heart. She smiled and wrung the water from the gown she had scrubbed. As she spread it on the line to dry, she heard a shout and turned toward the field. She shaded her eyes with her hands and glimpsed Simon and John coming back from hunting.

“Any luck?” she called out.

John held up two rabbits. “There's gonna be good eatin' today.”