Dangerous Heart Read Free

eyes filled with pleading as she looked up at Ginger. “You pray too. For my baby.”
    Ginger’s face gentled, touching a place in Grant’s heart. Something about the way she loved her friends spoke to Grant. He’d seen it before. Loyalty ran fiercely through her blood. Despite her obvious desire to run away, she knelt beside Yellow Bird and took the woman’s trembling hand.
    Then she opened her mouth. “Okay, but God hasn’t ever answered any of my prayers before,” she muttered. “I don’t see why He’d start now.”
    Grant looked at Yellow Bird, then back at Ginger, and cleared his throat softly. Ginger nodded a little as though she understood his meaning and brightened marginally. “This is probably my lucky day, though,” she hastily—and poorly, in Grant’s opinion—tried to amend.
    â€œGrant, there isn’t a lot of time,” Miss Sadie urged.
    With a nod, Grant closed his eyes. “Let’s pray.” Theybowed their heads and he began to speak. “Lord, give me wisdom and mercy to bring this baby safely into Your beautiful world. Show me how to dislodge this child and bring it forth. Amen.”
    Ginger gave a tug on Grant’s shirt. “I have an idea that might work.”
    â€œWhat is it?” he asked, barely listening.
    â€œI once saw a farmer trying to help out this old cow.”
    â€œGinger, please,” Miss Sadie said with weary annoyance. “Just hush. Your storytelling isn’t helping Yellow Bird.”
    â€œIt might, if you two would just listen to me.” Ginger’s voice held her own frustration. Grant glanced at her and met her gaze. Fear grazed her brown eyes, and he felt himself responding to her need to be heard.
    â€œAll right,” he said, “but hurry up.”
    â€œThe cow was having a rough go of it, and Mr. Murdock reached in and turned the calf, gave it a yank, and it came out.”
    Grant rubbed Yellow Bird’s rock-hard belly, hoping the baby would dislodge itself from wherever it seemed to be hung up. “Well, a calf isn’t a baby.”
    â€œI know that,” Ginger said, scowling. “Don’t you think I know the difference?”
    â€œI’m sure you do and I know you want to help, but right now, I need to concentrate.”
    Yellow Bird shifted on the pallet. Sweat glistened on her neck and forehead. Grant knew she had to be in excruciating pain, still she barely made a sound.
    Ginger, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to keep quiet.“Why can’t you just hear me out? That calf was good as dead, and Mr. Murdock saved it.”
    â€œPlease, Ginger! I’m doing my best.” All the fire left Ginger’s eyes, and she nodded quickly, stepping back to give him room to move.
    The thought of reaching inside the Indian woman and turning the child scared him. Terrified him, in fact. He caught Miss Sadie’s gaze. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and the lines on her face seemed more pronounced than he’d ever noticed. “You know, as unlikely as it seems, you might give Ginger’s suggestion a try, Grant,” she said. “I’ve seen it work before.”
    Still, Grant hesitated. How could he bear it if the child died in his hands, along with Yellow Bird? “It’s risky.”
    â€œBut not impossible,” she countered. “And at least it’s better than sitting here doing nothing, while Yellow Bird and her baby die.”
    Grant’s stomach churned at the image. “You’re right. It’s not impossible. With God, all things are possible.”
    But his thoughts flashed to another young mother he couldn’t save. The memory caused his hands to tremble. Of course, his wife, Sarah, had only been in her third month of pregnancy, and her death wasn’t related to her condition. Still, Yellow Bird’s situation brought back all of his fears and insecurities. His inability to save