Promise Broken (The Callahan Series) Read Online Free PDF

son. Both had that same blond hair and brown eyes. Only the kid would be bigger than his mother by a mile from the looks of his build.
    She said something to him, ruffled his hair and went to the barn.
    Donovan’s eyes followed.
    She had a provocative walk; he’d give her that. Not that it would help with ranch chores. Then she disappeared inside.
    He started to turn away when she stepped out, called to her son, her motions agitated, hurried. Donovan couldn’t hear what she said, but the boy turned and ran to the house.
    Something was wrong.
    Slamming out of his room, Donovan was in the kitchen by the time the kid bounded inside.
    “Mom said to tell you she might need your help,” he said.
    Donovan, halfway to the barn, saw Dugan’s pickup going down the drive. But his mind wasn’t on his brother, the sheriff. It was on the problem in the barn.
    Going from being the man who knew everything that went on at the ranch, from the newest newborn to the number of bales of hay in storage, he was now in the position of having to ask questions. It was a strange and unwelcome feeling.
    Tamping down a sliver of anger, he wondered again if that was a trait he’d inherited from his biological father. He didn’t get it from Duncan Callahan. He was the calmest guy Donovan ever knew. So were his biological sons.
    He strode into the barn, heard the distress of a heifer giving birth, and the soothing voice of the woman who’d taken his place.
    “She’s having a hard time,” Phyl said, as he knelt beside them. “I was afraid this would happen. She’s small and from the size of her belly the calf is large.”
    A bottle of disinfectant was there along with chains. How did she know what would be needed?
    “I’ll call the vet,” he offered, standing to do so.
    “Not a bad idea, but she might not wait.”
    He ran to the phone in the barn, made the call and was back in seconds.
    Phyl had on gloves, poured disinfectant on them, waited for a contraction and pulled on the extended hoof.
    Blood covered her gloves and was on her shirt. The heifer was small, but she was several times the size of the woman who seemed determined to help.
    He prayed that the vet would get there in time.
    Nellie, with Mark in tow, came into the barn. Donovan started to tell them about the calf when Phyl saw a contraction coming and pulled again.
    “Mark, go back to the house with Nellie,” Phyl said, her voice low. “We’ll be through here soon.”
    “Can I watch?”
    Phyl looked at Donovan.
    He shrugged.
    “Only if you’re very quiet.”
    “I will be. I promise.”
    “I’ll stay with him,” Nellie said.
    “If I don’t get the calf out now, she’ll die,” Phyl said. “But I don’t want to use the chains.”
    Donovan pulled on gloves.
    Another contraction came harder this time. Donovan hunched down beside Phyl to help her pull.
    The calf slid out with a whoosh of body fluids.
    Phyl didn’t waste a minute, but went to the calf that lay there as if it were dead, picked it up by its hind legs.
    “Give me a hand,” she said. “She isn’t breathing.”
    The two of them held the calf upside down for about a minute while the fluid drained out, and she took a breath.
    “That’s enough,” Phyl said. They laid it back on the floor next to the heifer.
    Though weak, the mama licked at the calf until she stood on wobbly legs.
    “Good job, mama,” Phyl purred. “You’ve got yourself a beauty.”
    “Did you see that?” Mark asked. “Awesome.”
    “I did,” Nellie answered.
    “Let’s get the mama up,” Phyl said.
    “Look.” Donovan leaned forward. “I think she’s going to get to her feet on her own.”
    Sure enough, with little help from him, the heifer was on her feet, nudging and licking her newborn.
    Phyl sat back, took off her gloves, wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt.
    Donovan watched in admiration. “That was an impressive job. Never saw a vet do better.”
    She sent him a rueful smile. “When I was young, I