Judy Christenberry - Struck By The Texas Matchmakers

“Shh, baby, you’re all right,” she comforted.

She felt more sure of that when she heard the siren that meant someone from the sheriff’s office was on the way. She hoped it was Cal Baxter, the sheriff himself.

By the time the Blazer halted, the doctor was beside it. Diane saw Cal get out. He nodded in her direction, taking in the children, before the doctor urged him back to the wreck.

The boy moaned and his eyes fluttered open.

“Be still, honey, the doctor’s helping your mama right now,” Diane said, hoping the words would help him, but they only reminded her smallest charge that she didn’t have her mama. Which, of course, brought on renewed sobbing.

More sirens sounded. Diane was startled as an ambulance appeared. She hadn’t realized Cactus had an emergency vehicle.

By the time the ambulance came to a halt, Cal and the new doctor had gotten the woman out of the car. The ambulance driver brought out a stretcher and they placed the woman upon it and moved her straight to the ambulance.

As soon as she was put inside, Cal pulled out his cell phone. “Tell Sam the patient’s on her way. Here’s Jeff to give you the details.” He handed the phone to the doctor and came to Diane’s side.

“Hello, Diane. Need some assistance?”

“Yes, please,” she said. “The doctor said to keep the boy’s arm still and this little lady is upset.”

Cal reached for the little girl. With two little ones of his own, he knew how to handle them. Diane shifted the boy’s head into her lap and cuddled him against her, hoping her body heat would help him. She brushed his brown hair off his face and dropped a kiss on his brow.

The doctor reached them with a blanket under his arm and Cal asked, “Did the lady come to?”

The man shook his head and knelt beside Diane. “How’s he doing?”

“He seems to be in a state of shock,” she said quietly.

The doctor spread the blanket over the little boy.

“Do you need me to go with you to the clinic?” Cal asked. “I’ll have to do an investigation and try to find out their identities, but I can call a deputy to get started while I go with you.”

“I’ll help, too,” Diane offered.

The doctor gave her a sharp look. Then he shifted his gaze to Cal.

She stiffened. He didn’t think she was trustworthy enough? She was used to everyone knowing her and her family, and his questioning her ability irritated her.

Cal said quickly, “Diane Peters, Katie’s sister.” Then, taking the doctor’s agreement for granted, he said, “Thanks, Diane. I appreciate that. We can contact relatives a little faster that way.”

The doctor nodded and stood. “I’ll transfer the baby seat and get the other stretcher.”

As soon as the doctor had moved away, Diane hurriedly asked, “Who is he? Where’s Doc?”

“That’s Jeff Hausen. Doc is still in town but he’s the medical examiner now. He’ll probably be at the clinic helping Sam when you get there. He pitches in for emergencies.”

“Oh.”

“Okay, Cal,” the doctor called, “bring the little one over here.”

When Cal started toward the Suburban, the little girl’s cries went up an octave as she reached over Cal’s shoulder for Diane. The doctor frowned at Diane, taking her by surprise. He left Cal and came to Diane’s side with the stretcher.

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew them?” he demanded.

Diane stared at him. “I don’t. I’ve never seen them before.” What was wrong with the man? First he didn’t trust her and then he accused her of being irresponsible?

He didn’t respond to her statement. Instead, he gently moved the little boy onto the stretcher. “Are you up to carrying one end?” he asked.

Diane nodded and struggled to get up, her legs having gone to sleep. Suddenly, strong hands closed around her waist and lifted her to her feet.

“Are you okay?”

Embarrassed, she nodded again and bent over to reach for one end of the stretcher.

“Maybe you’d better go comfort the baby and let Cal come help me,” the doctor suggested.

There he was, dismissing her again. “I can manage,” she assured him, her shoulders stiff.

Though he gave her a careful look, he nodded and reached for his end of the stretcher.

JEFF HAUSEN HAD BEEN in Cactus for a year. He knew most of the citizens by now, and he’d even begun to be accepted by the older members of the community. Though he supposed he’d be called the “new” doctor until he was eighty.

But he’d never met Diane Peters.

He’d heard of her, of course. Gabe and Katie were his friends. When he’d visited Cactus to talk with Doc, he’d met Katie…and been attracted to her, in spite of his intentions.

Gabe, however, had rushed his beloved Katie to the altar to stake his claim. The Peters family, Katie’s family, was large, but Diane and Raine had remained in Lubbock, the nearest large city, except when they returned for Katie’s wedding.

“How badly hurt is their mother?”

Her question jolted him. He realized they’d reached the back of his Suburban. He laid his end of the stretcher on the floorboard and climbed in. The racks he’d had installed to hold a stretcher would come in handy.

“Bad,” he muttered in answer.

Once the boy was settled, he climbed back out.

“Do you want me to stay back here with him, or ride with the little girl?”

“The baby,” he replied. “She’s getting hysterical and this little guy should be all right until we get there.”

She nodded and hurried around to the back door where the baby was screaming.

The immediate lowering of the sirenlike screams showed he’d made the right decision. He stepped to Cal’s side. “You going to get some help?”

“No, probably not. I’ve got the woman’s purse. There wasn’t much in the trunk but some remnants of a picnic. Red paint on the car. I’ll be back to the office shortly.”

“Okay, I’m taking these two in. I imagine the woman will need a lot of work, so I’ll be tied up for a while.”

With a nod to Cal, he strode to his vehicle. “Everything okay?” he asked as he climbed in.

“Yes,” Diane Peters said quietly. She was sitting as close to the baby seat as possible, but he didn’t have to tell her to keep the baby buckled in. Instead, her arms were cuddling the little girl, soothing her as best she could.

He started the car and made a U-turn. Then he sped toward the clinic.

WHEN THEY REACHED Cactus, Diane saw Doc waiting for them.

His comforting presence made her feel more settled.

“You got this covered?” Dr. Hausen asked as soon as they were unloaded.

“Yeah, and Sam’s getting everything ready.”

Doc had always sent his more serious patients into Lubbock for treatment, but the clinic had been enlarged, and both doctors were young and well-trained.

After the other doctor had disappeared, Diane said, “Things have changed a lot since I’ve been gone.”

“For the better. Sam and Jeff make a great team.” Even as he talked, he was examining the boy. Then he asked one of the nurses to x-ray him.

“How about I check out this little angel now,” he suggested, holding out his arms.

The baby had settled down as long as Diane held her. But Doc’s offer didn’t sit well with her. She clung to Diane’s neck, her sobs starting again.

“Well, we know her tear ducts are working well,” Doc said wryly. “Why don’t we sit down over here,” he suggested, waving to several chairs.

As she held the little girl, soothing her as much as she could, Doc listened to her heartbeat, checked her eyes and ears and felt her head.

“I think she has a mild concussion, probably a bad headache. I’m going to give her a mild sedative which should help the pain and maybe settle her down. Do you want me to have them set up a bed for her?”