The 8 Second Ride

I Don't Know If I Can

Hey guys this is what Echo looks like.

Clare's POV-

"Clare you have to go to the gynecologist." Jo's eyes were wide with shock.

"I know, but I don't know if I can do this, what happens when Jason comes home. Will he want it or will he hate me?" tears start welling up in my eyes.

"He won't hate you, he'll love you just the same. He'll also love the baby." she hugs me and rubs my back.

"What if he thinks I cheated or its not his?" I let another sob into her shoulder.

"If he does then he's a dumbass because he'd be giving up something amazing in his life." I lean away from her shoulder and nodded.

"Let's go make you an appointment for the gynecologist." she grabs the phone and looks up the number on her phone.

(Later that day)

"Clare O'Brien." the nurse says.

I stand and walk over to her and she smiles. She motions for me to follow her and we walk to a room with a table and a monitor. I sit on the table and look at my feet. The nurse fills in some of my info. and leaves the room. I sit and wait for the doctor to come in. The door opens and a man about 50 years old walks in and smiles at me. I give him a weak one back.

"Mrs. O'Brien how are we doing today?" he asks looking at his computer.

"Good just wish someone was here with me." I say sadly.

"And who might that be?" he looks rolls over to the monitor.

"The dad." That's all I said and he nodded understanding.

"Could you lean back and lift your shirt please? Do you mind if I ask where the father is?" he puts some cold gel on my stomach.

"He was deployed two months ago. I don't know when he'll be back though." I say as he moves the gel around. 

A picture shows up on the monitor. Several splotches show up.

"I'm sure he will be over joyed that he's going to be a dad. Now you see the blob in the middle of the screen." I nod.

"That miss is your baby, you're about two months pregnant. Congratulations and don't worry about the father he will come to a very great surprise." he smiled.

When I realize that is my baby, everything hits me at once. I smile and cry. I love this baby already and daddy is going to proud. The doctor wipes the gel off and rolls back to his computer. I put my hands on my stomach and tears of joy roll down my cheeks. This is my baby, inside of me. I'm making another life.

"Hey Doc, I know this is going to sound a little weird but, can I still barrel race?" he looks a little shocked.

"Well that's the first I've ever heard of that question. Why do you need to know that?"

"That's how I make my money, I run in jackpots at rodeos." I see looking down at my stomach.

"Well its all up to you. But I would say the max is 5 to 6 months. After that slow it down only do little riding but it's up to you and how you feel." he smiles.

I thanked the doctor and left the room. I walk out into the waiting room and out to my truck. As I drive home I think about if it's going to be a boy or girl. I don't care as long as it's born healthy. I smile to myself as I pull into the driveway. I get out of the truck and head into the barn. My first instinct is to go see Destiny and Pride. Destiny stuck her head out the stall door and I see the tip of Pride's nose, I laugh at him trying to copy his mom.

"Hey baby girl, guess what you aren't going to be the only mom anymore." I lay my hands on my stomach.

She lowers her head at my action and nudges my stomach. I swear she probably knew I was pregnant before I did because she was nudging my stomach a lot lately. I giggle was she snorts and shakes her head.

"Come you want to run in the pasture? I say it's time for you to get your running legs back." I grab her halter and put it on her.

I walk her out making sure Pride is following closely behind her. I walk her to the gate and she sets her full attention on the grass and open space. I open the gate and take the lead line off and she walks in. She knows not to run until I have the gate closed. I close and lock the gate, as soon as she hears the click she bolts leaving Pride confused. I laugh and pet his neck through the fence. He nuzzles my stomach just like his mom. He whinnies in the highest pitch I've heard from a foal and Destiny look at him. She lopes back over and starts to play with him.

Destiny has some background in jumping so I set up some jumps by the fence and watch as she jumps over them and Pride goes around them. I put them low enough that if he decided to jump over some he could. After an hour of watching them he goes over he first jump. Lowest by the way, its about 6 inches tall.

I go back into the barn and into the arena. I see Jo working Echo, right now she's fixing some of his turning issues on third barrel. From what I've watched he likes to blow past it a little. She was saying she wanted to get him pulled in more to cut some of their time off. He's a beautiful horse, a light dapple gray with a blazed on his face and black socks. He is a great ride and barrel horse. He had long strides and loves what he does. If he wasn't a gelding I wouldn't mind breeding him to one of my mares. He's pure quarter horse but he is 16.2 hands. He's huge.

"How's he going to the readjusting?" she looks up from what she was doing and smiles.

"He's doing great, I got him pulled in more on third. I'm pleased with what I did today, I'm just about done. All I need to do is cool him off." she walks up to the wall I'm leaning against.

"Good I found out I can still barrel race but after that I was going to ask you if you would ride the horses in rodeos for." Jo smiles and nods her head eagerly.

"Well what did you find out today?" she asked becoming serious all of a sudden.

"Well I can barrel race until I'm about 5 months or whenever I feel I need to slow down. Also I'm about two months along, just as I thought." I say, looking at funny.

"Are you going to keep it?" she whispers. I stare at her shocked.

"Absolutely, I don't know what I would do if I didn't keep it and have to tell Jason when he gets home." she looks at me and I can tell that she has something to tell me.

"What's wrong? You have the look that you have to tell me something." I look at her suspiciously.

"Well I got a call from Jason while you were gone and well he told me that..." she trails off like she doesn't know how to tell me.

"Well spit it out, come on." I urged her one cause it was about Jason.

"Well he said he was going to be coming home in 5 months."