Baby Green

By Mary Kit Caelsto

Having the baby was the easy part, right? Linda thought so, but with her son's birth it seems she's struggling to get her life back as it was BB, before baby. She struggles with bringing YongQi, her young gelding, back into show winning form and trying to juggle a career and a baby with her husband working long hours at the hospital--maddening! It's not just having the baby. Something else is going on and she's done blaming it on her hormones. When her doctor dismisses her and a risky ride turns into an accident, she has to face the truth. It's time to hit reset and figure out her new life AB--after baby.

Can she navigate this new world complete with a postpartum depression diagnosis? And does it mean giving up all her riding goals and dreams?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Kit Caelsto
• Release date: Sep 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005724771

Book preview

< Baby Green >

Noble Dreams 13

Mary Kit Caelsto

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Also By The Author

Want Free Stories?

Baby Green

Author Letter

Steady On Course Preview

Correction on Course Preview

Spins Are Wild Preview

About the Author

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Permission is granted to make ONE backup copy for archival purposes.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

BABY GREEN

Copyright © Mary Kit Caelsto, 2020

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Cover Art ® 2020

Cover art by My Author Home

Book formatting by Epona Author Solutions (http://eponaauthorsolutions.com)

Electronic Publication Date: September 2020

This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.

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Also By The Author

Equestrian Women’s Fiction

Noble Dreams Series

Steady On Course

Standing On Course

Correction On Course

Walking On Course

Course Perfect

Shadbelly Faults

Husband On Board

Double Clear

Riding Double

Rompers and Rosettes

Crossed Rails

International Obstacles

Baby Green

Mare Stare (Coming Soon)

Western Star Series

(women’s fiction w/ romantic elements)

Spins Are Wild

Turn And Burn

In The Chute

Back In The Saddle

Winning It All (Coming Soon)

Sweet Equestrian Romance

Shiloh’s Second Chance

Racehorses and Romance

Riding Home

Claiming His Irish Trainer (Coming Soon)

Fantasy/Magic Realism

The Musimagium

Hidden

Tonic Chords

Of Songs & Horns

Of Songs & Paperwork

Chasing Neptune’s Cat

Draco Magus

The Pegasus Project

Pegasus In Flight

Tempus Magic

Radio Arcanum

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Visit https://marykitcaelsto.com/newsletter and sign up for Mary’s newsletter. She offers free serial stories – one equestrian and one fantasy – to her subscribers.

Get even more free stories by becoming a Patreon at https://patreon.com/marykitcaelsto.

Chapter One

Linda rubbed Zhen’s back and refused to look at the clock. Streetlights glowed around the edges of the drawn curtains and Kevin worked an overnight shift at the hospital. He hadn’t come home yet and wouldn’t for a few more hours. She crooned softly to her baby, not minding the lack of sleep. After all the time and trouble, it took to bring little Zhen Yeung Tan into the world, she could lose some sleep to keep him happy. He gurgled happily after a feeding and she thought about putting him back into his crib. Not yet. She wanted to savor this moment a little bit longer. Time flew and he was nearly four months old and growing fast. Soon, he’d be too big for these midnight snuggle times with his mom. She sat in the rocking chair and hummed a lullaby her grandmother used to sing to her while she soothed him back to sleep.

The creaking of the front door as Kevin returned home awakened Linda. She glanced at the clock. Almost six in the morning. Zhen slept in her arms. She kissed the top of his head and stood. When he didn’t squirm, she put him back in his crib. Time for her to start the day. She padded on bare feet to the kitchen to meet her husband. The cool hardwood chilled her toes and she made a mental note to find an extra pair of slippers to leave in the baby’s room.

Kevin put his dishes in the sink. He turned and smiled. I didn’t mean to disturb you, he said, his gaze dropping to the open neckline of her shirt.

She tugged the shirt back over her breast, having forgotten that she’d been nursing before they both had fallen asleep. Just woke up. Zhen is sleeping. She went to him and kissed his cheek, laying her hand on his lower back. How was work? She enjoyed their early morning rituals, meeting him when he got home, having some intimate time before she went to work, and he slept for the day.

He turned and took her into his arms and kissed her, pulling her close to him. Since the baby was born, he’d gotten more affectionate with her, and when he pulled back, they both her breathing hard. Better now. There’s a chance a position will be opening. Dr. Hastings is going to retire, and they’ll be hiring a new head of surgery.

Oh. You want to go for it, don’t you? It’s what you’ve always wanted.

He nodded. It is. And I won’t lie, the pay increase will be nice too.

Her horses. If there were one difficult spot in the relationship it was the fact that she still had two horses and now a new baby. She still made it out to the barn, and often Zhen slept in his car seat while she rode, or someone watched him in his pack and play that she left at the barn. Only rarely did she have to hire a sitter. Still, that meant more money out of the budget and things were running tight lately.

Did you apply? When will you know?

Kevin shrugged. I can’t apply until the position officially opens and that probably won’t be for another month or so. I’ve heard though that if I do want the job it’s pretty much mine. And I do want the job.

Of course. You’d be perfect at it. Linda stepped back. I’ll take care of these dishes. And that was his clue to use the bathroom and get ready for bed so she could then prepare for work. She watched him go, wondering what they’d do if he took the job. It’d mean more hours—a lot more hours. That would leave her taking on even more of the childcare duties than she was now. She knew this would happen, had anticipated it given his erratic work schedule. Still, the days he was there to help really allowed her to grade papers and get exams ready for the next week. They usually spent Sundays together as a family, at least if he didn’t go into work. That, she knew, would change if he got this job.

He went into the bedroom and she finished rinsing the dishes. Then, she started the shower, hoping to get clean and get her makeup on before the baby awakened. She checked to be sure her lunch was packed, and his bottles were ready to put into the cooler to take into the on-campus childcare. The early education students loved Zhen, and he flourished in their care while she worked.

Forty minutes later, fully showered and dressed, her makeup on, and her hair drying in a ponytail, she put a robe on over pants suit, still a big snug from maternity leave, but fitting better than it had, and took care of Zhen. By the time she had him in his car seat and the car loaded, Kevin was fast asleep. She blew her husband a kiss and hurried out of the house to start her day.

~* * *~

Sara held up a stuffed horse for the baby, who reached for it with a big grin. Ooh, I’m so glad I could live vicariously through you. Keeps me from wanting another one for myself. She giggled and galloped the horse across the front of the playpen within sight for the baby.

The nest feeling a bit too empty? Linda asked as she fastened her helmet. Thank you so much again for watching him.

"No problem. Rose just got shod and is feeling a bit footsore today, so we had a quick ride in the arena. If staying here and watching the baby keeps me from going home to dinner all by myself, I’m all for it. Simon’s working late at the garage