Page 71 of The Cajun Doctor

“Absolutely.”

“Anyhow, I’m sorry to call so early. Is Luc around?”

“Yes. He’s having breakfast with the girls. I’ll go get him.”

After a few moments, a male voice said, “What’s the prick done now?”

She laughed. “It’s not about Nick this time. Well, not totally.”

He listened without interruption while she gave a brief summary of the situation at Bayou Rose. When she finished, he used one of Clarence’s favorite sayings, “Holy shit!” Then he asked a few questions. “You say Angus is involved with the Dixie Mob?”

“Yes. At thirty-three percent.”

“Holy shit!” he said again. “And Nick is actually into the baby black market? He must really be desperate for cash.”

Desperation being the key word for us all. “Nick is always desperate for cash, as you well know.”

“Especially after you cut off his access to the money tree.”

The money tree being me. “What should we do?”

“Well, first off, I need to meet with Angus and Lily Beth. How about if I come out to the plantation at two? And I’ll bring Tee-John with me, if he’s available. He knows more about the mob than I do.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Don’t let those two go anywhere until we make sure the plantation is secure. In fact, I’ll bring Angel Sabato with me. He knows a lot about security systems. On the other hand, maybe I’ll wait to see what Tee-John recommends.”

“I’ll tell Daniel.”

“Speaking of the gloomy one . . . how’s Daniel taking this invasion into his private life?”

“Pretty well, actually. And his medical background should help in assessing Lily Beth’s condition.”

“What a mess! This is the kind of nonsense my aunt usually brews up.”

“Oh, Lord! Whatever you do, don’t let Tante Lulu know what’s going on. She’ll show up with a shotgun and a satchel full of swamp prenatal herbs.”

Luc laughed.

After she ended the call, she went down to the kitchen. Lily Beth lay on the sheet-covered table, which had been cleared, and Daniel was palpating her stomach and listening to the baby’s heartbeat with a stethoscope.

“Sounds good. That little one has got a strong heartbeat.”

Lily Beth released a breath of relief. “Thank God!”

Then he put a blood pressure cuff on her arm and studied a pocket meter. “Your bp is slightly elevated . . . one-thirty over eighty-three, but that could be usual gestational hypertension for the third trimester. Worth watching but no real concern.”

“Does that rule out preeclampsia?” Lily Beth asked.

“For now,” he answered.

“What is normal blood pressure?” Lily Beth wanted to know.

“One-twenty over eighty.” He removed the cuff, then moved to the counter where there was a small closed plastic container with a yellow liquid. Urine, Samantha presumed. Also on the counter were a rubber tourniquet, a used syringe and antiseptic coated gauzes, and two test tubes of blood.

Angus was at the sink washing dishes, looking somewhat gray in the face. Probably a reaction to the needle. Some folks couldn’t take the blood test procedure, even just watching it.

Daniel helped Lily Beth to sit up on the table, then to lower her legs over the side. “Your swelling is probably due to normal edema, but we’ll know more after the test results. Considering all you’ve been through, you’re in surprisingly good health, young lady.”