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CHAPTER 12

It wasn’t much more than a mile to the Woodward house. Normally he’d walk. This was not a night for walking.

“Why can’t they just go to the hospital?” Olive asked as she climbed into the passenger seat of his truck.

In a perfect world…

“Mike says there’s no time. This third baby is coming fast.”

They backed into the street with more speed than normal. Olive bounced in her seat as she screeched, “What are you supposed to do about it?”

“Remember I told you I was a bouncer in the Keys?”

“Yes, but…”

“One night a woman in labor came into the bar, looking for her husband who was ignoring her calls. She should’ve called a cab and gone to the hospital, but she was so mad she didn’t.”

“You delivered her baby.”

“Right there on the bar. I tried to keep her calm, which didn’t work by the way, and I stayed calm because I thought the paramedics would get there on time. They were a couple minutes too late, so I delivered the kid.”

His passenger responded with a short burst of laughter. Then again, it might’ve been a stifled scream.

When he got to the Woodward house, he’d assess. Mike said there was no time to get Dawn to the hospital, which in his defense wasn’t exactly close. Maybe an ambulance would arrive on time this time around. There might be a paramedic on board who had the proper experience. He could hope. And pray. He never should’ve told anyone he’d delivered a baby in a bar, but it did make for a good story over a couple of beers.

By the time they pulled up to the curb in front of Mike’s house, Olive had pulled herself together. Her spine was stiff, her shoulders squared. It was like she’d purposely shaken off her initial panic and was gearing up for battle.

He should do the same.

The Woodward house was two-story, with a small front yard, a big backyard, and a wide front porch. Mike opened the front door as Tuck and Olive ran up the steps.

“Where is she?” Tuck asked.

“Our bedroom, upstairs at the end of the hall.”

He ran in that direction. Olive stayed right behind him. Mike called up the stairs, “I called an ambulance! They said they’d get here as quickly as they could!”

Maybe it would be soon enough. This time.

The upstairs hallway was crowded. Both girls were there, along with Mike’s dad, Will. At least Will was leaning up against a wall, not planted in the middle of the narrow hall. The kids ran, laughed, occasionally shouted.

He opened the bedroom door just as Dawn let out a bloodcurdling scream. Mike’s mom, Susie, who stood at the side of the bed, closed her eyes and tensed for the duration of the scream. She’d been crying.

Tuck kinda wanted to cry himself.

Olive went into action. “Susie, take the girls to the kitchen and make them a snack. Take Will with you.” Her tone left no room for argument; everyone obeyed without question.

The scream ended; a red-faced, sweating Dawn panted as she looked up at her sister. “What are you doing here? Get out! Where’s Mike?” She looked toward the door, then back at her sister. “Wait a minute. Why are you wearing that dress? And why are you with Tuck! Mike said you didn’t answer your phone. Did you forget that you have a pregnant sister?”

That last question was delivered at a decibel that had to be damaging to one’s eardrums.

Olive remained calm. “I’m an event planner and this is an event. I’m wearing the dress because I was on a date, believe it or not. Yes, it’s been a while, we can discuss later. I didn’t answer my phone because it was in another room, and I was… otherwise occupied.”

Tuck lifted the sheet. Well, crap, this baby was coming now. Right now.

“Dawn, you need to push.”

“I’m not ready!”