Sugar Plum Serenade (Seawolf Beach #2)

Chapter 12

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!”

“Baby number three is. Let’s go.”

The baby was delivered into the world with no issues, and as soon as that was done, the ambulance arrived. Ten minutes earlier and someone else would’ve handled the delivery. Tuck had stayed calm, talking in a soothing voice and making sure that the baby was born without any trouble, while Olive stood at the head of the bed and held Dawn’s hand. She was pretty sure at least two fingers were broken. Dawn had quite a grip when she was giving birth.

Paramedics moved Dawn to a stretcher and put the newborn, wrapped in blankets, in her arms .

Mike and Susie were going to drive to the hospital to be with the new mother and baby. Will would stay with the girls, who were already in their pajamas. They wouldn’t sleep for a while, Olive suspected. They were too wound up.

So was Rosaline, according to Ava.

Olive’s heart pounded too hard and probably would for a while, but her part here was done. It was over. Or so she thought. Mike called out to her as she walked down the stairs.

“Dawn wants to talk to you before she goes.”

“I’m sure it can wait until tomorrow.”

“I tried telling her that. She insists.” Oh, the expression on Mike’s face! Dawn must’ve been very insistent. First she tells her little sister to get out; now she insists on delaying the trip to the hospital because she wants to talk ?

Olive walked quickly to the ambulance. A paramedic, who apparently expected her, assisted her into the back where Dawn and the baby waited on the stretcher. They were both in good shape, so maybe there was no rush. Still, everyone would feel better when they were checked out by an actual doctor.

“What do you need?” Olive asked.

Dawn was worn out, tired to the bone, but the look on her face was one of dogged determination. “You can’t date Tuck.”

“Why not?” Did her sister know something about Tuck that she didn’t? Was this a warning?

Why did her mind always go there? She was so skittish, after being burned by a man she’d thought she loved.

Dawn lowered her voice. “He’s seen my vagina. You have to end it now!”

Olive smiled; she relaxed as if she were uncoiling from the center of her being outward. She took a moment to study the new baby closely. He was so small and fragile, so amazingly perfect .

“I should be the one who’s upset. Tuck saw your lady parts before he saw mine.”

“Olive Marie!” Dawn snapped. She sighed and added, “I’m serious.”

So am I…

A paramedic ordered Olive out; it was time to go.

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” she said. “Love you, sis.”

“Tomorrow will be too late!” Dawn snapped.

As she left the back of the ambulance, Olive muttered, “I certainly hope so.”

The drive home was quiet. His truck moved down the residential streets much more slowly than it had on the way to Mike’s house.

He half expected Olive to bolt as soon as he turned into the driveway, but she didn’t. She left the passenger seat on her own and walked to his porch, not hers.

She’d left her purse inside. That was the reason.

“Not exactly the night I’d planned,” he said as he opened the front door, which he hadn’t even bothered to lock as they’d left.

Olive laughed lightly. “I imagine not. You must be exhausted. Do you want me to go?”

“I want you to stay.”

“I want that, too.”

He locked the door behind her. “What did Dawn want when she called you to the ambulance?”

She sighed, hesitated, then answered, “Sister stuff.”

He envied Olive her family. She didn’t have a husband, no kids of her own, but she had parents, a sister, nieces, and now a nephew. There might be aunts and cousins out there, family reunions, squabbles that didn’t last, shared traits they could see in others and in themselves. She had sister stuff .

Until he married and had kids of his own — if that ever happened — he wouldn’t be a part of any of that. He wanted it, some days he craved it, but the idea also terrified him.

Which was why he was reluctant to look into this crazy Maude story. Was she really his grandmother? He didn’t want to think about that now, couldn’t let his mind go there.

“I need a shower,” he said.

“So do I,” Olive whispered.

He took her hand and led her up the stairs.