Dreams: Part Two (23 page)

“Specter. This way. Follow me.“

The dog turned reluctantly from his contemplation of Eddy Spooner and trotted toward her. Flashlight in hand, Diana started for the hidden path behind the falls.

She had no rain gear this time. She would get soaked and the night air was so very cold.

But the grotto would be warm.

“Where do you think you’re goin’, you bitch? Come back here.“

Eddy started to clamber up the side of the pool – a dark, hulking menace from the deep. He moved slowly, awkwardly. Diana took comfort from the fact that he probably couldn’t see her any better than she could see him. If she got into the shadows near the falls, she would disappear from his sight.

She kept the flashlight off until she was behind the falls. Specter was at her heels. She shut her eyes and cried out as another wave of pain went through her. The roar of the water masked the sound of her groan. She wouldn’t be able to stay on her feet much longer. She must be in what the books called precipitate labor.

Specter crowded close and then darted in front of her as if he knew the way and wanted to lead her to safety.

The trip up the path was the longest struggle of Diana’s life. Primitive female instinct alone guided her.

The need to find a safe place in which to give birth was all that mattered now.

At the end, she was clinging to Specter, her fingers clenched in his coat. He had to drag her the last few steps. She knew she could not have made it without him.

But at last they were standing at the mouth of the cave. Diana paused, panting heavily. She did not dare use the flashlight to see if Eddy was following her up the path. She had to assume he was.

She moved into the dark cave and then turned on the light long enough to get her bearings.

“Over there, Specter.“

The dog was already nosing along the floor of the cave, heading for the secret entrance to the hidden grotto as if he, too, sensed safety there.

Soul-shattering pain wracked Diana as she stepped through the hidden portal of the small chamber. She dropped the flashlight and fell to her knees. Instantly she was enveloped in comforting warmth. The heat from the pool was doing its job. She crawled farther into the grotto on her hands and knees. She no longer had the strength to spare to get back to her feet.

Then in the glow of the flashlight she saw Specter turn back toward the cave entrance and she knew for certain Eddy Spooner was, indeed, following.

“In here. Specter. Stay here, boy. We’ll be safe in here.“ She no longer questioned that knowledge, but it was all she could do to get the words out of her mouth.

The dog returned to her side, hovering anxiously. Diana spread her coat out on the stone floor near the hot pool and switched off the flashlight. She couldn’t take the chance that its beam might leak out through the entrance and betray her hiding place.

She fought to remove her clothing. Everything was damp, and she knew that only some of the moisture was from the spray off the falls. The rest was from her own body.

She bit back another scream as the next contraction peaked. She must already be heading into the transition phase, she thought. The pain was getting incredibly intense. She had been told that this stage would be the summit of difficulty.

‘Difficulty’ was another popular euphemism favored by instructors and books on the subject of childbirth preparation.

Translated, ‘difficulty’ meant unrelenting agony. Jennifer from 301 had been right.

A scream of anguish filled Diana’s throat. At the last instant she realized dimly she could not release it. Her cry might guide Eddy to the hidden grotto entrance.

Colby, where are you? I need you now. Come to me. Help me.

Specter crouched near her head, licking her face. Her groping fingers found his leather collar. She unbuckled it, her hand trembling with the effort.

When the next contraction hit she shoved the leather between her teeth and bit down on the scream that threatened to consume her. At the height of the pain she told herself it wouldn’t matter if Eddy walked in, found her, and killed her. At least the agony would be over and done with.

But she couldn’t let her baby die, too. She had to protect Colby’s child.

It was then she devised a deadly little mind game. She would count to ten, she told herself, take the leather out of her mouth and then give way to the scream that would get her killed.

When she reached ten, she decided she could get through one more ten-second count without screaming aloud.

When he reached ten a third time she made herself wait through yet another ten-second count.

Counting to ten became the only thing in the universe that mattered. She did it a fourth time, a fifth time and on and on while her teeth scored the heavy leather collar.

At some point she was vaguely aware of Specter barking loudly once and then deserting her. She wanted to tell him he mustn’t make any noise, but she didn’t have the strength to call to him.

She was in the middle of another ten-second count, her jaws clenched in agony, when a blinding light lanced across her pain-wracked body. She closed her eyes against the glare. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t handle anything except the pain.

“Diana.“

Colby’s voice pierced the red haze that surrounded her. She opened her eyes long enough to see his grim face reflected in the backglow of the flashlight he was holding.

“Knew you were alive,“ she panted. “Knew you would get here.“ The leather collar fell out of her mouth and her next shout of anguish filled the grotto.

“It’s okay, honey. I’m here.“

“Dad? Where are you? Where’s Diana? Is she all right? Oh, Christ.
Dad, she’s having the baby.“

“Trust Diana to try to do this on her own.“ But Colby’s voice was infinitely gentle and soothing as he kneeled beside her. “Everything’s going to be all right now, little amazon. I knew you would take good care of our baby until I got here. I knew I could count on you.“

Diana let go, giving herself up to the urgent, overwhelming need to push that was suddenly hitting her. Everything would be all right now. Colby was here. She could hear him talking to her quietly and giving Brandon instructions. She didn’t pay any attention to what was being said or done. Colby would know what to do. He always did. She concentrated on the job at hand. It was taking everything she had to get it done.

A few minutes later a new cry filled the little grotto. It was the lusty squall of a healthy newborn infant.

“She’s here, Diana. Our little Tabby is here. Safe and sound.“

Diana lifted her lashes and looked up at Colby. He was on his knees between her legs, holding his daughter in Brandon’s denim jacket. In the glare of the flashlight Brandon held, she could see the brilliant expression of triumph and happiness in her husband’s eyes.

“I love you, Diana.“

“I love you, Colby.“ Diana relaxed. This time, she thought, Colby wasn’t just practicing.

This time he meant it.

“You’ve got some visitors outside,“ the nurse announced as she took the sleeping infant from Diana’s arms and replaced her in the cradle near the hospital bed. “Ready for them?“

Diana nodded, her gaze on her daughter. She still couldn’t quite believe she was a mother. The door opened, and Brandon came in. He was followed by Margaret Fulbrook.

“Margaret.“ Diana stared at the other woman in delighted astonishment. “Good grief, you look fine. What are you doing out of bed? Are you all right?“

“Told you these young doctors don’t know everything. Turned out I wasn’t having a heart attack after all. All the fuss and pain was caused by something called a hiatal hernia. It mimics the symptoms of a heart attack and scares the daylights out of you.“ Margaret Fulbrook smiled at her. “How are you feeling, my dear?“

“A little tired,“ Diana admitted. “But mostly I’m frustrated. I’ve got a million questions, and every time I tried to get Colby to answer them last night he kept changing the subject.“

Brandon grinned. “He was more interested in making sure you and the baby were all right than in answering your questions. Besides, after we got you two down from that cave, you kept drifting off to sleep every few minutes.“

Diana had only fleeting memories of the trip down the path. She had been wrapped in a blanket supplied by the ambulance Brandon had summoned to the scene. Colby had carried her and one of the medics had carried little Tabitha. Specter was close behind. Diana had a vague recollection of Colby giving orders to everyone in the vicinity, but mostly she just remembered how safe she had felt cradled against him. “Tell me what happened, Brandon.“

“You mean with Harry and Eddy?“

“Right.“ Diana looked at him. “I assume you and Colby had no trouble with Harry?“

“Piece of cake.“ Brandon’s grin had a certain very familiar male cockiness about it. “Dad says this time around I was his sucker punch.“ His grin faded slightly and his expression grew more serious as he continued. “But when we realized you were in danger, Dad went wild. I doubt if any car, even that old ‘vette Dad used to drive, ever made the kind of time on River Road your Buick made last night. Dad really is a hell of a driver, isn’t he?“

Diana smiled at the admiration in Brandon’s voice. “How did you know Eddy had taken me to the falls?“

“Harry told us.“

Something in Brandon’s eyes made Diana raise her brows. “Willingly?“

“Sort of.“ Brandon hurried on with his tale. “Harry said Eddy was supposed to push you over the falls. But when we reached the parking area and saw the ‘vette was already there, Dad didn’t even start up the path that leads to the top of the falls. He said he knew where you were. The next thing I knew we were climbing a ledge behind the falls.“

“Chained Lady Cave,“ Margaret said softly. “Incredible. How did you ever make it up that path at night while you were in labor, Diana?“

“I couldn’t think of anyplace else to hide. Specter had bought me some time by attacking Eddy. He sent Eddy into the pool. But the next thing I knew Eddy was climbing back out again and he still had his gun. So Specter and I headed for the cave.“

“Dad says Specter gets steak every Saturday night for the rest of his life.“

“Specter will hold him to that, I’m sure.“ Diana leaned back against the pillows. “Hurry up and tell me the rest. Once Colby gets back, he probably won’t tell me a thing. All he’ll want to discuss is breast-feeding techniques and how to change diapers.“

Margaret Fulbrook shook her head, her smile wry. “Everyone in town is talking about Colby Savagar this morning.

As usual. He’s more of a local legend than ever, after what he did last night.“

“So, tell me what he did do last night. Brandon?“

Brandon leaned against the foot of the bed, his eyes alight with remembered excitement. “I followed Dad up the path. He had a flashlight, and he seemed to know where he was going. The next thing I knew, we were at the entrance to that cave. I heard this scream from out of the darkness and at first I thought it was you. Then I realized it was a man.

Then suddenly Eddy Spooner came flying out of nowhere, leaping at Dad. He was yelling like a madman.“

“Oh, my God,“ Diana breathed.

“Spooner kept shouting something about how he wasn’t going to let Dad ruin everything for him. He was nuts.“

Brandon shook his head at the memory. “The flashlight went flying. I ran to grab it. When I turned the light on Dad and Eddy, they were fighting right at the mouth of the cave. I thought for a minute they were both going to go over the edge. But at the last instant. Dad rolled free. Eddy went over the falls.“

Diana sucked in her breath. “Is he dead?“

“Yeah. They pulled his body out late last night.“

“That poor man.“ Diana shook her head.

“I always knew Eddy Spooner would come to a bad end,“ Margaret Fulbrook declared.

“He was nuttier than a fruitcake,“ Brandon said. “He was the one who played those pranks on you last summer, by the way. Except for the one Robyn played, that is. Harry told the cops all about it this morning.“

Margaret walked across the room to admire the sleeping baby. “Spooner couldn’t stand the thought that Colby Savagar was back in town and that he had really made something of himself and his life. Eddy resented everything about Colby, including the fact that he was dating you. He didn’t have the nerve to attack Colby directly last summer, so he took out his hostility against you.“

“Harry was smart enough to figure out he could use Spooner’s resentment,“ Brandon said.

“And all for nothing,“ Margaret said, her voice sad. “It’s true I changed my will, but I never changed the amount I intended to leave Harry. He just assumed I had. The bulk of what’s left of the Fulbrook money, and I’ll be honest and tell you there isn’t all that much left, still goes to this hospital. I only put in a small amount for Brandon. I knew Colby would never tolerate my leaving his son very much. And he’s quite right. Too much money spoils a young person.“

Diana opened her mouth to ask another question, but before she could speak there was a commotion in the doorway. Colby strode into the room, laden with packages.

“What’s going on in here?“ he demanded. “I told you I didn’t want her tired out.“

“1
was just filling her in on what happened last night, Dad.“ Brandon took some of the packages Colby was carrying. “What’s in here?“

“Diapers, a used car seat from Brian McDonald and some odds and ends well need on the trip back to Portland,“

Colby explained absently. His eyes were on Diana as he walked over to the bed and took her hand. “How are you feeling, honey?“

“A little sore, but otherwise fine.“ She looked up at him with all her love in her eyes. “Thanks to you.“

Colby grinned. “I don’t know about that. You were doing okay on your own. You and that dog of yours.“ He fished something out of his pocket and dangled it in front of her. “I saved this for a souvenir.“