Family Be Mine (9 page)

“Okay, okay, I get the message.” Hunt leaned over and grabbed Fred at the neck. “C'mon, boy.”

Fred squirmed and slipped his narrow head out of his webbed collar. He hopped off the couch and scurried between Hunt's legs and began his random chase around the room again.

“Get him,” Katarina shouted.

Fred feinted and bobbed away when anyone came near, finally coming to rest near the front door. His long pink tongue hung down to his theoretical shoe laces while he panted. Despite the momentary exhaustion, he still had enough energy to wag his tail.

Penny laughed. “Oh, my, I think he could keep this up for hours. That's a puppy for you.”

“That's a pain in the butt for you,” Ben qualified.

“You should see what he did to Iris's garden.”

Babi
cka
pressed her hand to her knitted cardigan. “Not her garden! Her place is on the House and Garden Tour this year for the hospital fundraiser. She must be beside herself!”

Rufus stepped toward Katarina. “You wouldn't have any cheese left, would you?” She nodded.

Rufus signaled to Matt. “Matt, why don't you bring me in a couple of pieces? And, Hunt, I'll take that collar, and if you have a leash, I think I have a solution,” Rufus said in his usual placid tones. You would have thought he was shooting the breeze with one of the patrons at his jazz bar.

“Hey, whatever works.” Hunt handed the collar to Rufus and retrieved the leash from the study.

Rufus took it and looked up as Matt came back into the room. “Good, I'm armed now.” He slowly approached the dog, but rather than loom over him, he went to crouch down. “Whoops, maybe I shouldn't do that. The physical therapy with Sarah has helped a lot, but not enough for this.”

Sarah leveraged herself up. “Somebody get Rufus a chair.”

Ben got one from the dining room.

“Thanks, put it there.” Rufus nodded to the hallway about three feet from the front door. Fred watched intently.

Rufus sat and made a big show of breaking up the cheese into pieces. Fred lowered his head and kept his eyes peeled.

“Fred,” Rufus said sweetly, as though he was talking to a dear friend. “Fred.” He held out a piece of cheese toward the dog. “Fred, good dog.”

Fred inched forward.

Rufus sat there as calm as could be, like fishing on a lazy Sunday morning. “Good dog, Fred. What a good dog.” He threw a piece of cheese on the rug close to the dog. Fred stretched his neck and gobbled it up. Then Rufus threw another, not quite so close, all the while cooing and saying words of encouragement. Everyone held their breath, watching the dog inch closer to Rufus.

When he was in grabbing distance, Rufus again said, “Fred,” but this time he brought his fist to his chest and added, “Fred, sit.”

Fred—the very same Fred the Manic Dog and Fred the Out-of-Control Mutt—cocked his ears and stared at Rufus. And then he sat.

Rufus gave Fred some more cheese. “Good dog.” He fondled the dog's ear and slipped the collar over his head and attached the leash.

“Our very own Dog Whisperer,” Lena exclaimed.

Ben shook his head. “I always knew you were a great man, but who would have thought you had magical powers.”

Rufus continued to rub the dog's ears. “It's not magic. It's just dog training 101.” He passed the leash to Hunt. “In fact, if you'd like to learn more, I recommend you sign up for my beginner's obedience class for dogs at the Adult School on Sunday afternoon. I believe there're still a few spots open.”

“I don't suppose you'd be willing to combine it with Light Water Aerobics on Wednesdays?” Hunt asked.

“The dog could probably handle it, but it's definitely beyond your scope,” Rufus replied in all seriousness.

“W
HAT A COMMUNITY,”
Penny marveled after Rufus had made his goodbyes. “You meet such interesting people, all so involved.”

“Education. The wellspring of life—for men and dogs,” Ben said, not bothering to hide his amusement.

“Now that we've added that to your dance calendar, Hunt Phox, maybe you could make further amends and take out the trash. Matt can hold the dog,” Katarina ordered.

“What is this? Beat up on Hunt night?” Hunt asked, feeling beleaguered. He gave Matt the leash, and miraculously, Fred seemed to have finally grown tired and lay down at his feet.

“Never mind, I'll take care of it. It's garbage pick-up tomorrow, so I need to put the cans down at the end of the driveway, anyway,” Ben said. He smiled slyly at Hunt. “You stay and get beat up some more.”

“Speaking of the dog, I think it's time to take him for a walk,” Matt chimed in. Fred wagged his tail, twitching his behind, and practically dragged Matt out the back door.

“Trust a teenager to know when to get going,” Hunt said. He looked at Julie and nodded at her wineglass.

“Is there any more where that came from? I think I need some fortification.”

“Here, you can have this glass. I poured it when I couldn't find my old one, and I haven't drunk from it yet.”

Sarah rubbed her head. “I think I need to sit down again. If no one minds, I think I'll just curl up on the couch with Quiltie and have a little nap.”

“Sit down, but hold off falling asleep. We have an important matter to discuss.” Julie walked into the living room and sat on the coffee table facing Sarah. “You know what this is about, don't you?”

Sarah glanced at Hunt. “And
you
thought you needed fortification.”

“Is something wrong, dear, something you haven't told me?” Penny asked anxiously.

Lena moved supportively next to Penny. “It's to do with her fainting, am I right?”

“It's nothing, Lena. I'm just tired tonight, a little overheated,” Sarah said.

Penny looked to Julie. “She's all right, isn't she? Just a little light-headed with the pregnancy? Even I fainted at your wedding.”

“I think the circumstances were, uh, different,” Julie said with more tact than she was usually known for. “I didn't want to put a damper on the earlier festivities, but now it's time to have a heart-to-heart. Just as a precaution, Sarah, I want you to come to the office so I can run some tests—sooner rather than later.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “But I'm booked solid in the coming weeks—clients at the office and a full slate of clients at the hospital.”

“Tomorrow. Monday at the latest. No excuses. Even if there is nothing out of the ordinary, your fainting is not to be taken lightly.”

“I know, I know. You explained back at the salon about pregnancy and blood pressure.”

“Excuse me. I haven't finished.”

Penny bit her lip. “Listen to Julie, Sarah. She
is
the doctor after all.”

“Yes, Mother.” Sarah never called her mother “Mother” unless she was irritated.

“And don't forget what she told you about lying down,” Katarina added.

“I know, I know, first sit a few minutes and then stand. And before you repeat any more of Julie's instructions, I remember the part about making sure to sleep on my side—” she held up her hand when Katarina was about to clarify, yet again “—on my
left
side because in the third trimester my gi-normous uterus—”

“It's not that big, Sarah.” Her mother tried to comfort her.

Sarah held her tongue but muscled to sit up straight. “Whoops!” The abrupt shift left her a little woozy, and she leaned against the arm of the couch.

“Oh dear, this is serious.” Penny frowned and bit her lip.

Julie continued. “About eight percent of pregnant women develop a condition when they lie on their back called supine hypotensive syndrome—increased heart rate, drop in blood pressure. They may experience nausea, anxiety and light-headedness.” She brought her head menacingly close to Sarah. “Sound familiar?”

“You can't scare me.” Sarah lifted her chin.

Julie gave her the evil eye. Coming from a Sicilian family, she was an expert. “You should be. Okay, you can remedy the situation by taking precautions, but what
happens if you have one of these spells, say, behind the wheel of a car?”

Sarah dismissed her question with the wave of her hand. “Really, the likelihood of something like that is so minimal.”

“Are you sure? Would that be your explanation to the family of someone whose car you ran into after you lost control? Do you want to risk your life and the life of your unborn fetus, let alone gamble with someone else's life?” Julie's voice was chilling.

Sarah looked into her friend's eyes and was shocked to see how serious she was. She had known Julie for all the time she had lived in Grantham, roughly four years. In many ways she knew her intimately—what she thought of their various colleagues, her favorite ice cream, and her nervous habit of twiddling a lock of hair around her index finger when she was reading. But this was different, and even though she had no proof, she was sure that Julie's dire warnings rose out of something deeply personal.

“Okay, I grant you that there might be a remote possibility that I could faint when driving, but in all seriousness, what do you intend for me to do about it?” Sarah asked.

Julie put her hands together as in prayer. “Please, for a smart woman you can be so dense!” She spread her arms apart in exasperation. “How do I say this? I've never lost a patient in labor, but I've had two die driving to the hospital. I don't want the same thing happening to you before you even get that far. In two words, stop driving.” She glowered at Sarah.

“Stop driving! I can't possibly give up driving,”
Sarah protested. “Almost a third of my patients are postoperative home visits.”

“Then you'll have to give them up.” Julie crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“But I can't just give them up! It's my job! For a smart woman,
you
can be so dense. Do I need to remind you that I need to support myself and my unborn child?”

“Then you'll just have to get someone to drive you,” Katarina said, shaking her head.

“Hello, I can't afford a limousine service.” Sarah's voice rose. “Not unless I want to give up little things like food and utilities.”

“I suppose there's always Zach, dear,” Penny said tentatively, referring to Sarah's ex-fiancé.

Sarah looked at her aghast.

Penny stood her ground. “Don't look at me that way. After all, he was intimately involved in making the baby, or so you said.”

“Who's Zach?” Hunt asked Lena quietly.

“You mustn't mention the name Zach.” Lena covered her mouth with her hand. Even so, her powerful voice penetrated across the room.

Sarah blew out her breath loudly. “Mother, if I said Zach was the biological father, then Zach was the biological father. I do not sleep around!”

Penny covered her mouth.

“Secondly—” Sarah was not done, no, sirree “—under no circumstances will I contact Zach, and that's final.”

“I don't get it.” Hunt took a thoughtful sip of wine, finishing off the glass. “If this guy is the father, why doesn't she call him?” he asked Katarina.

“It's complicated,” Katarina explained under her breath. “I'll tell you later.”

“Then you'll just have to find someone else to help out,” Julie said, bringing the conversation back to the issue at hand. “I would gladly let you move in with me, but my hours aren't remotely compatible with yours, and I just don't have the flexibility to drive you when you need to see patients.”

“And we live out in the boonies,” Katarina said. “You couldn't even walk anywhere.”

“You are more than welcome to stay with me,” Lena offered. “At least my house is within walking distance of the hospital and your office. And I suppose I could always rearrange my volunteering schedule and classes, and…oh, yes…my tennis games until the baby comes.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Sarah protested. “That would be much too much of an inconvenience.” Besides, she had seen the way Lena drove. Talk about risking life and limb on a daily basis. She held up her hands to try to establish some order. “Listen, everybody, really, you're more than generous, but clearly none of you has the time or the lifestyle or…whatever to make it all work.”

Penny cleared her throat.

“Yes, Mother?” Sarah snapped, losing her patience. She heard Lena breathe in sharply. Sarah sighed, realizing she had sounded mean. “Sorry, Mom, I'm just tired. You had something to say?”

“I was supposed to leave tomorrow. Your lovely friend Katarina is taking me to the airport. But under the circumstances, I think the best solution is for me to call your father and tell him I'm staying here with you until the baby comes,” Penny said.

“Mom, that's really sweet of you to offer, but you're
afraid to drive on Route One, and you don't know how to parallel park. What would you do in town?”

“I could learn.”

“But you know that Dad will starve if you're not there to shop and cook.”

“That's not true. He's quite fond of Applebee's, even if it is a bit pricey for our budget.” Penny paused. “I know, he could come out here with me for part of the time. I'm sure he wouldn't mind.”

Sarah held up her hand. “Mom. Mom,” she repeated. “I love you dearly, I really do. So I love you enough to tell you that while your offer is really and truly generous, we both know it would never work. First of all, I live in a one-bedroom apartment.”

She held up her hand when Penny was about to object. “And, no, you and Dad cannot sleep on the floor, and I can barely get up off the floor at this point, so that's out. Besides, we both know that we can't live under the same roof for more than three days max. After that, I would be worried that Dad would be bored or anxious about the farm, or that you would think my baseboards weren't clean enough.”

“I always did prefer a wet cloth over a dry one,” Penny commented.

“What's a baseboard?” Hunt asked.

No one listened. Except Lena. She walked closer to him, stood on tiptoe and tapped him on the upper arm, the same arm that was now holding an empty glass.

Hunt looked down.

“Never mind the baseboards,” she said. She looked at him through narrowed eyes, and then began lurching her head repeatedly to the side.

“I'm sorry. Do you need something?”

“Young people these days,” Lena muttered, and kicked him in the shin.

“Ow!” Hunt said loudly.

Katarina snapped her fingers. “I've got it.”

Lena breathed a sigh of relief. “Finally!”

Katarina climbed over Julie's long legs and sat on the coffee table in front of Sarah. “I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. What about Hunt here? He'd be perfect. You already know each other, and as far as I can tell, he's not doing a thing.”

“What do you mean I'm not doing anything? Just because I've given up wearing a watch and carrying a BlackBerry doesn't mean I'm not busy. Look, I—I have a new dog to take care of,” Hunt stammered. He stared longingly at his empty wineglass.

Katarina looked over. “Oh, come off it, Hunt. It's as clear as daylight that you're drifting. I went through a long rehab, too, and I know what it feels like. But I can also appreciate how important it is to trust the instincts of those who care about you.”

Ben walked in rubbing his hands together. “It's cold out there.” He surveyed the faces in the room. “By the looks of things, it's not exactly cozy in here, either.”

Katarina reached out and he came to stand next to her. She grabbed his fists and kissed them lightly. She looked at him and a silent communication passed between them. Then she turned back to Hunt and confronted him squarely in the eye. “Do it.”

Hunt shifted his gaze to Ben. “You're just in time to protect me from your wife and her good intentions.”

“My wife's a smart woman. I agree with whatever she says,” Ben said without even knowing the details.

Katarina patted him on the arm. “Hunt, what do you say?”

“Huntington, my boy, you realize you have no choice in the matter, don't you?” Lena said.

Hunt threw up his hands.

 

I
T'S ONLY A MATTER OF
a few weeks,
he told himself.
You won't see her most of the day. But what about the nights?

Didn't anyone think that maybe he purposely chose to live by himself? That he didn't necessarily want to share the events of his day over dinner?
Dinner!
The idea of food roiled his tender stomach.

He narrowed his eyes at Katarina and Ben, shifted his surly gaze to Lena, and totally avoided the glower from Julie sitting opposite Sarah. Sarah.

He didn't know what to think of Sarah. Maybe chatting with her wouldn't be so bad. Maybe she'd even make a cherry pie every once in a while. That, his stomach could handle. Okay, he could do this.

He fisted his hands. “Listen, I guess, if you're looking for a convenient place to hang your hat, my place should fit the bill. I live right in town, and the house is big enough for more than two people. And I can probably drive you during the day, if you need a lift someplace or other.”

“Excuse me,” Sarah interjected. “You don't need to do that,” she said to Hunt. “And you all, maybe I'd like to have a say in the matter? And my say is, ‘no.'”

Penny scanned Hunt up and down. “But, Sarah, how can you refuse? It seems like such a perfect solution, and
he seems to be a very nice person, even if he is a…a…man.”

“Just a minute. After being practically railroaded into this whole thing, you're now saying you don't want to live with me because I'm a man? Is that what your mother meant?”