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“Oh, like you can change me. Don’t get your hopes up.”
“You’ve got a baby in the oven, Boxer —”
“I think that’s ‘bun in the oven’ —”
“And I’m part of your family. Don’t forget that I walked you down the aisle on the happiest day of your life.”
“I haven’t forgotten.”
I hadn’t forgotten a minute of that day. Me on Jacobi’s arm. Walking on rose petals. Seeing my husband-to-be waiting for me in the gazebo overlooking the sea.
I put my hand on my tummy, stared off into space, then came back to the moment when I realized that Jacobi was staring at me.
“Is something wrong, Boxer?”
I touched his hand. “You were terrific that day. Standing up for me.”
“It was a great honor.”
His eyes showed me what I already knew. How much he cared. How close we had been and would always be.
“I’m going to get sloppy,” I said. “Brace yourself.”
“No, no, please don’t do that,” he joked.
I got up and went around the table and he stood up, and I hugged him really hard. I said into his ear, “I missed you, Warren. I’m so glad you’re coming back.”
Chapter 118
IT WAS A pretty Sunday morning and I was at Mountain Lake Park, herding children.
Well, Martha was herding children and I was blowing the whistle and giving commands. Martha was a little older than the kids, who were about six or seven, three girls and a boy.
I held Martha by the scruff of her neck, said, “Get ’em,” let her go, and she loped over to the little squealers and ran circles around them. I said, “Come,” blew on the whistle — high-low-high — and Martha ran back to me, wagging her tail, happy lights sparkling in her eyes.
I asked her to cut between the little kids, separate the tallest little girl from the rest. The kids and their nannies laughed and more people gathered.
Other dogs saw that a good time was going on and wanted to get in on it. And so barking and yapping added volume and range to the giddiness.
Bystanders called out asking for more tricks, and volunteers stepped forward to be herded. Martha showed off and we got rounds of applause.
Oh, man, I had to do this more often.
And that’s when I felt a pain in my gut.
I bent over, grabbed my knees, and Martha broke ranks and licked my face. I was hit with another cramp, and this time, I thought the worst.
I was about to miscarry in my second trimester. How could this happen? Please, God. Don’t let me lose my baby.
I leashed Martha, summoned a smile for the children, waved good-bye, and found a bench at the edge of the park.
My cell phone wasn’t charged to the limit, but I had enough juice to call police dispatch, then my doctor, and then Joe. I was able to reach only the police.
A squad car pulled up. Tom Ferrino jumped out.
I said, “Take me to the hospital, Tommy. I’m going to give you my keys so you can bring Martha home afterward.”
“What’s wrong, Sergeant? Are you in pain?”
