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On the sandy trail, they pointed out where a rainy spring had changed the landscape, trees had succumbed to the water table and were lying on their sides, and yellow agrimony, purple toadflax and white asters bloomed for a short time. Up above, the sky was deep blue, not a cloud in sight. Summer was in the air, the heat palpable. Thank god for air conditioning.
They arrived back at the barn.
“I’m going to stay out on the porch as long as I can tonight, just in case,” Maggie said, removing Dale’s saddle.
“You might be the proud godmother of a colt or a filly in the morning.”
They worked at caring for the horses, chatting about whether or not the horse would be theirs if it was born on their property.
“We’ll have to adopt it,” Justin said. “We should do it anyway, and adopt Raven while we’re at it. Now that Macon has been sneaking around your land, who knows what he’s up to.”
“Ugh, don’t mention his name.”
***
On the stroll back to their house, Annie had the first contraction. She slowed down a little, not wanting to make a big deal out of it, or hear Steve tell her she was imagining it. This was real, not a Braxton-Hicks, but a full-on uterine clampdown that made her bowels rumble and her gorge rise.
“Hurry, will you? I have to get to work.”
“Okay,” she said, breathing slowly through her mouth.
He walked ahead of her for a while, and when the contraction was over, she caught up with him.
“What time is it?”
“One ten. I’m late.”
“Go. Just leave the house unlocked for me.”
He nodded and took off, not bothering to kiss her. Laughing, she thought how typical for Steve to leave her on the street, in labor. Their relationship had progressed to that; she was independent and would rather labor alone for as long as possible, not trusting him to be patient. He’d refused to go to more than the first birthing class with her, saying the sight of all of those big bellies made him sick.
In a few minutes, she saw his pickup pull out of the side street and head to the hardware store. The second contraction started up then, about like the first, and she slowed her pace until it passed. Once she arrived at home, she locked the door, checked the time, one twenty, switched on the air conditioning, and went straight to the bathroom to get in the tub. With her phone nearby, she waited for the next contraction, and it didn’t come for another twenty minutes. Relief. She was probably in labor, but early labor.
When the bathwater cooled off, she got out and dressed in comfy clothes. Calista’s cake sat like a lead weight in her belly. She went into the kitchen and got fruit salad out of the fridge and made a glass of iced tea.
Someone should probably know she was in labor, so she sent a group text to Katrina and Maggie.I’m in labor. Steve is working, and I don’t feel like listening to his negativity, but I want someone to know.
Katrina answered first.Dave is out on a call. Do you want me to come down?
She replied,No, I’m good. It’s very early. Contractions are twenty minutes apart. I’m not even going to call the doctor. I wish you two were coming with me when the time comes.
They hadn’t discussed it at the time, neither Katrina or Maggie interested in seeing their best friend give birth. But now that they were both expecting, it suddenly seemed like a good idea.
Maggie had just come in from her trail ride and checked her phone. Reading the message, a wave of excitement flowed over her body.I want to go in with you, don’t you, Kat?
Katrina answered next. Yes, I want to see what it’s all about before I have to go through it.
Laughing, Annie sent the final message. I’ll be in touch when it’s time. I wish I’d planned on a home birth, but it’s too late, obviously.
***
Wealthy businessman Phil Adler lived in a sprawling mansion on the bay five miles east of Cypress Cove. When he arrived home after his race with Amber Greely, he got the mail and, after flipping through it, got into the shower.
He dressed with care, a white knit rugby shirt and khaki shorts and docksiders with no socks. For a guy in his fifties, he had a head of hair, and he combed it back, knowing it would dry in curls if he didn’t tame it with gel. But there would be no gel tonight. He pressed the button on the intercom in his bedroom.
“Margaret, spur-of-the-moment company for dinner tonight. Sorry I didn’t give you more time.”
She answered back, “No problem, sir. Steak on the grill tonight. Ralph is getting it ready now.”
