Chapter Twenty-Two #2
Since he was a sensitive, she knew he could look and see for himself, appreciated he didn’t. “Between Trina and your mother, it’s hard to feel otherwise. The partner’s desk you built, it’s a hell of a thing.”
“They live and work so well together, don’t they? Dee and Ian. It’s been good to meet some of his family and know they’re as proud of him as we are of Dee.”
“Where is she?”
“In her kitchen, last I saw her.”
“I need to go over, tell her everything’s good.”
“I’ll go with you.” Roarke laid a hand on her good shoulder.
“One of Peabody’s grannies,” she murmured as they walked, “who looks like a runway model, had her hands all over me.”
“Circe? Stunning, isn’t she? And a healer. She helped you, that I can see for myself.”
They moved through the bold colors of Mavis’s side, to the quieter ones of Peabody’s.
Trina had been at her, too, Eve noticed, party makeup, fresh red streaks, and a headful of curls. Peabody took one look at her and grinned.
“Trina had her way.”
“So did we. Banner’s flipping on whoever he can flip on, and for that he gets Reo’s bottom-line deal, excluding on-planet. It’s done.”
“It’s done. Redman?”
“We take the win today. We do this party that’s been in the works for freaking ever. We take the weekend. Then we pick it up.”
“Okay.”
“Where’s my pie?”
“Right over there. Deep-dish apple. But first? Mal—my brother Mal and his wife, Leah. Their kids are running around with Bella and the rest. This is Eve Dallas. You met Roarke.”
She met the older brother—one with his father’s gray eyes. One of McNab’s grandmothers, with milk-pale skin, flaming red hair, and a rolling Scottish burr.
She watched Summerset stroll in with a baby on his shoulder. Then Nadine with a flute in her hand.
“You slayed,” Nadine told her. “It was important, and you slayed. Now, work’s closed out.
Jake and the band are setting up outside.
Wow, Peabody, all this food looks amazing.
” She plucked something off a platter, popped it in her mouth.
“And yum. Oh, the Miras came in when we did. I think your mom’s now in love with Dennis Mira. ”
Who isn’t? Eve thought, and ate some pie.
It wasn’t hard to do the mingling thing, not when everyone was so damn happy, and she knew a bunch of them. She caught up with Baxter and Trueheart.
“You’ve caught weekend duty.”
“Well, shit.” Baxter shrugged and chowed down on a burger straight from Leonardo’s smoking grill. “Tonight we feast, tonight we party.”
“And tomorrow you shuttle off to Bora Bora.”
His jaw dropped. “Are you shitting me?”
“I am not. You’ll deal with the insane paperwork, and bring John O’Brian back on Monday. Do not embarrass me. Do not force me to wire bail for two of my detectives.”
“I’ll keep him out of trouble, boss.”
She looked at Trueheart. “Make sure he doesn’t get you in any.”
As the moon sailed, she stood outside, watched Avenue A rock it out. And Peabody’s great-grandmother Blossom—the Peabodys had some wild and strong DNA—dancing with Peabody’s younger brother, Zeke.
She talked with Feeney, Louise, and Charles, met McNab’s whirlwind of a mother. And felt her heart melt when Dennis asked her to dance a slow one.
“Charlie says you’re healing well.”
“I am.”
He looked at her with those dreamy green eyes. “I’m so glad you’re recovered enough for tonight. Nothing lifts the spirits like a gathering of people who share a heart.”
Was it any wonder she had a crush on him?
Mavis swept by, put an arm, gently, around Eve.
“Isn’t it all abso-fab? Even more abso-fab than I imagined.
All my favorite people are here, including people who just became my favorite people.
They’re here, laughing and eating and dancing in my house.
An army of kids are having a kind of pajama party downstairs.
Bella’s conked out with a big smile on her face. ”
“I don’t know anybody in the universe who deserves this more than you.”
“That’s why you’re my fave of my favorite people. That’s my cue. I’m doing this number.”
“You’re right.” Roarke handed Eve another cocktail. “No one deserves this more.”
“Look at her. How can she move like that while carrying that mountain? And it looks great out here. The lights, the flowers, Peabody’s water feature, all of it.”
“You’ll tell me when you’re tired and need to go.”
“Not yet.” Not when her spirits were lifted.
Mavis took her bow, laughed, then went back to Eve.
“Whew! That’s my last performance until we greet Number Two.”
“You look like you have more in you.”
“Nope. Because Number Two’s on the way.”
“On the way where?”
“Here. Oof.”
“Here? Now? No.” Panic, beyond imagining, exploded inside her. “Roarke, we’ve got to get her to the hospital, birthing center, whatever.”
“I’ll get Leonardo.”
“Actually, woo . . . Okay, that’s done. I’m doing this here, at home. Our home.”
How could an unimaginable level of panic double within seconds?
“No. Uh-uh. No.”
“Which I didn’t mention because I knew you’d freak. Which is why I didn’t tell Peabody because she’d cave and tell you, then you’d freak. I have a midwife. She was here for a while, but now she’s pretty busy delivering twins across town.”
Every ounce of blood drained out of her. “Mavis!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” All happy eyes, Mavis waved that away. “I’ve got two doctors here. Louise and Mira. And Phoebe—hey, Phoebe. How many babies have you helped deliver?”
“Twenty-eight.” She put a hand on the mountain. “Ah, I see. I thought it might be tonight. Tomorrow anyway. I’m happy to help, but why don’t I get Louise?”
“Check it. And, Roarke, if you’d tell Leonardo. He’ll set everything up in the bedroom. He knows what to do.”
Roarke looked as pale as Eve felt. “I don’t understand what’s happening here.”
“It’s okay. Moonpie does. Number Two didn’t want to miss the party.”
“Mavis, you can’t just—”
“I can. I am.”
Louise hurried over. “Home birth?”
“Yeah, all prepped for it. Midwife got another call though. I think things are moving pretty fast.”
“How fast?”
“Well, I had one right before my number, and another right as I finished. Then another about a minute ago.”
“That’s fast.”
She smiled in a way that made Eve wonder if everyone had simply lost their collective minds.
“Why don’t we get you upstairs? Charles, why don’t you get Dr. Mira? We’ll tag team this one.”
“I’m a licensed midwife,” Phoebe told her. “So’s my mother-in-law, my oldest daughter.”
“Happy to have you if Mavis is.”
“Phoebe’d be mag. Could you get Peabody? I want her with me. And Dallas, I need you with me.”
Eve thought: Oh fuck, oh fucking fuck. And said, “Sure. No problem.”
“I’ll just . . . stay down here. Boil water.”
Eve grabbed Roarke’s hand. “I go, you go.”
“Someone has to boil the water. I’m sure of it.”
“Bollocks to that.” Eve dragged him with her.
Mavis spotted Trina, hailed her. “Baby’s coming. Can you take over as hostess?”
“Bet your ass. You got this, Mavis.”
“I’d better.”
She had another contraction at the top of the stairs that had Eve fighting yet another level of panic.
What if she didn’t even make it to the bedroom? What if the baby just . . . spilled out on the floor?
But they made it to where Leonardo, eyes wild, rushed to Mavis, copper curls bouncing, long silver vest flying.
“My darling. My own!”
“Special sheets?”
“Done. Towels, sterilized clamps, scissors. Your music’s cued up.”
“I got Avenue A and the rest for that.”
“Everything’s ready! I did everything.”
He held up a pink-and-blue nightshirt that read: WELCOME HOME, NUMBER TWO!
Louise glanced toward the doorway. “Dr. Mira, good. Let’s get Mavis out of her party dress, into her birthing gown.”
“I’ll just step out.”
Eve gripped Roarke’s hand like a vise. “Try for the door, pal, I will take you down.”
“You saw me naked last time,” Mavis reminded him. “It’s all about the baby.”
“You may avert your eyes,” Eve muttered to him. “That’s as far as you go.”
“How long have you been in labor?” Mira asked as they stripped Mavis down.
“Oh, about six hours. I thought for the first couple it was the fake stuff, since I’m supposed to go another ten days. Bella was early, too. Whee, here comes another one!”
“Leonardo, come, breathe with her. Dallas, breathe with her.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Mira and I are going in to scrub up.”
“Don’t even think about running for it,” Eve warned Roarke. “You’ll pay a terrible price.”
“I’m paying one now.”
“Get your balls up.” She got her own up and moved to Mavis. Breathed.
Peabody rushed in. “Baby time? You didn’t tell me you’d planned a home birth.”
“You’d’ve told Dallas, then freak-out.”
“Yeah, I’d’ve tried not to, but probably.”
“This is a fine home for a birth, and you’ve prepared very well.” Phoebe glanced around. “Should I light the fire?”
“I was supposed to!” Leonardo’s eyes went wild again. “I forgot.”
“I’ve got it. And you did very well, Daddy.”