Once inside, she made for the bathroom and locked the door. Lucy stared at her sweaty-faced reflection in the mirror.
“What the hell are you doing?”
This wasn’t her. She didn’t get involved, couldn’t afford to. Getting out of Lake Howling had to be her next move, and yet she’d promised Mrs. C she’d work there for at least a few weeks.
“Distance,” she muttered, splashing water on her face. “Keep your distance.”
When she came out, she found Annabelle Gelderman alone, standing with her hands braced on the wall.
“Ouch!”
“Are you all right?” Lucy hurried to her side. Annabelle gripped and squeezed her hand hard enough so that in seconds the blood had left Lucy’s fingers.
“Damn, I wanted it to be tomorrow, after Rose’s birthday. It’ll complicate things if I have this baby today.” Her face was pinched, and through the bravado, Lucy saw fear.
“Are you going into labor, Annabelle?”
“Yessss.”
“Okay, I’ll get help.”
“Ethan’s going to be worse than me,” Annabelle gritted out. “He’s squeamish. Shit, I’m getting another contraction. It’s too quick.”
Her hand was gripped tighter, and Lucy felt helpless in the face of the woman’s pain. Yes, it was natural, and yes, she’d seen it before, but still, it was difficult to watch.
“You need to let go of my hand now, Annabelle.”
“Okay.”
Lucy eased her fingers out of the grip and ran outside. She’d met Dr. McBride senior earlier so it was to her she headed.
“Annabelle’s by the bathroom, and I think she’s going into labor.”
The woman calmly put down her glass. “Go and get Ethan now, Lucy, and I’ll go to Annabelle.”
“Okay.” Jumping off the step, she ran to where Ethan stood with his friends. “You need to come now. I think Annabelle is in labor.”
“What? God, really?” Color leached from his face.
Lucy grabbed his hand and started running back into the house.
“Belle!” Ethan roared.
“She’s all right,” Dr. McBride said calmly when they reached the two women. “Just starting labor.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m pretty good at detecting these things.”
“Right.”
“Well now, Annabelle, is it party time?”
Annabelle moaned around another contraction as Jake arrived. She grabbed Ethan’s hand, then snagged Lucy’s before she could escape.
“You want to yell or bite, Annabelle, you do that to the man you married,” Jake said. “Not the doctors, okay?”
“Got it.”
“Okay, so we need to make it to the bedroom, as I’m sure you don’t want to have this baby in my hallway,” Jake added.
“She’s having it now?” If possible, more color left Ethan’s face.
“Not sure till we’ve checked her over, bud.” Jake gripped his friend’s shoulder.
They moved slowly, with Lucy still holding Annabelle’s hand. She’d leave as soon as they were settled in the room.
“Pull back the covers, Lucy,” Jake said. “Then go and tell Branna what’s happening and get some clean linen from her.”
“I don’t want to ruin Rose’s party,” Annabelle said around another moan.
“Don’t be silly, Annabelle, having a baby will not ruin it. She’ll love it. My daughter will be able to boss your child around on their special day. What’s not to like? Plus, double the cake and ice cream.”
“Another contraction!” Annabelle screeched.
“That’s close,” Dr. McBride senior said, far too calmly as far as Lucy was concerned.
“Go tell Branna now, Lucy.”
She hurried out of the room and found Branna. “Annabelle’s in labor, and they’re checking her over now but Dr. McBride senior said the contractions are close.”
“Trust her to have the baby quickly. I was in labor for days.” Branna was smiling. “I’m so excited.”
Lucy told her what Jake needed.
“Okay, come with me, and I’ll give you the clean sheets and towels.”
“I should really go now.”
“If you could just run this linen in first, please, Lucy.”
Annabelle let out a scream that rattled the walls, and Macy appeared, looking breathless. “Is it true about Annabelle?”
“You didn’t hear that?” Branna nodded to the room behind them.
“No, is she screaming already?”
“We all knew she was going to be one of those, to be fair,” Branna said. “If you can watch over the party, Macy, I’d be grateful, and I’ll just get the things they may need.”
“Okay, no worries, you let me know if you need anything else.”
They all seemed so calm. Surely the party should be canceled?
She followed Branna and held out her arms for the linen.
“Take that in, and I’ll check back soon to see if they need anything else.”
Lucy tapped on the door behind which Annabelle was moaning, and then entered. “Where do you want this?”
Jake waved to a side table. He was at the end of the bed with his mother. Lucy looked away to give Annabelle privacy.
“I don’t know if I want you between my wife’s legs.” Ethan stood holding Annabelle’s hand.
“We played doctors and nurses plenty as children, so we’re good,” Jake added.
“He’s a bit bigger than you,” Annabelle gritted out between pants.
“I cannot believe you said that when our child could hear!” Ethan roared.
Jake started laughing so hard he was soon crying.
Lucy couldn’t believe they were still teasing each other at a time like this.
“We’re not into mushy words, but this works,” Jake told her, seemingly reading her mind.
“I need you to concentrate on your breathing for me now, Annabelle. Ethan, you go on and get some ice chips and water. Also a damp cloth,” Dr McBride senior said.
The harried Texan left at a sprint.
“He needs to feel like he’s doing something,” Jake said. “I don’t want him passing out, and he hates blood, so this will give him a focus.”
“I’m just going to check things again now, Annabelle,” Dr. McBride said.
A tap had Jake going to the door; he came back with his doctor bag.
“Now you need to make sure she stays hydrated, Tex. Sips of water, or a mouthful of ice,” he said when the pale-faced Texan returned.
“Right.”
Lucy slipped back out of the room, determined to leave this time. No way did she want to be in the room when the baby arrived. She was a stranger, for pity’s sake. What was the matter with these people, accepting her so easily.
“Hey, how’s it going in there?” Noah was leaning on a wall, looking as pale as the Texan.
“She’s doing great, Noah, really.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. What’s wrong?”
“What? Me? Nothing’s wrong. I was just worried about her… Annabelle.” He looked jittery. Something was off.
“If you say so.”
“I do.”
“Right. Excuse me, I need to leave.”
“Shouldn’t you stay in case you’re needed?”
“For what? I’m not a doctor, or a nurse, or a friend even. I shouldn’t be here.” Her voice rose on the last word.
“But what if something happens?”
“I don’t see why it would, but if it does, there are two doctors in there. What’s going on, Noah? You’re acting weird.”
“Nothing’s going on. I’m just worried, as any friend would be.”
“Noah.” Faith arrived. “Annabelle is going to be just fine. Women have babies daily, in fact every few seconds, so let’s go back outside now.”
He was tense. She could see the muscles in his jaw bunching.
“All right.” And suddenly he was gone, walking down the hall and out of her sight. Faith stayed.
“Is everything all right?” She was a feminine version of her brother. Softer features, less harsh lines.
“It is. Annabelle’s doing great. Is Noah all right?” She had no right to ask, but wanted to.
“Sure. He just gets scared when the women in his life are going into labor. Bad memories.”
She wanted to ask what memories, but that wasn’t her business and she never wanted it to be. Instead, she left, grabbing Buddy as he sprinted past with Noodle. She put him in the car and was soon driving away.
What bad memory did Noah have around childbirth, and why did seeing him worried and, yes, vulnerable make her chest ache?