The phone was ringing as Jack stepped into Gia’s place. He’d just picked up Vicky at the bus stop. When he saw Mount Sinai on the caller ID he snatched up the receiver. God, he hoped it wasn’t bad news. He’d talked to Gia just a couple of hours ago and—
“Is Vicky home?” Gia’s voice.
“She’s right here. Is anything—?”
“Then come and get me. Please get me out of here.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Really. Dr. Eagleton released me but the hospital doesn’t want me going home alone. I know it’s only been one night but I’m so sick of this place. I want my home.”
Jack knew it was more than that. Gia skeeved out—her verb—in hospitals.
“We’re on our way.”
They grabbed a cab on Sutton Place, zipped up Madison into the low One Hundreds, then west over to Fifth Avenue. Mount Sinai Medical Center had a view of Central Park that the Donald Trumps of the city would kill for. Jack and Vicky found a very pale Gia perched on a wheelchair inside the front door. Jack guided her into the cab, and off they went.
Ten minutes later they were stepping through the front door on Sutton Square.
“Oh, God, it’s so good to be home!”
Jack followed her down the hall. “Now you’re going to be a good girl and take it easy like the doctor said, right?”
“I feel fine, Jack. Really, I do. Whatever was going on has stopped. I slept straight through the night and haven’t had a hint of a cramp since.”
“But you lost a lot of blood and didn’t you say you’re supposed to take it easy?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean putting myself to bed.”
“It means staying off your feet and that’s exactly what you’re going to do.” He led her to the big leather chair in the oak-paneled library and seated her in it. “Now stay there till bedtime.”
He knew Gia would never do anything to jeopardize the baby, but he also knew that her high energy level made it difficult for her to sit still.
“Don’t be silly. What about dinner?”
“I can make it!” Vicky cried. “Let me! Let me!”
Jack knew a Vicky dinner would mean more work for Gia than if she were doing it all herself. But he had to play it carefully here. Didn’t want to step on little-girl feelings.
“I was thinking of takeout.”
Vicky wouldn’t let it go. “Let me make it! Please, please please!”
“Gee, Vicks, I already ordered Chinese for tonight.” Jack knew it ran a close second to Italian on her favorite foods list. “You know, egg rolls, wanton soup, General Tso’s chicken, and even a doo-doo platter.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean a pu pu platter?”
“Oh, yeah. Right. You know, with ribs and shrimp toast and even a fire.” She loved to singe her spareribs in the flame. “But if you’d rather cook, then I’ll call and cancel. No problem.”
“No, I want a pu pu platter. I can cook tomorrow night.”
“You’re sure?”
Vicky nodded. “A pu pu platter, right?”
“Right. I’ve got an errand to run and after that I’ll bring home the doo-doo.”
Vicky giggled and ran off cheering.
Jack turned and winked at Gia. “The usual broccoli and walnuts in garlic sauce, I presume?”
She nodded. “You presume correctly. But where can you get a takeout pu pu platter?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll find one, even if I have to get a can of sterno and jury-rig one myself.” He leaned over and kissed her. “You’re sure you’re all right?”
“The baby and I are fine. We just had a little scare is all.”
“And you’re going to follow doctor’s orders, right?”
“I’m going to take a shower in my own bathroom to wash off the hospital and then I’m going to sit right here and read a book.”
“Okay. But make it a quick shower. I’ve got some errands to run.”
“Fix-it errands?”
He nodded. “Got a couple of them going.”
“Nothing dangerous, I hope. You promised—”
“No danger. Really. One is just finding a missing guy for his mom. And I’m arranging the other so that the guy I’m fixing won’t even know he’s been fixed. No danger, no chance of bodily harm. It will be no-contact poetry.”
“I’ve heard that before. You say ‘piece of cake’ and next you show up with a purple face and choke marks all over your throat.”
“Yeah, but—”
“And you couldn’t even go visit your father without starting some sort of war.”
Jack held up his hands. “Sometimes these things take unpredictable turns, but the two fix-its running now are as straightforward as they come. No surprises. I swear.”
“Oh, I know you believe that, but lately every time you start one of these jobs it seems to turn nasty.”
“Not this time. See you in a couple of hours. I’m keeping my cell phone off for the rest of the day.” When he saw her questioning look, he said. “Long story. But I’ll be checking in lots.” He waved. “Love ya.”
She smiled that smile for him. “Love you too.”