Jimmy dropped the clothes and Teddy bear on the sofa and narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to kick your butt if you don’t shut the—”
Another scream ripped through the wall, longer than the rest, and Jimmy found himself hoping Vanessa would breathe again soon. Shouts of encouragements to push could be heard underneath her powerful strain. Finally, she stopped screaming.
Luis yelled, “That’s it!”
The high-pitched cry of a newborn rose in crescendo like a bugle above the commotion of Vanessa’s sobs and Mark’s triumphant cheers. Samuel and Jimmy smiled at each other and bumped knuckles as though they’d just accomplished something important.
Luis cried over the newborn’s wail, “It’s a boy!”
Jimmy swung the outside door open and the board game players snapped their combined heads around to look at him. “It’s a boy!”
Game forgotten, the group jumped to their feet and split off in different directions shouting the news throughout the entire town.
Jimmy walked back inside with the tingle of excitement contagiously out of control and running rampant. Samuel stood by the delivery room door looking unsure if it would be safe for him on the other side yet.
The door opened and knocked Samuel in the head, bouncing him out of the way.
Ginger reappeared and grabbed the stack of clothes.
Rubbing his forehead, Samuel winked at Jimmy, who offered a sneer in return. “How’s the baby?” Samuel asked.
Her smile was big enough to fill the room. “He’s wonderfully beautiful and looks like a perfectly healthy little angel. I get to bathe him now.” She swirled back to the other room to perform her task.
Samuel lightly punched Jimmy’s shoulder. “See, she’s got those built-in maternal instincts already.”
Jimmy clenched his fists. “I swear if you don’t stop, I’m going to—”
The sudden blaring echo of motorbike engines resonated outside. Jimmy stepped to the door as Hunter and Scout pulled up out front. He went numb with relief now that his brother was safely home.
Scout propped his bike on its kickstand and helped a little girl off its seat. He rushed to the door and almost ran over Jimmy. “Where is she? Where’s Vanessa?”
Backing out of the way, Jimmy barely pointed toward the delivery room before Scout dashed through the other door.
Hunter walked in, holding the little girl’s hand. Jimmy pushed his anger over Hunter’s overlong stay in the Big Bad in order to offer a welcoming smile to the newcomer.
“Who do we have here?” he asked, kneeling in front of her. She smelled like summer wildflowers and looked like sunshine, he thought, puzzled by such a strong first impression.
Hunter made introductions. “Catherine, this is my brother, Jimmy, and his friend, Samuel.”
The girl stretched her arms wide. Her hug was gentle, leaving Jimmy refreshed and feeling good inside by the warmth of her little embrace. He patted her back and wondered why Hunter was grinning. “Very nice to meet you, Catherine.”
Samuel crouched low next to Jimmy to face the little girl. “I’m also Hunter’s friend.”
Hunter frowned. “You knew what I meant.”
“Yeah, well it’s the way you….” Samuel’s response was cut short when the little girl wrapped her arms around him. “That’s quite the hug you got there, Catherine,” he gasped.
“Thank you. I like giving them.”
“Where did you find her?” Jimmy asked Hunter.
“Under my tree, silly,” Catherine answered for herself. “I was all alone except for my tree, the family of robins, and that chatty squirrel, until your brother found me. He’s taking me home. Are we close?”
Jimmy processed the girl’s rambled speech and the question she directed at Hunter, who lifted his chin for Jimmy to respond.
“You sure are, Catherine,” Jimmy said. “Welcome to Independents, your new home.”
“Hooray! Home, home, home!” The blonde girl sang and danced.
Jimmy stood and brushed his knees off. He arched a questioning eyebrow at his brother.
“This could take a while,” Hunter said, stepping over and grabbing a couple muffins.
The door to the delivery room crashed open against the wall. Scout ran into the waiting room with wide eyes and an open mouth as if he’d lost something and needed to find it in a hurry. Then he locked onto the little girl. “Catherine, I need you in here. My sister—”
Catherine stopped her dance; seriousness falling over her like rain washing away the playful little girl. She took Scout’s hand and the door closed again.
This time Jimmy raised both eyebrows at his brother.
Hunter waved off the occurrence. “She’s complicated,” he replied around a mouthful. “These muffins are tasty. Do you think Brittany would bring over some scrambled eggs?”
ELEVEN
Scout held Catherine’s hand—her firm grip somehow reassured him—and guided her through the door. The window blinds had been lowered a quarter-fraction of their length, allowing sunshine to fall across Vanessa. Scout fought the mental image of his sister’s soul rising in the light. She looked so close to death. Strands of damp hair were plastered to her head and her eyelids fluttered like a moth that had flown too close to the flame.
Luis paced, checked Vanessa’s pulse and listened to her heartbeat, but mostly shook his head and mumbled to himself.
Mark wiped Vanessa’s brow with a damp washcloth and spoke soft words to her; or maybe he was praying. When Vanessa first started seeing Mark, Scout doubted whether the guy would be good to her. Now he was ashamed the thought ever entered his head.
Catherine pulled him toward the baby.
“Wait, I need you to help my sister,” Scout said, tugging her toward the bed.
“Don’t worry. We have time, I promise.” She almost yanked him off his feet.
The baby was absolutely beautiful, with a dark, curly patch of hair. He stopped crying and stared at Scout with eyes big enough to capture his heart. In that moment, Scout knew he would do anything for the little guy.
Ginger handled the baby like a registered nurse in a pediatric ward, folding a blanket around him as he squawked underneath the lamp that kept him warm. The generator outside powering the lamp provided a soothing background hum.
“He’s so tiny,” Catherine said. “Look at his little nose.” She touched his head and the baby smiled at her. Catherine closed her eyes.
Ginger looked up at Scout. “We have a visitor?”
“This is Catherine. Hunter found her.”
Catherine pulled her hand away and smiled at Ginger. “The baby is perfectly healthy. He says he’s happy and you’ve been very helpful. Oh, and he’s getting hungry.”
“How do you know that?” Ginger asked.
Catherine regarded her like she was simple. “He told me, silly.”
Ginger appeared mystified as she held up a bottle. “I was just about to give him some of this baby formula.”
Catherine looked at the baby and nodded. “He says that will be fine for now.”
“What’s wrong with her, Luis?” Mark asked, jerking Scout’s attention back to his sister.
Vanessa’s eyes were closed and her chest barely moved with each shallow breath she took. Scout hadn’t heard a peep from her since he’d arrived.
