there have ever been two more beautiful babies. You are going to be just fine.”
Despite my exhaustion, I grinned and looked back at the babies. They were so precious. I had no idea how much I would grow to love them so quickly.
“And you went into labor just outside the doctor’s office?” Alice asked.
I nodded. “Yes, my water broke, and then I had the worst pain in my back. To be honest, it felt like I had a really bad stomachache.”
“Yep,” Alice replied. “I heard the urge to poop is a sign.”
Candice muttered something about TMI, and I added, “If you think that’s bad, listen to this. I stumbled, walking back into the office. So Mark picked me up and carried me the rest of the way. I was shouting something about getting him dirty with my nasty baby juice. I may have also been begging for medicine.”
“Dear Lord, that sounds horrible.” Candice shuddered.
Alice just laughed. “Sounds mighty normal to me. Babies are a messy business.”
“Mark said that someday we will look back on this and laugh about it.”
Candice quirked a brow. “And will you?”
I shook my head. “Never. That will never happen.”
“So then they rushed you over to the emergency room?” Alice prompted.
“Yes, thankfully, we were in the same parking lot. But it felt like the contractions were coming fast and sharp because I was dilating. They gave me something for the pain, and then hour after hour, they would come in and tell me that I wasn’t dilating enough. They put an internal monitor in to check the babies’ heart rates, and when they started dipping too low, they started the c-section. Everything after that was a blur. I wish I remembered it better, but things were kind of crazy.”
Alice leaned in and whispered, “I heard you called Dr. Young, Dr. McChild.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “You’ve been talking with Mark?”
Her eyes twinkled. “And that you asked the young doctor if he knew what a vagina was because it was obvious he wasn’t looking at yours correctly.”
Candice rolled with laughter. “You did not!”
“Look, twenty-four hours is a long time to be in pain and not have a baby.”
“Some people go forty-eight hours,” Alice cut in.
“Some people are fucking heroes,” I replied snarkily.
“Mrs. Williams,” Dr. Young’s voice came from the doorway. “I see you have company.”
Candice and Alice immediately stood.
“We can leave,” Alice said hastily.
“No need,” Dr. Young added quickly. “Just came to check on you. I spoke with the nurses, and they said your dressing looks clean. Do you mind if I have a look?”
Dr. Young looked at my incision and did another glance at my charts. Before I knew it, he was on his way.
“Handsome man, that Dr. Young,” Alice said sagely. “I wonder if Katie’s single.”
“Who’s Katie?” Candice and I asked together.
“New deputy. She’s supposed to be coming to get the keys from Reena and me tonight. Pretty little thing, more red hair than she knows what to do with, and more freckles than stars in the night sky.”
“Are you matchmaking, Alice?” I teased.
She winked at me. “Maybe? Brian already said that he’s off-limits. So maybe the young doctor might want a little law enforcement in his life.”
“And in his bed?” Candice added cheekily.
“If the badge fits,” she cackled.
“Tell me about her,” I asked.
“Full name is Katheryn McCleary, but she said to call her Katie. She’s from somewhere out west, Nevada, I think? Looking for a change, she said. You know who she reminds me of? Sadie, that cute young lady that runs the Sunday school class for Father Montgomery.”
I didn’t know Sadie very well; she was a couple of years younger and from a rather wealthy family. Obviously, we didn’t have anything in common, but I did know who she was. I always thought Sadie was pretty in an understated sort of way. Some might consider her plus-sized or fuller figured, and she dressed in a rather matronly fashion.
“I don’t know,” I said hesitantly. “I don’t think Sadie would be Dr. Young’s type. If Katie is like her, maybe it’s not a good idea.”
“Pfft, they aren’t exactly alike. Anyhow, it was just an idea, I had better run. I don’t want to spread gossip.”
“Tell us!” Candice insisted.
“Well, I didn’t miss the double-take that Brian gave the new officer when she was moving her boxes in. He might have said that he wasn’t interested, but that’s not what his eyes were telling me.”
“Alice!” I chided. “You can’t get involved in all of this.”
“You have my word,”