The Runaway Nurse. Dianne Drake

lucky. I spent my first few months learning to sleep anywhere, any time I could.” Because she hadn’t had a husband who would help. In fact, the couple of times when she’d asked for it, he’d either stormed out, which had been preferable, or he’d—

      “You did it alone?” Edie cut in, interrupting Summer’s thoughts.

      Summer nodded. Didn’t volunteer any more information.

      “I guess I didn’t know that. For some reason, I thought you were still married when Alyssa was born.”

      “In name,” she said, wishing the topic had never come up. She didn’t talk about it. Not to anyone. Not ever. Oh, Grace had known how bad her marriage had been, but that was different. And while she trusted Edie, silence on the topic of her marriage was still the best thing. Battered wives didn’t make for great conversation. In fact, the topic had a way of stopping the conversation cold. “Look, I’m going to go make us that pot of tea. Think happy baby thoughts or take a nap … I’ll be back in a minute.” With that, she practically jumped off the chair and sprinted to the kitchen, only too glad to get away from the subject.

      Slumping against the fridge for support, with the one and only purpose of steadying her nerves, Summer shut her eyes, drew in a deep breath … New direction. New life. That’s what she had to keep telling herself.

      “You OK, Summer?” Myra Murdock, the Corbett housekeeper, asked.

      “Fighting off a headache,” Summer lied, pushing herself away from the fridge. “Um … what kind of tea does Edie prefer?”

      “These days it’s green because it’s a little lower in caffeine. One cup a day is all she gets, though.” Myra pointed to a tin on the counter top. “She likes it with cream. Oh, and help yourself to anything you want. There’s a tea caddy in the pantry … the Ceylon is my favorite.”

      “Ceylon,” Summer repeated, as her pulse finally settled down to a normal rhythm.

      “Could I ask you for a favor, Summer?” Myra continued. “Since you’re going to be staying for tea, would you mind looking after Edie while I run to the post office to mail a package to my granddaughter? Her birthday’s next week. I was going to wait until Rafe came back to the house, but if I hurry, the package may still go out today.”

      “Go,” Summer said. “And don’t rush. As often as you’ve watched Alyssa for me, it’s the least I can do.”

      Tea made, Summer carried it back to the living room, where Edie was trying to readjust her back pillow. “Can’t get comfortable,” she said, clearly agitated. “No matter which way I turn it, I still get back spasms …”

      “Back spasms?” Summer asked, setting down the tea tray. “How long have you been getting them?”

      “Most of the day. They’re not bad. Just annoying, because every time I get comfortable, I have another one.” Edie flinched. “Just like that.”

      “When Rafe went down to the paddock with the girls, did he know you were having back spasms?” She pulled her cellphone from her pocket.

      “I didn’t tell him. He’s been saint with me, and I’ve been complaining about so many things lately, I thought he needed the time away. And like I said, they’re more an annoyance than anything else.”

      Summer glanced at her watch, then punched in a number, waited for a ring, and heard it coming from the table next to the front door. Rafe had left his phone behind. “Well, ready or not, I think you’re going to have a baby in a little while,” she said, punching in another number. “You’re probably having back labor,” she said, as the ringer on the other end kicked in.

      “It’s only little twinges.” Edie protested. “Labor’s supposed to be … painful. These are just …” Another twinge hit, and she readjusted herself on the sofa. “It really couldn’t be labor, could it?” she said a moment later.

      “Well, I’ve been timing your twinges, and they’re coming pretty regularly, and less than a minute apart,” Summer said. “Hey, Rick,” she said when he picked up on the other end. “I’m at Gracie House. Edie’s contractions are less than a minute apart, Rafe’s down at the paddock with the girls … Oh, and his phone is here. So, is Jess still there? I saw him heading down the hall on my way out earlier.”

      “He’s on duty at the firehouse,” Rick said. “And we got word they’re out on a run, about halfway over to Jasper. Car wreck, minor injuries.”

      Now she was getting concerned. “And the ambulance is tied up at the wreck?”

      “On its way back in with a patient.”

      “Well, I don’t think I can get Edie into my car …” She glanced down at Edie, who was already well into another of her “twinges”. “So, with the rate she’s speeding up here, and given the fact that this has been in progress for several hours now, this could be a home birth. And unless I miss my guess, she’s ready to push.” “Ever done a home birth?”

      “No, but I assisted in a few births when I was a student, and did one on my own. One, Rick. That’s all.” She desperately wished Rick was there. Or Rafe. Or Jess. Truth was, in trying to keep up a calm facade for Edie’s sake, she was turning into a quivering heap of nerves inside. Delivering babies wasn’t her thing. She loved taking care of them, but had never really gained much experience helping them into the world. Other than that one delivery done as a nurse, and having Alyssa, she was totally inexperienced in this.

      “Um, Summer …” Edie said. “I think maybe you’re right about me needing to push. I’m beginning to feel a lot of pressure …” This time the grimace came with a groan.

      Well, this was going to be her third time. So, what was it they said about the third time being a charm? She was keeping her fingers crossed that would be the case. “Look, Rick, I need to go find some towels …” She turned away from Edie. “Real fast,” she whispered. “Edie’s labor has done a major acceleration, and this baby is fighting to get out. As in right now!”

      “Towels are in the laundry room, off the kitchen,” Edie panted.

      She turned around, nodded at Edie, then broke into a dead run, talking to Rick on the way. “So I need someone here as fast as you can get them. Someone more experienced at this than I am. And see if you can find someone to go get Rafe. He should be here for this, too. Oh, and don’t hang up on me, Rick,” she said, grabbing an armload of freshly laundered towels and running back to Edie. “I need someone to talk me through it. The last time I even went near a birthing, other than Alyssa, was ten years ago.”

      “Ten years? Then you should be good to go,” he teased.

      “Easy for you to say,” she quipped, then dropped the load of towels down next to Edie.

      Edie began to pant. “Are we going to do this right …?” Another twinge, this time much harder than the others.

      “Rick is sending help,” Summer said, then clicked the phone over to speaker and set it aside. “In the meantime, I need to take a look to see what’s going on. So if you don’t mind …”

      Edie not only didn’t mind, she squirmed herself into the position as fast as she could.

      “Help is on the way,” Rick’s voice cracked out on the wobbly phone connection. “Ten minutes … sooner … I’ll be …”

      Rick was coming? Was that what he was trying to tell her? Somehow, Summer felt better already. “OK, Edie,” she said, removing the shade from the lamp sitting on the table next to the sofa. “Let’s see what’s happening.”

      One look told her everything. Edie was fully dilated. Ready to crown. And one feel to Edie’s abdomen confirmed it all. “So, are you ready to be a mother?” she asked. “Because we’ve got a little work to do now.” Summer had to remember that even though Edie held an important position at the hospital, she wasn’t considered medical