“Hollis, I’m sorry if—”

“No. We’re good.” She hated knowing she’d made Annie uncomfortable. She cupped Annie’s jaw and traced her thumb over her cheek. “It’s okay. I got a little ahead of things last night. My fault.”

“No fault,” Annie whispered. “I’m just not—”

“No more apologies. It’s all right.” Hollis picked up both cups. “I’ll take these inside. We should probably go.”

“Yes, we should,” Annie said, knowing it wasn’t all right at all.

Chapter Nineteen

“My first patient—Emmie—is a stay-at-home mom, so her schedule is flexible. Linda is right on the way, and I thought we could check in with her and Robin first.”

“Good idea,” Hollis said. “Just do whatever you’d usually do. Pretend I’m not here.”

Annie laughed. “I’m a midwife, not a magician.”

“What—you’re saying I’m a distraction?” Hollis grinned when Annie’s milky skin turned rosy, the way she imagined it would when Annie was aroused. Hollis shifted, stretching her legs, her trousers suddenly feeling too tight. Not a good way to start the day, but she liked the twinge of arousal a lot more than she had the dull ache of disappointment she’d awakened with. She liked how Annie made her feel. She liked feeling again, wanting again.

“A distraction? Not at all.” Annie flipped her blinker crisply and turned down School House Lane. “I’m simply noting that you are not the type to be ignored.”

“Oh yeah?” Hollis murmured, enjoying the game. “What type is that?”

Annie pulled to the curb and shut off the engine. “The forceful, commanding type.”

Hollis almost choked. Geez, she hadn’t expected that and definitely hadn’t expected to get a rush from the way Annie sounded saying it. Like she might enjoy Hollis being in charge. “Thanks. I think.” She jumped from the car as Annie got out and pulled her bag and a med kit from the backseat. “Was that a compliment?”

“No,” Annie said, turning to stride up the stone walk. “Just an observation.”

“Huh. Sounded like a compliment,” Hollis muttered as she hurried after Annie. She grinned when Annie’s laughter drifted back to her. She glanced up. The sky hadn’t changed since her ride a few hours earlier—still crystalline blue and cloudless—but the day seemed brighter. Beautiful.

She’d cleared her schedule for the morning in preparation for shadowing Annie. She was looking forward to the experience—that probably explained her sudden upturn in mood. Professionally, she was intrigued. The home-birth movement was well-established in Europe—had been for centuries in some countries—and was growing in the U.S. by leaps and bounds. Articles for and against the practice were appearing in lay publications and medical journals. Thousands of mothers proclaimed the many advantages. She didn’t feel threatened or competitive, but she was acutely curious. If she was missing something, she wanted to know. Maybe she’d learn something spending time with Annie. That was likely the cause of the anticipation churning in her belly.

Annie climbed the stairs and rang the bell. Looking at her started an ache in Hollis’s chest she really didn’t want to think about. She hurried up the stairs to join Annie, glad for the diversion of work.

Robin smiled when she opened the door and saw Annie and Hollis. “Now everyone’s here. Come on in.”

“I know I said late morning,” Annie said, following Robin down the hall, “but you were on our way, and I figured with the kids, you’d be up.”

“Been up, got the crew off, and was just making some breakfast. You two eat?”

Annie looked at Hollis. “We’re good, I think.”

“Yeah, thanks though.” Hollis slowed a little, letting Annie take the lead. She considered Linda her patient now, but this was Annie’s turf, and she was just here to observe. Funny, the role didn’t bother her as much as she would have thought a few weeks ago.

“Honor’s here,” Robin added, stopping at the foot of the staircase. “Go on up—first open door on the left. I’ll be right there. Coffee all around?”

“None for me,” Annie said.

“That would be great,” Hollis said. She followed Annie, taking in the black-and-white family photos that covered the cream-colored walls, mostly of Linda with various children. Hollis picked out the towhead she’d seen with Robin in the park. Callie’s friend Mike. The other two in many of the photos were just as blond, but five or six years older. The display reminded her of her mother’s house—and all the photos with her and the guys. She’d been the smallest, but Rob always made sure she didn’t get buried by hoisting her up when she was small, and when she grew taller… The pang of pain caught her unawares and she turned sharply away.

Annie stood at the top of the stairs, watching her. “What is it?”

Hollis shook her head. “Nothing.”

Annie’s look said she didn’t believe her, but after a moment when her eyes softened with sympathy, she walked on.

Grateful for the call of duty, Hollis slipped into the bedroom after Annie. The room was large with wide windows on two sides. Through those opposite her she got a glimpse of a large maple and the long grassy yard where she’d played volleyball. The trilling call of robins nesting in the branches outside the open windows floated into the room. Honor Blake sat in an easy chair next to the bed where Linda, in a white T-shirt proclaiming I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Good in purple letters, was propped up on several pillows. She looked rested—her color was better and her eyes had lost the patina of fear they’d worn yesterday.

Honor stood. “Hi, Annie, Hollis. I’ll get out of your way—”

“No, please stay if Linda doesn’t mind.” Annie crossed to the bed.

“Stay, Honor,” Linda said and Honor sat back down. “Hi, Annie. Hi, Hollis.”

“Hi,” Annie said. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better.” Linda glanced at Honor, then Annie. “In fact, I feel perfectly fine. I was wondering—”

“Oh no, you don’t,” Annie said. “Bed rest for today at least.”

Honor laughed softly. “Told you.”

Linda gave an exaggerated sigh. “I was afraid you were going to say that. Bathroom privileges?”

“Let me take a look at you first.”

Hollis took the cup of coffee Robin handed her as she came in. When Robin set the tray on a large oak dresser, Hollis lifted a small bright blue pitcher with hand-painted daffodils on the side and poured cream into her cup. “Thanks.”

“Any time.” Robin glanced at Linda. Her easy smile slipped a little. “Thanks for coming.”

“Annie wouldn’t have it any other way. Try to relax.”

Robin sighed. “Man, I’d much rather have them.”

Hollis laughed and sipped her coffee, watching Annie talk easily with Linda and Honor while performing a quick, thorough physical exam. When Annie finished, she pulled a chart from her shoulder bag and scribbled a few notes. Everything Annie was doing she would have done in the outpatient prenatal clinic at the hospital, but she had to agree, this was a much more relaxed, personal environment.

Annie finished her notes, pulled a straight-backed oak desk chair closer to the bed, and sat down. “Everything seems normal, and it’s now been twenty hours since your last contraction. Here’s my offer—you can go from the bed to that bathroom over there with assistance and back again. No showering, no bath, no quick trip downstairs to make lunch. The rest of the time you’re in bed.”

“Done,” Linda said fervently. She tilted her chin toward Robin. “Besides, she’s not going to let me get away with anything else.”

“Damn straight,” Robin said. “You want more tea, babe?”

“I’m good for now.” Linda looked past Annie to Hollis. “Things not exciting enough for you over at the big house?”

Hollis grinned. “Not half as much fun as this.”

Linda shook her head. “You’re not going to be very popular if you start suggesting the OB staff should make house calls.”

“Trust me, that’s not on my agenda. I’m not going to risk my life.” Hollis nodded toward Annie. “Besides, Annie’s crew has that well covered.”

Annie rose and packed up her bag. She’d been focused on Linda, but she’d felt Hollis behind her, sensed her watching. She hadn’t been self-conscious, not in any kind of professional way, but her skin had tingled knowing Hollis was looking at her. She wasn’t usually anxious, but every nerve jangled when Hollis was nearby. Her skin was hypersensitive, her blood rushed faster, and a seething urgency deep inside threatened her concentration. She couldn’t think about all that now—she had more patients to see. She rapidly repacked her bags and turned to Hollis. “Anything you’d like to add, Dr. Monroe?”

Hollis drained her coffee cup and placed it on the tray. “No, I think you’ve covered everything.”

Pleased, Annie said to Linda, “If anything changes between now and tomorrow, call. Even if you think it’s nothing—anything that worries you—anytime, I’m a phone call away.”

“We know.” Linda grasped Annie’s hand and squeezed. “When can I go back to work?”

Annie laughed. “God, medical people. I don’t know yet. Let’s see how the next few days go. One thing at a time.”

“I know,” Linda sighed. “But God, bed rest!”

“Hopefully, just one more day of that.” Annie nodded to Honor. “Nice to see you again, Dr. Blake.”

“I’ll see you at birthing class. I’m going to second for Robin.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Robin led Annie and Hollis out into the hall and closed the door. “I want Linda to have what she wants around this baby, but I don’t want to take any chances. How safe is the home birth going to be, really?”

Annie expected Hollis to recommend hospital delivery and was surprised when Hollis remained silent. A faint nod from Hollis signaled she should field the question.