Ginger Snapped to Death

by Catherine Bruns

  "Got it," Nick said cheerfully as he handed me his phone. "Are you okay? You look kind of green. Now, that's not a bad color for this time of year, but—"

  "Fine," I rasped and typed three familiar digits into the phone. I leaned back against the wall, afraid I wouldn't be able to get back up again. I gritted my teeth through another contraction as an operator came on the line.

  "9-1-1. What is your emergency?"

  It was a few seconds before I could answer.

  "Hello? What is your emergency?"

  "Please help," I gasped. "I…uh, have two…two emergencies."

  There was silence for a second. "Your location is coming through as 13 Carson Way. What is your name, ma'am, and what are your emergencies?"

  "My name is Sally Donovan. A man came into my bakery and he tried to kill me." My forehead was bathed in sweat, and I panted like a dog.

  "Where is he now?" The operator's voice sounded puzzled, as if she was trying to get a grip on what had happened. To tell the truth, I wasn't exactly sure what had happened myself.

  "I knocked him out with a rolling pin. Please send two ambulances right away."

  "Two ambulances?" The operator asked in surprise.

  I gritted my teeth, resigned to the fact that I was about to give birth on the bakery's kitchen floor. "The other one's for me. I'm in labor."

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The next few hours were a complete blur as I drifted in and out of consciousness. After phoning for help, the next thing I remembered was the sound of wailing sirens and a flash of bright red and blue lights in my face as I was being loaded into an ambulance. I thought Brian was talking to me at some point, but it may have been my imagination. Someone was holding my hand—Nick? No, it was Mike. The pain in my lower back was so excruciating that I wanted to weep.

  "We've given her something to help her relax." A woman's subdued voice floated through the air. "It's making her very drowsy, but she was hysterical when we found her. It may be a tough delivery for her, Mr. Donovan. That's a big baby she's carrying."

  "Are either of them in any danger?" Mike asked anxiously.

  I must have drifted off again because the next thing I remembered was a nurse helping me into a hospital gown. I was so weak that I could barely lift my arms. The sides of the bed were lifted and then I was being pushed down a hallway that seemed to have no end. My eyelids fluttered shut again.

  When I opened them, Dr. Chandler was in front of my bed, a nurse beside him. Mike was wearing blue scrubs and standing next to me, holding tightly to my right hand. "It won't be long now, princess. Our baby will be here soon."

  An hour later, Mike was still saying the same encouraging words. I was bathed in sweat and exhausted. "Can I go home now?" I cried out, and everyone laughed.

  "Come on, Sally. Try pushing again." Dr. Chandler's deep voice resonated through the delivery room.

  I bore down and gritted my teeth, squeezing Mike's hand so hard that his flesh turned a lifeless white. The doctor's face was unreadable, but the nurse clucked her tongue loudly and shook her head. "Nope. That baby must really like it in there." She laughed, trying to make a joke, but I was not in the mood.

  "Come on, Sally. One more time," Dr. Chandler coaxed, and I wanted to burst into tears.

  Mike pursed his lips. "Doc, I don't mean to tell you your business, but she's been pushing for over an hour. My wife is tough, but it's plain to see she's exhausted."

  "Can I have some water?" My throat was parched, and the dry air in the room wasn't helping.

  The nurse shook her head. "Not now."

  Mike surveyed her coldly. "What harm is a few ice chips going to do?"

  "Let her have them." Dr. Chandler said to the nurse, who immediately held out a blue plastic cup and spoon to Mike. The doctor then spoke to another nurse in an undertone and walked out of the delivery room.

  "Why is he leaving?" I shrieked, my mouth full of ice chips. "That's it. He's given up. Our baby's not coming out."

  Mike's mouth turned up at the corners, but he was smart enough not to laugh out loud. He kissed me on the cheek and then wiped my sweaty forehead with a cool, wet towel the nurse had handed him. "There's nothing to worry about, sweetheart. The doctor said you need to have a C-section. Our baby's a little too big for you to push out on your own."

  With a sigh of relief, I nodded and closed my eyes. I'd wanted a natural delivery—it was all I'd talked about for months. Now, exhausted and weak, I couldn't care less. There was no way I could push anymore. "As long as the baby's okay. That's all that matters."

  When he bent over me, I noticed the lines of worry creasing his forehead, but he smiled tenderly into my eyes. "Everything is going to be fine. You rest and let the doctor do all the work. You did a wonderful job, and I'm so proud of you, Sal. You just need a little help, that's all."

  My eyes were intent on his face. "Our lives are going to change forever tonight."

  He nodded solemnly. "I know, but only for the better. God, Sal, you gave me such a scare when Brian called and said you were in labor. What if that psycho had—" He didn't finish the sentence. "You're one tough cookie. And so's our baby. Get it?" He smiled, obviously pleased with his joke.

  "That's cute," I said wearily. So, Brian had been there. Was he in the waiting room with my family? And what about my helpful friend? I stared up at Mike again. "Where's Nick?"

  Mike frowned. "Who's Nick?"

  "You know." I watched as Dr. Chandler reappeared through the swinging double doors followed by a blond-haired man in a mask and gown. Nurse Anti–Ice Chip flipped a switch on the wall, and the overhead lights became so bright that I had to shield my eyes against them. "I told you. He's the guy who found me when I was carjacked."

  The man in the gown came over and patted me on the arm. "Hi, Sally. I'm Dr. Wilson, the anesthesiologist. I'll be giving you an epidural, and then we'll get this show on the road, okay?"

  "Thanks, Doc." Mike turned back to me, a perplexed look on his face. "Sal, you were alone when the EMTs got there. Well, except for Farley, whom you'd managed to knock out with the rolling pin. Brian heard the emergency call come in and got to the bakery as soon as the EMTs did. You passed out before they even loaded you into the ambulance, and he called me right away. There was no one else there. You must have been dreaming."

  "No," I insisted. "He was there. I know he was there."

  Mike's midnight blue eyes were anxious. "Okay, princess. I'm sure he was. Don't get yourself upset, okay? You can ask Brian about it tomorrow. He said he'll stop by in the morning to see you."

  "What time is it?" I asked groggily.

  Mike glanced across the room. "It's 11:50."

  "At night?" I asked stupidly.

  "Yes." He kissed me lightly on the lips. "Almost Christmas Eve."

  Dr. Chandler's voice was warm and soothing. "Okay, Sally, the epidural should have taken effect by now. We're going to transfer you to the operating room, so lay back and enjoy the ride."

  Great. Everyone was a comedian these days.

  The doctor went on. "Mike, you'll need a mask for the surgery. Angela, get him one please."

  Within seconds I was being wheeled into the operating room. Mike gripped me tightly by the hand and only left me for one brief moment to put his mask on. The other nurse hung a sterile blue drape in front of me so that I wouldn't be able to see the surgery. I must have dozed off again for a minute because Mike was squeezing my hand, saying, "Did you hear him, princess? The doctor said our baby will be here in a minute."

  There was no more pain, and I smiled up at my husband in a foggy haze. I was tired but didn't want to miss the moment when my child came into the world. My crazy delivery room dream came back to me, and I glanced around the room, afraid I might see my mother with a video camera. "There's no one else with Dr. Chandler except the nurses, right?"

  Mike chuckled. "Who did you expect? The stork?"

  "It's—complicated." The nurse and Dr. Chandler were talking in hushed voices. There was
a tugging sensation on my lower abdomen, and then I heard a cry. It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. I clutched Mike's hand tightly. "Can you see him? Our baby? Is he okay?"

  The curtain lowered, and Mike smiled down at me, his eyes moist. "I was right."

  "About what?"

  "It's a girl, sweetheart."

  Tears dripped down my cheeks. "We have a daughter."

  "A healthy, beautiful baby girl. Let's get a weight on her and clean her up, and then she's all yours," Angela called out. A few seconds later, I heard her say, "Ten pounds, two ounces. Time of birth, 12:03 a.m., December 24th."

  "Way to go, Sally." Dr. Chandler stripped off his gloves and smiled at both of us. "That's the biggest baby born here this month, I believe."

  Angela carried my baby to me and placed the warm bundle in my arms. She was wrapped in a white blanket, a pink knit cap sitting on her tiny head covered with dark hair. I stared down at her in wonder, with Mike's arm around my shoulders. Her eyes were enormous and a milky shade of blue. They were transfixed on the bright lights above. I knew the color might change, but I prayed she'd have her father's eyes—the most incredible eyes in the world.

  "She's so beautiful," I whispered.

  Mike reached out a finger to touch her hand. "She's a wonder, princess. As pretty as her mother." He leaned down to kiss her and me.

  I kissed my baby on the forehead and held her out to Mike. "I'm so tired that I'm afraid I might drop her. She's heavy! You take her."

  His grin stretched from ear to ear as he held his daughter. He seemed to be a natural at fatherhood already, his hand supporting the back of the baby's head as he cradled her against his chest. The baby looked at him and then closed her eyes, as if content to sleep. "She knows she's in a good place," I said tenderly.

  Mike's eyes filled with tears as he held her. I'd only seen him cry a handful of times, and the sight tugged at my heart. "We're all in a good place now, Sal. The three of us are a family—a bond that will never be broken." His voice was gruff with emotion, and his megawatt smile brighter than all the lights in the room. "This is the happiest day of my life."

  "Mine too." I smiled up at him.

  * * *

  Mike lay next to me in a cot the hospital had brought for him. We didn't sleep much, although the baby did. We were too busy counting toes and fingers and trying to decide who she looked like. If her eyes stayed blue, she'd be a carbon copy of her father, except for the nose. That distinct feature belonged to the Muccios.

  I'd been worried the baby might have issues nursing, but she'd latched on immediately with no problems. She was already too big for the newborn diapers the hospital provided. Several of the outfits I received at my shower last month wouldn't fit her either, but I didn't care. Because of her size, the nurse said she might start off sleeping three to four hours between feedings. As tired as I was, that made me happy. I wanted to spend every waking moment with her and Mike and never waste another minute.

  We had so much to look forward to. Her first smile, learning to walk and talk, riding a bike, birthday parties, graduation, and someday her wedding. I was a regular waterfall just thinking about it all.

  My parents had been in briefly after the delivery, but since it was so late, Grandma Rosa had convinced them to come back in the morning. "Sally and her little family need to rest." She'd patted my cheek, and her solemn brown eyes had been moist. "You love hearing that, cara mia. And you deserve to hear it. Your face is lit up like a Christmas tree. You have waited a long time for this. Enjoy every minute, sweet girl."

  "But has she got a name yet?" my mother called out as my grandmother ushered her out of the room.

  Grandma Rosa winked as she shut the door behind them. "I am sure that Sally and Mike will come up with the perfect name for their beautiful baby."

  Mike changed the baby and rocked her in his arms, talking to her in a soft voice. I loved watching him with her. He glanced over at me and smiled. "How do you feel about another one, princess?"

  "Not tonight," I teased. "I've got a headache."

  He yawned, then placed the baby in her plastic bassinet. She let out a little cry as he swaddled her in the blanket like the nurse had shown us earlier. He pointed at the sign on the bassinet that read I'm a girl! with Baby Donovan written underneath. "She still needs a name, and I think—no, I know that I've got it covered."

  "Oh yeah?" The pain from my incision was starting to recede. The nurse had given me morphine a little while ago and assured me it wouldn't hurt the baby. I was starting to feel the drug's effects as I yawned and clasped Mike's hand. "How about Michele? It's close to Michael."

  He grinned and stroked my hair softly. "Nope. Not a chance. Now you need to get some rest, Mrs. Donovan. We'll talk about it later."

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  "Sal, if you weren't in the hospital right now, I would be screaming for you to get in here. There's a line out the front door!" Josie said excitedly.

  "Maybe Grandma would be willing to stop by." My gaze focused on the elderly woman sitting next to my bed as we spoke.

  "No, it's fine," Josie assured me. "Mickey's here to help, and Dodie's…well, coping. As soon as we close, I'm on my way over to see that gorgeous little girl. Say, what about the wedding tonight? I brought my dress here so that I could change since I won't have time to go home. But there's no way you can be her matron of honor now! What—"

  "Whoa, slow down." I glanced over at Gianna and Johnny, who were sitting on the other side of my bed. Alex was on Johnny's lap, drinking a bottle. Mike handed our baby to Gianna, and she cooed over her as Mike snapped photos with his phone. "As for Gianna's wedding, it's over."

  "What?" Josie sounded confused. "Did they call it off because of Satan's clone—aka Nicoletta?"

  "No. They went to the courthouse yesterday and made it official."

  Josie sucked in some air. "Good for them. How is your mother taking it?"

  "Surprisingly well." Gianna and I exchanged a knowing smile. "She and my father are due here any minute. Gianna and Johnny are here with Grandma. Nicoletta, well, that's another story. She's sulking, but she'll get over it."

  "In about a hundred years," Johnny said wryly.

  I paused for a sip of apple juice left over from my breakfast tray. "They're planning a small party on New Year's Eve to celebrate the wedding after I'm up and around. Of course, you and Rob are invited. It will be at Kung Foo Parlor."

  "Shut up." Josie laughed. "A Chinese restaurant? What did the old lady have to say about that?"

  "Johnny told her she could bring her own spaghetti if she wanted."

  Josie snorted. "That must have gone over well. Well, if they need extra fortune cookies, we've got it covered. What's happening with psycho Farley?"

  I paused to watch Johnny lift Alex next to the baby. He let him touch her black silky hair for a brief second.

  "This is your cousin," Gianna told him gently.

  The sight of them together pulled at my heart strings. How wonderful that they would always have each other to play with, much like Gianna and me.

  "Sal?" Josie called. "You still there?"

  "Sorry. Farley admitted to pushing Tatiana overboard and stabbing Damian. Brian sent me a text earlier. He's going to stop by later and fill me in further after he's questioned him."

  "One less nutcase that the world has to worry about," Josie remarked. "It's kind of disturbing how they always manage to find you. Sal, you must have a guardian angel looking out for you."

  I laughed but didn't mention Nick again. Everyone seemed to think he was some figment of my hormone-crazed imagination, but I knew that wasn't the case. And Josie was one of the biggest skeptics around when it came to ghosts, spirits, or fortune cookie messages.

  "You did really good, partner," Josie said. "A ten-pound baby—holy cow! None of mine even came close to that weight. It might have killed me. I can't wait to see the little love."

  "She's not so little." I laughed. "She weighs a ton."

  "
It must be all that cheesecake you ate during your pregnancy," Josie teased. "Give her a kiss from her Aunt Josie. I'll stop by later with a present for her. I wanted to get out of here early to see you but not sure that's going to happen."

  "No! Don't leave early. It's Christmas Eve, and we need the money. I'm not going anywhere for a couple of days. How's Dodie doing?"

  Josie sighed. "Still clumsy. But what can I say? It's Christmas. I'm full of holiday cheer today and haven't lost my temper—yet."

  "For you, that's a major milestone," I chuckled.

  "Oh, we're getting buried here. Gotta run, Sal. Love ya."

  I clicked off. Perhaps Dodie wasn't so bad after all. I was looking at the world through rose-colored glasses today. Maybe we should keep her on part time for a while. I was going to need help, and she worked cheaply enough that her talent would eventually surpass the money she cost us in damages. At least I hoped so.

  A tap sounded on my door, and my mother poked her head in. "Hi, honey." When she spotted Gianna holding the baby, she squealed.

  "Mother!" Gianna spoke indignantly in her sophisticated attorney voice. "People are trying to rest here. Remember, it is a hospital."

  My mother seemed to have forgotten my father was behind her and almost slammed the door in his face. "Let me see that little sweetie!" She held out her arms for the baby, and Gianna gently laid the baby in them.

  My mother crossed the room with the baby, gave Mike and me each a kiss, and then sat down in Gianna's discarded chair and began to cry. "She's so beautiful!"

  My father's chest was puffed out with pride as he shook Mike's hand and then leaned down to give me a kiss on the cheek. "You did real good, baby girl. She's a beauty." He smiled slyly at Mike. "Sorry, son. She looks Sicilian."

  "No, she doesn't," Gianna scoffed. "She looks just like her father."

  My father pretended not to hear. "Yep. A true-blue Italian. Except those eyes. But they'll turn dark in a few weeks."