Yep, that was Shar. Never one to wax prolific.
“She wanted to send me this clipping from her local paper. Look. She’s really making a name for herself there in Eugene.”
Kendra took the clipping. There was her beautiful sister, shaking hands with some guy in a suit, accepting a certificate of some sort. Shar had followed their father’s path and become a cardiologist—a very successful cardiologist. She was five years older than Kendra but seemed much further ahead of her when it came to professional confidence. Kendra had strived to go in the same direction—cardiology seemed the surest route to developing a bond with their father—but she realized years ago that she had more of her mother’s generational leanings than her father’s. The draw to midwifery was so strong she was willing to sacrifice the closeness with her father for it.
And now, five years since his death, it didn’t matter that she had become so successful as a midwife. Dad would never know about it.
She felt her mother’s gentle touch on her shoulder.
“What’s the matter, honey?”
Kendra shook off her self-pity. “Nothing. I’m just being jealous. Daddy would have been so proud of Shar for this.”
She got her second hug of the day for that.
“He was already proud of her. And he was proud of you, too. Don’t you realize that?”
Kendra nodded. “I know. I realize we made him proud. I just struggle sometimes with that stigma Daddy felt—no, he did, Mom, and you know it. Just like so many other doctors still feel toward midwives. As if we’re wild-haired, fringe-type practitioners wearing Birkenstocks and hippie skirts and chanting around a caldron. Is that why you never went into midwifery?”
Her mother took a seat on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter, and Kendra joined her.
“No, honey. Thanks to your grandma taking me to so many deliveries, I always came across just as many doctors who supported midwifery as those who opposed it. Maybe you’ve just met an unusual number of wet blankets. I chose not to pursue midwifery because I wanted more for you and Shar than my brothers and I had as kids.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know your grandma loved being a midwife, and so did my Grandma Polly. I don’t know how far back the family tradition goes—”
Kendra nodded. “Yeah, someday I’d like to look into that.”
“Mm-hmm. I’d like that, too.”
“So? What was the problem?”
Her mother sighed. “You mentioned being jealous of Shar? Well, I was jealous of hundreds of other children. All those babies seemed to get more of my mother than I ever did. She was a bit of a zealot about her profession. Even my father complained that she took on more patients than she should have.” She pushed at her cuticles as she spoke. “It put a strain on the marriage. On the family.” She looked up at Kendra with a sad smile. “I missed my mother. I didn’t want you and Shar to feel that way.”
Kendra nearly choked up to think of her mother sacrificing her future for her own kids. There was much to admire in that.
“Besides,” her mother said, “I was always kind of grossed out by the whole thing.”
“Mom!”
Her mother laughed. “I love babies and birth—don’t get me wrong. But I think your grandma brought me to one too many home deliveries. By the time I married your father, I only wanted to be present at the deliveries of my own children, and even that out of sheer necessity. And maybe at my grandchildren’s births.”
Kendra smiled. “We’ll talk about that when the time comes. If it comes.”
She didn’t think her mother was aware of suddenly drumming her nails on the counter, but Kendra knew grandchildren were welcome anytime now. Neither Kendra nor Shar had made much progress on that front. The least Kendra could do was toss out a very minor bone.
“I might have met someone interesting recently.”
Her mother gasped. “No!” She leaned forward and grasped Kendra by the forearms. “Tell me about him! Someone from the hospital? Is he a doctor?”
“Nope. A carpenter. A genius carpenter.”
Her mother frowned. “What does that mean? He solves calculus problems while he builds homes?”
“No, Mom. I mean his carpentry is phenomenal. Beautiful.”
“And how about him? Is he beautiful?”
Kendra chuckled. “Not that it should matter, but I guess he’s pretty striking. Not like a male model, just really masculine. Tallish. And intense blue eyes. Really seems like a nice guy. He’s very protective of his sister, who’s pregnant. I think I might take her on as a patient.”
“Well, that’s terrific. How far along is she?”
“She has less than two months to go.” Kendra stood and turned away. She wanted to get the ever-present pitcher of iced tea from the fridge, but she also wished she could just walk away from this part of the conversation. She had a pretty good idea how her mother would react to the whole scenario.
“Two months?”
Kendra studied the inside of the refrigerator. “That’s right.”
A moment of silence forced Kendra to retrieve the pitcher and turn around. Her mother studied her.
“Okay, honey, what’s up with this one? Who are you rescuing this one from?”
“It’s not like that. She’s Steven’s sister, that’s all. That’s why she heard about me.”
“Steven’s the math-solving carpenter’s name?”
Kendra lifted an eyebrow. “It is. Steven Nichols. And Marianne has to—she wants to use someone else to deliver her baby.”
“Someone other than …?”
Kendra sighed, resigned. “Antoine Zibarro.”
“Oh, honey.” Her mother slid off the stool and pulled down two glasses from the cabinet. “As if that man isn’t already looking for fights to pick with the midwife community.”
“I know. But there are personal circumstances that make this a very important favor to Marianne.”
“Are those circumstances named Steven Nichols?”
“No, that’s just how we met. I’d consider taking her on regardless of whether or not I was interested in her brother.”
“Ah, good, then you haven’t committed to her yet.”
“Not yet. But I don’t think I can turn her down, Mom. I completely understand why she wants someone else.”
Her mother handed her a glass of tea. “Someone else, fine. Why does it have to be you? Why not another doctor?”
Kendra took a long drink. Lord, could You please give me some help here? I want my motives to be pure.
She set her glass on the counter. “She asked me, Mom. She’s facing a lot of sadness in her life at the moment. I believe in what I do. I believe I can make this childbirth experience as joyful as possible for her, despite her heartbreak. And I think I’m more likely to do that than anyone else. I can’t practice my profession well if I try to stay under the radar just so people like Dr. Zibarro will leave me alone.”
And that was when she decided. While her mother nodded her understanding and gave her another hug, Kendra knew she’d take on Marianne’s care. She’d trust that God would bless her sense of commitment.
Now if God would just keep Dr. Zibarro at bay, everything just might work out.
Chapter 4
Steven closed the door on Kendra’s side of the truck and walked around to the driver’s side. He loved that she thanked him for opening her door for her. He’d been raised to treat women with common courtesies like that, but it was nice to be thanked.
He tucked her “home visit bag” behind their seats. He had taken it from her as soon as she walked out the hospital’s front door.
“Thanks for picking me up here,” she said. She cocked her head toward the hospital. “First-time mom. She just needed a little assurance before checking out.”
Steven pulled out of the lot and began the short drive to Marianne’s house.
“You can’t imagine how much comfort you’re giving my sister by taking care of her for
the rest of her pregnancy. She really dreaded going back into Zibarro’s office again and maybe running across Gina.”
“I couldn’t turn her down after I thought about it. I’m glad she lives close to the hospital. I normally ask about that, because I don’t take on clients who live too far away, just in case of emergencies. But it’s awful to carry around the kind of stress Marianne’s feeling, especially when you’re pregnant. She has enough going on already.”
They reached Marianne’s driveway in a matter of minutes, and Kendra’s gasp turned his head.
“Something wrong?”
She gave him a wide-eyed glance and pointed at the house at the end of the long drive. “You didn’t tell me she was …”
“Rich?” He chuckled. “I’m not sure where I might have worked that into the conversation. They’ve done all right for themselves, yeah. Does it matter?”
“No, no. Of course not. I have clients who are well-off. I sound like a bumpkin, don’t I? It’s just that she seems so down to earth.”
“She is. My whole family is like that. Not very aggressive professionally, but we go after what we love.”
“Like your woodworking.”
“Mm-hmm. I take the smaller, detailed work when I can, because I enjoy it more than big carpentry jobs. Marianne was a fund-raiser before she and John married. Then she decided to focus on him, on making his life as smooth and worry free as she could. But she didn’t glitz herself up like some trophy wife. I think that’s one of the problems. John probably thinks he’s trading up, getting involved with that woman from Zibarro’s group. Marianne says Gina acts like she’s royalty. Marianne has never behaved that way. I think that’s why John takes her for granted.”
He studied his sister’s grounds and home, long familiar, with fresh eyes. “She’d trade in all these trappings of wealth for a husband who still loves her. I’d still like to deck the guy.”
He parked the truck before giving Kendra a chance to respond. Marianne met them at the door, grabbed Kendra, and gave her a big hug.
“You’re just a lifesaver! And I love not even having to put on makeup before my exam.”
Kendra laughed. “I don’t require that for the ladies I see at the hospital, either.”
“Yeah, but my vanity kicks in when I have to go down there. Especially now. I feel like everyone on staff is making comparisons between me and Gina.”
Steven clenched his teeth. “Yeah, well, one of you is a faithful wife, and the other is a home wrecker.”
Marianne gave him a kiss on the cheek and a little shove. “You tell ‘em, bro. Kendra and I are going to leave you to your own devices for a while. There’s leftover mango chicken in the refrigerator if you want to heat it up. John treated me and seven of my closest girlfriends to a little dinner party last night.”
“He did?” What was John buttering her up for?
“Yes, he did. He just doesn’t know it yet. But he will when the catering bill arrives next month.”
He heard Kendra’s soft chuckle and knew his sister had a staunch supporter looking after her now. The knowledge relaxed the tension right out of his body.
The women were gone long enough for him to raid Marianne’s refrigerator and reheat some leftovers that must have been very elegant last night to still look so tasty today. The fruity, spicy smell made his mouth water, and he realized he had actually forgotten to eat breakfast. He had been far too excited about seeing Kendra. What was he, a middle-school kid suffering his first crush?
He put three plates on the kitchen table and was sitting down to wait when the front doorbell rang. “I’ve got that,” he called out.
He struggled to hide his surprise when he opened the door to John. Marianne must have had the locks changed, as she said she would. The moment John gave him his broad, friendly smile, Steven got ahold of reality and overcame the strangeness of standing in this man’s home, barring access.
“John. Can I help you?”
John’s smile flattened. “Oh. I imagine Marianne’s home, then?”
“She is. She’s up in your—in her bedroom.” No, he didn’t want to mention the fact that she was being examined by her new midwife. “What can I do for you, John?” He continued to stand in the doorway, his legs akimbo, hoping to suggest that John’s entry wasn’t a foregone conclusion.
“Is she, is she all right?” At once John looked contrite. “I haven’t heard from her, and I’ve been so worried. You know, about her and the baby.”
Ah. So Zibarro’s office must have alerted him to Marianne’s withdrawal of business.
“I’ll ask her to call you. Just as soon as she’s up to coming down here. We were about to have some lunch together. Okay?” He pushed the door a little more closed.
“Uh, I wondered … well, actually I need to get my golf clubs. They’re in the sports room.”
Steven lowered his head and peered at John through heavy, angry eyelids. “Your golf clubs.”
John stood more erect and puffed out his chest like a pigeon. His demeanor became nearly prissy in its defensiveness. “Yes. Not that it’s any concern of yours, but I have an important tee time tomorrow morning with several other surgeons.”
Steven nodded. “I can see how worried you are about Marianne. Hang on a minute. I’ll get your clubs for you.”
In the middle of John’s indignant response, he closed the door, locked it, and rushed to the sports room to get John’s clubs. He wanted to spare Marianne from seeing such a graphic display of John’s priorities.
When he got back to the foyer, he could hear Marianne and Kendra laughing about something upstairs. He yanked open the front door, pushed the clubs at John, and said, “I’ll ask Marianne to call you. Enjoy your game.”
He didn’t wait for a response. And moments after he heard John’s Jaguar pull away, he heard Kendra and Marianne emerge, still laughing about something. He made an effort to hide his aggravation over John’s lack of character.
“Hey, I don’t know if pregnancy is supposed to be this much fun, ladies.”
Marianne sniffed the air with open passion as they descended the stairs. “Goodness, that smells wonderful. I can’t believe the appetite I’ve had lately.” She gave Steven a soft pat on the cheek. “You’re going to make someone a fine wife someday, sweetie.”
“Hey!” Steven frowned but met eyes with Kendra, who grinned at him as if they had known each other for years.
“In case you were wondering,” she said, “Marianne and the baby are right on track.”
“That’s great to hear.”
Marianne headed into the kitchen. “I told Kendra I’m going to gush about her to all my rich friends. We’ll bring home birthing back into vogue. They love being on the cutting edge.”
Steven shook his head and gave Kendra a smile. “You have time for lunch before we leave, right?”
She nodded. “Unless I get a delivery call, I’m free until my two o’clock appointment.”
“Who was that at the door?” Marianne put the mango chicken in the microwave for another quick warm-up.
Steven glanced at Kendra and sighed. “It was John.”
He saw Marianne’s shoulders sag. “What did he want?”
She faced him, and the trace of hopefulness in her eyes broke his heart. “I think he just wanted to make sure you and the baby were all right.”
But when her hopefulness seemed to rise at his comment, he panicked. Lord, I don’t know how to handle this stuff. Help! “Yeah. He asked about you, Marianne. But … he got his golf clubs before he left.”
He didn’t think her shoulders could drop any lower. He was wrong.
“I’m sorry, sis.” He looked to Kendra, as if she could offer comfort in the midst of this clearly dysfunctional marriage she had happened upon.
Kendra grimaced, sighed, and looked at Marianne. “Well. He sounds like a real peach.”
Marianne shot a glance at her that held for about five seconds before she burst out laughing. She cried, but she laughed, too.
Kendra moved up to her, an affectionate smile spreading, and placed a protective arm across her shoulders.
Steven wasn’t sure if the two women could tell, but his heart had just melted.
Chapter 5
Okay, well, cheers to you, Kendra. That was one of the smartest moves you’ve made yet.”
Shar raised her glass of cranberry juice to salute her younger sister. They were dining at the little bistro near Kendra’s McMinnville home. A barely audible Edith Piaf ballad lilted from the restaurant’s speakers to mingle in the air with the rich aromas of garlic, onion, and seared beef. The soft lighting colored everything and everyone sepia, as if they had been captured in a 1940s Parisian photograph.
Kendra had just mentioned her newest client, Steven’s sister. By the time Shar arrived in Willamette Valley for her family visit, Kendra had learned that Marianne was one of the wealthiest women in the area.
“I can’t say I was thinking all that smartly taking Marianne as a patient. My heart just went out to her. I like her a lot.”
“And I understand her brother isn’t bad, either.” Shar’s lips turned up in a half smile.
Kendra sat back and matched her sister’s expression. “Mom. You’ve been talking with Mom. And here I thought I was giving you news you hadn’t already heard.”
“No way. You know how bad Mom wants grandbabies. She’s probably already booked flights to Disneyland for herself and your kids. Anyway, you should’ve known she’d tell me about the rich sister. She’s so proud of how well you’ve done with your business, even though she says you let your heart rule you a little too much. This time your heart seems to have settled you squarely in the land of plenty.”
“Ugh. You sound so mercenary, you know that? Marianne isn’t a golden goose. She’s just one woman. One patient. Her money doesn’t make her more important than anyone else.”
“One patient, yeah, but she’s probably a terrific contact, especially if everything goes well with her baby’s delivery. My practice in Eugene grew like crazy thanks to a few well-connected patients like that. Like it or not, the medical community is as political as any other. It’s a good idea for you to be out there schmoozing.”
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