by Amy Jarecki
“Ow. You’re hurting me.” She haughtily tossed her head back and pulled away. “She must have found my scrapbook, because it was on the floor.”
Matt turned and ran his fingers through his hair. “Holy shit, this gets worse.”
“What is it about her that’s so much better than me? I’m a lot prettier.” Monica slapped her hands on her hips in an indignant pose. “You’re the man for me Matty, don’t you see it? No one ever treated me the way you did. I just didn’t appreciate it until you were gone.”
He slammed his fist against the wall. “She has more class in a strand of hair than you could ever muster in your entire lifetime.”
Monica’s eyes flashed with uncontrolled rage. “How dare you? Of all the insulting…”
“I’ve got to go. Now.” Matt charged past her, up the stairs and raced to his room. Throwing his things back into his suitcase, he slipped his bare feet into his wet shoes and put Patches into the crate.
Arms folded, his mother met him at the bottom of the stairs. “What is going on?”
“I’m sorry, Mom, I have a mess to clean up and it can’t wait. I have to fly back to Philly.”
“Now? Are you kidding? Dinner’s on the table. It’s Christmas.”
“I know. I feel really bad. Remember Rebecca, the woman I kissed at the dog show?”
“Yes, of course.”
Matt leaned forward and lowered his voice so that only she could hear. “Monica went to New Jersey and confronted her.”
“She what?”
“She told Rebecca that Monica and I were back together.”
“Oh my goodness, that’s awful,” Mom whispered.
“It’s no wonder Becky acted like I wasn’t in the room at the party.”
“Can’t you call her?”
“I don’t think she’d answer. She hasn’t returned a call in days.” Matt raked a hand through his hair. “Why don’t you and Dad fly out to Philly tomorrow? I’ll pay for the tickets so Dad doesn’t have to worry about it.”
“But tomorrow is Christmas Eve.”
“Yeah, it is. I want you to come.”
Mom wrung her hands. “I’ll have to talk to your father.”
Matt kissed her on the cheek, picked up his bag and turned the doorknob. He glanced back at his mother’s forlorn frown. “Get on a flight. Call me with the details. I’ll pick you up.”
Once he returned his car, he checked flights on his iPhone while riding the car-rental bus to the terminal. “What airline?” the driver asked.
“Not sure. Give me a minute.” He found a ten o’clock flight that would get him to Philadelphia at six a.m. The redeye would have to do. He booked the ticket from his phone. “US Airways.”
He sucked in a nervous breath. He had three hours to wait. He could have stayed and had dinner.
Just as well, I don’t think I could have held my cool with Monica sitting there like Cruella de Vil. I can’t believe that crazy woman. Just because her daddy’s rolling in dough doesn’t give her the right to drive a steamroller over everyone’s life.
What if Rebecca won’t listen? What if she hates me?
No, I can’t think like that. I have to be positive. I’m going to make it right. I have to make it right.
Chapter Fifteen
Rebecca inflated an air mattress and made herself a bed next to the whelping box. Sara slept curled in a ball with her pregnant belly rising and falling with each breath. Her temperature had dropped below ninety-nine degrees which meant that she should whelp within twenty-four hours. The ultrasound had shown that there were three puppies, a good sized litter for a Chihuahua. With Bruno as the sire, these babies were already sold. Rebecca didn’t want to take any chances that Sara might go into labor during the night. She set the alarm on her phone for midnight, three and six a.m.
“Hey Mom, I thought you’d like a cup of herbal tea.” Amanda stepped into the studio with two steaming mugs.
“How nice. Thank you, sweetie.”
“You sure you don’t want me to sleep down here with you?”
Rebecca looked up from her vigil, sitting on the floor beside the wooden box. “There’s no sense in both of us going without sleep.”
“Will you wake me up when she starts whelping?”
“Okay, if I can get away.”
Amanda pulled her phone out of her pocket and held it up. “You could call my cell if you need help.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll call you.”
“‘K. Night, Mom.”
“Goodnight. I love you.”
As she expected, Rebecca slept fitfully, wearing a track suit in case she had to rush to the vet. She used a pen-sized flashlight to examine Sara each time the alarm buzzed. At six a.m. she rose to find Sara licking and starting to dilate. She slipped her feet into her shop clogs and splashed some water on her face at the dog bath. The puppies were rousing and reminding her it was time for breakfast. She checked on Sara one more time before letting them out while she filled their bowls.
Called Amanda and told her it was time, then brought the dogs in.
Hair tousled, Amanda flew into the studio in her fluffy pink bathrobe. “Hey, Sara. How’re you doing?”
“She just started dilating.”
Amanda squealed. “Oh, there’s a contraction.”
Rebecca poked her head over the whelping box. “Why don’t you go up and put on some sweats and make some toast for both of us?” Amanda hesitated. “We have some time. But hurry.”
After her daughter left, an urgent tap rapped on the studio door. Rebecca looked out the window and gulped.
Oh brother, this is all I need.
Matt stared at her with dark circles under his eyes, hair smashed on one side. He stood with Patches’ carrier draped over his shoulder and looked like he’d been up all night. She didn’t care that she looked the same. She cracked open the door. “I thought you went back to Malibu.”
“I flew out there, turned around and came back.”
Rebecca didn’t ask him in. “You’re crazy. Why are you here? Sara’s about to whelp.”
“Really?” Matt glanced at the box. “Look, I found out you had a run-in with Monica.”
“Uh huh. I guess you could say that.” Though freezing cold with the door open, Rebecca folded her arms and steeled her defense.
“Monica was history before I moved out here.”
“Oh? She didn’t look so historical standing at your door.”
“She came to New Jersey to try to convince me to take her back, but it’s over between us.”
Rebecca pursed her lips. She wasn’t buying it. “Why should I care if it’s over or not?”
Matt reached for her hand and she yanked it back. She wasn’t about to make this easy for him.
He stammered but his blue eyes held her gaze. “It’s you I care about.”
Rebecca sucked in a sharp breath. She wasn’t prepared for the back flips her stomach would do when he spoke those words. She thought she was stronger than that.
She couldn’t look away, the desperate honesty in his eyes captivated her. Rebecca knew he cared. She did too, but his “playboy status” still needled.
Carrying a plate with four pieces of toast, Amanda burst through the door and stopped short. “Holy shit. I thought you were in Los Angeles.”
“Hi, Amanda.” Matt gave a choppy wave. “I was just explaining that to your mom. I’d rather spend Christmas with you guys. Is that okay with you?”
“No. That’s lame if you ask me.” She set the plate down and rubbed her arms. “It’s freaking cold in here.”
Matt let out a long sigh and locked eyes with Rebecca. “Please,” he mouthed.
Rebecca stepped aside. “Come in if you’re going to stay. Her contractions are strong. If a puppy doesn’t come within a half-hour we’re heading to the vet for a C-section.” Rebecca rubbed the kink in her neck. Matt’s strong hand started to massage, but she jerked away. She could only deal with one thing at a time and right now the most urgent was Sara.
Amanda served up the toast while they sat on the floor around the box.
“You got any coffee?” Matt asked.
Rebecca’s lips thinned. “We drink tea.”
“Right. Got any tea?”
“God.” Amanda rolled her eyes. “I’ll make some.” She jumped up and left the room before Rebecca could object.
“You look like you haven’t slept.” Rebecca kept her eyes on Sara.
Matt unzipped Patches’ carrier and held him in his lap. “I took the redeye.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about your being here.”
“That’s okay. You’re not the type who’d get all weepy on me.”
“That’s right. And I’ve told you before my kids are…”
“…your number one priority. I know. I got that.”
Amanda returned with three cups of tea carried on a platter. Rebecca could only savor her first sip before Sara began to whimper. Biting her lip, she crouched over the box and clicked her pen light to examine her. Whimpering was not a good sign. “That’s it, let’s go. I’m not taking any chances.”
“Want me to drive?” Matt asked.
Rebecca hesitated. “You could be stuck there for hours.”
“Got no other place to be.”
“Put Patches in the ex-pen.” Rebecca carefully wrapped Sara in a towel and snatched her purse off the desk.
Rebecca’s main veterinarian office was around the corner, but she kept records with the twenty-four hour vet a few miles away. They had a thirty-foot ceiling and an enormous tree sprouting from the center of the waiting room. Though under other circumstances, the interior decorator in her would have admired the maple, she now found it annoying, having to walk around it to get to the reception desk.
A sleepy-eyed receptionist greeted her. “May I help you?”
“I’ve got a Chihuahua in labor. Her temp dropped two hours ago and she’s whimpering.”
“Have you been here before?”
“Yes, I registered Sara here. You have her ultrasound results.”
“Name?”
“Rebecca Lee.”
The woman turned to her computer and clicked the keys. “Let’s see.”
Rebecca’s foot tapped in nervous anticipation. Matt leaned across the desk. “Please, Miss, this situation is urgent. I can help you with the details if you could just get the dog back to the vet.”
Eyes narrowed, the woman glanced at him but Matt grinned and her stern features softened. Her eyes shifted to the tiny white head peeping through the pink towel. Sara whimpered. “Just a minute.”
Seconds later, a tech ushered Rebecca into an exam room, followed by Amanda. Matt said he’d follow after the receptionist had the information she needed.
A woman with shoulder length black hair wearing a white lab coat entered through the opposing door. “I’m Dr. Stone.”
Sara’s whimpering rose to earsplitting yelps as Rebecca’s shaking hands set the dog on the counter. A vision of calm, Dr. Stone examined Sara and listened to her belly with a stethoscope. “She’s distressed and that’s not good for the puppies. She needs an emergency caesarean.”
“That’s what I thought. Are the puppies okay?”
“As far as I can tell there are three heartbeats. We’ll need you stand by to massage them. Are you up for that?”
“Absolutely,” Rebecca said just as Matt walked into the room. “The three of us will each take one.”
Matt shrugged questioningly.
“They’re going to do a C-section. When they pull the puppies, they need to be rubbed to get their circulation going. We’ll gently rub them with one finger. They’ll only be about the size of my thumb.”
The doctor allowed them to wait at a distance while she started the surgery. A stabbing pain in Rebecca’s shoulder crept up her neck and threatened a migraine. She reached her hand back and kneaded it but the tension eased when Matt’s strong fingers found their way to her shoulders. This time she gave in to his kindness.
“You’re wound tighter than the coil on a pogo stick.”
Rebecca took a step forward. “Thanks.” She couldn’t allow him to get too comfortable. There was still much to atone for.
“First puppy.” Dr. Stone cradled it in her hand.
“Aw. Look at that,” Amanda cooed over the newborn.
Rebecca slipped a towel over her palm and the doctor placed a tiny puppy on it. Using her ring finger, Rebecca showed Amanda and Matt how to stimulate life, the bare-naked pup starting to move.
“I can’t believe something that small is actually alive,” Matt said.
Amanda got puppy number two, and by the time Matt got number three, Rebecca’s little one was ready to be put back with Mom. She watched as Matt barely touched the tiny form in his palm. “It’s okay, you can sense how much pressure you should use.”
Matt looked worried but rubbed a fraction more vigorously.
“That’s it,” Rebecca said.
After closing the incision, Doctor Stone turned her attention to the puppies, all showing signs of life. “Sara should come around in a few minutes and we’ll try to get them to nurse. It looks like you’ll have three healthy puppies. One for each of you.”
They rested two boys and a girl alongside Momma while the doctor worked to bring her around. “Come on, Sara. Time to wake up.” She rubbed her all over, patting her little cheeks.
Amanda wrung her hands. “Sara, wake up and see your babies.”
Rebecca bit her upper lip, her heart raced. “Wake up, Sara, honey.” But there was no hint of movement.
The doctor snapped her stethoscope into her ears and listened for Sara’s heartbeat. “It’s too slow. Everyone out.” Her voice clipped with unarguable intensity while initiating a steady pressing motion on Sara’s chest.
Tears welled in Rebecca’s eyes. “Oh my God.” Matt ushered her and Amanda into the waiting room. She wrapped her arm around Amanda, whose tears streamed down her chin.
Matt led them to the most comfortable looking couch. “Let’s sit. All we can do now is wait.”
Rebecca held Amanda tighter.
Please God, please help Sara to wake up. What will the puppies do without their Momma?
“It’s going to be all right, Mom.”
Rebecca couldn’t swallow back the sick feeling that churned her stomach. “She’s like a child to me. I bred her. I held her in my palm as she was born, just like we did with her puppies today.”
Matt folded her hand in his and kissed it gently. Rebecca’s eyes met his for an instant. She saw compassion there, but he had hurt her and made her realize she didn’t want to open her heart for him to stomp on. She didn’t want to think about him right now. She couldn’t, though her hand remained in his.
They watched as other people came in with their pets, all dressed in sweats, looking as shabby as Rebecca felt. The night receptionist had been relieved and a new woman now checked people in with efficiency, as if she had been doing the job for years.
The door to the office opened and they looked up expectantly. A smiling woman with a German Shepherd glanced at them and quickly averted her eyes. Rebecca listened to her banter with the receptionist—the big dog had emergency surgery to remove a piece of metal from its intestine, and was able to go home—a happy ending to a nearly fatal situation.
The door opened again and Rebecca’s attention diverted. Doctor Stone appeared in the doorway. “Rebecca, you can come back now.”
Rebecca looked from Matt to Amanda. “All of us?”
“Sure.”
They hastened into the room. Rebecca’s heart nearly stopped. Sara lay on her side, eyes closed, but the puppies were nursing. Rebecca stooped to check for breathing. Yes. Warm air caressed her fingers as Sara’s abdomen rose and fell.
“It was close, but she’s stable now,” the vet said.
“Oh, thank God.” Rebecca hugged Amanda and glanced at Matt who looked every bit as relieved and happy that Sara was out of imminent danger.
/> Dr. Stone clasped her hand around her stethoscope. “I’d like to keep her here for twenty-four hours for observation.”
Rebecca looked up. “Tomorrow’s Christmas. Would we pick her up then?”
“There will be a skeleton staff here. We’re never closed.”
“Do you think that’s best for the dog?”
“If you take her home, you won’t have the equipment you may need to bring her around. Time is critical.”
Amanda grasped Rebecca’s hand. “We can leave her here and we’ll have Christmas puppies in the morning.”
Rebecca nodded. “Okay. Whatever is best for my Sara and her babies.”
Matt’s phone rang and he stepped aside. “Hi Mom. Tomorrow? What time? Great. I’ll be there to meet you.”
Rebecca’s attention piqued as she shook hands with the doctor and petted Sara, assuring her that everything was going to be all right. When they headed to the car, Rebecca’s curiosity got the best of her and she turned to Matt. “Are your parents coming out?”
“Yeah, they’ll be here tomorrow afternoon at four. Mom was pretty upset when I ran out of the house.”
Amanda poked her head forward from the backseat. “You what?”
Matt glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “I found out your mom was upset with me.”
“Hey, good for Mom. But you got to LA and turned around and flew back here?” Amanda slouched against the seat with her arms crossed. “Unbelievable.”
“Want to go to IHOP?” Matt asked, completely ignoring her rudeness.
“With you?” Amanda glanced toward Rebecca and shrugged. “I’m starving.”
Still overcome with worry from Sara’s ordeal, Rebecca swallowed her desire to head home and fret. Conflicted by Matt’s presence, she needed to think, but the Lexus turned into the restaurant parking lot and she was forced to go along with a meal of buttermilk pancakes.
After being led to a booth, Rebecca and Amanda sat across the table from Matt. He poured cream into his coffee. “It looks like Sara is going to pull through.”
Rebecca nodded. “I think she’s out of danger but I was worried.”
Amanda took a sip of water. “She’ll be fine. She has her babies to make her happy. I know Sara and she’ll be as protective as a momma bear.”
