Cross My Heart (The Devil's Riders 8.50)

“Need any help?”

“You mean with tasting? Or actually cooking?” She teased. We both knew I had cooked for the entire family many times over the years. Especially when she was in rough shape because of the old man. But in happier times, she preferred to do the work and fuss over my sister and I.

So we decided to focus on those times.

“I can help. Tasting or otherwise.”

“If you must, you can chop up those tomatoes for the salad.”

I nodded and pressed a quick kiss into her hair before rolling up my sleeves and getting to work. Between the two of us, the work went much faster. Twenty minutes later and we were all sitting at the table I had built for the patio, under a trellis hung with string lights. It was too cool for mosquitos but it was perfect weather in Northern California to sit outside in sweaters with the patio heater on.

“Mom, this chicken is incredible,” I said, digging in. “Everything is.”

We had homemade corn bread, string beans, and mashed sweet potatoes that were out of this world. Not to mention the salad, with the expertly sliced and diced tomatoes.

“I’m going to be too full for desert,” I joked. That’s when I noticed it. My wife was frowning.

“Babe? You alright?” I saw that she had her hand on her belly and had barely touched her food. “Not hungry?”

“No I…” she looked at me, her eyes wide. That’s when I heard it. We all heard it.

SPLASH.

I knew what it was instantly. It wasn’t a normal sound you would hear in the dining room, unless someone knocked over a bucket of water. Sally’s water had just broke.

I jumped up to call the doctor, who told us to come in right away. Within moments I was inside, grabbing her already packed go bag and loading it into the car. My mother put together another bag with food and drinks so we wouldn’t be stuck with hospital food.

“I’ll bring more later. You will get hungry eventually,” she said with a smile, even after I protested that I couldn’t possibly eat at a time like this. “Now go!”

I was about to climb into the car when I realized I was missing something. Something important. My wife wasn’t actually in the car with me yet. I felt panicked as I ran back inside, looking everywhere for her. I found her in the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face.

“Babe?”

Her eyes met mine. She was pale. Worried. Hell, she was scared.

“I’m early, Donnie. What if something is wrong?”

“Two weeks early. It’s totally normal, just watch.”

She nodded as I ran my hand over her back, trying to sooth her. I saw her shoulders relax. Just an inch. But it was something.

We drove to the hospital in silence. I didn’t want to keep asking her how she was. And she didn’t seem to want to talk. We did a breathing exercise together when a contraction hit, but that was it.

I forced myself to focus on what I was doing. I was a damned good driver, on two wheels or four, but I was picking up my lady’s mood.

Sally was jumpy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. If she was uneasy, so was I. But I had to keep that shit under wraps.

My lady and my baby needed me strong. So that was what I was going to be.

CHAPTER FIVE

Suzanna

“That’s pretty,” I said softly. “Is it new?”

Mac glanced up at me from the rocking chair in the nursery. But he wasn’t ‘rocking’ in the traditional sense. He was skillfully playing a folksy sounding melody. He had his feet firmly on the ground and his favorite guitar on his knees.

Our baby cooed at him from the nearby crib.

“Just something I’ve been playing around with. Chuckles seems to like it.”

“Somebody is definitely a daddy’s girl,” I said with a smile. “But you and Cal are both terrible at nicknames. Chuckles sounds like a psychotic clown in a horror movie.”

“Maybe that is her life path. Don’t stifle her,” Mac said as he set down the guitar and lifted the baby from her crib. He always surprised me with his wicked sense of humor. You would never know he had it in him. He walked towards me, bouncing the precious bundle in his arms. “Are you a little giggle machine? Are you?”

True to form, our daughter cackled like a tiny pink hyena.

“Okay, maybe Chuckles fits.” I conceded with a laugh as I leaned down to nuzzle her downy soft head. The smell of her always got me. I wanted to eat her up. My husband nudged between us to steal a kiss.

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself, I need a kiss from my wife.”

“Put the baby down and I’ll give you one.”

He hurried to do as I asked.

“Man, Call has the right idea,” he said when he lifted his head a good while later. The fires still burned between us. They seemed to burn brighter every year.