Die Me a River

by Denise Swanson

  When Wally walked into the dispatch area, May looked away from the computer screen and said, “I thought you had already left.”

  At sixty-three, his mother-in-law had the energy of a twenty-five-year-old. She kept her house immaculate, exercised at a nearby community’s fitness center three times a week, and worked the afternoon shift at the PD as a police, fire, and emergency dispatcher. May’s only fault was her meddling in her children’s lives.

  Now that both Skye and her brother, Vince, had provided her with grandchildren, her interference had only gotten worse. And between Skye unexpectedly having twins and Loretta’s unplanned second pregnancy, May was in grandmotherly heaven. Sadly, her daughter and daughter-in-law were bearing the brunt of May’s intense need to nurture.

  This made what Wally wanted to talk to May about a little awkward. His wife wouldn’t be happy that he was siccing her mom on her, but trying to arrange the twins’ christening party was overwhelming Skye and she needed help.

  “I was on my way out.” Wally cleared his throat. “But then I remembered that I wanted to ask you for a favor.”

  “Sure.” May brightened. “Did you know that I got to watch the twins for a few hours today? Those babies are so cute they could do commercials.”

  “Not happening.” Wally scowled. “And yes, Skye texted me that she had to go into work for a while.”

  “Have you two decided on names for my precious grandchildren yet?” May’s short, salt-and-pepper hair seemed to be bristling with her displeasure. “The baptism is less than a week away.”

  “Almost.” Wally shoved his hands in his back pockets. “And the favor is about the baptism, actually. Skye won’t admit it, but she needs help with the party. With the house gone and so many people wanting to attend, she’s swamped and just can’t do it all on her own.”

  “Of course not.” May scowled, yanking her uniform shirt collar away from her neck. “I’ve offered to help, but she said no.”

  “Well, I was thinking,” Wally said slowly. “What if you told her you wanted to combine the christening party with the baby shower you were planning to throw her in a couple of weeks? Make it seem as if Skye is doing you the favor. You know, use a little maternal manipulation and guilt.” Wally raised a brow. “Can you do that?”

  “Can a bee make honey?” May’s eyes sparkled, their emerald green the same brilliant color she’d passed on to both her children. “But I’m not holding back with the shower. None of that moderation you and she always talk about regarding the twins.”

  “Go for it,” Wally agreed. He knew Skye was afraid her mother would put on a party that would rival the royal births, but now with less than a week to plan, surely May would be limited in her extravagance.

  “I’ll call her right now.” May snatched the receiver, tucked it between her ear and shoulder, and dialed, all the while making a shooing motion with her left hand. “By the time you get home, it will be all fixed up.”

  “Great.” Wally’s stomach knotted. Had he done the right thing in involving May?

  Mentally shrugging, he headed for the police station garage, got into his personal car, the souped-up Hummer that had been a gift from his father when the tornado destroyed his Thunderbird, and settled himself in the front seat. He moved around until he was comfortable, luxuriating in the soft leather seats that were such a change from the torn upholstery and busted springs of the squad cars.

  Driving out of the garage, he made two quick lefts, ending up on Basin Street. A few seconds later, as he approached the Stybr Florist shop, Wally kept an eye out for a parking place. With the dry cleaners and bowling alley on the same block as the florist, finding an empty spot was a challenge.

  Spying a space, Wally pulled into it and then got out of the car. He was parked next to a matte-black SUV with fancy wheel coverings and a tiger-striped design down the center of the hood. Passing by the vehicle, Wally peered inside. It was a top-of-the-line Range Rover with all the bells and whistles. While Scumble Riverites possessed their fair share of luxury vehicles, including his own Hummer and Skye’s Mercedes, the $90,000-plus car stood out.

  As he pushed open the shop’s door, the cool carnation-scented air washed over his face, and Wally took a minute to look around. Only one customer was present, a man that Wally didn’t know. Most likely, he was the Range Rover’s owner.

  The guy was in his late fifties, wearing an expensive suit and tie. He seemed uncomfortable or maybe impatient, shifting from foot to foot as the florist worked on an elaborate arrangement.

  She glanced up from what she was doing and said, “Just a couple of minutes and I’ll be right with you, Chief.”

  The man turned, and in the throaty voice of a longtime smoker, said, “Sorry, but the wife is really picky.”

  “Sure.” Wally smiled. “No problem.” He jerked his chin at the vase of various purple blossoms that the florist was arranging and asked, “What kind of flowers are those?”

  “Expensive,” the man muttered, crossing his arms. “Very, very expensive.”

  “Lavender, lilacs, roses, and blue popcorn hydrangea,” the woman interjected as she continued to move the stems around.

  “Nice.” Wally wondered if Skye would enjoy something like that.

  “Yeah.” The man leaned a hip against the counter and fiddled with the heavy gold nugget ring on his pinky. “My wife only wants the best. She thinks money appears by magic.”

  “I’m a lucky guy,” Wally said. “My wife is pretty laid-back about most stuff.”

  “If that’s true, then you sure are.” The man rubbed the nape of his neck. “Mine’s none too happy that she’s stuck here in the sticks until I get some business settled.”

  “That’s too bad.” Wally shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “It doesn’t help that the only motel is straight from the 1950s and the only place to eat is McDonald’s. She keeps threatening to have a meal from Katana, her favorite Chicago restaurant, delivered. Can you imagine what they’d charge for something like that?” The man rolled his eyes. “I figured flowers would cheer her up and cost less.”

  “So you’re at the Up A Lazy River?” Wally asked, hoping the woman wasn’t dumb enough to let the motor court’s owner, Charlie Patukas, know what she thought of his cabins. Charlie was Skye’s godfather and had his finger on the pulse of most of what happened in Scumble River. He certainly wouldn’t be too happy to hear one of his guests bad-mouthing his place, outdated as it might be.

  “Yeah.” The guy was looking at Wally funny.

  “What kind of business are you in?” Wally snuck a peek at his watch. He hoped this wouldn’t take much longer. He missed his babies and wanted to spend as much time as possible with them before heading out with Skye to see the priest.

  “I run a chain of video gambling cafés.” The guy scratched his jaw. “I had a deal to open several in Stanley County, starting with the flagship here in Scumble River. However, now the city council is claiming that they don’t have time to change the definition of what is a primary business regarding the sale of alcohol or increase the number of establishments allowed to have machines. But I think a little bird might be chirping in their ear trying to put the kibosh on my cafés.”

  Wally had heard that more video gambling sites were in the works, but he hadn’t had time to worry about what that would mean for the community. Presently, the only machines were in the bowling alley and a couple of bars. Gambling cafés would open up a whole new can of worms. There would be more people coming into town just to gamble, which meant the likelihood of more drivers under the influence and more drunken brawls.

  “Well…” Wally kept a bland look on his face. “Our town was hit by several tornadoes less than three months ago and we’re still in the rebuilding process, so you can’t exactly expect the city council to worry about your timeline.”

  “No. Of course not.” The guy frowne
d and touched his nose. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Wally said, relieved to see the florist had finished the arrangement.

  “Nice meeting you,” the guy said. “Hope things get better for your community.”

  “Thanks.” Wally jerked his chin, then turned to the florist and asked for a dozen white roses.

  As she readied his order, the woman said, “I’m still not used to seeing so many strangers in town.”

  “Me either.” Wally handed her his credit card. “Me either.”

  Chapter 4

  Baby, It’s You

  Skye had been home for a couple of hours when the twins started to fuss for their next meal. Currently, they were on a two- to three-hour feeding schedule during the day, and three to four hours at night. Their grandmother had fed the babies around two thirty with the bottles of breast milk that Skye had pumped before leaving for her meeting with Homer, which meant they were hungry again.

  Breastfeeding was proving to be a challenge on several levels. While Skye loved the chance to connect with her children on such a primal level, balancing two babies was tricky. And, unwilling to leave Wally out of the bonding process, she had to pump milk so he could give the twins a bedtime bottle.

  Then, there was the issue of what to do when she returned to work. Skye could just see herself leaving meetings that had run long in order to pump. None of her principals, even the two women, would be happy about that. They might not be able to do anything about it legally, but they sure could make her professional life hell.

  The lactation consultant at the hospital had suggested pumping and freezing her milk, but she didn’t seem to have enough to spare to get more than a few bottles ahead. With her workday often running eight to ten hours, that would mean there might be a shortage.

  It might be better to get the twins used to formula while she was still on maternity leave rather than having a crisis her first day back at school. Another issue to put on her list to discuss at her next doctor’s appointment. Now if she could just find the list.

  Once the twins were full, Skye put them in their bassinets. Gazing down at her adorable babies, she smiled fondly. Her daughter had Wally’s coloring—straight black hair, brown eyes, and olive skin—but her round cheeks and turned-up nose were all Skye’s side of the family. While her son had inherited the Leofanti emerald eyes along with the Denison chestnut curls and pale complexion, he’d gotten his father’s chiseled cheekbones and aquiline nose.

  Sighing, Skye made sure they were covered and turned away. They were growing so fast. Soon they’d need cribs, and she wasn’t sure where she would put the larger pieces of furniture in their small, temporary home. Did they make double-decker cribs?

  When Carson had brought in the extravagant RV for Skye and Wally to live in after the tornado, it had seemed more than adequate for their needs. However, adding two babies and the enormous amount of equipment that they required quickly became a logistical nightmare.

  Who knew that the nearly forty-five-foot-long motor home that was purported to sleep five, was really too small for four humans plus one very large black cat? And the ninety-one-gallon freshwater tank should have been plenty, except that the washing machine was constantly being filled for another massive load of towels, sheets, and soiled onesies.

  Thank goodness that maintaining a comfortable temperature wasn’t a problem. In addition to a furnace, the RV had an air-conditioning unit that was getting a run for its money during the recent Indian summer heatwave.

  Skye rarely had time to watch either of the thirty-two-inch and fifty-five-inch LED Smart HDTVs or the Blu-ray player. And they sure hadn’t needed the electric fireplace yet. Too bad that the master bedroom, with its king-size bed and en suite bathroom, had become more of nursery than a place to rest or somewhere to snuggle with her husband.

  Although Carson had arranged to bring in a general contractor and crew from Texas to work exclusively on their new house, it still wouldn’t be finished for at least a couple more months, and the clutter inside the motor home was driving Skye crazy. While the twins slept, she tried once again to bring some kind of order to the chaos.

  When she finished tidying up, she checked her watch. It was quarter to six. Where in the heck was Wally? If they had to reschedule with Father Burns one more time, Skye would never be able to look the priest in the eye again.

  Deciding she’d better shower and dress now so they could eat a quick supper before leaving, Skye grabbed a pair of navy knit slacks and a sleeveless geometric-print tunic in navy, red, and white.

  Twenty minutes later, Skye stepped out of the master bathroom and her heart fluttered. Her handsome husband was bending over their daughter’s bassinet with a look of utter worship on his face.

  Straightening, Wally turned to Skye and his warm, chocolate eyes heated. Smiling, he drawled, “You look terrific, sweetheart. It’s a shame we have to waste all that beauty on a visit to the priest. I wish I could take you for a romantic dinner in Laurel instead.”

  “Me too.” Skye walked across the bedroom, stood on tiptoe, and pressed a kiss on his tempting lips. “But we can’t reschedule again. Remember, Vince and Loretta have to get a babysitter too, and we’ve already inconvenienced them by changing the date twice.”

  “They’d probably be happy to have a couple of hours to themselves too.” Wally arched a dark brow. “Another week or so won’t matter.”

  “That may have been true earlier today.” Skye ran her finger down Wally’s jaw, enjoying the day-old stubble. “But Mom called and talked me into combining the shower and baptismal celebration into one gigantic get-together.”

  Skye frowned at the flicker of what she thought might be guilt that she saw cross her husband’s face, then shrugged off that notion. The other new mothers at her Baby and Me class had warned her about postnatal paranoia.

  “How did May get you to go along with her idea?” Wally asked as he began taking off his uniform. “Did she use guilt or bribery?”

  “A little of both. She told me it would be easier for her this way and she offered to phone everyone with the change of plans so I wouldn’t have to do it.”

  Skye perched on the end of the bed, the better to appreciate her husband’s striptease. Wally might be in his forties, but he had the yummy physique of a man half his age.

  Wally stood in his black boxer briefs and asked, “That’s good, right?”

  “I guess.” Skye rested back on her elbows. “It certainly makes more sense. Mom already had a lot of the arrangements in place and only had to adjust the timeline and location. So this Saturday, the twins will be baptized and my mother will hold the shower/baptismal party that same afternoon.” Skye was distracted by Wally’s muscular chest for a second, but once he went into the bathroom, she raised her voice and continued. “Plus, people won’t have to bring us two gifts.”

  While Wally took one of his super-quick showers, Skye put dinner on the table. A few minutes later, he joined her dressed in tan khakis and a black polo shirt. Before sitting down, he walked into the living room area of the RV, then came back with a long, white box tied with a shiny silver ribbon, and handed the package to Skye.

  Skye quickly opened the carton. A dozen stunning white roses in a sparkling crystal vase lay nestled in a cloud of pink tissue. The smell was heavenly.

  Wally’s sweetness tugged at her insides as Skye smiled and asked, “What are these for?”

  “Because I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.” Wally took her in his arms, tucked her cheek against his chest, and rested his chin on the top of her head. “And because you gave me those perfect babies in the bedroom. Being a father was another thing that I never thought possible.”

  “Aw.” Skye was speechless. Her heart melted. The weight of his chin on her head was more reassuring than she could describe. After nearly losing him when an out
law motorcycle gang kidnapped him last summer, her need for Wally’s touch had grown exponentially and she had to fight her tendency to cling to him.

  “Married to you, I finally feel like I’m home.” He kissed her temple softly. “You gave me that and so much more.”

  Skye tightened her grip around his waist and sniffed. “You gave me the same things,” she assured him, then giggled. “What kind of flowers do you want?”

  “How about the lace ones on that new red nightgown I saw in your drawer?”

  Wally’s baritone voice sent a shiver up Skye’s spine. She’d ordered the negligee online, but had been waiting to shed a little more baby weight before wearing it for her husband. Still, Wally always claimed to like her curves, so maybe she’d grant his wish tonight.

  “Well, thanks for the amazing flowers.” She shot him a flirty, little smile. “And I’ll take your request under consideration.” Easing out of his embrace, she gestured to the table. “But now we need to eat and clean up before Judy and Anthony get here.”

  Judy Martin was the town librarian and had been dating Anthony Anserello for over a year. After his recent promotion from part- to full-time police officer, he’d popped the question and she’d accepted. Since the couple wanted to start a family sooner rather than later, they’d offered to babysit the twins for practice.

  “I’m still not sure we should leave our babies with them.” Wally frowned. “We hardly know this Judy, and Anthony is sort of goofy sometimes. What if there’s an emergency and they don’t know what to do?”

  “Judy is a friend of mine and Anthony is a police officer. If you truly thought he’s too goofy, you wouldn’t have hired him.” Skye overruled his unreasonable objections in her best psychologist voice.

  “There’s got to be a better option.” Wally scowled and glanced around the room as if the perfect babysitter were hiding behind the sofa. “A relative.”