High Hurdles Collection Two (95 page)

Andy got to teasing the girls, and pretty soon everyone was laughing too hard to pay much attention to anything else. Then Bobby spilled his milk, and Queenie had half of it licked off the floor before Maria could bring the towel.

By the time they finished eating, DJ couldn't tell if she was too full of food or too full of laughter.

“I vote for dessert later.” Joe leaned back in his chair and patted his middle. “What I really need right now is a nap.”

“I thought we were going to play football.” Andy tried to frown, but his eyebrows wouldn't cooperate.

“Yeah, let's play football in the pasture,” the boys began to chant.

“We clear the table first.” Sonja raised her hands to stop the general exodus. Everyone groaned but began hauling plates and bowls into the kitchen.

“Maria, the dishes wait until after the football game, you hear?” Robert set the turkey platter on the counter. “We'll just put the food away now.”

“Sí, Señor. I watch the game, too.”

“Where's Mom?” DJ looked around the kitchen and dining room.

“Must have gone to lie down a bit.” Robert set the roll of plastic wrap on the counter so they could cover the bowls more easily. “You set them there and I'll rip.”

Lindy appeared in the arch of the family room. “No, Robert dear, you won't be ripping. We are on the way to the hospital. My water just broke.”

“But the baby's not due for at least two more weeks.”

“Maybe not, but it's coming.” Lindy turned and headed out to the garage, cupping her belly with both hands.

DJ looked around the room. It looked as if they had all played statue and no one dared move.

Gran returned from the bathroom. “What's the matter?”

“We're having a baby!” Robert looked from his father to Gran. “Oh my goodness, we're going to have a baby. I gotta take her to the hospital. Where're my keys? Someone cover the food.” He stared around the kitchen. “Where's Lindy?”

DJ snagged his car keys off the key board by the phone and put them in his hand. “Go! Mom's already in the car.” Never had she seen him in such a panic.

Joe started to laugh, grabbed his son by the arm, and hauled him out to the garage.

When he returned, he was still laughing. “My son, the dithering dad. I can't believe that.”

“Well, you better believe it, because his wife is my daughter, and we're going to follow them. Anyone, did she have her bag with her?”

DJ thought a moment and shook her head. “I'll get it.”

The boys ran in from outside. “When are we playing football?”

DJ left the room in a rush, knowing someone else would answer the boys. The last time she'd seen the bag it had been on the chair by the door of her mother's bedroom.
How come the baby's coming early? Does that mean something is wrong? God, please take care of our baby and Mom
. DJ breathed a sigh of relief to see the overnighter in its right place. She grabbed it and hustled back to the stairs. Joe met her halfway down and took the bag.

“We'll call as soon as we know anything.” He planted a quick kiss on the end of her nose and raced out the door after Gran.

“Tell Mom I love her,” DJ called after him.

“I will.”

DJ continued down the stairs and back to the kitchen, where Jackie had taken over sealing the plates and bowls with plastic wrap. Sonja was finding room in the refrigerator for the leftovers, and what didn't fit there, Maria took to the spare refrigerator in the garage. The boys and Shawna were just bringing in the last things from the table.

“Now, if that isn't the firecracker ending to a Thanksgiving dinner.” Andy handed his wife a bowl and snagged a pickle from the plate Brad was clearing off.

“I thought you were stuffed.” Sonja gave him her oh-my look.

“I am. I'm eating on nervous energy now. After all, we're having a baby.”

“We are?!” Shawna let out a squeal that could be heard clear to the Academy.

“No, dear, not us. He's talking about our extended family here.”

“Oh drat.”

“You can borrow ours,” Bobby said with a totally sober face.

That set Andy off again, and finally even the boys were laughing, though they had no idea at what.

“So when are we gonna play football?” The twins now stood in the doorway, hands on hips.

“We don't have enough players now.” DJ looked to Brad, who shrugged.

“No problem.” Brad took the boys by their hands. “Come on, let's find the football. It'll help pass the time.” As the boys dragged him out to the garage, he called over his shoulder, “You all better get ready.”

“I can't play.” DJ held up her hands.

“You can cheer for our side.” Shawna got behind and pushed her out to the deck. “Come on, Mom, Jackie. We need all the help we can get.”

So with Andy on one team and Brad on the other, they chose up sides. Maria played goalpost at one end of the field and DJ at the other. When the score was tied at seven, Brad whispered something to the twin on his team. They went into a huddle with more whispers and giggling.

“All right,” Andy hollered. “No fair.” Then he bent over and whispered something to his twin. More giggles.

DJ checked the cell phone she had in her pocket. Sure enough, it was on. But no phone calls. “How long does it take a baby to be born?”

“Long as it takes,” Sonja hollered back.

“Big help.”

“Okay, ready?” Brad held the ball. They lined up. On the count of three, people ran every direction. Brad threw the ball to his twin, who ran the wrong direction to score a point.

“We won.” Andy planted his hands on his hips and puffed.

“No, he ran the wrong way.”

“No, he didn't. The twins switched.” DJ let out a whoop of laughter, and the twins fell giggling to the ground, the ball between them.

Andy and Brad stared at each other, then at the wives, and they all descended on the boys as Shawna screamed, “Run, Bs, run!”

The boys took off, Queenie yipping and barking after them, the men in hot pursuit.

“Best football game I ever saw.” Jackie wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

“The only one that I wasn't bored to death.” Sonja leaned against the fence and flinched as her husband leaped over the dog and landed
splat
in a fresh pile of horse manure. When she dared open her eyes, she looked the other way and asked, “Is he all in one piece, or are we taking another one to the hospital?”

“He's fine.”

The cell phone rang, and DJ used both hands to pull it from her pocket. “Hello?” She shook her head at the others, who had frozen in place. “Mom's doing fine, but no baby yet. Thanks, Gran. Tell GJ that Andy fell in the horse poop. That'll make his day.”

As they all wandered back to the house, they made Andy walk ten steps behind.

DJ checked the clock. “Shouldn't the baby be born by now?”

“Babies have their own timetable.” Sonja pointed her husband toward the bathroom.

“I'll get Andy something to wear.” DJ headed for her parents' room. On the way back with jeans and a T-shirt, she glanced in the nursery. Soon they'd have a baby in there.

After eating pumpkin pie and whipped cream, Brad and Jackie gathered up their things to leave. “Now, you call us as soon as you hear anything.” Jackie handed DJ their cell phone number.

“I will.” DJ hugged them both and, after they said their good-byes to the others, walked them out to their car, the three of them with arms around one another's waists, DJ in the middle. “Thanks for coming.”

“I tell you, this is one Thanksgiving we won't forget.” Brad turned and kissed DJ's cheek. “And one we have so much to be thankful for. Keep up the good work, DJ. You'll make it.”

DJ waved as the Land Rover left the driveway, then hustled back to the kitchen. “Did they call yet?”

When the phone rang a few minutes later, DJ and Sonja reached for it at the same time. This time the call came from one of Robert's men. DJ said she'd give him the message and dictated the number for Andy to write down.

Maria had more coffee dripping when the phone rang again. DJ mentally crossed her fingers.

“We have a baby girl!” Gran announced before DJ could even say hello. DJ relayed the information, and while the others whooped and hollered, she tried to hear Gran's voice. “Mother and daughter are doing fine. Robert about fainted.”

DJ hung up, giggling at the picture in her mind of Robert flat on the floor.

DJ took in a deep breath and prayed her “Thank you, God” on a sigh. She didn't realize her shoulders had been nearly pinching her ears until they loosened up after she heard the good news. She called Brad and Jackie to tell them. Then Amy.

“Can you believe it? I have a sister.”

“Cool. You're gonna love having a baby sister.”

DJ told Amy about the panic of getting Robert in gear and the other funny stories of the afternoon. “My poor mom. There she was sitting in the car waiting for Robert to come drive her. I bet she let him have it.”

“When are you coming back to school?”

“I don't know, maybe after Christmas vacation. I'm kinda wishing I could get Mom to homeschool me. That way I could spend more time catching up on my riding—when I finally get to jump again, that is.”

“She has a brand-new baby and you want her to homeschool you?” The shock in Amy's voice gave DJ a hint that her idea might not get a very popular reception. “Besides, I really miss you. We had another business club meeting, and I've got a stack of orders again. Did your mom find out about that group to package our cards?”

“Got me. If she did, the information will be in her file. I'll look tomorrow.”

“Good, 'cause we gotta get on this.”

DJ groaned.

“Hey, what did they name the baby?”

“Ahh.” DJ tried to remember which of the many discussed names they had finally agreed on, or
if
they had agreed. “They couldn't make up their minds. A boy would have been Jeffrey Allan, so the girl is either Amanda Marie or … or …”
Come on, brain, get in motion
. “I don't remember.”

“Some sister you are.”

Later, DJ hung up with those words in her mind.
Yeah, some sister I am
. She went in to play Go Fish with the twins.
At least I can do that right
.

Gran and Joe came back a bit later when DJ was just getting the boys ready for bed. Maria was fixing snacks. Supervising the boys was supposed to be easier. At least it didn't matter that her hands couldn't pick up small things. They fit around each boy's hands as she dragged them into the bathroom to brush their teeth. They still had the giggles, an everyday occurrence with them.

“DJ?” Gran called.

“Up here. Okay, hustle it, you two. I want another piece of pumpkin pie. And Gran and Joe are here if you want to say good-night.”

“Why can't they stay here?”

“Why should they? Maria and I are here.”

Bobby turned to Billy, Billy turned to Bobby, and off they went again, toothpaste trailing from their brushes to the sink.

“Enough!” DJ made the time-out sign. “Knock it off or no bedtime story.” She glared at them, trying her hardest to keep frowning even though she would rather giggle along with them. But with any encouragement, they
would
giggle all night.

They brushed, and spit, and rinsed, and raced into their pj's, then bolted down the stairs to throw themselves at Gran and Joe. By the time DJ made it down the stairs herself, Joe had a twin under each arm, threatening to dump them in the birdbath.

“How's Mom?”

“Tired but wonderfully happy. You have the most beautiful baby sister.”

“Prettier than Stormy?”

“Oh, you.” Gran swatted her on the rear and finished off with a hug. “What a circus that was here. I've heard of dithering dads, but I didn't expect it of Robert.”

“You have to admit, this caught us all by surprise.”

“I know. Here we were thinking that if it came a bit late, we would have a Christmas baby. And instead she came at Thanksgiving.”

“Maybe we should name her Turkey.” DJ sidestepped another swat.

“Not funny. Robert is already calling her his little pumpkin.”

“Gran.” DJ lowered her voice. “What did they finally name her? Even yesterday Mom still wasn't sure.”

“Amanda Marie. Isn't that pretty? Just like her.”

“Good, that's the one I liked best.” DJ took her pumpkin pie foaming with whipped cream and sat on a stool at the counter. “Thanks, Maria.”

She could hear Joe and the boys laughing in the family room as she cut off a bite and ate it. If what Amy said about new babies was true, life was going to be different around here. But how? And how much?

“I love babies,” Maria said.

“Me too. The more grandkids, the better.” Gran wore a sappy look that made DJ shake her head. What was so wonderful about babies? At least foals get on their feet within the first hour.