“How are you feeling?” Devon asked, going to her and giving her cheek a buss.

“Like I never had a baby,” she said. “Until I look in the mirror.”

“You look wonderful! How’s she doing?”

But rather than answering, Sarah smiled and said, “Well, hello, Peyton! Nice to see you again!”

“I hope I’m not intruding,” she said. “I came home with Devon to see her new house.”

“Of course not. We’ve had quite a few drop-ins. And we’re all feeling fine,” she said. “A miracle, because I think I had the longest labor in the history of the world!”

“How long?” Peyton asked.

“Like twelve hours or something! It was brutal!”

Peyton and Devon exchanged glances and smiles.

“Oh, what? I suppose that’s considered average or something! Well, I was not impressed. And I’ll have you know that I’ve been trained by the Coast Guard. I am fit, strong and—”

“It wasn’t quite twelve hours,” Cooper said.

“Yes, it was,” she replied. “What was it, then?”

“Slightly less, like six. But it looked pretty awful at times,” he said. “I could tell you weren’t having fun. But then, when it was over—it was just over. Wow. I’ve never seen anything like that! Nothing but smiles and giggles. Just like that.”

“I should have let you do it,” she said.

Devon shooed the kids away from the stroller, so Peyton could get a better look. There in the stroller bed, fast asleep with her little hands balled up, wearing a pink onesie, was Summer Cooper. She had a cap of dark brown hair, her mother’s color. Her cheeks were rosy with health, her little mouth bright pink and heart-shaped.

Peyton smiled at Sarah. “It was worth it—the labor. She’s absolutely beautiful.”

Sarah glowed. “She is, isn’t she?”

“Wait till you see these,” Cooper said proudly. He pulled apart the receiving blanket and showed off her feet. “Have you ever seen feet that big on a baby?”

“They’re pretty remarkable,” Peyton said.

Hamlet, the Great Dane, moaned. Then he moaned again and nosed the stroller.

“All right, all right,” Cooper said. He rewrapped the baby, gently picked her up and held her at Ham’s level. Ham gently sniffed her, then he looked up at Cooper. His tail wagged. “That’s going to have to hold you for a while,” Cooper said. And the dog visibly relaxed as Cooper moved to put Summer back in the bed of the stroller. “Ham hasn’t left her side since she came home. He can barely manage enough time to relieve himself.”

“Cooper, may I?” Peyton asked.

“Sure, of course,” he said. “She’s very nice to hold. Sarah says we probably hold her too much.”

Peyton reached for the baby. “There’s no such thing.” She brought the baby against her and instinctively her lips and nose went against that little cap of brown hair.

“You’re awfully good at that,” Sarah said.

“I’m a professional,” Peyton said. “I have seven siblings. I held my first baby when I was two. Very big extended family. There have been many since.”

“I’m surprised you don’t have one of your own,” someone said.

She laughed. “Maybe that’s why I don’t....”

But her heart gave a tug. She hadn’t been in a hurry to have children, but now she was starting to feel something was missing from her life. Lots of things were missing. She began to hum to the baby without even realizing it. She swayed with little two-week-old Summer in her arms. She wanted more. She wanted a good, strong, faithful man, a child of her own, a family, a future, a life beyond her life. It almost caused her eyes to tear. She kissed the baby’s head, and when she looked up, everyone was staring at her. She laughed uncomfortably. “Sorry. I got a little lost there for a second.”

“She’ll do that to you,” Sarah said. “You’re a natural.”

“Call on me anytime your arms need a rest,” she said.

“You can expect a call at around 2:00 a.m.,” Cooper said.

Ham was soon sitting very close to Peyton, giving the little pink bundle an occasional sniff. While Peyton and Devon visited with Sarah for a little while, Ham wasn’t the only interesting thing they observed. Austin was in and out of the house, and everywhere he went, Will was on his tail, asking questions, trying to share a bag of pretzels, acting goofy. After about three or four trips on to the deck and back into the house, Devon leaned toward Peyton and explained. “Will has a man-crush on Austin.”

“And the Great Dane has an Alpha dog attachment to Summer,” Peyton added.

“Big-time. Well, Sarah, I’m getting the kids out of here. You’re probably kind of sick of them by now,” Devon said.

“Actually, I think I’m having an adrenaline rush, but I don’t want to use it cooking for a bunch of kids. Will you invite Austin over?”

“Sure,” Devon said with a laugh. “Spencer and I will throw some food at them. Peyton, will you join us for dinner? It won’t be fancy, and it could be loud.”

“That’s very sweet, but I think I’ll call it a day. Let you get your family settled.”

* * *

Peyton walked back to the clinic where her car was parked. She had some stuffed peppers from Carrie’s deli at home in the freezer. She could heat up a nice big one and park in front of the TV with it.

But she sat in her car and texted Scott. Any news on Kevin?

Surgery went well. He’s in recovery and will be in his room in a half hour.

She looked at her watch. Just under four hours since she’d seen him in the clinic. That indicated he went quickly into a surgery that was under two hours in length, a very good sign. She started her car and instead of going to her little duplex where a stuffed pepper waited for her, she drove out of town and headed to North Bend.

Six

It wasn’t routine for Peyton to visit her patients in the hospital. She had, of course, if she was concerned or had a patient with whom she’d developed a close relationship. Rounds were more a function of the physicians, not their assistants. But she wanted to see how Kevin and his family were getting along. Al, this single man in his fifties, taking on three teenage boys even though he had major responsibilities to his employer, just plain intrigued her. Though she didn’t know him well, she didn’t think she’d met a more likable man in a long time.

She was given the room number, and when she went to the second floor, she saw Scott just exiting the room. “Well, Peyton! I didn’t know you were coming up here.”

“Last-minute decision,” she said. “How’s he doing?”

“He’s a little goofy,” Scott said. “But he’s in good shape. I’m sure he’ll be discharged in a day, maybe two. And he’s going to sleep very well tonight! Al and the other boys were here when he came out of recovery. I just sent them on their way—I think they’re convinced he’s all right and won’t be much company tonight. He has plenty of people to wait on him if he needs anything.”

“Aw, I was hoping to see Al. Is he doing all right with his youngest just out of surgery?”