A Simple Charity (6 page)

“I guess I am.” Meg smiled up at him, wishing she didn’t need to keep kicking the truth under the rug.

Just then Joe came out with a pitcher of lemonade and a stack of paper cups. Fanny was right behind him with the baby, and Lizzy clucked over how sweet and fresh baby John now smelled. Joe took John, while Fanny sat beside Tommy, who was now content to watch from his portable chair.

“So was Dr. Trueherz here earlier?” asked Jack.

“Doc is in the city.” Lizzy popped a slice of salami into her mouth and licked her fingers.

“There was another doctor on his way … Dr. Minetta,” Fanny explained. “I guess he got lost, since he doesn’t know these parts too well. I’m telling you, if Dr. Trueherz was around, he would have been here quick as a wink.”

“There’s no replacing Henry Trueherz,” said Jack. “Those other guys don’t understand what it takes to be a good country doctor. Doc Trueherz is great on the fly, and he’s got a rep for forging through blizzard conditions to make a house call.” He turned to Fanny. “How long have you worked with him?”

Fanny shook her head. “Oh, I’m just stepping in for Anna. All I can say is, thank Gott you were here, Meg.”

“Oh, you were handling it well until I arrived,” Meg said, dropping to the floor to play peekaboo with Fanny’s baby. Much as she
liked Jack, she wished that she might open her eyes and find him gone, out of her hair.

Fortunately, Joe and Lizzy were distracted by their baby. “And now, our baby is here,” Lizzy said with a happy sigh.

“I suppose one of the docs will help you get the birth certificate,” said Jack.

“I reckon,” Joe said, though it was clear that no one here was concerned with the paperwork.

“You’ll want to ask your doctor about that at your next checkup,” Meg advised. “It can be really hard to get a birth certificate if you wait too long.”

“I’ll ask Dr. Trueherz,” Lizzy said. She put the empty plate on the tray and reached for her baby. “Kumm, dear one.”

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Fanny looked out the window and sighed. “Dr. Minetta.”

A balding gentleman with a gray mustache and a small frame opened the door and spread his arms dramatically. “Your baby is here. Wow! I knew I was late, but I didn’t think I’d miss everything.”

“Here he is.” Lizzy smiled up at him, her cheeks pink with pleasure. “Healthy as could be.”

By the grace of God
, Meg thought.

“These country roads aren’t well marked, and I don’t usually make house calls—that’s Dr. Trueherz’s passion. So it was a routine delivery?” the doctor asked.

“Oh, no, it was a different sort.” Fanny clamped a firm hand on Meg’s shoulder. “Won’t you step into the kitchen with the doctor so you two can talk about medical things?”

Meg knew that Fanny’s question was a discreet request not to discuss details of the labor and delivery in front of the men. Truly, Lizzy herself didn’t seem interested in knowing why John had had a difficult birth; she was simply overjoyed that he was here at last.

Inside the kitchen, Meg recounted the birth as Dr. Minetta listened with admiration. “The cord was wrapped around the neck and chest, causing deep decelerations with every contraction in the last half hour.” She told him that they had suctioned the infant’s mouth and nasal passages, and that the paramedics had followed up but found the bronchi clear.

“Nice work.” He patted her shoulder. “You make my job easy. I’m just going to check the mother and baby, and then I’ll be on my way.”

Meg nodded, relieved that he didn’t ask her name or background. She really couldn’t afford to go on record with this. He probably assumed that she worked with Dr. Trueherz.

With Fanny, Lizzy, and the baby in the bedroom for the doctor’s exam, Meg decided it was time to make her exit. She raised a hand and smiled at Joe. “I’m heading out.”

He nodded, scrambling to take one of her cases out to the front porch. “Thank you, Meg. We’re very grateful.”

Meg leaned down to cluck for Tommy, who indulged her by babbling in return. She ruffled his downy hair and picked up the oxygen tank, hoping to escape without anyone paying attention to her equipment. “Officer Woods, nice to meet you.”

There was mystery in his smile as he watched her cross the living room. She had made it to the screen door when he snagged her.

“Hold on. Do you need a lift?” He held the door for her. “I didn’t see any cars out here.”

“Her sister is coming to get her,” Joe answered from the front porch.

In truth, she hadn’t even had a chance to call her sister yet, but with the cop here, the impulse to separate herself from the scene of the birth was strong. “I was just about to call for a ride,” she said.

“No way. Don’t make Zoey come out here when I can give you a ride.” Jack pointed a thumb toward the police vehicle. “The inn is right on my way.”

“I’d appreciate that.” Meg was too tired and a little too intrigued to deny his generous offer. Besides, nothing was far out of your way in a small town. And social butterfly Zoey would give him a hard time for not giving her a ride. In a heartbeat, they loaded her home birth kits and oxygen tank into the back of his police cruiser and were on their way.

“So Zoey’s sister is a midwife,” Jack said as they turned onto the road. “Whereabouts do you live?”

“The Pittsburgh area. I’ve been down here to help Zoey and Tate get the inn on its feet and …” How much should she tell him? “The thing is, I’m taking a break.”

“A break from being a midwife?”

“Yes, and if you’ve been wondering why I was dodging your questions, it’s because I’m not licensed right now.” There. She’d said it. Though she sensed that she had nothing to fear from Jack Woods. “And for full disclosure, I’m under investigation for a birth that ended tragically.” There … she had said it aloud, given herself up. “Are you going to file charges or arrest me?”

“What? Why?” He seemed mildly amused.

“Because I delivered a baby without a license.”

“Around here, that’s not a license we usually check for. Driver’s license, yeah. Hunting license, sometimes. But I’ve never busted a midwife. I’m just glad you were there, Meg, with the cord tangled and all that. Not being a husband or dad, I don’t know much about childbirth, but I do know that things can go horribly wrong.”

She ran her fingers along the seat belt across her chest. “So … I don’t have to worry about you reporting me to the board?”

“Hell, no. The way I see it, you were at the right place at the right time. Divine Providence, if you believe in God, and I do. The Lord meant for you to be here today, and I’m grateful for that. I know Lizzy and Joe are, too. It’s all good.”

Meg pinched the seat belt and stared out the window as she
tried to process the conversation. So he wasn’t going to get her in trouble. Well, sure. He was a cop, not the Pennsylvania State Nursing Board.

“Hurray and hallelujah,” she said aloud.

He laughed. “What’s that?”

“I’m extremely relieved. Right now I’m in so deep with this case, I know the tiniest impropriety will end my career, and it’s really important to me to get my license reinstated.”

“From where I stand, you do your job well. Dr. Minetta seemed to agree.”

She sighed. “Too bad he’s not on the nursing board.”

“So you’ve been away from the profession for how long?”

“Two months, give or take. The incident happened in March, when that ice storm hit Pittsburgh. The board didn’t take action for a while after that, not until the client made a complaint.”

“Do you miss it?” Easy conversation was one of his gifts. He always had a way of making people relax. “The baby business?”

“Every day. I miss the connection I form with the mother, the different language we speak during labor. And the babies … ushering in a new life.” Again, she was misting over. She took a deep breath. “It’s the best job in the world.”

“I hear you. In my job, there’s good and bad and in between. But I envy you, focused on new life. That’s cool.” He turned from the road to smile at her, his eyes gleaming with pride. “You know, I delivered a baby once. Came upon a car on the side of the highway; the woman, her name was June, she couldn’t make it to LanCo General in time. So I was the labor coach of last resort.”

She chuckled. “I’m sure she was glad to have another human being to help her.”

“Now, I have to admit I was a little squeamish at the idea of it all, but once I got in the car with her, well, there was no turning back, if you know what I mean.”

She nodded. “She needed you, and you rose to the challenge.”

“Of course, it was mostly the dispatcher who talked me through it, but it was an amazing experience. Life-changing. I’ll never forget it. June and her husband, they text me photos of the kid sometimes.”

“Isn’t it fun to see them grow up? I stay in touch with most of my clients.” She thought of the bulletin board of photos at home—her kids. Well, not really, but it looked like they were going to be the only kids she would ever have.

“So what I’m saying is, I think your job is really cool. Amazing.”

She shot him a look. “I can honestly say that I’ve never heard that from a guy. Most people I meet think my job is weird. Like I’m some hermit lady who concocts potions in the woods and keeps expectant mothers away from technology.”

He snickered. “Not surprising. Back in colonial times, many of the women accused of being witches were actually midwives who knew about herbs and home remedies.”

She nodded. “Most people don’t know that.”

“History 110 with Dr. Hoppes,” he said.

“Oh, now you’re showing off,” she teased. She was enjoying the easy banter, but already they were pulling into the parking lot of the inn. Meg felt a pang of regret. She enjoyed talking to Jack Woods, and she was sorry it had to end. He was attractive, with his surfer blond hair and silver eyes. So comfortable in his own skin, Jack had eased her mind with his sense of humor and love for people. In another time and place, she would have asked for his number, but here … this was a temporary stop for her.

He got out of the cruiser to help her lift out the cases. “Need some help getting these inside?” he asked.

“I can manage. I’m used to lugging them around, but I really didn’t think I’d be using them again this soon.”

“Well, lucky for all of us you had this stuff handy. Lucky that you
were here.” He lowered the forty-pound case next to her feet and stood facing her, just a breath away.

Meg felt a wild impulse to rise up on her toes and reach for his shoulders and press her lips to his. She wanted to kiss him, right here in front of the inn in the light of day, with her sister most likely spying from one of the front windows. She felt herself veering toward the heat of his body, but he abruptly stepped back. “I’d better head out. Got to keep a lid on this town. You know how it is; without a police presence, folks’ll be jaywalking up and down Main Street.”

She had forgotten that he was working. Wow. She had almost kissed an on-duty cop and compromised his professionalism. “Thanks for the ride,” she said.

“I hope to see you again, Meg. If you’re staying awhile, I could show you around. Hook you up with some of the best Amish cooking in Lancaster County, not to mention some whoopie pies and soft pretzels.”

“I’d really like that, but …” The thought of spending time with Jack was very appealing, but responsibility tugged her back to Pittsburgh. “I’ve got to get home. I see that now.”

“So we’ll keep in touch.” He held one hand to his face, pinky and thumb sticking out. “I’ll call you.”

She picked up one of the cases. “You don’t even have my number.”

He paused at the door to the vehicle. “Trust me. I know how to do detective work.”

As she watched him drive away, she felt lighter. The path ahead was going to be bumpy, but at least now she knew which road to take.

5

N
o one answered the third time Zed Miller knocked on the door at the Lapp house. Moving off the porch, Zed tipped his straw hat back and looked up at the two-story home. The curtains didn’t move, and there wasn’t a sound from within. He knew that Caleb would be at the sheep ranch and Elsie would be in town, running the Country Store. But where was the rest of the family? Fanny had asked him to come by this morning and take a look at some renovations that needed to be done.