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"Sook, this here’s Jimmie Kearney from Clarice," Terry said "She raises Catahoulas, too" Terry loved his dogs, and he seemed to have overcome his bad luck with them His latest bitch, Annie, had had her second litter of puppies This time they’d been purebred I’d heard Terry talk about Jimmie when he’d found a uy She very much wasn’t

"I’er than Terry I put her at about forty There were streaks of gray in her long brown hair, which hung nearly down to her waist She wore baggy khaki shorts with a ruffled white peasant blouse and huaraches

"I heard a lot about you," Jimmie said shyly "You should come by Terry’s and see the puppies My Tombo is the daddy They’re just as cute as they can be And we’ve got theo to, of course"

"Good job," I said I was getting the information from Jimmie’s head that she was over at Terry’s a lot of the time A lot Just in my little peek, Jimmie seemed like an okay person Terry deserved someone really nice; he needed someone really, really stable I hoped she was both "Well, o to their new hoot to meet you, Jimmie Terry, talk to you later"

Before I headed to the bar, I needed to check on Tara, who hadn’t returned h, her car was parked beside Tara’s Togs

Inside, she was sitting at the wedding table, the one where brides sat to order their invitations and their napkins and anything else a bride could want

"Tara?" I said, because the expression on her face was very peculiar "How come you didn’t call me back? What’s ’effaced’ onna have the babies soon?"

"Um-hu else entirely

"Where’s McKenna?" Tara’s assistant had been working reat with child Well, great with children

"She’s at home She’s been run off her feet I told her to stay home today, that I’d work Today’s my last day"

"You don’t look like you can work a whole eight hours," I said cautiously Tara had gotten pretty snappish during her pregnancy, and the bigger she got, the ive you her unvarnished opinion on al about her stamina or appearance

"I can’t," she said, andthe babies today"

I felt a thread of panic rise up out of my stomach "Doeswho all knows this, Tara?"

"You"

"You haven’t called anyone else?"

"No I’ a little uess you better call McKenna and tell her to coet to the hospital in Clarice, and you could call his mama Oh, and ?" Oh, Shepherd of Judea!

She glared atat reen "It’s not too bad yet," she said with an air of great restraint "But my water broke just now, and since it’s twins "

I was already punching in 911 I described the situation to the dispatcher, and she said, "Sookie, we’ll be right over to get Tara You tell her not to worry Oh, and she can’t eat or drink anything, you hear?"

"Yes," I said I hung up "Tara, they’re co to eat or drink!"

"You see any food around here?" she said "Not a daain to ato keep hi his children"

"He loves you! And I’ht now!" Which I did

After a frozen ! Wait, if you called the ambulance, I’ll meet it at the hospital! Have you called the doctor?"

"She didn’t put hiitation I’dup

Since there didn’t see absolutely still with an expression of great concentration on her face), I called Mrs du Rone Who said very cal to stay there with Tara, I’ll drive straight to the hospital Thank you, Sookie" Then, without hanging up, she shrieked, "Donnell! Go start the car! It’s ti up I called McKenna, who said, "Oh et there within an hour Tell her I said good luck!"

Not knohat else to do, I went to stand by Tara, who said, "Give rip on an to pant in a rhythm, and her face turned red Her whole body tensed This close to her, I could s unusual It wasn’t exactly a bad smell, but it was certainly one I’d never associated with Tara

Aht all the bones inWe rested a moment, Tara and I, and her eyes remained fixed on some far-distant shore After a short tinaled I figured it out e started again with the huffing and puffing This time Tara turned white I was incredibly relieved to hear the ah Tara didn’t seeh I couldn’t recall their naraduated with Jason, or maybe a year ahead of him As far as I was concerned, they had haloes

"Hey, lady," the taller woman said to Tara "You ready to take a ride with us?"

Tara nodded without losing her focus on that invisible spot

"How close are the contractions, darlin’?" asked the second, a s aped at her

"Three or four ht she’d pop if she spoke euess we better hustle, then," the taller woman said calmly While she took Tara’s blood pressure, Wire Riurney, and then they helped Tara up froot Tara onto the gurney and into the a to hurry in the least

I was left standing in the middle of the store I stared at the wet chair Finally I wrote a note to McKenna "You will need to clean the chair," it said I stuck it to the back door, where McKenna would enter I locked up and departed