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of the yellow blankets with the lamb design. Brady had placed Dee on the table with stirrups, and Francine was talking on a cell phone.
    Instead of lying down, Dee had wakened enough to loudly complain. “I want a bath. And new clothes. I don’t want to be here.”
    Gently, Petra brushed Brady out of the way and stood in front of Dee. She piled on the attention. “Are you all right? We were concerned when you fainted.”
    “You’re right to worry.” Dee pouted. “I’m very delicate.”
    “Like a cow,” Margaret muttered under her breath.
    With a glance toward Francine who was still on her cell phone, Petra decided to take action. If she asked for permission, she would surely be refused. Instead, she took the blood pressure cuff from the countertop and wrapped it around Dee’s upper arm. “Let’s make sure you’re all right. The mother’s well-being is vital to a successful birth.”
    “I just want this thing out of me.”
    That thing is a baby . Even though Petra was beginning to agree with the way Margaret felt about Dee, she held back her irritation and focused on the task at hand. Using a stethoscope, she took a blood pressure reading. “You’re one-fifty-five over ninety. It’s a little high.”
    Dee grasped her hand and squeezed hard. “I’m going to be okay, aren’t I?”
    “The elevated blood pressure could indicate hypertension.” She removed the cuff. “But it’s not high enough to worry about for you or for the baby.”
    “My baby boy is all right, isn’t he?”
    “You know you’re having a son?”
    “I’ve known for a long time. Is he okay?”
    Her blue eyes opened wide, and Petra saw her fear. Dee wasn’t really an obnoxious, unfeeling diva. She was scared and didn’t seem to be getting much support from the other women in the house.
    With utmost gentleness, Petra stroked the blond wisps off Dee’s forehead. “You’re both going to be fine. Giving birth is the most natural thing in the world. You can do this.”
    “It’s going to hurt.” Her voice caught on a sob. “I don’t want it to hurt.”
    “You are going to feel some pain, but I know a great many techniques to deal with it. What’s your favorite kind of music? Not for dancing but for when you’re alone and relaxed.”
    “Show tunes. When I was in high school, I was one of the stars in Oklahoma! ” A hint of a smile touched her mouth. “I had a solo number about the gal who couldn’t say no. I guess it came true.”
    “I’ll bet you were beautiful on stage.” She pulled Brady into the conversation. “Don’t you think so, honey?”
    “Yeah, you must have been pretty.”
    It was clear that his attention was elsewhere. He’d positioned himself so his back was to the wall and he faced the doorway where Francine stood. Had he picked up on a threat that Petra had missed? Margaret seemed to have vanished. Did that mean anything?
    “Oh, my, Brady.” Dee fluttered her lashes. Apparently, she’d recovered enough to flirt. “Brady, you carried me in here. You’re my hero.”
    “No problem,” he said.
    “And it will never happen again,” Francine said coldly. She rested her back against the doorjamb, and folded her arms below her breasts. “You girls don’t need to be rescued. You have to learn how to stand on your own two feet.”
    There was truth to what she was saying. Self-reliance counted as an important character trait, but Petra was willing to cut Dee some slack. After she had the baby, she could work on improving her character.
    Francine turned her gaze on Petra. “You claim to be a midwife.”
    “I’m certified, licensed and ready to go,” Petra said. “If you like, I can provide all kinds of references. I’d love to work here at Lost Lamb.”
    “You may leave your card.”
    Mission accomplished! She’d made contact and would be able to return. After this, the investigation would be easy. “We’re so new in town that I don’t have cards printed up yet. Brady, would you write down our