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“I have a feeling this child is taking after his father and will be the size of an ox.”
“I wish I could be here when he arrives.”
“You’re leaving?”
He nodded. “I intended to inform the family at dinner.”
She looked slightly disappointed but offered him an understanding smile. “I figured as much when Jay told me about the clipper.”
He still struggled internally with this decision. “It’s an opportunity I can’t pass on.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“Months.”
“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. You’ve wanted nothing more ever since I can remember.”
He thought of Evelina.
“We will miss you terribly.”
He smiled. “I’ll miss you as well. All of you. If I could I’d have you all come away with me.”
She smiled in return, patting her belly. “I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. But if you had asked me a year ago, that would have been a different story.”
“A sailor does not make for good husband material.”
She turned to look at him. “Being a sailor had nothing to do with it. I had thought I wanted to sail off with you and live a life of adventure, but it turned out what I really wanted was right here in Placid.”
“Jay.”
She smiled softly. “Yes. And this town itself. It was my grandfather’s legacy. It is a part of who I am.”
“You were lucky to find both.”
“I nearly didn’t. I nearly lost Jay. I had to make the most difficult decision of my life.”
“Whether to have him operated on or not?” He recalled that day and that the decision could not have been easy. Jay was on death’s door and the decision to operate had to be made quickly. It couldn’t have been an easy decision. He admired his sister-in-law and the sacrifice she made for his brother that day. She had given up her own chance of happiness to save Jay’s life. Thankfully, however, one of the biggest miracles ever to come out of the town of Placid and would forever be told from generation down to generation. An entire town’s acts of kindness ensured Jay and Erika got their happy ever after.
“It could have easily gone completely wrong.” Her voice caught and she paused to collect herself. “But it was not his time yet. And I’ll be eternally grateful that it wasn’t.”
“You’re the bravest woman I know, Erika.”
She chuckled. “Bravery had nothing to do with it. I was petrified of losing him. There really was no decision. Just a lot of faith. Sometimes in life, that’s all there is. You either take a chance or not. But you never know if you never try.”
Ryan felt something troublesome nag his conscience. “Let the cards fall where they may.”
“There’s no reason you can’t have it all either, Ryan. Just think, you are about to fulfill your biggest dream.”
“I’m not an idealist. No lady wants a drifting husband who is constantly away from home.”
“I know two very available young ladies in the other room that would be very happy to have a warm dinner waiting for you when you returned.” She smiled then rubbed her belly. “And perhaps a bun in the oven as well someday.”
He unexpectedly thought of Evelina sporting a rounded belly of her own bearing his child. A warm feeling unexpectedly came over him. Confused, he quickly smothered the image.
“I think they have eyes only for Garrett.”
“Perhaps but someone is out there for you, Ryan. I know there is.”
