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ChapterTwenty-Nine
Chase
Even though Hallie’s doctor cleared her to fly, we decided to take the ferry to Fireweed Harbor for the trip there and then fly back. Ferry travel was common in the southern part of Alaska. Neither one of us had actually taken the ferry to the southeast part of the state. The route was approximately two days, but we had a cabin to sleep in, and the views were stunning.
I stood beside her at the railing on the deck, watching as the wind blew her brown hair in a swirl. My eyes dipped down to the swell of her breasts and her round belly. I found myself more frequently wanting to slide my hand over that curve. Whenever we slept together, I curled behind her with one palm resting there as if I could protect our baby.
“Look!” she said, pointing.
I glanced ahead to see a group of Dall’s porpoises zipping through the water.
“They’re so fast! Do you know what they are?”
“Dall’s porpoises. I saw them once before when I was out fishing with my dad.”
We watched for a few minutes before they disappeared from view. Alaska, being typically generous, also gave us the sight of a humpback whale breaching in the distance and a pod of orcas swimming.
Later the following day, Fireweed Harbor came into view. The sunset was in its early stages. It felt as if the town itself was showing off for me, with the light reflected on the water shimmering with orange, red, and pink. The town was nestled into the mountains. A glacier in the distance was bathed in the colors from the setting sun, the otherworldly blue glittering.
“Oh, wow, it's beautiful,” Hallie breathed.
We glanced around as the ferry came to a slow stop. Announcements came over the speaker to direct the passengers. We hadn’t brought a vehicle, so Rhys was picking us up at the harbor.
My gut churned with anxiety. I was meeting an entire part of my family that I hadn't known existed until recently. The main part of downtown was visible from the harbor as we walked onto the docks. Hallie was ever practical and had a backpack, just as I did, for the weekend.
There were whimsically painted storefronts, cars lining the streets with winding roads that led up the hillside from the main section of town. We walked from the docks into the parking area. I glanced around, turning when I heard my name.
Rhys stood on the sidewalk, waving at us. My anxiety eased a little. I knew him. I just had to meet four more siblings. I supposed I was grateful that two of them were out of town for now, so it wasn’t as overwhelming.
I reached for Hallie’s hand. Rhys met us halfway, smiling down at Hallie.
She glanced up at him. “You look like Archer,” she observed, having met Archer on one of her weekends in Willow Brook.
Rhys grinned. “You must be Hallie.”
“I am,” she returned. She looked from him to me. “Wow. You two look a lot alike, different eye colors, though.”
He grinned before shifting his focus to me. For a second, we hesitated before he pulled me into a back-slapping hug and then stepped back. “Good to see you again. You two ready to go?”
“Sure thing,” I replied.
“They're coming in shifts,” he said as we got in the car.
“What do you mean?” Hallie asked.
“Well, McKenna's already at the house,” Rhys began.
“She's your only sister, right?” I prompted.
“Yours too,” he replied.
“It’s gonna take a while for me to get used to that.”
“I bet.” He chuckled. “For now, it’s me, McKenna, Adam, and Blake this weekend. We figured we could have dinner at my mother’s house.”
“I'm good with faces but not so great with names, so I hope everyone’s patient with me. I think I can handle three, though,” I offered.
Rhys threw his head back with a laugh at that. “Good. Mix them up.”
