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“I can’t believe I almost lost you,” Roxanne said to Evan.Not that I was counting, but it must have been at least the twentieth time she’d said that.
“Mom.”Evan tried to pull away from her.“We’re fine.You didn’t lose—”
“Stop sassing your mom.”Keith gave the boy a stern look.“What you three did was inexcusable.Putting your mothers through that type of worry...putting all of us through that,” he amended.It was easy to see how much Keith cared for Roxanne’s kids.“The least you can do is sit there and put up with the attention.”
“The very least,” Leo added.“And then we’re going to talk about what happened.”
Ben ducked his head into my chest and snuggled deeper.I knew I wasn’t going to like what Ben had to tell me about what happened because I knew the way only a mother does that he was not only involved but very likely the ringleader.
We drank our warm drinks and ate the muffins that had been laid out for us and when everyone’s bellies were full and the feeling had returned to our cold toes, it was finally time to talk.
“Evan, let’s start with you,” Keith said.“Do you want to tell us what happened?”
“Why me?”
“You’re the oldest.”Keith looked at him pointedly.“And I know you wanted to go for a boat ride.What were you thinking?You can’t take a boat out on your own.You’re only thirteen years old.You could have been—”
“It was me.”
All eyes turned toward me or more specifically, the little boy sitting with me.
“What are you saying, Ben?”Leo, who hadn’t been very far away, moved even closer and took Ben’s hand.“You have to tell us the truth, okay?”
“I know.”Ben nodded solemnly.“I am telling the truth.It wasn’t Evan.It was me.I knew he wanted to go for a ride and I thought it would be cool if I took him.So we got up really early and went out.We were supposed to be back before you woke up so you wouldn’t find out.”
“How did you know how to drive it?”Roxanne asked the question, but I already knew the answer.Ben was a smart kid.He paid attention.
“Last night I watched what Keith did.”
“And you asked a lot of questions.”Keith nodded knowingly and then shook his head in bewilderment.“Damn.”
“Damn is right.”Leo’s mouth was pressed into a thin line.“Ben, this is not okay.You could have been killed.You put everyone at risk.Do you realize how serious this is?”
Ben nodded and I could see his lip tremble as he tried not to cry.“I’m sorry.”He craned his head around so he looked at me.I nodded in support and he whipped around to look at everyone else in turn.“I really am,” he said.“I didn’t mean for anything bad to happen and...and...”He dissolved into a puddle of tears and I pulled him tight to me again.For all his bravado, he was still my little boy.
“I think we all understand how sorry you are, kiddo.”I pressed a kiss to the top of his head.Everyone murmured in understanding.
“I think we do,” Roxanne said.“I’m just glad everyone’s okay.Why don’t you kids go back to our suite and watch a movie?”The kids, smart enough to know when they were being let off the hook, didn’t have to be asked twice.Ben gave me another quick hug and the three of them took off, leaving us alone to decompress.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared,” Roxanne said when they were out of earshot.“Thinking that something might have...”She shook her head.“I just can’t think about it.”
“I agree,” I said.“It makes you realize how short life is.”I reached for Leo’s hand and wrapped my fingers through his.“And it makes you think that maybe you shouldn’t wait for a perfect moment that might never come in order to be happy.”
“What are you saying?”Leo watched me intently, his dark eyes full of question.
A smile crept across my face as I told him what I’d been thinking ever since I had Ben back in my arms.“I’m saying that I don’t want to wait another day.It’s long past time that I became your wife.Let’s get married.Today.”
