by Afton Locke
Her pulse returned to normal, but she didn’t like the shadows lurking in his eyes.
“Are you sure you’re happy with our plan?” she asked.
“Whatever you want is fine with me, Sadie. You know what’s best for our child.”
The boat slid into the trough of a wave, and her heart went with it. Longing was written all over his face as he stared at the water. She knew him. He’d rather spend his life on a boat somewhere. A woman and child of a different color would tie him with dangerous bonds. He’d only agreed with her plan because he felt obligated to fulfill his duty. Just as he’d tried to marry Natalie.
When his forelock danced, begging for her touch, a sharp ache filled her chest. She needed this man more than oxygen, but not if he only saw her as a duty. If he wasn’t happy, the rest of them couldn’t be, either.
“Sadie, look!” He pointed to the water beside the stern. “There’s a fish swimming near the boat. I’m going to get the net.”
She grabbed his arm. “No, Henry. Let it be free.”
* * *
The next evening, Pearl sat on Sadie’s bed, rocking Opal in her arms.
Sadie paced the length of the small room. “I just want to run away so Henry can live on the water and be free.”
“What will that accomplish?” Pearl asked.
“You did it.”
Sadie still couldn’t believe her delicate cousin had hitchhiked in St. Mary’s County. She’d decided to leave Caleb for his own good after the Klan had burned the Oyster Island plant.
“I was a fool for doing something so dangerous.” Pearl placed sleepy Opal beside her on the bed. “Caleb tracked me down. Besides, I wasn’t carrying a baby then.”
Sadie sat on the bed, too. “I’d rather be alone than see Henry miserable.”
“It’s his child as well,” Pearl pointed out. “Children need their fathers. He probably won’t be happy unless he does his duty.”
She knew how important duty was to him, but she didn’t look forward to watching his love for her die, day by day. Pearl was right. She had to do it for the baby’s sake. Henry had once said there were more important things than her vanity. It didn’t matter anymore whether or not she was beautiful, or loved.
Gazing at Opal, sound asleep, she decided her child was the only thing that mattered now.
* * *
A week later, Sadie wandered out of church with everyone else. She’d barely heard the sermon and had no appetite for the Sunday meal. The only meaning in her life now lay in her belly. Pearl had smiled throughout the service, clearly excited by her plans to move back to Pearl Point the next week. Truly happy for her, Sadie managed to smile, too.
Pearl shaded her eyes as she looked toward the inlet. “Here it comes!”
“Here what comes?” Sadie snapped. “All I see is some boat.”
She followed Pearl toward it. Shouldn’t her cousin be worried? What if it was the Klan? But when they crested the bank, she spotted Henry and Caleb on board.
“Why didn’t they go directly to the house?” she asked.
With Opal in one arm, Pearl gripped her hand and pulled her along.
Sadie stepped onto the boat. “What’s going on?”
The craft was bigger than Henry’s. Would it even fit down Crab Creek during low tide?
“Do you like it?” Pearl asked.
“I don’t know.” Sadie frowned. “It looks like a houseboat.”
Before she’d fallen for him, she’d hated boats. He emerged from one of the rooms, dressed in a navy-blue suit. When he pulled her close to kiss her, she fought the urge to melt into him. He smelled like the sun, sea, and happiness. His eyes were as deep and blue as the sky around them. The trapped expression was gone.
She stroked his sleeve. “You must have been to church. I’ve never seen you so dressed up.”
“As a matter of fact, I dressed up for you.”
“For me?” Feeling a strange sense of excitement bubbling around her, Sadie looked around.
Caleb waved from the front of the boat as he steered them into the open waters of the Patuxent River. Mama was aboard, too. So were Leroy and Rose.
“What’s happening?” she asked.
Instead of answering, Henry took her hand and led her to one of the enclosed rooms. He grinned even harder than Pearl had. Something was definitely going on. The inside was fully furnished. Curtains even adorned the windows.
“This is a houseboat,” she said. “Where in the world did it come from?”
“I bought it. Rose and Leroy helped me fix it up.” He gripped her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “Please tell me you’re not seasick.”
“After that nor’easter, this is nothing.”
“Good. Welcome home, Sadie.”
She planted her palms against his chest. Her head spun but not because of the sea.
“Do you mean—”
“We can live here on the water.” He pointed out the window. “Away from the Klan and hate and prejudice. Yet close enough to visit your family.”
She put her hand over her mouth. He’d found a way they could both be happy. The boat was big and flat, so it didn’t rock as much as his smaller one. She pictured their child skipping across the deck, playing with Opal.
“Oh, Henry,” she cried, wiping her eyes. “I-it’s perfect.”
His smile was so wide, it engulfed his face. “I must have finally done something right.”
“You do a lot of things right.”
He drew her back outside where the others watched them. “We can’t legally marry, but we can sure have a wedding. Our family is here. We’re dressed up. How about right now?”
She ran her hands through his wild hair. “Yes! Yes!”
Everyone clapped, and Caleb stopped the boat to join them.
Leroy stepped forward. “I’m no preacher, but I’ll do my best.”
Sadie plucked the tan fabric of her church dress. “I should be wearing white or a spring color.”
Before Henry, she’d never given much thought to clothes. As long as she was covered, she didn’t care. She and Mama couldn’t afford much more than rags. Now that she had a little money and felt beautiful, though, she couldn’t wait to sew a pretty dress or two.
Rose handed her a bouquet of red tulips and joined the others. After Sadie and Henry finished saying their vows, she tossed flower petals all over the deck from the basket she carried.
Caleb squeezed Pearl close. “Maybe we’ll get one of these boats, too.”
“My legs are getting tired,” Mama grumbled. “Are you two going to kiss or not?”
Sadie gazed into her husband’s eyes and traced her fingers down his cheeks. Closing her eyelids, she surrendered to his kiss, his love, and the wonderful home he’d given her. When their lips joined, so did their hearts and their hopes.
She was finally loved. More importantly, she loved fully in return. When she’d said her vows, she’d given him her entire heart. The risk only made it more worthwhile. Inhaling the salty air, she melted into Henry’s arms, surrendering herself completely to her man.
Oyster Harbor Series
Get lost in Maryland’s lush Oyster Harbor in the 1930s where race and passion collide. Read the entire series! Visit my pages for buy links, excerpts, videos, reviews, and more:
Book1 - Plucking the Pearl:
http://www.aftonlocke.com/Pearl.html
Book 2 - Rose, Exposed:
http://www.aftonlocke.com/Rose.html
Book 3 - Sadie’s Surrender:
http://www.aftonlocke.com/Sadie.html
Book 4 - TBD
Series (setting, characters, books):
http://www.aftonlocke.com/OysterHarbor.html
About the Author
Afton Locke is a USA Today Bestselling Author who prefers romantic fantasies to everyday reality. Fantasies take her to different times, races, places, and beyond. She lives with her husband, dog, several unnam
ed dust bunnies, and a black cat that can be scary or cuddly, depending on the current book. When she’s not writing, Afton enjoys hiking, cooking, crafts, and reading.
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