“Yes, sir.” His throat went dry.
“Good.” He winked. “Girls like that kind of thing. And I can tell you from experience that telling your daughter no never gets easier.”
“Elijah!” Jazz called from below.
“Yes?” He went to the edge. Jazmine stood on the dock, boxes of cupcakes and a bundle of flowers in her arms.
“My mom needs help unloading the car,” she called up to him.
“Got it.”
That was the last moment not swamped in controlled chaos.
As they pulled away from the dock, he watched Jazz laughing and interacting with everyone.
Several times she caught him staring and smiled at him. Occasionally he worked his way over to her to steal a quick kiss. Like any good pirate would do.
The afternoon flew. The sun was setting, and they were heading back to the dock. It was time.
The young second mate distracted everyone with an outrageous song, so Elijah had time to climb up the platform. He unhooked the rope.
This might be the worst idea he had ever had while sober.
Lane winked up at him, then made his move. Drawing his plastic sword, the second mate held it to Jazmine’s throat and told her he would be taking all her jewelry. The kids screamed and ran to her rescue. But the crew held the kids back, and they all laughed as they played along.
Jazmine looked confused. Her gaze searched the boat. She was looking for him.
“Argh!” he roared, and jumped from the platform, swinging across the deck. His boots landed on the box anchored to the floor specifically for this scene, one they usually played out for tourists.
The kids and parents cheered. His sister might have been the loudest. “Hands off the lady, you scoundrel!” Elijah used his best pirate voice.
Lane turned, and they lunged back and forth, slashing at each other with their plastic swords. Backed into the corner, Lane went to his knees and surrendered. He might have done a bit of overacting, but the kids loved it.
Dramatically, Elijah sheathed his sword. Swaggering across the deck to where Jazmine stood, he took her in his arms. For a moment he stopped and looked into her eyes. This might be over the top, but he wanted her to see him. To see the love he had for her.
Slowly, he lowered his head and kissed her as hoots and hollers surrounded them. Pulling back, he grinned at her.
Smiling, she raised her eyebrows. “What if this lady plans on saving herself?”
He removed his leather gauntlet and cupped her face. Leaning in, he kissed her nose. “She is more than capable, but this is what our daughter wanted. And I wanted you, so it works out.” He winked, then twisted to face Lane. “Bring in the treasure so we can share our bounty.”
The shrieks were higher than his ears could gauge as Lane and Carlos carried a wooden chest onto the deck. Elijah kneeled before the ancient-looking lock and, with a flourish, broke it. A hush fell over the kiddie crowd. The water hitting the sides of the boat was the only sound heard.
He lifted the lid. On top of the costume jewelry, chocolate coins and brightly colored beads sat a small velvet box. Closing his fist over it and pressing it to his chest, he turned on his heel and strode over to the love of his life.
She tilted her head, her eyes narrowed. He grinned. This would be something they would always remember. This was a good plan. He hoped.
One of the dreadlocks dropped across his face, and he yanked off the wig and bandanna. He wanted this to be real.
Her fingers went to his hair, trying to bring some sort of order to it.
In front of her, he dropped to one knee. She gasped.
“I’ve asked you before, and I broke those vows.” He swallowed against the dryness of his throat. “You have no reason other than faith to be my wife again. Life without you is nothing but a gray mist. You fill every day with beautiful color. I want to give you all the love you deserve.” He lifted the box and offered her the ring. “Will you marry me again?”
Her hands pressed against her mouth. “That’s... That’s...” Her eyes flashed to her mother before coming back to him. “You have Mama CiCi’s ring.” Slowly she went to her knees in front of him.
Her hand cupped his. Her eyes stayed on him. “What took you so long?” Her voice was low and hoarse. Tears glistened in the kindest eyes he had ever looked into.
“I wanted to make it perfect.”
Tears overflowed her dark lashes. “I’ve never much liked perfect. I love you and our life together. Yes, I’ll marry you as many times as you ask.”
He slipped the ring onto her finger where it belonged. It felt like going home again, but this time with the support and love of their families. Standing, he pulled her up with him and brushed his lips against hers.
A small body slammed into them. “Are you married now?”
They laughed. “No, sweetheart. We’re engaged.”
“When can we move in with Daddy? I want a puppy and a baby sister.”
He swung his daughter up against his shoulder. “Give us a little time, sweet girl. You get to help your mom plan a wedding.”
With a nod, Jazz kissed Rosie’s cheek. “A very small wedding that will take less than a few weeks to organize.”
He slipped his hand into the woman’s who had always owned his heart. Lane and Carlos passed out the loot and the party favors. They docked, the families chatting as they disembarked. By the time the sun slipped out of the sky, his family stood alone on the deck.
Belle hugged him and whispered in his ear, “I’m so happy for you. You’re the best guy, and you deserve to be happy.”
“So do you, sis.”
Stepping back, she shook her head. “I am happy. Now that you have your wife back, don’t start matchmaking.”
Selena laughed. Holding one of the triplets, she leaned in for a hug, too. “Don’t worry, I’ve got the perfect guy for her.” She laughed at the horror on Belle’s face.
Azalea helped with the other two triplets as they made their way off the ship. With just the string of party lights breaking the shadows of night, Elijah stood with his soon-to-be wife again and his daughter, and waved goodbye to everyone.
For a moment he wanted to fall to his knees and thank God for a life he had never even dared to dream of.
Rosie’s eyes fluttered shut, and her head fell against his shoulder. Jazz pressed her cheek to his other shoulder and sighed.
With a yawn, Rosie snuggled closer to him. “Who knew life on a fake pirate ship could be so perfect?”
He kissed the top of her head. “Stick with me, babe, and the adventures will only get better. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.” The sleepy voice interrupted his thoughts. “Now that we’re engaged, are we going home with you?”
“Not tonight, sweetheart, but soon. Very soon I’ll take you home.”
He felt Jazz’s smile as her hand went to Rosemarie’s back. “It won’t be long before we’ll be going home together.”
His heart clenched, and he tightened his arms around his world, holding them close. He had been waiting for them, and he would be taking them home soon.
Jazmine stretched to her toes and kissed his cheek. “Elijah De La Rosa, you’re my home. I love you, always will.”
His hand in hers and his daughter on his shoulder, they walked the plank. Together.
* * *
If you enjoyed this story, look for these other books by Jolene Navarro available now.
Texas Daddy
The Texan’s Twins
Lone Star Christmas
Keep reading for an excerpt from Their Baby Blessing by Heidi McCahan.
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Dear Reader,
Welcome to Port Del Mar. I’m excited to start a new series and hope you enjoyed meeting the De La Rosa family. I have fallen in love with them all.
Stories of redemption and forgiveness (accepting and giving) have always reached out to me.
As I started traveling the road with Elijah and Jazmine, I realized this was not going to be an easy journey to write.
Alcoholism and running with a child are heavy subject matters that I don’t take lightly. I prayed as the words formed their story. People make mistakes, and I truly believe God can change a person.
Elijah and Jazmine had to seek God first in order to make the future they wanted work. With each page I loved them even more.
If you know of anyone who needs help with alcoholism, they can reach out to Alcoholics Anonymous at www.aa.org or for those who are affected by a loved one’s drinking behavior visit the Al-Anon Family Group at al-anon.org.
I hope you come back to Port Del Mar to read Selena’s story.
Many blessings,
Jolene Navarro
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Their Baby Blessing
by Heidi McCahan
Chapter One
She shouldn’t have said yes.
Seated at a table next to the window, Skye Tomlinson cupped both hands around her disposable coffee cup and scanned the parking lot outside Common Grounds for a man who might be Gage Westbrook. What was she thinking—meeting a total stranger for coffee? And after only a brief exchange of direct messages on social media, too. What if he’d fabricated his whole story? Maybe this was an elaborate scheme he’d plotted to—
Relax. Not every man was out to manipulate women for their own personal gain.
Skye took a sip of her skinny hazelnut latte, desperate for comfort as the painful memories of her ex-boyfriend threatened to resurface. He’d controlled her, mocking her need for independence. Then made her feel like nothing. Over and over. While his harsh words no longer played on an endless loop in her head, she still carefully guarded tender emotional wounds. And loathed her own foolishness at ever believing he genuinely loved her.
Stop. You’re safe here. A quick glance around the newest coffee shop in Merritt’s Crossing revealed two of her mother’s friends sitting in the overstuffed chairs by the fireplace. More familiar faces lingered around tables, savoring the warm and inviting atmosphere on a blustery Sunday afternoon. She was confident any of these folks would come to her aid if she needed them.
Although she’d snooped around Gage’s social media profile—or tried to anyway—he hadn’t made many details available to her prying eyes. His profile picture featured a submarine, and his cover photo was a sunset over the Florida coast. On the upside, she’d asked her brother who worked at the local sheriff’s department to run a quick check, and he’d come back squeaky-clean.
Despite Gage’s spotless record, she was still apprehensive about meeting him. But he said he knew about baby Connor, and that he had sensitive information about the birth father. Maybe that meant he also knew more details about where Skye’s cousin McKenna might be, so Skye couldn’t afford not to hear what he had to say. Because as much as she adored the sweet eleven-month-old who’d been left in her care more than a month ago, it was time for McKenna to come back, step up and be Connor’s mom.
While Skye hated the convoluted family feud that no doubt influenced her cousin’s dangerous and heartbreaking life choices—and wrestled with her own guilt over not doing enough to help resolve it—she couldn’t be Connor’s permanent legal guardian. If she was honest, she didn’t want to be his guardian. A temporary leave from her pharmaceutical sales position in Denver to come home to Merritt’s Crossing and help her widowed mother while she recovered from knee surgery was manageable. Keeping the family furniture store afloat proved daunting, but Skye could handle it until Mom was back on her feet. Literally.
But motherhood? Though a noble endeavor, it wasn’t part of her carefully orchestrated plans. Kids were fine for her friends, and she’d love it if her brothers married and started families someday, but she wasn’t interested in raising Connor or having children. It wasn’t just the day-to-day tasks of meeting Connor’s needs and finding adequate child care, although juggling both responsibilities felt overwhelming. Caring for him threatened the self-reliance she’d worked so hard to gain. What was worse, with each passing day, Skye worried more and more that McKenna might not ever show up. The thought of parenting Connor on her own and managing a career planted an icy ball of dread in her stomach. She couldn’t stand the thought of the precious baby boy going to foster care, though.
Common Grounds’s front door opened, and a blast of frigid air accompanied a tall, broad-shouldered man wearing a dark green winter jacket and black knit hat. Her breath caught. Was that Gage? Although he’d worn exactly what he’d promised in his message so she could easily identify him, she wasn’t prepared for his impressive physical appearance. The words devastatingly handsome darted through her mind.
Flustered by her reaction to his arrival, she willed the butterflies flitting through her abdomen to settle down while she let her eyes travel—just for a second—from his angular, clean-shaven jaw to his dark-washed jeans and what appeared to be new hiking boots. Interesting choice for a Colorado winter. Maybe he wasn’t from around here?
The pleasant hum of conversation faltered as he removed his hat and surveyed the coffee shop. When his gaze landed on Skye and he strode toward her table, she felt the weight of every curious stare in the room. She squirmed, pressing her spine against the rungs of her ladder-back chair, while her legs itched to stand and carry her to the safety of her car outside. If she was quick, she could brush past him. Offer a hasty excuse and cancel their meeting.
He stopped beside her, his fingers twisting his hat in his hands. She forced herself to meet his gaze. The flicker of uncertainty in his hazel eyes gave her pause. Was he nervous?
“Skye?”
She managed to find her voice. “Yes?”
“Gage Westbrook.”
Skye clasped his outstretched hand, groaning inwardly as she realized the contrast between his cool skin and her clammy palm. “Nice to meet you,” she mumbled and quickly pulled her hand away.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” He gestured toward the counter behind him. “Mind if I grab a cup of coffee?”
His smooth voice and impeccable manners—not to mention those captivating eyes flecked with hints of gold—derailed her intentions. Any thought of getting up and leaving had vanished.
“Skye?”
Warmth heated her skin. “No, I—I don’t mind. The coffee here’s great.”
“I’ll be right back.”
While Mr. Handsome-Hazel-Eyes strode to the counter, Skye avoided eye contac
t with anyone else in the room and pulled her phone from her purse. Her brother Drew had agreed to stay with Connor this afternoon while she met with Gage, and Mom went to church and then to lunch with a friend. Although Drew said he was willing to help, his lack of experience with babies put her on edge. Connor wasn’t easy to care for. Would Drew be able to handle him?
Sure enough, two text messages waited for her. The first asking if they were out of diapers, and the second requested tips for coping with a fussy baby who refused to nap. She winced. Poor Drew. He wouldn’t volunteer the next time she needed help. She sent a quick response and then set her phone down in front of her so she wouldn’t miss another text.
A few minutes later, Gage slid into the seat across from her and set a steaming mug of black coffee on the table. He unzipped his jacket and draped it across the empty chair beside him. His aqua-blue sweater emphasized his muscular arms and shoulders, and Skye forced herself to avert her gaze. Gage settled in his chair and quickly smoothed his hand through his close-cropped sandy-blond hair.
“Thank you for meeting with me.” His smile revealed straight white teeth and Skye’s heart blipped double time. “I’m sure my message seemed odd.”
Skye cradled her coffee again and strong-armed her thoughts into submission. Handsome or not, Gage was still a stranger, and she was only meeting with him to see if he could help her get what she wanted—a permanent guardian for Connor. “You said you found me because my cousin McKenna Tomlinson posted a picture online of the two of us at Christmas with her baby, Connor. It’s unnerving, although not surprising, since she posted a lot of photos that day. The part I can’t figure out is your connection to McKenna. I’d ask her myself, but she left town right after the holidays.”
“I was afraid that might be the case.” Gage frowned. “Do you know where she went?”
“Hard to say. She’s...complicated. Last text I received said she’d made some friends in Wichita.” Skye picked at the cardboard sleeve on her cup. “I was hoping she’d reconnect with her mom, who lives in Kansas City now, but there’s really no way to predict what McKenna might do next.”
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