by A. E. Murphy
I smile at him. “And here we are.”
“And here we are.” Leaning forward, he grabs me around my neck and slants his lips over mine. “Being captain used to be a burden. I never wanted it but they needed me and every year new men joined, a bigger crew, more mouths to feed, a bigger burden.”
“Am I a burden?”
He lets out a lengthy sigh and finds my eyes in the moonlight. “Rain, you’re the only fucking thing these days that makes all of this worth it.”
With those words hanging in the air he rolls me onto my back on the sand and hovers over me, smiling sweetly down at me.
“I’ve done bad things, Rain, I’m a bad man. I’ve got no excuses for the things I’ve done and a lot of it I don’t regret.”
“Calder—”
He cuts me off with a look imploring me to let him finish. “I don’t regret kidnapping you. I won’t apologise for it. It was the best decision I ever made.”
I say nothing to that.
“I don’t regret getting you pregnant because it has brought you back to me. The only thing I regret is hurting you so badly that you left me to begin with.”
I reach up and touch his growing stubble. A beard suits him so nicely.
“Kiss me, captain.”
“It would be my pleasure,” he mutters, smiling at me with his perfect teeth. He presses his lips to mine and grinds his erection into my thigh.
“On a lighter note, have you figured out where I’m having the baby yet?”
He nods once, looking determined. “Of course. Yee of little faith. I’ve also decided on a name.”
I laugh once. “Oh you have, have you?”
His green eyes sparkle with amusement and sincerity when he utters the name, “Poseidon.”
My one laugh turns into a full-on full-belly laugh. I’m finding it hard to breathe. “You’ve got to be shitting me?”
“I’m serious. I want to call him Poseidon.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening.”
“You can say it’s not happening all you like but that’s his name.” He smirks as he speaks, his perfect lips tipped up on one side but I can see how serious he is being.
I flatten my features as I consider the ridiculous name. “I mean, I guess I can call him a nickname.”
“Poseidon, king of the seven seas.”
“You’re wacked.”
Laughing at me, he rolls us both until I’m on top and then rolls us again until I feel the sea in my hair. “Poseidon soaks you with his mighty fist of water!” he announces as I squeal from the cold and wriggle beneath him, laughing at the same time. “Poseidon doesn’t appreciate you rejecting his name.”
“Get off,” I shove him towards the water and he lands in it beside me with a small splash, thud, and more hysterical laughter. “You’re an arse.” I climb to my feet and stomp away, wiping the side of my arm and wringing out my hair as he shakes his soaking legs behind me, chuckling like it’s the funniest thing in the world.
He chases after me, lifting me into a cradle carry as though I weigh nothing before planting me on top of the boulder we were leaning against not long ago. Kneeing my thighs apart, he steps between them and kisses me on the jaw and then my lips.
“I can’t get enough of you.”
I blush at his words, grateful for the darkness. “You might tire of me eventually.”
“Never.”
“Never say never,” I whisper against his lips as my damp hand grips his wet groin. Wet from the sea, not from anything else. He’s rock-solid for me as always, I love that about him. “What’s going on with the treasure you found?”
“I’ll get it professionally appraised and sell it to some swanky museum in Europe or America. Whoever offers more money I guess.”
I wince with concern. “Won’t they arrest you?”
“Ha, no. Museums don’t care who they buy from, they just care that it’s real and there’s a shit tonne of Aztec-looking gold in those chests we pulled.”
I place my hand on his bare chest, loving the feel of his heart beating beneath a solid wall of thick muscle. “I hope you’re right.”
“Me too.”
“As you dirty fuckers know,” Calder bellows across the crowd on the deck. “We’re docking near America, an extremely dangerous game. To trade the treasure for a shit tonne of money that is being handled as I make this announcement.” He looks at me but I’m too busy staring at the horizon and the land I can see. Apparently, it’s California. I can see other ships but we’re okay, they won’t bother us. “We’ll be staying on board and on alert while we make this trade. If any of the chosen few want to get your bitches for the ride, as I told you weeks ago to arrange, now is your only chance. If in a few days you’ve changed your mind, tough titties because I’m not bringing the cunts back.”
Some of the men snigger, they’re all buzzing with excitement, ready to make the trade and hopefully bring a few women on board. I’m looking forward to both. The sooner we get rid of this treasure the better, we’re a moving target with it all on board. Especially once word hit the news about our findings.
We’ve been granted temporary leniency by the government while we make this trade. History to them is more important than a ship full of criminals that have done nothing to bother them.
I can see two jet skis heading away from the ship with a dingy attached and I wonder who they are and who they’re bringing back. Calder said only a few had come forward requesting to bring their wives and kids aboard but they were nervous about the lack of other families and Captain doesn’t want his ship turning into a massive playground. The men might start leaving. I don’t think that will happen though, not now they’re guaranteed a steady income.
I don’t really know how any of this works, it makes my head hurt and any small amount of stress makes my stomach twinge.
I only have three weeks left and I’m terrified I’ll go into labour soon. I’ve been getting twinges for the past few days, but Geoffrey says they’re probably just false labour, my body getting ready so to speak.
Speaking of Geoffrey, neither of us have brought up the night he wanted to kiss me and I’d rather it stay that way.
Calder calls upon his crew some more and even though the majority voted for women and families I can see he’s worried. We decided to limit the number for now to see how it goes, for the safety and happiness of everyone. But we also decided it’s not fair that I’m here and their partners aren’t. This is supposed to be a place of freedom.
True, it has its diversity of colour, size, and religion, but that’s the extent of it. We’re all illegal now, we can’t just drop into countries like the medieval times.
So we’ll have to continue to bring the home comforts to us.
Calder’s newest mission is to find somewhere that we might all be able to settle on a more permanent basis. Somewhere that we could set up an easy trade route between islands.
It’s a pipe dream to him but I think it’s possible. I suggested Adonia but I don’t think he wants to tarnish his mother’s resting place with a thousand men and their filth.
I shift in my seat to find a more comfortable position and wince as my stomach twinges again. The baby won’t stop wriggling which means labour isn’t imminent so I’m not too worried. I’m just severely uncomfortable.
When Calder has finished addressing the crowd, he escorts me to bed for my afternoon post-lunch nap. He rubs my back and legs for me to help ease my aches and then leaves me to deal with the approaching trade ships.
He’s nervous, sometimes he speaks to my belly at night when he thinks I’m sleeping, telling Poseidon, as he still calls him, to stay for just a little longer. It’d be a sweet moment if it didn’t worry me so much. I’m panicking that he still isn’t prepared beyond what we have now. Of course, we have a crib, clothes, milk, basically all of the basics and then some. But what we really need is a professional. If I’m not having this baby on land, then we need to prepare for every eventuality, and he won’
t hear of it. He’s adamant I’m having this baby on the ship.
I think he’s just terrified of losing me. On land he can’t follow.
The trade goes smoothly as far as I’m aware and we set sail immediately, retreating to international waters far away from the American forces that could bring our ship down in minutes or even less. We stop at a freight to resupply along the way because Calder knows people, but it’s nothing interesting. Ship parts mostly from what I can tell and new fishing nets.
Speaking of fishing, Calder taught my brother to spear a fish in the sea wearing only a wet suit and a snorkel. I was so impressed. A few weeks ago he couldn’t even swim. He has taken so well to this pirate life.
When I join Captain in the bridge it’s mostly because I don’t want to sit alone playing games. I’ve been doing that too much lately.
I’m brought a chair and I just sit and watch him steer the pretty boat to new horizons.
Three hours later I gasp when a pain stronger than any of the others makes a popping feeling inside of my stomach. There’s a warmth in my shorts that seeps into the chair.
I knew it. I knew this would happen. I could feel it no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise.
“Cap,” I whisper, prodding his arm and shifting in my now squishy seat.
He looks at me with loving eyes.
“My water just broke.” I slowly open my legs to reveal the massive wet patch between them and we both still.
“You’re sure you haven’t just peed again.”
“Oh my God,” I groan, rolling my eyes while my cheeks heat. “Are you kidding me right now? You promised you wouldn’t bring that up.”
“Just checking.” He places his hand on my thigh after leaning forward and letting his head hang. “Let me think.”
“Think fast, I’m not sure how much time we have,” I snap as something builds in my womb. It’s uncomfortable but not intolerable. I moan a little with it, squeezing his hand that’s on my leg.
“Call Smeg,” Calder commands and there are mumbles of agreement. “Call Geoffrey, tell him it’s time.”
“Geoffrey is not delivering my baby, Calder.”
He ignores my snarl and looks to another man. “Call for River, tell him… well, he knows who to bring.”
“But, Captain, she’s…”
Calder cuts the man with a look. “You heard my order, Nate. Get on with it.”
When he looks at me finally he places his hands in mine, stands, and then helps me up.
“Can you walk?” His voice is so soft and caring, exactly what I need right now.
I nod but I’m scowling at him. “We should have made a plan.”
“I’ve made a plan.”
I give him an incredulous look as we stand facing each other in the middle of the bridge. He can’t leave it unattended and I don’t blame him for that. It’s everything else that I blame him for.
“I’m the one having the baby, I need to make the plan.”
“Right,” he mutters and bites on his lip. He checks the time on the wall and stares at it.
“What are you doing?” I bark, feeling even more agitated that all of his attention isn’t on me.
“Timing your contractions,” he replies, still as calm as before.
I almost want him to freak out, he doesn’t seem bothered by any of this at all.
Oh holy hell.
Another pain ricochets through my navel, starting at the bottom and squeezing its way between my thighs. “I’d give this one a four,” I gasp as I keep hold of his arms.
When it’s over he pulls me in for a hug and strokes my back. “You’re a warrior. You’ve got this.”
“And I’ve got the ship, so you guys go make her not pregnant anymore so we don’t have to deal with her mood swings,” Smeg says as he walks in with the bridge team. They’ve all gotten up four hours earlier than planned for me. I almost want to cry.
I shoot Smeg a scowl though. “I have not had mood swings.”
“Babe, you were crying at seeing dolphins, and five minutes later shouting at the captain because the air smells funny…”
Somebody else chimes in, “And you threw that cup at Geoffrey.”
And somebody else. “You shoved your brother onto the fish we caught.”
“He told me there was a mermaid!” I whine but they all just smirk. “Those are all legit reasons to get emotional.” My lower lip trembles. “I’m uncomfortable, I’m a whale.”
“You’re a raging—”
Calder growls and they all stop talking but they also start laughing.
I look at the man I love as he leads me down the stairs after exiting the bridge. “Have I been that bad?”
“You threatened to throw me overboard if I wouldn’t have sex with you yesterday morning,” he adds with a satisfied smirk on his face.
“Made you fuck me though,” I reply, my voice a petulant grumble. “I can’t help it. I’m horny and uncomfortable and tired. I’m massive. Look at me.”
He stops us both and kisses my forehead. “Every second with your grumpy rear has been worth it. I’ll not hold it against you. Don’t hold it against yourself. Don’t excuse it. It doesn’t matter. You’re creating a life, you’re about to birth that life. You’re entitled to a few days of anger and frustration and you’re definitely entitled to threaten me for sex any time you like.”
I smile weakly. “It was good sex though.”
“It always is, isn’t it?”
Nodding, I kiss his lips and follow him down more stairs. Only stopping when another contraction hits. I grip his arm so hard I worry he might bruise but he doesn’t stop me. He takes it all and wraps me in his arms afterwards.
When we make it to the bedroom, I’m shocked to see Geoffrey in there, setting up the bed with a woman I’ve never seen in my life. She’s in clean blue scrubs, the kind a surgeon would wear. Her red hair is tied back into a tight bun and she has dark lashes shadowing dark eyes. River is helping her pull a sheet onto the bed as Geoffrey plugs a tube into a tank and tests it against his own mouth.
“Is that gas and air?” I ask, almost squealing with glee.
“It certainly is,” he replies, smiling. “I did well, right?”
The woman approaches, she doesn’t look much older than me. She’s pretty but she has troubled eyes and that worries me, though I’ll not address it right now because I’m in the middle of my own crisis.
“I’m Bonnie, I’ll be your midwife,” she says simply, a gentle smile teasing her lips. “You must be Rain.”
“The one and only.” I look at Calder to see if he’s going to give me any indication as to who this is but he’s busy helping River finish making the bed for labour. “It’s so good to meet another woman, it’s been a while. Are you one of the men’s wives?”
She hesitates and glances at the father of my child. Something passes between them, something I dislike but not something I feel envious of, just a secret that I’m not privy to.
“I’m a friend of Geoffrey’s.” She’s lying, I can tell, but again, I’m in the middle of my own crisis.
I wince as another pain starts and her hand goes to my stomach. Before I can ask her anything else she puts an object to my stomach after bending low and listens to the baby’s heart rate.
“Is everything okay?” I ask quietly once the pain vanishes. It’s such a relief when they stop.
“The baby sounds wonderful.” Her hand goes to my arm and she guides me to the bed. “I just need to check you over. Vitals, etc. Your waters have broken?”
“Twenty minutes ago,” Calder replies, sitting beside me on the large bed. “Contractions are around every six minutes since.”
“I’ll do your blood pressure,” Geoffrey mutters, taking my arm.
River who is beaming from ear to ear so wide I can see all of his teeth, squeezes my knee and wishes me luck. “I won’t be far, holler if you need me.”
“You’re not staying for the main event?” I ask, laughing when
he baulks. I wave him goodbye and then glare at Geoffrey. “You can sit outside too when you’re done.”
He looks so disappointed, but I don’t feel bad. I snatch the gas and air mouthpiece from him and put it between my teeth.
“I’m going to examine you internally before your next contraction hits…”
I’m made to lie down after she ushers Geoffrey out and I keep my eyes on Calder as she puts her hand inside of me.
I squeeze my eyes shut at the discomfort of it and bite onto my lip. Calder tries to sooth me by stroking my hair but that’s not what I need right now.
“You’re three centimetres dilated,” she says after withdrawing her hand. Just in time for another contraction to hit, I breathe through it, using the gas and air. It helps but mostly I just feel sick so I toss it to the side for now. “You’re nearly halfway there.”
“What?” I cry as Calder brings the blanket over my legs. “Only three? But this hurts.”
“I’m sorry, sweet, I’m limited with what I can do to help with the pain,” she explains. “You’ll be fine though. You’re in good hands and you’re a superstar. This is your show. Your body knows exactly what it’s doing.”
She cuts Calder with another look and I feel him tense beside me but the look is gone as soon as it came, though his tension doesn’t vanish.
“Can I get up?” I ask, feeling the urge to walk around.
“Of course.” She helps me to my feet, as Calder climbs from the bed, and reaches into her bag for a clipboard and a pen. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? To get a bit of background on your pregnancy?”
I shrug. “Ask away.”
She scribbles down my vitals and asks me all the normal stuff, morning sickness, symptoms, iron deficiency, etcetera.
It’s all mundane stuff. I just want the baby out right now so I can hold him.
We conclude that my pregnancy is all good and my labour should hopefully be all good. I conclude that labour fucking sucks. Calder’s face hardly changes at all. He remains my calm, loving support network through each and every contraction.