Baby on Board

by Lisa Ruff

  Kate savored the warmth of his embrace. She felt that a piece of her had finally slid into its rightful place. With Patrick home, holding her so sweetly, she began to believe that somehow they would be all right. Whatever happened, she had a family, right here in this bed.

  Pulling back a little, she searched his eyes. “Will you forgive me? I lied about marrying Steve. I haven’t even seen him in weeks. I thought that if I pushed you away I wouldn’t get hurt, that I’d be happier, but I wasn’t. I’m never going to be happy without you.”

  Patrick took her mouth in a soft kiss. “There’s nothing to forgive. Last night, alone on that plane, I realized how much you mean to me, too. I love you, Katie. With all my heart.”

  His words took her by surprise. She closed her eyes tightly for a second, then opened them to see if her fantasy had really come true. “Oh, Patrick. I love you, too.”

  He kissed her again, harder this time. Kate was breathless, returning every kiss and caress, unable to believe that he forgave her and loved her.

  “I wanted you here,” she whispered between kisses. “I needed you, Patrick.”

  “I’m glad,” he said quietly, his eyes dark. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want me.”

  “I’ll always need you with me,” Kate said. She stroked a hand across his cheek and back into his curling hair. “But I know you need to go away sometimes, too. I’ll wait for you. We’ll wait for you, as long as it takes.”

  Their fingers laced together on top of her stomach. Just then, a hard thump hit their palms, sending a vibration through Kate’s soul. She turned wide eyes to Patrick. He looked just as shocked. Then a grin split his face. When he laughed, she joined him. Happiness flooded her, joy making her delirious. Another push from the baby inside sent tears cascading down her cheeks.

  “She’s awake and happy you’re home.” Kate’s voice was thick with tears of joy.

  “And she knows that’s where I’m going to stay.”

  “Patrick—”

  He stopped her words with a kiss. “I love you, Kate. More than anything.”

  His mouth dropped to hers again. His kiss promised love and fidelity. It was punctuated by the small kicks from the life they had created together. Kate’s heart swelled. She would never be alone again, not as long as Patrick loved her. The future was theirs. Together.

  Epilogue

  With a splash, the anchor dropped off the bow of the boat and into the water. Patrick signaled her to reverse the engine and Kate pulled the control lever carefully. Minutes later, he gave her a thumbs-up, signaling that the anchor had dug in and she put the engine in neutral, then turned it off. The peace and quiet of the tiny anchorage was broken only by the sound of a dog barking on shore and a happy babble from the baby in a car seat across from her.

  Patrick stepped into the cockpit and sat down next to Kate. He gave the baby a kiss and a tickle, making her giggle and squeal.

  “What is this?” Kate complained. “I’m the one who drove us in here and she gets all the attention?”

  Patrick grinned. “Piloted, sweetheart, not ‘drove.’” He kissed Kate lightly, sliding his arms around her, then drew back a little to look into her eyes. “You did a great job.”

  “Thank you.” Kate preened a bit, patting herself on the back in mock congratulation.

  With a laugh, Patrick hugged her close. “You deserve a reward.”

  One of his hands came up to tangle in her hair, dragging her head back for a much longer, much more complicated kiss than before. Kate leaned into him, running her fingers over his shoulders, feeling the muscles flex and bunch. Her arms twined around his neck as she lost herself in his kiss and his touch. The baby’s howl brought his head up. They looked over at their daughter, frowning at them with a tear trembling on one lash.

  Patrick kept one arm around Kate and reached out a finger that was immediately clasped. “Jealous, Betsy-Wetsy?”

  “Don’t call her that,” Kate said, but she couldn’t help laughing at the nickname sometimes. “She’ll hate you when she’s a teenager.”

  “Oh, don’t worry,” he said. “Evan will have thought of something much worse to call her by then.”

  They both laughed, thinking the same thing: poor Evan.

  The extremely reluctant godfather was at a complete loss around the baby. He had agreed to play the honorary role at Patrick’s request, but refused to actually have anything to do with the small, wriggling girl. He had taken one look at her, cocked a blond eyebrow and declared that he would be affectionate from a distance. A safe distance of about twenty yards.

  His vow had no effect at all on his goddaughter. Elizabeth Elaine Berzani adored him. No one could figure out why, but, whenever Evan was around, the baby fussed and squirmed until he picked her up. The first time he did so, he discovered that she had a very wet diaper and he had christened her with Betsy-Wetsy.

  Patrick turned back to Kate and rested his forehead against hers. “Looks like I’ll have to reward you later, when the baby’s asleep.”

  A shiver slid over her skin at the promise in her husband’s eyes. “I can’t wait to get my prize,” she said with a smile.

  With one final squeeze, Patrick slipped away. He rose and started coiling lines in the cockpit while Kate reached over to lift Beth from her car seat. She and her daughter had both done well today out on the water. Of course, Beth had no fears to overcome. She loved being so close to her parents and the constant rock of the boat kept her dozing most of the time.

  Patrick was careful with them both, too. He and Kate had been out several times for gentle sails near the marina. Granny Elaine had been more than happy to look after her latest grandchild for an hour or two. Slowly, Kate had come to understand why Patrick loved the water so much. She didn’t think she would ever want to ride one of the beasts he was so fond of over the middle of the ocean, but she feared much less for him when he did.

  His “beasts,” as she called them, weren’t quite so large these days. Patrick had given up long-distance racing, even though she had tried to talk him out of it. He told her that he needed to be at home with her and Beth more than he needed the open sea. Their argument ranged back and forth until he told her he wasn’t giving up racing completely, just the longer ones. He was now active in local one-design racing and had plans for a bid at a national title. Evan was one of his partners on the boat and they had already blasted most of the nearby competition out of the water. Kate shook her head resolutely every time Evan invited her along. His wicked grin was enough to keep her far from any boat he was sailing.

  Patrick, she trusted. She had discovered he was a careful and attentive sailor at all times. Watching him move effortlessly around the boat, she was awed by his easy skill. And aroused. She had even seduced him one warm spring afternoon on the boat, much to his delight. He teased her about it often, offering, with a wink and a nudge, to take her sailing. Kate laughed and blushed and sometimes took him up on the offer.

  This was their second overnight outing on the boat. The weather was perfect and the winds gentle enough that Kate felt comfortable having Beth with them. Buckled into her car seat, which was lashed to the bench in the cockpit, she wasn’t in any danger. Nonetheless, Patrick let Kate’s comfort level determine their plans. If she didn’t like the weather or seas, they stayed in harbor. She was grateful to him for that. He had turned out to be the husband she had dreamed of—the very one she had planned for all those months ago. Kate sometimes mused that if she hadn’t made her plans, they might have gotten to this happiness much sooner.

  Their wedding at Christmas had been lovely and huge. Kate had focused on her new baby and let Molly and Elaine orchestrate the entire event. The two women had done a wonderful job. The entire Berzani clan attended, along with Patrick and Kate’s many friends. Kate’s father and mother had flown in for a few hours, but were gone before the cake was cut. Patrick was furious, but Kate wasn’t. She simply kissed her husband and told him she had all the family she needed now. Antonio and
Elaine had chosen that moment to sweep up and claim a dance from the newlyweds. Kate laughed and mouthed a see-I-told-you-so to Patrick as she spun away with her new father-in-law. Patrick shook his head and led his mother out onto the floor, as well.

  Steve had forgiven her and attended the wedding, too. Grateful for his kindness and deeply sorry for the hurt she had caused, she was relieved when he and Suzanne from the coffee shop hit it off at the reception and danced the night away. The pair were dating now and Steve was happier than he had ever been with Kate.

  Cockpit tidy, Patrick disappeared down below. Just as Beth began to fret, he handed up a bottle of warm milk. Kate was unsurprised by his prescience. As good as he was at being a husband, he was a better father. He was usually the first up in the middle of the night, sometimes before Kate even heard Beth fuss. He also liked to take the baby with him on errands, tucking her securely in a belly pack or into the car seat in his truck and talking to her all the while.

  She cuddled Beth into the crook of her arm and popped the nipple in her mouth. Unfortunately, Kate hadn’t been able to produce enough milk, so she used a bottle and formula after the first few weeks. Beth slurped down dinner as Kate leaned back with a sigh of contentment.

  Patrick reappeared with an open bottle of wine and two glasses. “A bottle for the mother, too, my dear?”

  Kate murmured her agreement and he poured them each a glass. Setting the bottle aside, he settled into place beside her, and Kate leaned into his embracing arm. Beth watched them both solemnly as they touched glasses, kissed and then sipped the mellow wine. The sun dropped slowly behind the trees as the boat gently rocked them.

  Kate sighed and nestled closer to Patrick, feeling the joy and happiness that seemed to flood her almost every day. Love, spun as fine and beautiful as one of her glass orbs, annealed in the heat of adversity, sparkled all around them. Together, they would keep a fire burning in the crucible of their hearts, shaping and strengthening their love into a beautiful creation.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-2689-4

  BABY ON BOARD

  Copyright © 2009 by Lisa Ruff.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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