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I look after the retreating woman, stunned. “What does she mean, congratulations?”

“I told her.” Elsie shrugs, shouldering her way into my cabin. “Well… maybe there was a little fib involved.”

“Told her what exactly?” I ask.

“The baby.” She says simply. “No one would let me on board. I think she originally came down to tell me to fuck off, but I asked for a moment of her time and told her.”

“You said you fibbed, though…”

When she bites her lip, I have to resist the urge to pluck it free and replace the snap of her teeth with my own.

“Well… I kind of told her a little story about how I suspected and just had an appointment to confirm I’m pregnant.” She pauses. “So, I asked to come and see you because I didn’t want to wait a month until you’re home, and I didn’t want to tell you over video chat while you’re on the rig.”

“Elsie Snow… did you beg for me?” I ask, my voice lilting up at the end.

Her brow furrows in a way that makes her look less menacing and more adorable than anything.

“Oh, don’t look so shocked,” she says, turning to face me as I stand in the doorway of my tiny cabin. I really did need to see you, so I did what I had to and got on board.

I eye her suspiciously, knowing there’s more to the story.

“I feel like you did something more than just tell her you’re pregnant,” I say skeptically.

Elsie looks at me with a twinkle in her ice-blue eyes.

She’s always beautiful, but there’s something about seeing her display genuine joy and mirth, or in this case, a healthy mischievousness, that makes her even more stunning than she usually is.

“I may have also bribed her…” She says with a smirk.

“Bribed?”

“Yes.” She states.

“Bribed, how?” I ask, perplexed.

Elsie shrugs and pushes into the cabin with me so I can close the door behind her.

“She’s wearing an engagement ring but no wedding band.” She shrugs. “I simply offered to pay for her honeymoon as a thank you.”

My jaw drops. “You what?”

“You heard me.” She says, plopping herself down on the bed next to us and waving off my shock. “Moving on. I probably don’t have much time before they throw me overboard.”

“Right.” I sigh, still astonished she’s here at all. “What did you need to tell me so desperately that you couldn’t just call?”

“Not tell you.” She says, setting down and opening up the large tote she had thrown over her shoulder. “Give you.”

“Give me,” I repeat.

“Yes.”

Reaching into her bag, she pulls out a small stuffed animal.

“A dragon,” I say, completely confused but taking the stuffed animal from her outstretched hand anyway.

“Yes.”

“You brought me a dragon.”

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