Page 122 of Everlasting Promises

Ben’s captain looks at us, taking us in with a soft smile. “I see.” He folds his arms across his broad chest. “So I’m losing two of my best officers.” Ben dips his head, hiding his smile, and I can see his boss’s words mean the world to him.

“I’m sorry, Sir.”

The older man chuckles. “No, you’re not.” He raises his chin in our direction. “Are you going to introduce me to your family?”

Evan and I stand as Ben says, “Yes, Sir.” They walk toward us, Ben taking up his position between the two of us, wrapping his arms around our shoulders to hold us close. “This is Hope and her son, Evan. This is Captain Thoms.”

I hold out my hand to him and dip my head with respect. “Nice to meet you, Captain.”

Evan does the same, and we spend a few minutes chatting before he leaves to have Sunday lunch with his family.

57

HOPE

So far,this week’s been a blur of bringing Rex home from the vet, caring for him, changing dressings, and visiting my doctor with Ben in tow to confirm my pregnancy. I’m exhausted, and it’s only Wednesday, but within the busyness, there’s been one thing playing on my mind—and I need to talk with Evan about it.

The back door opens and Evan drops into the back seat. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, big guy. How was your day?” I ask, peering over my shoulder.

He shrugs. “Okay. I just want to go to Ben’s and hang out with Rex, so it felt like it took forever.”

“Same. But there’s something I want to talk with you about. Do you mind if we stop off for milkshakes first?” I turn toward the front and put my foot on the gas, pulling away from the sidewalk.

I watch him narrow his eyes at me in my rearview mirror. “Can’t we just talk on the way? I really want to see Rex.”

I scrunch up my nose. “It’s important, Ev.”

“Okay, I guess.” He blows out a frustrated breath.

“Thanks.”

I find a parking spot not too far from our favorite diner, and we walk along the pier, enjoying a brief appearance from the sun.

When we arrive, I place our order with butterflies in my stomach that are making me feel a little off-balance. As I carry our food to the table Evan secured, I think about what I want to say and how I should say it.

I slide the tray to the middle of the table and slip into the seat opposite my son, who’s eyeing me with suspicion. He grabs a fry and shoves it in his mouth, then sucks on the straw in his milkshake and I watch him, marveling at how fast he’s growing up.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” he asks, then pushes another fry into his mouth, like he’s in a hurry to finish his food so we can leave.

I fidget with the napkin in front of me, then trace the condensation forming on the outside of my shake. “Uhm … well. You know it’s Ben’s birthday tomorrow, and I’d like us to do something special for him.”

Evan’s eyes light up, and he grins. “Oh yeah. Good idea.” He leans forward. “What are we gonna do?”

I drop my eyes to the tabletop, sorting my words in my head so they make sense. I suck in a deep breath and blow it out slowly. “Well. You know how I’m pregnant, right?” He nods. “And you know … Ben considers us a family now.” He nods again. “So, I was thinking … you know”—I widen my eyes and swallow my nerves—“families live together in one house.”

He nods again. “Yeah,” he says slowly.

I blink and take another deep breath. “I was thinking we could move in with Ben and Rex. We could tell him as hisbirthday present.” Evan just stares at me, making my stomach twist. “What do you think?”

Without taking his eyes from me, he grabs another fry and jams it in his mouth, then takes another drink of his shake. It feels as though hours tick by, but I know it’s only been seconds, maybe a minute or two.

I steal a fry and pop it in my mouth to prevent the verbal diarrhea that’s burning its way up my throat. I need to give him time to sit with the idea. I’ve been thinking about it since I discovered I was pregnant, and if I’m being completely honest, before that, even.

“I like Ben’s house. It’s close to the beach, and my bedroom’s bigger there.” He chews on a couple more fries and washes them down. His initial response gives me hope he’ll agree with the idea. “Do you think he’ll want us to live with him?”

To me, that’s a no-brainer. I raise my eyebrows. “What do you think?”

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