I tried tosmile, to make it reach my eyes. But my mind was racing with worryand second guesses.
“I’llleave ye be,” he said. “Got a few things to tend to.”
A quick nod wasall I could muster and then he headed toward the stairs. I shouldhave asked Benjamin more questions. Should have better prepared mycrew for the journey. And the task ahead. Perhaps I wouldn’t haveinsisted on taking on the responsibility of breaking the damncurse. I chewed at my bottom lip, lost in thought. Then, Irealized. No, I would have still done it. Benjamin had become myfriend, and I had the ability to save him. Whatever waited for usat the Siren Isles, we’d handle it.
“Finn?” Icalled to him. He came to a halt halfway down the stairs andglanced up at me.
“Aye,Captain?”
“Readythe cannons, too.”
ChapterFourteen
“Giants, you say?” Henry mused as he attemptedto hide his devilish grin.
We sat togetheron the mess deck. Supper had just ended, and the crew had dispersedback to the ship. But we remained, savoring the meal and enjoyingthe chance to be near one another. I regretted the time I spentavoiding him. Wished I could go back and change it. But, all Icould do now was live for the day and relish every single moment Igot to spend with my pirate king.
“Don’tmake fun!” I told him and scooped one of the last bits ofSheppard’s pie into my mouth. “Finn seemed concerned. We should beprepared for anything.”
Henry scootedcloser on the bench seat and rubbed his hands on my thighs.“I’m not worried. We’ll face it together.”
He leaned inand kissed me. I wanted to crawl into his lap right then and there.In fact, I’d barely been able to keep my hands off the man since weset sail. Maybe it was my pregnancy hormones, but I wasn’t sure.Not that I was complaining. It felt like I had the old Henry back.The man he was before Kelly’s Island. He still tossed and turned atnight, fighting his demons as he slept. But the anger had fled fromhis body and those black eyes were alive again. On some level,Henry was working his way through what happened, and I just satback and admired his strength to overcome it.
“Besides,” he added. “The ocean seems to favor you. That mayplay to our side.”
I felt myforehead wrinkle. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Thesirens, the Realm of Monsters.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “They’reall connected by the sea. And you seem to have a strange sway overit. Demanding wishes and using it to travel the threads of time. Ifyou ask me, I’d wager you’d fit right in.”
I laughed andpushed at his chest. “Are you calling me a monster?”
Henry leanedeven closer. His thumb caressing the sensitive skin of my cheek ashis eyes looked at me admiringly. “The farthest thing from it, TimeTraveller.”
I caughtmy reflection in his glistening gaze and hardly recognized myself.It’s amazing how much a person can change in such a short amount oftime. I’d become wiser, stronger, and found my place in the world.How lost I’d been before all of this. Before our paths crossed somany months ago. I was becoming the person I always needed to be.But more importantly, the person Henry needed me to be. He was myheart and I his soul.Together, we felt complete.
Suddenly,a hand slammed down on the table and ripped me from the trance hehad captured me in. I looked up to find Lottie leaning over us. Hersoft blonde hairusually tucked back in a neat bun, had fallen loose andcurled around her face in a disheveled manner.
“What didyou say to Augustus?”
“What?” Ishook my head. “Nothing. I mean, not anything bad.”
Henrycleared his throat and removed his legs from the under the table,swinging them around so he could stand. “I’ll leave youtwo ladies to talk,” heannounced and bent down to place a kiss at the side of my mouth. “I shall see youlater.”
I held on ashis fingers slid from mine and he bound for the exit. Lottiequickly took his place next to me.
“Whathappened,” I asked my friend.
Her cheeksflushed crimson. “He,” she glanced around and lowered her voice,“he’s different today.”
“Different how?”
“Moreaffectionate,” she started. I stifled a snort at the thought of Gusbeing affectionate. “More forward. He just came into the kitchen,took me in his arms and asked if I would spend the night in hisquarters.”
My eyes widenedat the news. Something I’d said earlier must have gotten through.Now I hoped I didn’t pry too far. “Is that… are you okay withthat?”
She chewed ather lip, much the same way I do when contemplating anything. “Yes,it’s what I wanted. I just…” Lottie shifted uncomfortably in herspot.
“What?What’s the problem then?”
She shrugged.“It’s so sudden. I had expected–” Her cheeks flushed even redder.“I’ve not yet–” Her widened eyes willed me to finish the sentencefor her and I suddenly realized.
Lottie was avirgin.
I smiledknowingly. “If you’re ready, then you’ll be fine. You’ve gotnothing to be nervous about. Just listen to your gut and followyour heart. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s the way itworks.”
“Cheesy?”
“Oh, um,”I tried to think of a way to explain the euphemism. “Something thatsounds ridiculous but happens to be true.”
She smiled andseemed to relax. “You really have a strange way with the Englishlanguage in the future, don’t you?
I chortled andtook my last bite of Sheppard’s pie. The idea of teenage slang andsilly stuff like emoticons came to mind. “You have no idea.”
“Takeheed of what I toldyou before,” she warned again. “Watch your tongue once we reachEngland. It’s a different world there. People aren’t as forgivingor understanding. There are those who’d light a match to anythingthat smelled off.”
“I’llkeep a low profile, promise,” I said and pretended to cross myheart with the tip of my finger. “I’ll just be glad when this isall over. But we may be stuck there longer than we want tobe.”
“Why’sthat?” she asked.
My hand rubbedacross my pregnant belly. “The baby,” I told her. “Who knows howlong it will take to find Maria? And then sailing back over theAtlantic either painfully pregnant or with an infant in my armsisn’t the best
