Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“I need to go to the drugstore.”
“Okay.”
“I have a theory about something, and I need to test it out.”
“So we’re going into town for a test?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Something about her expression made me pull her a little closer. “What kind of theory are you testing, Skylar?”
“That you made me pregnant.”
My eyes widened, and I tightened my grasp on her even more. “Kitten…pregnant? Like with a baby?”
She grinned. “Very good, fuckwit. Yes. Pregnant with a baby.” She ran her fingers through my wet hair. “Your baby,” she added tenderly.
“Our baby,” I whispered against her mouth, my heart racing with joy over the news.
“Ours.”
I buried my face into her neck, letting her words sink in.
A baby.
“I’m going to be a daddy.”
“Yes, I think you are.”
“We’ll be our own family. Us. You, me and the baby.”
She nodded, her eyes bright in the sun.
My mind raced. If she was pregnant, we needed to decide our future. We couldn’t stay here forever. She required a doctor and to be monitored. Babies needed a lot of things. We needed a house. A plan. We needed to make the decisions we’d been putting off for far too long.
It was time to move forward again.
I swept her into my arms, heading toward the shore. “We need to go into town. Then after you prove your theory, we need to talk to Sean.”
Sean grinned, clapping me on the shoulder as Julia hugged Skylar, exclaiming her delight. I smiled proudly.
“I guess you’re gonna be a grandpa, Sean. At least an honorary one.”
He chuckled. “I’d be honored to step in for my brother. It’s the closest I’ll get to being one.”
Skylar smiled. “He’ll be lucky to have you, Sean. Both of you.”
I wrapped my arm around Skylar. “We need to make some decisions.”
“You’re right. We need to move on soon. Pick a place and settle permanently.” He looked toward Skylar. “Especially now.”
I hummed in agreement. “Any ideas where?”
“I did a lot of research.” He pushed his phone toward me. “I saw this place in Canada on the east coast. Pretty. Small. On the water. Out of the way.”
Skylar looked at the pictures. “I visited Nova Scotia in my teens. Beautiful. Cold winters, but if you prepare, a great place to hide in the open.” Her hand drifted to her stomach. “A great place to bring up a family.”
I slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s make a plan.”
Six years later
I pulled up the long driveway, getting out of the truck. I drew in deep lungfuls of air, the salty tang of the ocean breeze filling my senses. In all the years we’d been here, I never got tired of the heady scent. The snow and cold wore on my nerves, but the rest of the year made up for it.
We had left Mexico not long after we made our decision. Using the contacts Sean had, we had new identities waiting for us, and we safely arrived in our new home. Not even Frank knew where we were. He didn’t even know we’d planned on disappearing until after it happened. It was better that way—safer for everyone.
We became Cian and Skylar Mackenzie, since her name was never mentioned in any report. She was thrilled, and I was proud to carry her name. Sean did the same, taking Julia’s name, and the small town of Ocean Edge welcomed the Mackenzies and Joneses warmly.
And seven months later, we enthusiastically welcomed our son, Colton Sean Mackenzie, into the world.
We rented a house, and the first week we were there, Sean and I discovered the local bar. It was run-down and failing but housed a treasure trove of nautical items. The owner told us how a newer bar not far outside of town had pushed him to the brink of bankruptcy with its modern décor and large selection of imported beers, which appealed to the tourists.
Sean fell in love, regardless of its state, and once he found out the owner was planning to close it, we bought it. We spent months renovating it, all while keeping the theme intact but adding some modern touches, as well as a top-notch kitchen. The day the doors reopened, The Tides was a huge success with tourists and locals. In the offseason, it became the local watering hole. We spent our days there and in the small, private office over it, hiring locals to run it in the evening.
To this day, Sean and I monitored our past. The small town of Ocean Tide had no idea how well screened every person who walked through the front doors of the bar was, as the computers upstairs worked tirelessly with facial recognition and other programs that we ran—Sean used his computer and hacking expertise constantly. We were both relentless in making sure our family was safe. And in doing so, we ensured the safety of the people in the town as well.