She bounced in her seat and then kissed his cheek as she asked, “So you like that I love you?”
How could he not? Now he needed to solve his mess, ensure Francesca’s child wasn’t his and then tell Anna about the near-scare once it was over. “Love makes more sense on why you agreed to marry me.”
“And that we’ll start a family.”
She glanced ahead of them and must have noticed the storm. She motioned she was going to move the rudder so he stood to adjust the sails. It was time they headed back, but as he took the ropes, she asked, “Were you thinking we should have children right away? Is that where the question came from?”
He and Anna would have the next king. The Aussa family had ruled Avce for almost two thousand years and were supposedly blessed by Mary herself for some ancestor building a church once upon a time. Unlike him, Anna would influence young angels. He tightened the knots. “I… maybe. Would you want a son or a daughter?”
She directed them back to the castle while she said with a nod, “A son. More than one.”
His heart thumped. Anna with his child was an image that warmed him. Once he settled the ropes, he sat down as they were now going over choppy waters to get back to the castle. “Why not daughters?”
She directed the ship to shore and so stared ahead of them as she said, “Daughters would be fine, especially if you change the laws like you said. But I’d like to surround myself with little boys who all look like you… their father.”
With Anna beside him, a future where he had little children around him didn’t scare him. If only it was just the two of them. Francesca’s tears on his wedding day flashed in his mind as he said, “Anna, I’ve made so many mistakes in my past.”
She sighed and glanced at him briefly. “But now that’s over and you’re here, with me.”
She turned back and he looked behind them now toward the storm that was closer. It was good they were turning in. With luck, they’d never have anything but the future she wanted, so he turned toward her again and said, “Can you… I hope your vision of our future is the truth.”
She shrugged and shared as they made it into the harbor, “You confuse me, Leo.”
He understood her feelings. The hospital was aware that this was a royal situation so they’d speed up what data they could. Pierre seemed to be handling things fine. He stood to help with the sails as she guided them to the pier where they’d leave the ship. “I don’t want to do anything but honor you as my wife and lover.”
She laughed while he lowered the sails and she used the motor now that they were close to the dock.
Lightning flashed across the sky behind them as she said, “Then we’re good because I’m not going anywhere.”
He’d tell her soon. He had to. The weight on his shoulders was getting too much, so he nodded at her and found the ropes to tie them to the post. “I’ll hold you to that promise.”
“Absolutely.” She turned off the engine as they’d made it home.
At least they’d avoided the storm. Hopefully, like the dolphin tale, this was another sign that he’d avoided a major screw-up too.
