Page 87 of The Sailor

“I’m okay,” Marit confirmed. She still wasn’t sure how or when she should tell Evelyn about the baby. She was still processing it herself. But Zach took the decision out of her hands.

“Mom, you’re the first to know, other than me and Marit . . . she’s pregnant.”

It took a moment for the news to sink in, but the moment it did, a smile spread across Evelyn’s face and she actually clapped her hands gleefully. “You are? Oh my! That’s amazing news! Wait—you mean you were pregnant when you were kidnapped?”

“Well, it didn’t happen in the last hour, Mom,” Zach deadpanned.

“That little motherfucker!” Evelyn swore.

Marit was genuinely shocked to hear such language from the woman’s mouth, because if there was one thing she’d learned about Evelyn, she was strongly against swearing in general. Always, every time, she took her sons to task when they slipped and said a bad word in front of her.

“I can’t believe he did all those things to you while you were carrying my grandbaby! If he wasn’t already in jail, I’d do something drastic. I’m gonna make sure everyone around here knows how despicable he is. How he tried to murder a woman and a little baby!”

“Mom, relax,” Zach said, trying to soothe her, but Evelyn was having none of it.

“I’m serious! If he even thinks about trying to fish in these parts or so much as shop here, he’ll find not a single person will do business with him! We all know he’s not going to be in jail nearly long enough—though if I had my way, he’d be in there forever. But he won’t be settling around here. That’s for damn sure. You two really do need to come back to Lobster Cove now. Your studio apartment is no place for my grandbaby to recuperate.”

“It’s fine,” Zach told her.

“Zachary Young,” Evelyn said sternly. “It’s not. It’s ridiculously tiny. It’s no place to raise a family. You need to find a new place. You know you can always come home and live with me. The house is too empty, now that Britt and Chad have moved out. Or . . . oh! I think the old Barber place is for sale! I’ll call my Realtor and see what she says.”

“You have a Realtor?” Zach asked.

“Yes. Your dad and I contemplated selling Lobster Cove at one point, but decided to hang on for a little longer. Now that Otis isn’t stealing us blind anymore, things don’t seem so dire. Besides, you and your brothers are back, so there’s no way I’d sell.”

“Thank you,” Marit said softly from the bed. “Seriously. Zach and I appreciate the offer to come stay at Lobster Cove with you, but we both need to be near town for our jobs.”

Evelyn’s eyes almost bugged out of her skull. “Don’t tell me you’re still going to go out lobstering?!”

“I am,” Marit said firmly. “I talked to the doctor, and he said as long as I was healthy and taking care of myself, he saw no reason why I couldn’t keep working, at least until I get too big to handle the pots safely.”

“Mom,” Zach started, trying to stave off the fit he could see his mom fixing to throw. “Marit’s healthy, strong, and smart. She’s not going to do anything to put our baby in danger.”

Marit reached a hand toward Evelyn. Zach’s mom took it and squeezed. “This baby was a surprise to both your son and me, but he or she is definitely wanted. Very much. I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize him or her, or myself.”

Evelyn nodded. Then surprisingly, her eyes filled with tears. “My babies are having babies! It’s all Austin and I ever wanted. To see our boys happy with women who cherish them, who they cherish just as much. And to see them with families of their own. To experience all the joys we did when you boys were growing up. I’m proud of you, Zach. Of all you’ve done. And will do. You too, Marit. I’m probably going to be overbearing, and nosy, and way too interested in your body and what’s happening inside it for the next several months. But it’s just because I’m so happy and excited for you both. For you three.”

“I can live with that,” Marit told her.

Evelyn squeezed Marit’s hand once more, then turned to Zach, propping her hands on her hips. “You’re going to make an honest woman out of Marit, right, son?”

“That’s such an antiquated term, Mom,” he said with a shake of his head. “And sexist. Why wouldn’t you ask Marit if she’s going to make an honest man out of me?”

“Fine. Marit, when are you going to make an honest man out of my son?”

Marit chuckled. “We haven’t talked about that at all,” she admitted.

“Kids these days,” Evelyn huffed with a shake of her head.

“Got your discharge papers,” a nurse said as she entered the cubicle, holding them aloft and waving them around.

“Thank goodness,” Zach said under his breath.

“I’ll go tell Knox to bring your Explorer around front,” Evelyn said, as she turned to leave. But she stopped before stepping out of their little space, looking back toward the bed. “I’m glad you’re all right. That you outsmarted that jerk. That you’re stronger than your size would suggest. People always underestimate us small-statured women. Welcome to the family, Marit. We’re all better for knowing you.”

Before Marit could thank her, or burst into tears, Evelyn was gone.

But everyone in the emergency department heard her exclaim as she walked back toward the waiting area, “I’m gonna be a grandma again!”