“I know exactly what you need.” She turned and ruffled Nico’s soft mop of dark hair. “How about you, me and Saria raid the galley? We’ll have the strawberry breakfast special.”
“Yay, I wanna help.” Nico was off, tugging up his blue shorts as he ran.
“I think he loves strawberries as much as we do.” Lydia laughed then linked their arms.
In summer, when they’d hopped off the school bus and walked up the driveway, they used to slink into their mother’s strawberry garden and eat to their heart’s content. How she missed those carefree days.
“Hey, what’s got that frown on your face?” Lydia tugged her past the servery where Ben and Tyler stopped and picked up plates.
“I have something to tell you, but only in private.” She pushed through the swinging galley door.
“I’ll get the bowls.” Nico clambered onto a stool before the crockery cupboard. A bowl of strawberries already sat on the center wooden island, while on the other side of the galley, the chef left through the opposite swinging door into the crew area. This was her best chance for some alone time with her sister, or as close as she’d get for now.
“Good boy,” Lydia praised Nico. “Set them on the counter, and then run back and join your father. Saria and I need a little sisterly chat.”
“Okay.” He dashed out, leaving the galley door swinging wildly in his wake.
“I can’t believe how fast he can move.” Lydia opened the refrigerator, clutched the white and mauve tie-dyed skirts of her dress and stuck her head in. “Here we go. This is what I need.” She shut the door, plopped a bottle of honey, a carton of vanilla yogurt, and a container of shredded coconut on the counter. “Now we’re alone, tell me what’s got you so worried.”
“You sure you don’t want to hear about the abduction first?” She found the muesli in the pantry and tipped a portion into each bowl.
“No, I got regular updates from Tyler, and now you’re back, I’m moving forward even though the bad dude is still out there.” Lydia nudged her. “C’mon. We’re all alone and I’m still waiting. Is it to do with Ben?”
“Yes.” Her sister knew about the deal they’d struck. She hadn’t kept anything from her. “I don’t know how to say this, except I’m pregnant. The doctor confirmed it from some blood work taken this morning.” She plopped onto the leather-padded stool and let out a long breath. “You’re the first I’ve told.”
“Oh.” Lydia dropped onto the counter stool next to her. “But the chances were so slim.”
“It still happened.”
“Will you tell him?”
“This is the last thing Ben will want.” She selected a knife from the drawer and sliced the strawberries into three bowls while her sister dropped a dollop of yogurt on top. She set the knife down and sprinkled the shredded coconut, her thoughts a tumbling mess. “Although one thing is for certain. I’ll make sure our baby has all the loves it needs.”
“I know you will, and so will I. You’ll stay with Tyler and me, and for as long as you need.” Lydia drizzled honey over the coconut.
“I’d like that.” She didn’t want to go through the next few weeks or months without her sister by her side. “I’m sorry to dump all of this on you.”
“We’re sisters, forever. And look at what I’ve dumped on you this past year. I’m the one who witnessed the hit-and-run and ended up dragging you into my mass of problems. I owe you. Big time.”
“Yeah, your problems are worse than mine since there are raging killers on the loose.” She knocked her shoulder against Lydia’s and some of her sadness lifted. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Are you feeling better? Because if you’re not, I’m not.”
“You’ve lifted a weight off my shoulders. I’m no longer homeless, and when we get back, I’ll work on not being jobless either.”
“Come on. No more maudlin thoughts. We also need to get back in there before those men chase us down.” Lydia took two of the three bowls and disappeared with them into the dining room.
She picked up hers, took a fortifying step and followed her sister through the swinging door. Across the room, Lydia placed Nico’s breakfast in front of him then sat next to Tyler. At the head of the table, Liam stirred sugar into his steaming coffee then laughed as Nico dug into his strawberries with a squeal. Luke ran his bacon through his runny eggs, and Dylan bit into his toast smeared with jam.
“Sit here, Saria.” Brigs, dressed in a forest green shirt and khaki pants, patted the padded seat between him and Ben.
“Thanks.” She joined them.
“You took a long time.” Ben scraped his chair closer to hers.
“We had a lot to talk about.” She ate a spoonful and licked the honey from the tip.
“If it pertains to the case, I need to know.”
“It didn’t.” She cupped his jaw, stroked her thumb over his cheek.
“You’d tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?” He nudged a glass of fresh orange juice toward her. “Drink. You need the vitamins.”