Page 29 of Wait for Me

She halfway nodded.

It seemed like a partial commitment, but Logan was going to hold her to it.

Mrs. Ping had said nothing throughout much of the dinner, only paying attention to wiping specks of food off Jonas’s face.

One thing caught Logan’s attention. Mrs. Ping grinned a lot this evening. If he didn’t know any better…

“Have you met someone?” Logan asked her. Maybe? How would anyone know such things?

At first, Mrs. Ping looked stunned. Then she smiled again, like a giddy schoolgirl, peeling back forty years of her life.

“That’s wild,” Marie said.

Her first two words after the whisperedamen.

We’re making progress.

Mrs. Ping’s face reddened.

“Let’s not put her on the spot.” Marie’s hand was on Logan’s arm—like she had often done when she wanted his attention at those parties they would attend in Europe, meeting diplomats, heads of state, rich businessmen and businesswomen.

Logan glanced at her. He had no idea what was in her mind. He dared not guess.

“Are we having fun so far, Jonas?” Logan asked.

He felt Marie retract her hand from his arm.

Maybe I shouldn’t have changed the subject.

“I want to see the whales again.” Jonas pouted.

“We saw many whales today, didn’t we?” Logan asked.

Jonas nodded. “I want to buy a whale.”

“God owns the whales. They belong in the ocean.” Logan realized that they hadn’t bought any whale souvenirs. “When we get to the next town, we can get you a whale cushion or something.”

“I don’t want a cushion, Daddy.”

“A stuffed plushie, then?”

“Okay. Where are we going?” Jonas dipped his chicken in the little ketchup bowl.

“I think we stop at Skagway first, then Ketchikan.”

“Catchy? Do they have geezers there?”

Mrs. Ping looked stunned. Marie nearly choked on her water.

“We’ll see the glaciers when we sail through the Inside Passage,” Logan explained.

“What are we going to do in Catchy?”

“Ketchikan. What do you want to do? Go on a boat? Walk in the forest? See the salmon hatchery?” Logan asked.

“That sounds fun,” Mrs. Ping said.

Logan waited, but Marie said nothing.

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