Page 52 of A Ferry Merry Christmas
“I do,” she admitted, her heart racing. “I do.”
“I don’t have a girl in every port, Avery. As a submariner, the only women I’m likely to meet are mermaids.”
She smiled at his joke.
“I’m sorry you were hurt before, but I’m willing to give you those few days because you’re worth it. I want to see you again,” Harrison said. “A day or two after Christmas,” he repeated and exhaled a slow breath. “I’ll be as patient as I can be, but please don’t leave me hanging.”
Earl Jones sauntered in, and with hands on his hips looked around at the chaos taking place. Studying the craziness going on around the passenger deck, he slowly shook his head. When no one seemed to notice his arrival, he whistled and raised his arms to get everyone’s attention.
“While you yahoos were up here making all kinds of racket, no one seemed to notice the tugboat has arrived. We’ll be docking within the next thirty minutes.”
A loud cheer arose.
“Unless something else happens,” Harrison’s friend Kyle jokingly suggested.
“Nothing else is going to delay us,” Earl assured him as he headed toward the stairwell.
“I have a daughter,” James called out, stopping Earl in his tracks at the good news. “Me. A daughter. I have a little girl. We’re naming her Noelle Rose.”
“Congratulations.” Earl’s smile was wide and genuine. “I’ve got a daughter myself. Watch out, baby girls have a way of wrapping us around their little fingers.”
“Everyone has been so great,” James told him. “This has been the best day of my life.”
Virginia smiled down at Olivia. “Isn’t this the most glorious news?”
Olivia nodded eagerly.
“It’s the kind of news that calls for a celebration. Actually, I have one of my own.”
“You do?” Avery asked, then remembered the tin of cookies Virginia had shared, wondering if those baked goods were meant for something or someone else.
A peaceful look stole over the other woman. “My sister and I had a falling-out a few years back. Those cookies were a special family recipe handed down from our mother. It’s only fitting that those gingerbread men would be the means of reuniting me with my twin.”
“But you gave them away,” Avery said, not realizing what a sacrifice it had been on the other woman’s part.
“Veronica won’t mind. We both know the cookies were simply an excuse to reach out and facilitate our reconciliation. It was something we both wanted, with or without the cookies.”
“Making up with your twin is the celebration you mentioned, then?”
“Yes, and now with the baby it feels like even more of one.”
“You’re right, Grandma,” Liam said. He’d apparently overheard their conversation. “This is a great time to celebrate. Come on, guys, we aren’t going to make it to the wedding, but we can still entertain.”
The other members of the band quickly retrieved their instruments from the car deck. The band set up in front of the ferry. Olivia and Kevin, her newfound friend, stood in the very front, shaking with excitement, eager to continue the songfest, and this time with the entire band playing.
“Can you play ‘Frosty the Snowman’?” Olivia shouted.
“ ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’?” Kevin called out next.
Liam and his friends exchanged glances. “We sure can!”
The keyboard player started the tune, and the other instruments quickly joined in. Olivia and a couple other children started singing, which was all the encouragement the adults needed. Soon the deck echoed with the sounds of their blended voices. The few children who stood together clapped their hands with glee and danced around the deck.
“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” was followed by the Brenda Lee hit from years ago that had experienced a recent revival, “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree.” A few started their own rocking, swing-dancing and showing off their fancy footwork.
The singing was boisterous and full of good cheer. Standing toward the back of the crowd, Avery watched what was happening with amusement. Everything had changed for thebetter. The mood in the room got an additional emotional boost after everyone learned they were about to be rescued.
Before she could fully take in what was happening, a conga line had formed. A string of merrymakers danced their way around the entire area, kicking, singing, laughing.
