Page 60 of Pirate's Intent
Epilogue
OneYearLater
Salem,Massachusetts
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“THEY TRULY ARE STUNNING,” Rose praised. She smiled and waved at Thomas as he disembarked one of two brand new ships. “The men did a wonderful job building them.”
“I could not agree more.” Hannah cooed at her little one before eyeing Luke’s new boat. “Everyone really came together to make this happen.”
Rose rested her hand on her swollen stomach and nodded. “Yes, they did.”
Where they had thought Thomas’s and Luke’s crew would go their own way to start a new life, they’d decided to stay on with their captains. Men of the sea, they were launching an impressive fishing company that would undoubtedly prove lucrative.
They had bought land and built houses, establishing themselves in the seaside town in very little time. But then as they had during their years of piracy, their husbands’ men worked well together, building toward a prosperous future. Not just homes for the lot of them but these first two glorious ships.
Now everyone had gathered together to celebrate how much they had accomplished.
How far they had come against the odds.
Hannah had become pregnant shortly after they arrived here, and Rose wasn’t far behind. Thomas had been counting down the days to their baby’s arrival since they learned she was expecting. Meanwhile, Luke proved to be a doting father, showering his daughter with affection.
“By next summer, we will have ourselves a proper fleet,” Charles declared, preening as he and the others admired the ships. He’d been such a good first mate to Thomas, her husband had asked him to captain one of the boats they would build, and he gladly accepted.
“A proper fleet indeed.” Luke’s first mate and upcoming captain, Robert, chuckled, eyeing the townswomen joining the celebration. “To be enjoyed with a—”
“Group of friends,” Hannah cut in. She shot him a look then a wink before he said something that might drive the proper women in the opposite direction.
In truth, most of the crewmen had found women and settled down, ready to start anew.
“And we are friends all,” Abigail echoed, holding her glass up in a toast as Thomas and Luke joined them. She offered a wicked smile, batting her lashes at any man looking her way before she nodded at Luke. “Here’s to prosperous years ahead to be sure!”
“How else could it be with Cap’n Luke and his brother at the helm?” Remmy praised, holding up her glass too, blushing like the bride she was when her new husband kissed her cheek.
In the end, Abigail, Remmy, and several of the women in Luke’s brothel headed north, eager to start over. While some still lived the lifestyle they were accustomed to, most had settled down.
