Page 50 of Hired by Pirates

The thought of a life anywhere but with him was horrible.

~ Chapter 22 ~ The Captain ~

* To My Absolute Delight... *

My heart was absolutely torn, as I weighed the two sides. Astor’s happiness was the most important thing, even if it meant my misery forever.

The thought of her changing her lifelong ambition for a dusty old pirate like myself didn’t feel right. Yet it shouldn’t be up to me. It should be her choice to make.

“Lass, I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life,” I confessed. “But if your dream is to be a real doctor, I cannot stand in the way of that. Could you truly be happy only being half a doctor? An occasional doctor, part of the time?”

Astor cupped my face in her wee palms, forcing me to look directly into her eyes. “Nick, it had never occurred to me that there were people in tiny towns with nobody to turn to for medical help. Not having traveled, I didn’t know a single thing about the larger world. Now that I do, I think I’d like to see if that’s my calling.”

My arms circled her waist so tightly she squealed. Kissing her desperately, I could feel that delicious, familiar warmth already simmering between us. “I love you, my beauty. That’s why I cannot stand the thought of you not getting every single thing you want.”

“I want you,” she murmured. “And I love you. I know that we can find a way to both get what we need.”

“Thank Heavens,” I groaned, tilting her head back to trail kisses along her collarbone.

“I could hear you a bit through the open window of the Morgan house while I was delivering that baby,” Astor whispered. “You sounded so proud of me.”

“I am. You have no idea how much.”

Just as I began to graze my lips against hers, I stopped, jumping back. “Astor, what would it take for you to actually become a certified doctor? Is that something you really want to do?”

“Yes, of course. I’ve already apprenticed more than enough. If I were a man, I could hang up a shingle and call myself a doctor right now and people would respect the title. But I’ve never thought that people would take me seriously.”

I tipped her chin up with my finger. “Why not, Astor?”

Her eyes closed as she remained still for a moment. Then she whispered, “Because I’m just the little orphan girl who is always in the way, and gets passed around for others to take care of.”

“Hell’s teeth,” I muttered, holding her against me as I rocked her. “My beauty, you’ve saved three people in just the time I’ve known you. You’ve fixed the oven for fresh bread, mended our clothing, and showed us how easily a woman can dig out information. You’re not only a valued member of this crew, you’re a bloody marvel.”

She blushed so prettily in the golden light.

“Now tell me what you’d have to do,” I continued.

She took a slow breath. “I’d have to travel to Oxwood, and sit the exams. It’s an awful lot of money, and only one other woman has ever been permitted to take them.”

I reached over to the other bed, where she had left the little purse from the Morgans.

“I was so tired I didn’t even count it,” she smiled.

“Hold out your hands.” I poured coins until her hands were full, leaving a few in the bag.

“These are mostly gold,” she cried.

“Plus I’m certain Captain Searcy gave you a similar amount.”

“He did. It was a mix of coins, some of which looked very old. There was also a lovely little golden butterfly hair pin that looked like an antique.”

I smiled widely. “I have quite a bit stashed away here and there, and I will gladly cover the rest. And if you were to sail up to Oxwood with seven large men standing behind you, I’d like to see them try to tell you that you’re not allowed to take their tests.”

Smiling, she placed the coins back in the bag, tossing it over to the other bed again. “Nick, I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask. I’m offering.”

Her pretty little teeth nibbled at her bottom lip as she frowned. “But that’s so much money. I don’t know if I could.”

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