Baby on Board by Lisa Ruff Page A

attention to the road in front of her. She wiped the sadness away. She wouldn’t cry. From now on, she would look to the future. She must. Her baby depended on it. But the tears still persisted, a soft rain of sorrow that wouldn’t stop. Would she ever be over Patrick Berzani? Her heart whispered no, but Kate refused to listen.

Chapter Six
    Patrick stood at the helm of the sailboat, feeling the rhythm of the waves through the wheel. He reached over and gave the winch another couple of turns, trimming the jib taut. Blue Magic picked up speed immediately, flying over the water. With one foot braced on the seat, he looked up at the mast, checking the rake. The backstay needed a bit more tension. A few pumps on the hydraulic adjuster took care of it and improved the shape of the sails, too.
    Setting the autopilot, Patrick made a trip up the leeward deck, checking the tension of the shrouds. They all seemed to be loose enough without being too slack. He stopped at the mast and sighted up along its length. The rake was right, now. He looked at the foresail. The laminated fabric gleamed golden in the sunlight as it absorbed the power of the wind.
    Back in the cockpit, Patrick took the wheel again. Wind and water were in concert, pushing the boat forward. Out here, he felt completely alive, his senses alert and his body in tune with the boat. Knowing what to do when the wind veered or backed was instinctual, as much a part of him as breathing. Kate was right; he had been born and bred to sail. How could he ever give it up, even for her?
    All he had done for the past few days was think about Kate, the baby and his future— their future. He still had no idea what to do. She was right about another thing. If he gave up racing for her sake, he would feel bitter about it, and maybe even put the blame on her. Part of his soul would die if he couldn’t be out here on a day like this, pushing himself and a boat over the water.
    Patrick went forward to make another check of the rig. Everything looked shipshape. He stood at the mast, surveying the horizon and thinking. Sure, he could cut back on his time at sea, but that wasn’t enough for her. She was adamant; she wanted him to be around all the time or not at all. And what if he did what she wanted, would she start to nag him about taking unnecessary risks, too? Be careful of the lawn mower, honey. Watch yourself on those steps. Imagining these possibilities, Patrick could almost feel the chains wrap around his freedom. He shivered, despite the heat and went to the wheel again.
    He remembered what Kate had said about him being an adventurer. He had denied it, but now he knew she was at least partly right. He did like to challenge himself, but that didn’t make him some crazed adrenaline junkie, no matter what she thought. He wasn’t doing it for the thrill. He just couldn’t see doing things halfway, especially on something as beautiful as a boat, making her way over the water with all her sails set.
    He tacked the boat over and kept going around, easing the sails into a broad-reach to retrace his course. Going downwind, the motion of the boat was gentler. No other boats were nearby, so he sat and let the gentle motion of the boat soothe him. Pulling his hat off, Patrick raked a hand back through his long hair. He needed a haircut soon, but not if he pulled it all out in frustration.
    He had doubts about his abilities as a father, too. A whole truckload of doubts. Until he’d learned about Kate’s pregnancy, the idea of becoming a father had crossed his mind as something hypothetical, a role he might consider taking on someday. Well, that day had arrived. Whatever his doubts and uncertainties, Patrick was sure of two things. Whether he was ready or not for the job, he would put everything he had into parenting. If Kate would let him. He just had to figure out a way to convince her that she should. He was also certain that no man could raise his child as well as he could.
    As he