Parker's Island (53 page)

Epilogue

The month’s passed with interminable bliss.  Logan asked me
repeatedly
where I wanted to go for a honeymoon.  My answer was always the same, “We’ve been on
a
honeymoon since we’ve been married
.  I couldn’t be happier anywhere in the world.  W
here else would I want to go? 
This is where I want to be!
” I smiled up at him as we walked along the beach.

I was holding Duchess’ leash and Logan was carrying Elizabeth in his arms,
as
usual.  He had rarely put her down since she was born.  He was such a wonderful, doting dad; the absolute opposite of his own father.  I knew that it wasn’t because he felt he had to prove that he wasn’t
like
his father
, but that he truly adored his daughter.

We walked along, happy in our own thoughts
.
E
lizabeth
was
cooing happily in her dad’s arms.  We stopped to look at the water and I sighed once again at the realization that I couldn’t possibly be any happier.

The elderly couple that we had met on the beach
almost a year
earlier appeared just then
.
“Oh
,
you had the baby.  She’s just beautiful
,
”
t
he woman said, grinning and taking Elizabeth’s hand.

“Thank you
,
” I said,
smiling
.

“What’s her name?”
s
he asked.

“Elizabeth
,
” Logan said proudly, thrilled that
I had
honored his mother’s name.

She looked at Elizabeth and then up at Logan thoughtfully.  I started to tense, thinking she might guess that Logan wasn’t Elizabeth’s biological father, but she
just
smiled and said, “I knew you two would have beautiful child
ren
.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. 

“When’s the ne
xt one due, dear?”
s
he asked me
. 

I smiled
back
at her with a knowing
grin
.  I looked up at Logan and said, “
Oh, i
n about seven months.”

He took a deep breath and said, “Really?”

“I was going
to tell you
over dinner tonight…
peanut butter, jelly and bacon sandwiches
,
” I smiled and he kissed me passionately
, cradling Elizabeth gently between us
. 

The elderly couple giggled and I heard her say, “
Jim, d
idn’t I tell you they’d have beautiful children?”

“Yes you did
,
dear
.
  Yes you did
,
”
h
e said
as
they wandered off, leaving us to our bliss.

About the Author

Kimberly Schwartzmiller is a wife, a mother of two, and a Registered Nurse in the obstetrics department.  She makes her home with her family and a plethora of pets in Northwest Montana.  An avid reader as well as a writer, she spends many late hours at the computer.