“And I’ll do my best to trust who I am and what I have.”
Evan kissed the top of her head. “I know this won’t be easy for you. I’m sorry that you have to deal with this pregnancy. But I thank you for sticking with me.”
“I love you,” she said simply. “And I’ll love your baby.”
His throat was suddenly tight. “After this season, it’s just going to be all about you and that baby. I want to support your career and be there for my daughter. Then I’m thinking about team ownership a few years down the road. Or maybe a driving school. For girls. What do you think?”
“I think that’s a great idea. But only if you’re sure about leaving driving.”
He was. It had actually been something of a relief. “I am. Carl didn’t even have a heart attack when I told him. I think he’s glad to see me go.”
“That’s not true. I went to Carl and talked to him yesterday. He said you’ll always have a car at Hinder if you want one.”
Evan pulled back to look at her. “You went to Carl? For what?”
His wife shrugged sheepishly. “I went to chew him out for letting you go, only he informed me you weren’t forced out, you quit.”
That gave him a great deal of satisfaction and he held her closer. Knowing she had his back meant everything to him. “Thanks for doing that.”
“It was the least I could do after the horrible way I handled the pregnancy news. I’m always going to support you, you know. From here on out.”
That meant everything to him. “Likewise.”
“So what are they doing with our commercial, by the way?”
Evan shrugged. “They’re airing it. Going to milk our marriage and my last season for all they’re worth. They did invest a fair amount of money, so it’s only fair.”
Not that he really cared much about any of that at the moment. And considering that Kendall made a noncommittal sound, he didn’t think she really did either. They were just enjoying the day and each other.
“Can I have my ring back?” he asked her. That had been bothering him, and he wanted that symbol of their marriage back on his finger.
“Let’s get you a new one. I didn’t like that cheap one anyway. And maybe we should have a wedding reception for our friends. A party.”
“Now you’re talking. That would be nice, to celebrate with our families and our friends.”
Kendall’s finger came out and she pointed. “Hey look, the ducks are back. And they have babies . . . how cute.”
The family of ducks was swimming in the lake, the mother and father and four fuzzy, awkward little ducklings. “They’re kind of goofy looking,” Evan remarked. He’d never really understand the attraction humans had to those noisy things.
“Sometimes families don’t always look perfect. That doesn’t mean they don’t work.”
Well, that was the truth.
And it was their future.
“I bet that momma duck can change a tire faster than the daddy duck.”
Kendall grinned. “I bet she can.”