“It’ll take some doing, I’ll grant you that. But it’d be better to do it now, before the business grows any larger. I can even rent hangar space at Tulip County Airport. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought since this afternoon. It might be better for me to be centrally located versus on the West Coast, given the nature of my business. Actually, the beach area of Michigan is an ideal location to serve business people in Detroit and Chicago, and I’ve already make loads of contacts out west.”
Faith stared at him like he was slightly mad as he spoke his thoughts out loud. “Ryan, that seems so...sudden. Impulsive.”
“Despite all the evidence against me from Christmas Eve, I’m not an impulsive person. But I do trust my instincts.” He traced the line of her jaw with his forefinger.
She met his stare. He didn’t bother to guard his desire for her. Her eyes widened slightly, and he knew she’d seen it. Was she, like him, thinking of those ecstatic moments when they’d both acted on glorious instinct? He hoped so. He wished like hell those memories had been permanently scored in her brain like they had been in his.
“I think we should talk about it more,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not so sure instinct is the wise guiding principle for the future, given the fact that a baby is involved.”
“I think it’s the perfect principle.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It got us here, didn’t it?”
She stared at him in mute amazement.
Ryan scowled at the sound of voices in the distance. He turned his head and saw another couple approaching on the walk.
“Come on. It’s almost dark,” he said. “We can talk more in the car.”
* * *
Faith’s mind was a confused hodgepodge of thoughts, feelings and concerns as Ryan drove through the now dark streets of Holland. While they waited at a red light, Ryan turned toward her.
“You’re vibrating with worry over there. Why don’t you vent some of what you’re thinking?”
She met his stare. His rugged features looked shadowed and compelling in the dim light.
“Are you really serious about moving back to Michigan?” she asked in a voice that sounded unnaturally high to her own ears.
“Is it really that unbelievable?”
“I just...I just hadn’t expected that you might want to do that.”
“Why not?” he asked, looking slightly puzzled. The stoplight turned green and he began to drive. “Did you really think I was going to be blasé about the fact that I was going to have a child?”
“I don’t know,” Faith stated honestly. “I guess I just assumed you’d...”
“Be satisfied seeing the baby a few times a month and on half the holidays?” Ryan asked when she faded off uncertainly.
“Well...you’re a pilot,” she said, as if that explained something.
“And?”
“Pilots are always on the go. One place is as much home as another. I just assumed you wouldn’t consider the distance between Holland and San Francisco as significant as most people would.”
He came to a stop at an intersection of a quiet residential neighborhood. “Family is very important to me, Faith. It always has been. That value was instilled into me a long time ago by my parents.”
Her throat grew tight. “And then you lost them at such a young age,” she whispered feelingly. Of course family was important to him.
“Besides, if I move back to Michigan, I’ll be closer to my sister and her family. Mari is in Chicago. She’s going to have another baby, too.” He blinked as if in realization and gave her a small smile. Her heart seemed to throb as if in answer. “As a matter of fact, she’s
only a few months ahead of you.”
“The baby will like having a cousin of the same age,” Faith said, returning his smile.
The moment stretched as they sat there in the running car in the silent neighborhood, staring at one another and considering the future.