Wings of the Morning

  "Sold," he said softly and shook the hand Smokey offered

  to him.

  "When are you coming for another visit?" Tate asked

  without relinquishing his hold of her hand. His question so

  surprised Smokey that she didn't immediately answer.

  "I wasn't sure I'd still be wanted," she finally admitted

  "Then you weren't listening very well when we said goodbye.

  Now, when can we expect you?"

  Smokey was so moved by the sincerity of his eyes and

  voice that she felt warmly overwhelmed.

  "Two weeks?"

  "Make it ten days."

  Smokey's laugh filled the room. She reclaimed her hand

  and stood. After introducing Darsey, who would handle the

  rest of the transaction, she made ready to leave.

  "Ill tell Jen she can expect you," Tate called to her retreat-Ing

  back.

  Smokey tossed a grin in his direction as she exited the

  She'd been buying and selling since before her father

  59

  died, trading with shipping magnates and amassing a small

  fortune for herself in the last few years. But she didn't know

  when the sale of her cargo had ever felt so fine.

  61

  "I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU, SMOKEY." Jenny's VOice was

  hushed as the two women sat close together on the large sofa

  in the Pembertons' parlor.

  "What is it?"

  "We haven't told anyone, and I need you to keep it a

  secret."

  "All right," Smokey agreed and watched as Jenny's eyes

  glowed with excitement.

  "I'm going to have a baby."

  "Oh, Jen," Smokey whispered. The two women embraced

  for long moments, and when they broke apart their eyes were

  suspiciously moist.

  "When will the baby come?" Smokey's voice was now as

  hushed as Jenny's.

  "Next summer."

  "That long?" Smokey's voice became quite loud, her brow

  wrinkling in disappointment.

  "It does take time, you know." Jenny was laughing so hard

  over Smokey's reaction that she could barely talk.

  "I know, but next summer! Why, that feels like years away!"

  Again Jenny went off into gales of laughter. It was contagious,

  and Smokey laughed too. They talked of babies for the next hour, and then Jenny asked Smokey about her plans for

  J&ristmas.

  61

  "I'll be with Darsey at Willa's. Her children live in the area,

  and they'll all come on Christmas Eve."

  "What about Christmas Day?"

  "It's pretty quiet. By the time the family goes home on

  Christmas Eve, Willa is pretty worn out."

  "Would they be terribly upset if you spent Christmas Eve

  and Christmas Day with us?"

  Smokey blinked "I don't know, Jen."

  "Now what does that hesitant look mean?" Jenny couldn't

  have asked that question several weeks ago, but having Tate

  and Jenny learn of Smokey's occupation seemed to bring

  down the wall that separated them.

  However, Smokey had not told anyone about the way she

  felt when she even thought about Dallas Knight. She didn't

  think she was ready to share, not even with Jenny.

  "I'll think about your offer, okay, Jen? Maybe I'll discuss it

  with Darsey."

  "Darsey means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

  "Oh, yes," Smokey told her with a smile. "He was my

  father's first mate before he was mine, and he's been beside

  me since I was a baby. Willa told me that Darsey sees me as the

  daughter he never had."

  "Do you miss your father?"

  "I do, but the anguish is gone. That first year, the pain was

  so intense I didn't think I'd make it." Smokey suddenly grew

  very quiet.

  "I'm sorry if the subject brings back all the pain."

  "It's not that," Smokey told her. "You and Tate have been

  wonderful, but there's something more about me that I want

  to explain."

  "All right," Jenny's voice was expectant, but something in

  Smokey's look made her heart thump with trepidation. Her

  mind ran with every crazy thing Smokey could possibly say,

  from being a pirate to having a husband and child of her own

  somewhere.

  "Not now," Smokey said, much to Jenny's disappointment.

  "I want to talk to you when Tate is here too."

  62

  63

  After two beats of her heart, Jenny agreed, knowing she

  would have to put her curiosity on hold. It would be hard, but

  she knew Tate deserved to hear the news firsthand. This was

  obviously something very important to Smokey. Jenny wanted

  to do all she could so Smokey would feel free to tell them in

  her time, secure in the knowledge that Jenny's love was unfailing,

  no matter what she shared

  "I'm not ashamed of what I do for a living," Smokey told

  Jenny and Tate that evening. They were alone in the library,

  and dinner was over. "But I find that I'm something of a

  curiosity."

  "And you would rather we didn't tell everyone we know

  that you are the captain of theAramis?" Tate interjected with

  an understanding smile.

  "Well, that would help, but I need to explain why." Smokey

  stopped and took a breath. "You loved me and befriended me

  when we were strangers, and I was a bit hesitant with you

  because that's never happened before. I'm at sea so much, and

  when I am home and people learn what I do, they become

  quite curious. One question usually leads to another and I--"

  Smokey stopped again, took a deep breath and went on.

  "My father was the most wonderful father a girl could ever

  hope to have. He was warm and caring, and he loved me to

  distraction. My parents were not married until later in life,

  and I wasn't born until he was 50 years old.

  "I grew up at sea and loved it. I've never known any other

  life. My father loved God, and he instilled in me a deep faith in

  Jesus Christ. There was a lot he didn't know, and in turn, I have

  much to learn, but he tried very hard to teach me from his

  small store of knowledge." Smokey paused again, but Tate and

  Jenny, feeling a bit confused, were absolutely quiet. Smokey

  found she could no longer stay in her chair; she stood and

  paced as she continued

  "My father told me once that he never wanted to be a hero

  to me. He only wanted to be my father, teaching me God's way

  and making sure I knew he loved me.

  "Nearly everything I know, I learned from him. My knowledge

  of God, sailing, and life in general was learned at his

  knee. He was my teacher, just as his father had been for him.

  Many have heard of my father, but most know him only by his

  first name. No one, not even when my last name is spoken,

  thinks to tie him to me, unless they find out that I sail.

  "And as proud as I am to call him my papa," Smokey's

  voice dropped as she finished her speech and finally stood

  still before her host and hostess, "most of the time it's easier if

  people don't know that the legendary Clancy was my father."

  The room was utterly still for the space of many heartbeats,

  and then Jenny was coming toward her, her eyes wet
br />   with tears.

  There were no speeches about how blessed Smokey was

  or how honored the Pembertons felt to have her in their home,

  just a long, loving hug between friends. The hug ended with a

  bit of relieved laughter when Jenny shared that she thought

  Smokey might share about being a runaway wife or pirate.

  "I have admired your father since I was a little boy," Tate

  told her when they were once again seated and Jenny had

  poured tea.

  "So have I," Smokey told him with a smile.

  "You know," Tate went on, "I always thought Clancy had

  been born over a hundred years ago."

  "You're not alone in that belief." Smokey's voice was dry.

  "His father's name was Clancy also, so the name Clancy has

  been on the sea for many years. He told me once that to have

  done everything that's been credited to him, he would have to

  have been 200 years old"

  "No wonder you're so good at what you do," Jenny complimented

  Smokey.

  "Isn't that the truth! If our son wants to go to sea," Tate's

  face filled with excitement at the thought, "he could sail with

  you and learn from the best."

  66

  "Oh, no," Smokey said with a laugh. "I'd be an old woman

  by then, and I really hope I won't be sailing that long."

  "Do you have to put some money aside before you can

  stop?" Jenny's voice was filled with tender compassion, but

  late and Smokey burst out laughing.

  Smokey had just collected a small fortune from Pemberon

  Shipping, which, even though some of it would pay for

  business expenses, held a large chunk of profit. Jenny was

  clearly naive as to the success of Smokey's business.

  "It's not that, Jen," Smokey took pity on the confused look

  on her friend's face. "It's just that until I met you, I thought I

  would be at sea until the day of my death, just as my father had

  been."

  "What happened when you met Jen?"

  "I wanted what she has. Not you personally, Tate," Smokey

  told him with a cheeky grin. "But a husband of my own, a home

  for us to share, and children, if God wills. There was a man

  who was in love with me a few years ago. He asked me to

  many him for over three years, and even though I cared for

  him, and still do, I could never say yes."

  "What happened to him?" Jenny wanted to know.

  Smokey shrugged "He gave up on me and eventually

  married someone else. I never see him anymore."

  "Do you have regrets?"

  "No, but I think I know why I could never say yes. I mean,

  he was romantic, and I love romance. I also enjoyed listening

  when he painted a lovely picture of us sailing the world

  together. But just recently I realized that if ever I marry, I want

  to have a home--a real home. And I don't want my husband to

  be a sailor who's gone for months at a time!"

  Smokey's last sentence was uttered with great passion,

  and she was suddenly embarrassed at her own actions. She

  forced herself to sit back in her chair, her face heating as she

  looked down at her folded hands in her lap.

  "We'll be praying that if God has a special man for you,

  you'll know it."

  65

  "Thank you, Tate." His words relieved some of her embarrassment.

  "That means alotto me. I've thought about what Jen

  suggested when I was here before, and IVe decided that I will

  make your church my own."

  "Oh, Smokey, that's wonderful!"

  "I'll still be gone at times; I do have a business to run."

  "Of course," Jenny agreed. "But whenever you're home,

  we'll expect you."

  It was growing rather late, so all in the room were surprised

  when Polly knocked on the door a moment later with a

  note from Buck. It was brief, just wanting to inform them that

  Dallas was in port and planned to visit on the next day.

  67

  By the time she walked downstairs to breakfast, Smokey

  had convinced herself that she had no reason whatsoever to

  worry.

  standing before the mirror in her room, Smokey frowned

  at her reflection. She had tried to do a little something different

  with her hair, but it had been no use; she felt all thumbs.

  With only enough pins for her usual hairstyle, nothing she had

  tried looked quite right.

  With a resigned sigh, she whipped it into its usual bun and

  then stared at herself in disappointment. She knew very well

  that none of this had made a bit of difference to her before she

  had seen Jenny's hair and wardrobe, or met her handsome

  brother.

  Why did Dallas havs to come now? I had really hoped we

  would miss each other this visit.

  Smokey's mind went back to the day she had seen him on

  the dock in London. It had been torture to walk by and not

  speak to him. She'd gained her ship and watched him from the

  deck until he was out of sight.

  I don't know myself anymore. For so long my life was well

  ordered. I had my work and performed it well. Now, I feel

  discontent and confused.

  Smokey took time to pray about her feelings and surrender

  them to God Her heart calmed, and she realized that Dallas'

  visit didn't necessarily mean they would see each other. After

  all, she was going on a walk this morning and then meeting

  Buck for lunch. Tomorrow she planned to leave.

  "Well, Buck," Dallas spoke in surprise when the older man

  came to the breakfast table. "You must have a date for lunch to

  be out of bed this early." Dallas' question stemmed from the

  fact that Buck was a night person. He loved to stay up late and

  sleep late. Dallas tended to be just the opposite.

  "Indeed, I do." Buck answered his brother as he sugared

  the coffee just served to him.

  "The lovely widow Rittenhouse?" Dallas asked expectantly.

  "No," Buck'svoice became quiet. Dallas carefully watched

  his face. "She thinks we should see other people. She also

  thinks she's still in love with her first husband and wants to be

  loyal to his memory."

  "When did this happen?"

  "Three days ago."

  "I'm sorry, Buck." Dallas' compassion was real. "I know

  you really care for her."

  "You're right, I do, and for that reason I'm not going to give

  up. I'm going to give her some time and then see if she's

  missed me as much as I already miss her."

  "But in the meantime, you're going to see other women?"

  Buck frowned at him in confusion, but then shook his

  head. "No, my lunch date is just a friend What are your plans

  for the day?"

  "I need to see Jenny this morning. It was too late to go last

  night," Dallas told him. "After that I've some work to do on the Zephyr. In fact, I'd best be on my way. I'll see you later, Buck."

  "All right, Dolly. Take care."

  68

  Smokey walked along at an easy pace, her long coat slap

  ping at her legs. The sea was a cloudy gray today, the sky

  overcast. It felt like it could snow at any time. Not headed

  anyplace in particular, Smokey felt she could walk for hours.

  S
he kept a steady pace until she spotted a beautiful home,

  painted a bright white, sitting on a small point of land Smokey

  stopped to drink in the scene.

  Much like Jenny and Tate's, huge windows looked out over

  the Atlantic on both the first and second floor. On either side

  of this large home, however, were rounded rooms whose

  walls were nothing but glass. Smokey's inspection ended with

  the dormer windows in the roof, which gave the house a

  three-story look.

  "Hello."

  She jumped at the sound of a female voice but looked up to

  see that the woman was smiling.

  "I'm sorry if I disturbed you," Smokey told her, "but I was

  admiring your lovely home."

  The woman, having just been on a walk herself, turned

  with Smokey and stared up at the great house. "It is a beautiful

  home," she spoke quietly. "But it hasn't been the same since

  my husband died"

  The woman turned to stare at Smokey then, as though

  surprised she had admitted such a thing to a complete stranger.

  Her face cleared when she recalled her manners.

  "I'm Greer Rittenhouse," she voiced with a smile. "Are you

  walking anywhere in particular?"

  "No. I'm staying with Tate and Jennifer Pemberton. My

  name is Victoria Simmons."

  Greer's eyes now held recognition. "Of course, Buck mentioned

  you."

  "Oh, you must be the woman Buck is seeing."

  "Well," the lovely widow looked rather uncomfortable.

  "We're not dating right now, just friends."

  "I'm sorry. That was rude of me."

  "It's all right. You couldn't have known."

  69

  The women looked to the house again, and Smokey was

  very pleased when Mrs. Rittenhouse asked if she would like to

  see the inside.

  It was more lovely than Smokey could have imagined The

  huge windows to the east that Smokey had seen outside gave a

  view of the sea to rival that on her ship. The round rooms at the

  corners of the house were the most lovely sitting rooms

  Smokey had ever seen.

  "It's a wonderful home," Smokey said with a touch of awe

  in her voice.

  "Yes, it holds many happy memories, but I'm not sure I

  want to keep it."

  "You would actually sell?"

  "I might."

  Smokey took a breath in an attempt to calm the frantic

  beating of her heart. "Wouldit be presumptuous to ask if you'd

  contact me if you're ever really serious about selling?"

  "Not at all. I would want the house to go to someone who

  would cherish it as I do."