Baby on Board by Lisa Ruff

It’s a nice morning for enjoying the water.”
    Kate sighed and sat opposite him. Nestled in the protection of the comfortable cockpit, she felt less afraid of the water all around her. She opened her mouth to speak and the boat shifted, startling her.
    “Hey, Patty,” Ian said as he stepped onto the cushion beside Kate and sat down next to her. “And hello, Kate,” he added, dropping a kiss on her cheek.
    Kate smiled at Ian, happy to see him. She had liked him from the moment Patrick had introduced them. The brothers were vastly different—Ian reserved where Patrick was gregarious—and they balanced each other out. Patrick always surging ahead, Ian, more cautious and thoughtful, keeping him in check. It was a pleasure to be with these men who were friends as much as brothers.
    “What are you doing here?” Patrick seemed surprised by the intrusion.
    “I thought you might need a hand,” Ian said. “Unless you’ve changed your mind. Not that it’s ever happened before.”
    “If it’s a good idea, why change it?” Patrick asked. He sounded annoyed.
    Ian cocked his head as he looked at his brother. “Because your track record stinks?”
    “Don’t you have some chunk of wood that needs to be cut or drilled?”
    “I think I can be more useful here.”
    Kate looked back and forth between the two men. She felt as if she were at a tennis match, but she didn’t know who was ahead. “Is something wrong?”
    “Not yet,” Ian said with a shrug and stood up.
    The boat shifted again. Kate turned to see Evan McKenzie climb aboard. She was less than happy to see him. As much as she liked Ian, she and Evan were like sandpaper and silk: they could rub each other threadbare. Evan was almost like Patrick, but with some key ingredients missing that left him too arrogant, cocky and sometimes just rude.
    “About time you showed up,” Patrick said by way of a greeting.
    “I had to close a deal. This guy wanted to buy a Hummer,” Evan countered with a sly grin. “Who am I to refuse his money? Hey, Kate,” he greeted her. His tone was polite but cool. “Ready for the fun?”
    Kate smiled slightly. “What fun would that be?”
    “Ah, that’s the surprise.” Evan went forward on the boat and began pulling lines at the mast.
    “Just sit tight and I’ll explain in a minute,” Patrick said.
    “But, what—”
    Before she could complete her sentence, Ian stepped out of the cockpit, avoiding her eyes as he went. Patrick disappeared down below. When he climbed back up into the cockpit, he slid behind the wheel, opening a small door built into the side of the boat. Kate was surprised to see a panel of buttons and instruments appear from what looked like a solid piece of wood. He fiddled with the instruments for a second and Kate felt a faint vibration. A hiss and splash of water sounded at the stern of the boat. She felt an instant of worry that quickly grew to fear.
    “Ready when you are,” Patrick called to Ian and Evan.
    To Kate’s horror, she saw the two men untie the lines holding the boat to the dock. Ian took a long pole and pushed the bow away from the pilings. Patrick manipulated a chrome handle on the wheel pedestal and Kate found herself in a boat leaving the safety of land.
    “What are you doing?” She kept a tight rein on her fear and tried to pretend that they had not actually left the dock. “The boat’s not tested yet, is it?”
    “You’re going to love this,” Patrick said, grinning widely. His eyes were on the water around them as he maneuvered the boat.
    “Love what?” Kate gulped down her terror. “Patrick, I want to go back to the dock.”
    “Hoist the mains’l,” Patrick called to Evan, then turned to her. “It’s a gorgeous day on the Chesapeake. I said I’d take you sailing sometime and I thought today would be the perfect day.”
    As he spoke, a large sail rose over Kate’s head. The brilliant white cloth fluttered and flapped in the wind. Kate’s hands were white-knuckled,