“What’s for dinner?”

“I don’t know. Emma’s cooking.”

“I’ll risk it.”

What a nut.

Biyen started to run, but remembered he was still on the wharf and held himself to a walk until they were at the ramp, then he grabbed both sides of the rail and ran up fast enough to make his backpack woggle.

They bought their ice cream, then walked to the picnic table to eat it, both sitting with their backs to the table so they could face the water.

“What’s on your mind?” Biyen asked as he slid his tongue around his scoop of tiger stripe.

Only that every time this kid spoke, Logan was more certain he was making the best decision of his life.

“It’s something we talked about once before. Your mom and I have decided we love each other. I wanted to ask you what you thought about my asking her to marry me.”

He sat up taller. “Are you going to have a baby?”

“Are you asking me if I’m pregnant? No. And we’ll circle back to that because I feel like you’re missing some information.”

Biyen giggled. “I mean Mom.”

“Your mom is not pregnant, but if she wants to have a baby, I’d like that. What about you?”

“Mmm-hmm.” He nodded. “Then Storm would have someone to play with who is her age. That will be really confusing, though,” he said with a wide-eyed look of befuddlement. “If you’re Storm’s brother, but you married my mom, what would the baby be?”

Whatever it wants to be, was the correct answer, but they’d circle back on that another time, too.

“Storm would be the baby’s aunt and she would be your step-aunt.”

“But she’s a baby.” He was so tickled he couldn’t seem to lift his cone to his lips. “Auntie Step Storm.” He giggled through his orange-milky lips. “Like, Anti-Storm. What’s that? A nice day?”

Logan chuckled, as amused by the boy’s ability to entertain himself as he was with the things coming out of his mouth.

“What I’m hearing is, you don’t mind if I ask your mom to marry me. Is that right?”

Biyen cocked his head to the side. “Would we still live here?”

“For a while, but I don’t know about forever.” Logan sobered. “My brothers and I have made some big decisions that will affect where we live eventually.” It bothered him that that part wasn’t settled, but he didn’t feel as adrift now he knew Sophie would be with him no matter what. “I think for the time being your mom wants to stay here, so I’ll move downstairs into her room. With her,” he clarified as Biyen’s brow quirked up.

“You guys should sleep in Gramps’s room. It’s bigger.”

“Maybe we will. I’ll let your mom decide that. She might want to keep it the way it is for a while.”

“Yeah. That’s okay.” He nodded. “At least now I can have my playroom back. Yesss.” He pumped a fist.

“You know, I was actually worried you might be upset about this. I thought you might be wishing your mom would marry your dad.”

“Not really. Mom likes you better. When she talks to Dad, she sounds really annoyed. When she talks to you, you guys laugh.” He shrugged, then sat up taller. “Hey. Am I ever going to get to see the Storm Ridge?”

“Have I got news for you, kid. We can get the key from Trys and take it for a spin right now if you want to.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Dinner was a meal of stilted tension broken by moments of free-flowing laughter.

Cloe said she was planning to head north at the end of the week, taking the ferry to Prince Rupert and onward to Alaska where she would look for work, so Logan was finally able to relax and quit worrying about her intentions.

When Trystan and Cloe left for the marina, he walked home with Sophie and Biyen.

“Straight into the shower, then bed, buddy,” Sophie said as they entered the house. “It’s already late and it’s a work night.”

“Day camp is like going to school.” Biyen set his backpack on the chair and emptied it onto the table. “I wish Gramps was here so I could sleep in.”

“I have to work, too, bud. Otherwise, I’d stay home and sleep in, too,” Sophie said.

“Same,” Logan said. “But let me know if there’s a day you could spend with me on the Missionary II. Then you wouldn’t have to get up so early.”

“I wish I could,” Biyen said in a very mature and resigned way. “There’s a lot going on at day camp. They really need me.”

Logan looked at Sophie.

“I know,” she mouthed.

“What’s keeping you so busy?” Logan was compelled to ask.

“We go for walks with the elders and we each learn our facts and tell them to the rest of the group when we get back. Did you know that the bears take the salmon into the forest and that’s what helps the trees and berries and everything grow the next year?”

“I didn’t know that, but it makes sense,” Logan said.

“That bears are gardeners?” Sophie asked. “They don’t have thumbs. How can they have green ones?”

“Oh, Mom.” Biyen shook his head pityingly and went to shower.

“That kid should have his own stand-up special.”

“I know. He—” She held up a finger as the shower came on, then hissed, “So what do you think of her?”

“Who? Cloe? I think she’s broke.” He moved Biyen’s water bottle and lunch container closer to the sink, then hung his backpack on its hook. “It seems convenient that she can’t talk about why she was in police custody. I’d like to know more.”

“It’s legal stuff.”

“It’s shifty. And she doesn’t have a phone? Or a home to go back to?”

“She’s trying for a fresh start. I think she’s been through a lot. Don’t forget she lost her sister.”

“It sounds like she’s on the run.” Logan was concerned about that. “And Trystan wants to spend the day with her? Since when does he invite anyone but Em to go along on his hikes?”