Page 39 of A Swan’s Love Song

Sean handed Kellan the pacifier he’d washed for about the eighth time. Erik kept spitting it onto

the floor and Kellan couldn’t figure out where all the others had gone.

“That’s what Morty said. He gets stuff for his shop there all the time, super cheap. I want to find

something unique for the baby, but I don’t want to…” He swallowed hard.

Kellan nodded grimly. “It’s all right, I understand. If I were you, I wouldn’t want to go back to

that store, either.”

Sean thought he might be overreacting, but at the same time, thinking about returning to the place

where Kellan had rescued him from Finn made his stomach turn. “Yeah, well anyway, it should be

fun.”

Kellan tried cradling Erik and rocking him, but the cranky infant was having none of it. Kellan

sighed then hoisted him back onto his shoulder and resumed the patting.

“It sounds like it. I wouldn’t mind finding some things for the new house. I want to do a whole

new theme.” Kellan yawned. “And besides, I haven’t been anywhere other than out to lunch once in a

while since I can remember.” Kellan glanced at the mantle clock above the river rock fireplace.

“Fireworks should be starting soon. Do you want to grab a couple of the lawn chairs and sit in the

parking lot? Vic says you can see them from here, they just look tiny. But at least the noise won’t upset

Erik.”

Kellan had declined to accompany Vic, who was volunteering at the event, because he’d been

afraid the crowds and the booming fireworks would scare the baby.

“That’s a good idea. Did you want me to pour some more lemonade and bring it outside?”

They’d been drinking the huckleberry accented concoction all day and Sean couldn’t get enough

of it.

“Sure.” Kellan plucked one of Erik’s knitted blankets from the couch cushion then wrapped it

around him. “If you don’t mind, could you also grab the quilt off the back of the sofa? We might get

chilly.”

After they’d settled in to watch the imminent show, they chatted some more about the next day’s

excursion. Sean was also happy about getting away for a few hours. There was supposed to be a big

farm stand on one of the back roads that boasted a small deli with outdoor picnic benches, and they

planned to stop there to eat on the way home.

The first grouping of colorful lights shot into the air, the muffled crackles and booms following