Free A Woman's Heart by Gael Morrison

arms, "give him to me."
    Alex leaned toward his uncle's outstretched arms, squirming with anticipation.
    "It's time for his nap," Jann lied, struggling to retain her grip. She turned, and swiftly made her way down the passage to the baby's cabin. Alex whimpered as she laid him in his crib.
    "Shh," she whispered, gently stroking his cheek, but his eyes screwed tighter and he began to cry. Slipping her crystal heart from around her neck, Jann dangled it in front of him. Alex loved the shiny stone, was usually soothed by it as much as she.
    "Hush," she begged softly, praying Peter would go away.
    The crystal worked its usual magic. Alex reached for it once or twice, then his eyes fluttered shut, flickered open once then shut again. Jann tiptoed out of the cabin and slowly moved back along the passage. Peter was still standing where she had left him and from the stubborn look on his face, he wasn't going anywhere.
    An angry wail, filtered only by Alex's door, suddenly filled the cabin with sound.
    "He doesn't sound tired to me," Peter remarked mildly.
    "What would you know about it?" Jann muttered, wincing as the wailing continued.
    "Enough to know that baby is not going to sleep." He brushed past her. "I'll get him."
    "You will not." Jann chased after Peter and grabbed his arm.
    He turned to face her, the narrow passage impossibly tight for two people. One look at his lips and Jann's heart sank. Perhaps Ruby was right. Perhaps it was time to let a man into her life. Maybe then her knees wouldn't turn to rubber every time she came close to Claire's brother.
    She yanked her hand from Peter's arm, but the rubbery knees didn't disappear. She was fooling herself if she thought another man might help.
    Peter gave her a long, hard look then continued on his way. He spoke soothingly to Alex before picking him up, continuing to murmur endearments when he held the baby in his arms.
    Alex's sobs dulled to a whimper and his stiff straight body gradually melted against his uncle's contour.
    Fierce, unexpected tears welled up in Jann's eyes. She spun around, fleeing back to the main cabin. She had come to believe if she tried hard enough she could escape the fate she knew was hers. But against her better judgment, she had let first Claire and then Alex into her life, convincing herself she would be safe, that they would be safe.
    She had been wrong.
    Claire had died.
    Peter might win.
    Fear as black as a moonless night settled around Jann, blocking the sunlight pouring in through the portholes and filling her heart with dread. She clutched her crystal heart, desperate to find strength.
    "You're out of diapers," Peter said, appearing at the head of the passageway.
    She gaped at him, stupefied, his comment so ordinary, in other circumstances, even homey. But only in someone else's life, where a man, woman and baby were a family. Not here. Not now.
    "How do you know?" she asked, grasping for something to say and finding only that.
    "Alexander needed changing," he replied, with a shrug. "So I did it then put him back to bed."
    Claire's brother wasn't supposed to know how to change a baby. He wasn't supposed to be good at any of this.
    "Could you go to the shop then and get some more diapers?" Jann asked. That would get him gone.
    "You do it," he said. "I'll stay with Alexander."
    "Not without me, you won't."
    "You're being ridiculous." He shook his head. "I'm hardly going to spirit Alexander away in the time it takes you to go to the store."
    He was capable of anything.
    "I'll get Ruby," she said, and moved toward the stairs.
    * * *
    Jann glanced up at the sun. It must be close to noon already. It had taken her nearly half an hour to go to the store and back but Alex must be asleep now. She couldn't hear a sound from Heart's Desire as she hurried down the dock.
    She stepped on board and paused, listening by the open hatch. Not a sound out of Peter or Ruby or Alex. With any luck Peter had left, and she'd find Ruby curled up on the settee reading.