The Smoke Jumper

by Nicholas Evans

  ‘On a day like this? Give me a break.’

  He put his hand on the great dome of her stomach and kissed her on the lips.

  ‘Do you want to ride?’ Connor said. ‘I can lift you. You can ride sidesaddle.’

  ‘Sure, if you want me to have the baby right here and now.’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ Amy said.

  Julia was eight months pregnant. They already knew it was a girl. They even knew what they were going to call her. Her first name would be Emily and the middle name Skye.

  Amy rode on ahead now, letting the little horse splash through the icy shallows. Connor put his arm around Julia and walked her back beside the creek and up through the cottonwoods toward the house with the horse blowing softly behind.

  She wondered sometimes what would or wouldn’t have happened if Amy hadn’t taken the initiative and gone to that sleepover party. The important things in life never happened by accident. But even with those things that were meant to be, sometimes you had to wait awhile and then maybe give them a little nudge.