“Tonight might be a good time,” Hank said, picking up a fallen branch.

“Maybe.” Zoe picked a couple of apples off the tree and stood contemplating them. Lazarus had a long summer, and the fruit had ripened early.

He gazed at her. “You look like Eve,” he said softly. “About to tempt me.”

She looked across at him. “You don’t need tempting.”

“That I don’t.” He walked to her. “Why don’t you wanna tell Mal? You afraid of what he’s gonna say?”

“No. Not really. It’s just … things’ll change.”

“Things tend to. That’s the way of things. They move on. They alter. Things change .”

“Not sure I'm ready for them to.”

He dropped the wood he’d collected. “Zo, I'm here. I ain't going anywhere. You’re carrying my kid. And we’re gonna be such good parents we’ll put the others to shame. There is gonna be so much love on board that it’ll make everyone sick that comes near it.”

Her lips twitched. “You think?”

“I know.” He took one of the apples from her. “You don’t wanna tell Mal right away? Fine. It’ll be our secret. Half the people on the boat know, but it’ll be our secret.” He took a bite from the fruit. “Hey, these are good. Worth getting thrown out of Eden for.”

She smiled at him. “You think you’re in Paradise?”

He grinned. “When we’re in bed together, I know I am.” He went to lean in to kiss her when Jayne limped into view.

“Aw, hell,” the big man said, looking faintly disgusted. “Not you too.”

“What did you do?” Hank asked, noting the limp and making a mental note to go fishing. For something big. With lots of guts.

“Nothing.”

“The scythe jumped up and attacked him,” River said, following, her bare feet kicking through the grass. “I saved his leg.”

“It ain’t more’n’ a scratch.”

“Bled.”

“A bit.”

“A lot.”

“Then how come you just stuck a weave on it?”

“Because I’m good.”

Jayne sighed. “Mal wants to know if you’re finished being all squishy and can get back to the job in hand,” he said.

“Squishy?”

“His word, not mine.