Sand Castle Bay (Ocean Breeze) - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,102
rush through a meal on a time clock.”
To Boone’s surprise, Sam looked vaguely chagrined by the criticism. “Sorry, Mother.”
Samantha and Emily exchanged a stunned look that Boone interpreted to mean his apology had to be a first.
Just then the phone rang and Cora Jane reached for it at once, her eyes filled with worry. “Gabi, is that you?”
Boone glanced at Emily, who appeared to be hanging on every word of her grandmother’s end of the conversation. She held out her hand.
“Let me speak to her,” she commanded.
Cora Jane waved her off. “Your sisters are here. They send their love. We all miss you. And I expect you here for Christmas. No excuses. Is that understood?”
Boone gave Emily a quizzical look. “What’s going on with Gabi?”
“We have no idea, but Samantha and I are convinced something is. I stopped by her place before driving over here and there was no sign of her. She didn’t offer any real explanation for not being with us today, at least not to Samantha or me.”
Cora Jane disconnected the call just then. “Well, she told me she had to be at work first thing tomorrow, so the drive over here for the day just didn’t make a lot of sense.”
“Then she is at home?” Emily said. “Why didn’t she come to the door when I knocked?”
“I didn’t question her about where she was spending the day,” Cora Jane said. “She’s a grown woman. I assume she’s with friends.”
“Gabi doesn’t have friends,” Samantha said. “She has coworkers. I don’t think they’re close.”
“Like somebody else I know,” Emily said with a pointed look at her father.
Boone saw the scene deteriorating rapidly. Apparently Jerry did, too, because he stood up. “Cora Jane, let’s get that turkey on the table. You’ve outdone yourself this year. We don’t want the meal spoiled.”
“Good idea,” she said at once, following him into the kitchen.
“Let us help,” Boone said.
Emily and Samantha were on his heels.
“We’ll all help,” Emily said.
The only person who hung back was Sam Castle. Boone saw the lost expression on his face and almost felt sorry for him. Whatever his reasons for distancing himself from his family over the years, he had a hunch Sam had come to regret it but had no idea how to go about fixing it. Since Boone had the same sort of dysfunctional relationship with his parents, he recognized the signs.
“Give your father something to do,” Boone encouraged Emily, nodding in her father’s direction.
She seemed startled by the suggestion, but after taking a look at her father, she apparently saw what Boone had seen.
“Dad, come on. Nobody gets to eat without helping to get everything onto the table.”
For an instant, Sam looked startled, but then his lips curved slightly. “I’ll carry the mashed potatoes and gravy,” he offered. “That is, if you trust me not to make off with them. It’s my favorite part of the meal.”
Cora Jane gave him a startled look. “I never knew that.”
Sam actually winked at her. “See, even at your age and as wise as you are, you haven’t learned all there is to know about me.”
After an instant of stunned silence, Cora Jane chuckled. “And that’s another thing I’d forgotten, you actually do have a sense of humor.”
“I’ll try to show some evidence of it more often,” Sam promised.
When the moment had passed, Boone claimed the bowl of stuffing. “This is mine,” he announced, heading for the dining room.
“I can carry the cranberry sauce,” B.J. offered.
The turkey was left to Jerry, who brought the golden bird to the table and presented it as if it were the crown jewels.
“My best ever,” Cora Jane said, standing at Jerry’s elbow. “If I do say so myself.”
“Hey, I had a little bit to do with it,” he grumbled. “I was the one in here basting it.”
“With me looking over your shoulder to make sure you did it right,” Cora Jane retorted. “Other than that, you lifted the turkey off the counter, put it in the oven, then took it out at the end.”
“And if I hadn’t, it would have been on the floor,” he insisted, giving them a wink.
She gave him an indulgent look. “That’s what you think. The man is starting to think he’s indispensable to me.”
“I know I am,” he corrected.
Boone watched as Sam took in the exchange with dawning understanding. He waited to see if he would comment, but he didn’t. There was no denying, though, the smile that settled on his lips.