Sand Castle Bay (Ocean Breeze) - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,109

you over to Raleigh tomorrow to catch your flight so you don’t fall asleep behind the wheel. This is too important to be put off until it’s convenient.”

“Agreed,” Emily said, then sighed. “But I’m not looking forward to it.”

“Honey bun, life is always easier when it’s smooth sailing, but these waves are what keep it interesting. They make us stronger and help us figure out what’s really worthwhile.”

She was surprised when Emily moved to sit beside her on the chaise longue and pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s times like this when I really miss Mom, but having you in my life to talk to makes that a little more bearable. Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“Sure I do,” Cora Jane said with a smile. “But it never hurts to be reminded.”

“Wish me luck tonight.”

“I wish you luck every single day of your life,” Cora Jane reminded her. “More than that, though, I want you to find the love and joy you deserve.”

She sat back with a sigh as her granddaughter left, hoping she’d given her the right advice, praying even harder that Boone would have the wisdom to listen not just to what Emily had to say, but to the unspoken longing that was plain, at least to Cora Jane.

22

“I can’t believe Emily’s home,” B.J. said excitedly. “She promised to play my new video game with me next time she came. Do you think she’ll have time tonight?”

“Maybe after dinner,” Boone told him. “Maybe you can teach Ethan, too.”

In the end, he’d gone ahead and invited his friend, convinced that it would be good to have a buffer between him and whatever was brewing with Emily. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was convinced tonight was going to go badly, but the feeling in his stomach hadn’t gone away. Knowing it was cowardly, he’d called Ethan and all but insisted he join them, at least for dinner.

“What’s going on?” Ethan had asked suspiciously.

“Why do you assume something’s going on? It’s been a while since you’ve been by for a meal.”

“And you have so much time with Emily these days that, what? She’s boring you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Are you coming over or not?” Boone asked irritably.

“I’ll be there, if only to try to solve the riddle of the man who doesn’t want to be alone with the woman he loves.”

In retrospect, Boone knew Ethan had been right. Inviting him had been ridiculous, especially since Emily had made her feelings about it plain.

As he was bemoaning his stupidity, he felt an impatient tug on his sleeve.

“Dad, are you listening to me?” B.J. demanded.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I said I already taught Ethan,” B.J. said, then confided, “He’s not very good. I don’t think he pays attention.”

Boone smiled. He could see Ethan being a little too intense these days to get involved with a video game challenge, even though there’d once been a time when he’d accepted any dare. In Boone’s opinion, a little fun from time to time wouldn’t hurt his friend one bit. What Ethan really needed was a woman in his life, but every time Boone tried to broach that subject, Ethan shot him down. Emphatically!

Maybe Emily would have some ideas, assuming she planned to be around. That was Boone’s greatest fear, that she was about to announce that she wouldn’t be back for months, if ever. He fretted over the possibility that the complications were simply too much.

No matter how hard he tried to convince himself she wouldn’t make that sort of decision without discussing it with him, he couldn’t shake the dread that had settled over him when she’d appeared so unexpectedly this afternoon. What if she was here to talk over exactly that, an extended absence of some kind?

“Dad, Ethan’s here,” B.J. hollered, racing across the lawn, then slowing suddenly as he remembered that despite Ethan’s agility with his prosthesis, it wasn’t a good idea to hurtle himself at the Afghanistan war veteran. It was a lesson learned after they’d taken a few good-natured tumbles to the ground.

Ethan crossed the lawn, listening to B.J.’s chatter, but his gaze fixed on Boone.

“Buddy, go into the house and get Ethan a soda,” Boone suggested. “Or would you rather have a beer?”

“Soda’s good,” Ethan said. When B.J. was gone, he gave Boone a hard look. “Mind telling me again what I’m doing here? You have one night with Emily and you want to spend it with me? Are you planning to break up