Sand Castle Bay (Ocean Breeze) - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,46
of the crime?” she inquired.
“What crime?”
“Running off on a little boy who was counting on you.”
“B.J. and I have made peace. So have Boone and I, more or less, anyway. Didn’t Grandmother tell you I’d gone to B.J.’s soccer game this morning? And where were you when I got in last night, anyway?”
“I was here late,” Gabi replied. “Somebody has to keep an eye on Wade.”
Emily managed to fight a grin. “Wade seems to me to know what he’s doing. Does he really need supervision?”
“I don’t trust him,” Gabi said. “He keeps making all these changes. I think he’s trying to run up Grandmother’s bill.”
“And I think Grandmother is making all those changes to keep him around,” Emily told her.
Gabi looked vaguely nonplussed. “Why would she do that?”
“Eye candy for you,” Emily suggested.
“Be serious.”
“I am serious. Grandmother’s matchmaking engine is running full-throttle. Me and Boone, you and Wade. I can hardly wait to see what—or should I say who—she has in mind for Samantha.”
“I have a boyfriend,” Gabi reminded her yet again.
“So you keep saying. Why haven’t we met him? Why doesn’t he call every ten minutes to tell you he’s pining for you?”
Gabi frowned. “It’s not that kind of relationship. We both do the things we need to do. We understand about obligations.”
“Gee, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. No wonder Grandmother’s on a mission to find a suitable replacement.”
“There is nothing suitable about Wade,” Gabi protested.
“He’s gorgeous. He’s nice. He’s funny. And he seems pretty darn eager to worship at your feet. I’d say that puts him several notches above what’s-his-name.” She frowned. “What is his name, anyway? And why don’t you talk about him more, if he’s so right for you?”
“His name is Paul, and I don’t talk about him because I don’t want to deal with all this attitude from you and Samantha and Grandmother. Cora Jane may have Jerry, but I don’t see you or Samantha carrying on any big love affairs. Until you are, your opinions are suspect.” She gave Emily a questioning look. “Unless there’s something I don’t know about you and Boone. You said you’d made peace. Does that mean you’ve accepted your destiny and crawled into his bed?”
Emily really, really wished she could confirm that she had, if only to wipe that smug look off her sister’s face. Then, again, was that really the only reason she could think of for wishing things had heated up between her and Boone? Hardly. Despite every word they’d exchanged, every off-limits declaration they’d made, the break she’d taken to get her perspective back, despite all of that she seriously wanted that man’s hands on her body again.
Even if it would be a huge mistake.
10
Even as he was driving B.J. over to Castle’s as promised, Boone was already having misgivings. Every minute he spent with Emily grew more complicated. Back at the restaurant he’d been within seconds of tossing caution to the wind and kissing her. While he might be oblivious to a lot of the ramifications of some of his actions, he knew with absolute certainty that one kiss would doom him. Whatever willpower or restraint he’d mustered to keep her at arm’s length would have dissolved like sugar in hot tea.
B.J. was clutching his little plastic soccer award as if it were a Super Bowl trophy. “This is so cool,” he said. “Huh, Dad?”
“It is very cool,” Boone confirmed.
“Maybe Ms. Cora Jane will want to put it on display,” he said hopefully.
“Hey, what about me?” Boone protested. “Maybe I want it to be on display in my restaurant.”
B.J. regarded him incredulously. “Really?”
“Why not? You’re my son and it’s your first sports award. It should be where people can see it and know how proud of you I am.” He glanced over at B.J. “What do you think? The first award in a trophy case at Boone’s Harbor?”
“Awesome!” B.J. said enthusiastically. “You can have it, but only after I show Emily and Ms. Cora Jane.”
“Of course.”
“Did Emily really say she wanted my help with picking out stuff for Castle’s?”
Boone smiled at his excitement. “Well, I might have planted the idea in her head, but she was eager to get your input.”
“How come you told her to ask me?”
“Because I happen to know how persuasive you can be and how much Ms. Cora Jane likes you,” Boone admitted. “I think both of those things will help Emily make her case for redecorating. It means a lot to her.”