Sand Castle Bay (Ocean Breeze) - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,48
Jenny wanted for nothing. You had this amazing son together. Jenny’s face glowed with happiness.”
Boone obviously remained unconvinced. “There was a part of me that was never hers.”
“Well, of course not,” Cora Jane said impatiently. “In a lifetime we may fall in love only once, if we’re very, very lucky. Most people love twice, even more. The heart doesn’t have limits on its capacity for love. A part of mine will always belong to my late husband, rest his soul, but that doesn’t mean my feelings for Jerry are any less deep or sincere.”
“And I wouldn’t expect her to forget about Caleb,” Jerry added, backing her up in this. “Of course he’s still in her heart.”
Cora Jane gave him a grateful look, then turned back to Boone. “And I imagine Jenny never expected you to forget entirely about Emily. Of all people, she understood what losing her cost you. Because she loved you so, that girl understood your heart in ways I’m not even sure you did.”
“But I felt as if I was cheating on her every day we were married,” Boone said. “Because I never entirely let go of the past. I wanted to be a good husband, the kind Jenny deserved, but I failed time after time.”
“You did not fail,” Cora Jane insisted. “It’s only your misplaced guilt talking. You did nothing wrong, Boone. You weren’t chasing after my granddaughter. As far as I know, the two of you never even spoke on the phone or kept in contact any other way. You honored your commitment to Jenny from the day you made it.”
“Tell that to Jenny’s parents,” he said. “They knew. Her mother told me as much when Jenny died. She said I’d ruined her daughter’s life and it was all my fault that she’d died, that she’d had nothing to live for.”
Cora Jane stared at him in shock. “Jodie Farmer dared to say such a thing to you, especially at a time when you were dealing with the death of your wife?”
“And a lot more,” Boone confirmed, thinking of her threats to take custody of B.J.
“And of course you believed her,” Cora Jane said, finally understanding. “You’d already condemned yourself, so you took the words of an angry, grieving mother to heart.”
“How could I not? I knew the truth. As hard as I’d tried to do right by Jenny, I’d let her down.”
Cora Jane simply couldn’t allow him to go on thinking like that. She had to find the right words to show him that Jodie’s bitterness wasn’t based in reality.
“Did Jenny even once suggest that she thought you’d let her down?” she asked Boone.
“No, but that was just the kind of person she was. She loved everyone. She overlooked all their faults, mine most of all.”
Cora Jane shook her head. “Boy, you refuse to cut yourself even the tiniest break, don’t you? Jenny was smart, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“And she picked you to love?”
His gaze narrowed. “What’s your point?”
“I don’t think a smart woman would have chosen someone she didn’t consider worthy or put up for a minute being anyone’s second choice, at least not if they threw it in her face that that’s all she was.”
“Of course I didn’t throw it in her face,” Boone said indignantly.
Cora Jane smiled. “No, you didn’t. And that’s precisely my point. Once you made the commitment to that girl, you gave your marriage everything you had to give. However much that was, it was enough to keep a sunny smile on Jenny’s face and joy in her heart. She was happy, Boone. I’d stake my life on that. And that was because of you.” She gave him a hard look. “And I won’t hear another word from you saying otherwise.”
Boone’s smile was a long time coming. When it came eventually, it was accompanied by a sigh. “What did I ever do to deserve someone like you in my corner?”
Cora Jane stood up and put her hands on his cheeks. “You became part of my family the very first day you walked in here with Emily. Nothing, not one thing you could ever do, will change that.” She gave him a little shake. “And you need to remember that I’m nobody’s patsy. When it comes to people, I can spot a fake or a cheat or a jerk quicker than most. You are none of those things, Boone Dorsett. You’re a decent, strong, loving man or I wouldn’t want you for my granddaughter. Understood?”
His smile finally spread. “Understood.” He planted a kiss