had.”
“Okay, yes,” Boone conceded. “And a few who aren’t available, to be perfectly honest. I’m not interested.”
“Because your heart belongs to Emily,” Ethan concluded.
“Okay, yes, but it’s not that simple. It wasn’t simple ten years ago, and it’s even more complicated now.”
“It’s only as complicated as the two of you want it to be,” Ethan said. “Take away all the doubts and the angst and listen to your heart. That’s my advice.”
It was pretty much the same advice Cora Jane had been throwing his way, so Boone couldn’t dismiss it as readily as he wanted to.
“Well,” Ethan prodded. “Are you going after her or not?”
“Now?”
“No time like the present. How much longer is she going to be around, anyway? Or are you hoping she’ll leave, and the decision will be taken out of your hands? Then you’ll get to sit around and pine for her and try to convince yourself you did all you could.”
Maybe that was exactly what he was hoping, Boone thought. And maybe Ethan was right. Maybe he was a damn fool.
“You’ll stay here with B.J.?”
“Absolutely,” Ethan confirmed, then grinned. “I can spend the night, too, in case things take a turn for the better.”
“I doubt that’s going to be necessary,” Boone said, though his pulse sped up at the thought.
“Just saying the offer’s there,” Ethan said. “A smart man would take advantage of it.”
Boone wished he were half as certain of that as Ethan was. He had a feeling a really smart man wouldn’t be putting his heart on the line with this particular woman yet again. There was, however, only one surefire way to find out.
12
Emily took a long, hot shower after leaving Boone’s, left her hair damp to curl at will, pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top, then headed for the porch where her sisters had gathered after dinner. Cora Jane, it seemed, had gone to the movies with Jerry.
“You and Boone make peace?” Gabi asked as Emily settled on the chaise longue with one of the fancy rum drinks Samantha had made. Samantha seemed to have developed a fascination with improving her bartending skills.
“I apologized,” Emily said. “I guess we’re okay, though he wasn’t very happy when I told him I’d be leaving soon.” To keep them from seizing on that, she quickly asked, “What about you two? Have you made plans to go home yet? Everything at the restaurant seems pretty much back to normal.”
“I’ll probably head back on Sunday,” Gabi said. “I’m getting some rumblings that my boss isn’t very happy that I’ve been gone this long. Amanda doesn’t consider being available via phone, fax and email every second to be sufficient dedication.”
“Any rumblings from the boyfriend?” Emily asked.
Gabi frowned at her. “He’ll be glad to have me home again, of course.”
“Of course,” Emily echoed dryly.
“Leave it alone,” Samantha advised. “You and I might not get why this guy has been AWOL the whole time we’ve been here, but it doesn’t seem to bother Gabi, and that’s all that matters.”
Reluctantly, Emily let it be. “What about you, Samantha? You heading back to New York?”
Her sister shrugged. “Not right away. My agent will call if something comes up, and it’s not as if I’m vital at that restaurant where I fill in as hostess from time to time. August is usually pretty dead in New York. Everyone who can takes vacation this month. I might as well hang out here a little longer.”
“That’ll make Grandmother happy,” Emily said. “Be careful she doesn’t figure out a way to talk you into staying for good.”
Samantha smiled. “Not likely. I may not be working as much as I’d like, but what work there is happens to be in New York.” She studied Emily. “But you intend to leave soon even though things between you and Boone aren’t resolved? Why would you do that?”
“What’s unresolved?” Emily asked. “His life is here. Mine’s on the West Coast. How are we supposed to find middle ground? Settle in Kansas?”
Gabi chuckled. “I think you could probably find a better alternative,” she said, then added diplomatically, “Not that there’s a thing wrong with Kansas if the man you love is willing to meet you halfway across the country.”
“I don’t think Boone is interested in compromise,” Emily said.
“And you?” Gabi pressed. “Are you willing to compromise?”
Emily was about to make some flip remark, but instead she actually gave the question some thought. Was there a compromise? Were her feelings for Boone still strong enough to be worth