Sand Castle Bay (Ocean Breeze) - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,88

Boone accused, “but I know better. You’d have put B.J. first, the same way I did.”

“What’s Frank doing while Jodie’s trying to stir up trouble?”

“Apologizing for her,” Boone said. “And trying to keep B.J. out of it. They’ve gone fishing every afternoon this week. He even took him to the driving range to hit golf balls one day and to play miniature golf the other evening after dinner.”

Cora Jane nodded approvingly. “Frank always was a sensible man. He knows the relationship with his grandson will be forever damaged if Jodie keeps up this nonsense.”

“He’s said as much to me,” Boone acknowledged. He gave Cora Jane a frustrated look. “I know the woman is grieving. I know she’ll always be convinced I wasn’t right for Jenny. I am trying to make allowances for all that.”

“But she keeps pushing,” Cora Jane guessed. “Why don’t you bring ’em over to my house for dinner tonight? I’ll put a bug in her ear. Maybe she’ll listen to me.”

Boone immediately shook his head. “She’d consider that consorting with the enemy. Anything remotely tied to Emily sets her off these days. B.J. makes these innocent comments about Emily that send her straight to her room with a headache. It’s happened enough that he’s finally figured out it’s better not to mention Emily at all. Instead, he doesn’t say much to Jodie at all for fear of upsetting her. I don’t think she has any idea how she’s pushing him away, which is exactly the opposite of what she wants, of course.”

“That’s a crying shame,” Cora Jane said, wishing she could shake some sense into Jodie before she lost her grandson, the only real tie she had left to the daughter she’d lost. “I feel sorry for her.”

“So do I,” Boone said, then finished his last swallow of tea. “Thanks for listening to me vent.”

Cora Jane smiled at him. “You’re welcome here anytime to tell me anything that’s on your mind.”

“Thanks,” he said, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “Everything okay at the restaurant?”

“We’re back to operating at full capacity. I thought after Labor Day, the crowds would die back some, but it hasn’t happened. All the people who don’t like the crowded summers come now.” She grinned. “Because of that, it ends up being just as crowded. Sure is good for business, though, to have the season extended through fall.”

“It’s the same at my place. Tommy was able to finish our renovations last week and we’re booked solid for the next few weekends, and a few week nights, too.”

“You and Emily been in touch?” she asked, throwing the question in casually.

He grinned. “Every day.”

“Good.”

He looked at her with surprise. “That’s it? No more probing questions, subtle suggestions?”

Cora Jane laughed. “Not a one. You’ll hear from me, though, if I think things are getting off track.”

“I’m sure,” Boone said dryly. “I suppose I should head over to the school to get B.J. He was practicing for the Halloween play this afternoon. It’s been a few days since I’ve been able to have any quality time with him alone.”

“Give him a hug for me,” Cora Jane said. “And Boone?”

“Yes.”

“The Farmers aren’t the only family you and B.J. have,” she reminded him.

She thought she saw some of the tension in his shoulders ease at her words.

“You have no idea how much I count on that,” he said.

She grinned at him. “Doesn’t need to be legal to be real,” she told him. “But I sure am hoping that one of these days it will be.”

“If that is your gentle way of nudging me into marrying your granddaughter, I think you can rest easy on that score. I think we’re heading in that direction.”

“How soon?” Cora Jane demanded eagerly, all pretense of disinterest vanishing.

Boone laughed. “When we’re ready,” he said. “And no amount of meddling from you will make it happen one minute sooner.”

“Duly noted,” she replied. “But don’t think that’ll stop me if I think you two are taking too long.”

“Never doubted that for a minute,” he said.

Cora Jane watched him leave, then allowed herself a full-blown satisfied smile. Things were progressing very nicely, indeed. Now she just had to find some way to make sure that Jodie Farmer didn’t get in the way.

18

Emily was standing in the middle of the construction chaos at the safe house, trying to convince the foreman that the deadline for completion wasn’t a joke, when her cell phone rang.

“Excuse me,” she told him. “I have to take this. Look over your schedule and see