and your pride stopped you from trying to fix things.”
“You let her go because you loved her,” he accused. “How is what I did any different? I could see she’d never be happy here with me.”
“Really? Even though you could have offered her something I couldn’t, the future she really wants?”
“Cora Jane, she made it abundantly clear that a future with me wasn’t what she wanted.”
“Maybe not right that second,” she conceded. “But she loved you then, and I believe she loves you now. She just has to figure out how to have it all, that choosing you doesn’t mean sacrificing the career she wants. That’s a lesson that comes with maturity. I think she’s just about there now.”
Boone scowled at her. “Too late,” he said stubbornly. “What’s that expression—once burned, twice shy?”
“So you don’t believe in second chances? Seems to me you had a couple of them in your day. I recall sending my husband to the police station one night to bail you out when you got caught trying to buy beer with a fake ID. You called me instead of your folks.”
Boone winced. “I was an idiot.”
“But I didn’t hold it against you, did I?” she said, not denying the truth of his assessment.
“Because you’re a saint,” he joked. “Or maybe because you wanted something to hold over my head for a lifetime.”
“Or maybe just because I love you and know that your flaws are part of the bargain,” she said.
He sighed as he met her gaze. “I hear what you’re saying, Cora Jane. I really do. I just can’t take another chance, not with my heart and sure as hell not with my son’s.”
Left unsaid was the furor he’d stir up with Jenny’s parents if they got wind that Emily was back in his life. They unreasonably held her as accountable for any misery Jenny felt as they did Boone. If anything would bring them back to Sand Castle Bay on a tear, that would be it.
“There’s too much at stake,” he told Cora Jane. “Nothing’s worth the risk of hurting B.J.”
“Then I feel sorry for you,” Cora Jane said quietly. “Nothing in life comes without risk. Would you have given up the chance to have B.J. if you’d known ahead of time the pain you’d face when you lost Jenny?”
“Of course not.”
“That’s all I’m saying. If you want to experience the highest of the highs, then you have to take a chance that you’ll get the lows, as well.”
“I want my life—and B.J.’s—on a nice even keel,” he countered, knowing even as he said it that it was an impossible pipe dream.
“A noble goal, but an unrealistic one,” Cora Jane admonished. “Life doesn’t work out that way.” She held his gaze. “And you know as well as I do, Boone Dorsett, you’d be bored to tears if it did.”
Maybe. Maybe not. He sure would be willing to give it a try for a time.
6
B.J. burst through the door onto the deck at Castle’s, caught sight of Boone and went running in his direction. Emily followed more hesitantly, regretting that she couldn’t avoid the man completely. Instead, she seemed to be drawn to him like a magnet.
“Daddy, guess what? I’m Emily’s consultant,” B.J. announced happily.
Boone smiled at his son’s excitement but gave Emily a curious look. “How’d that happen?”
She shrugged. “It turns out he’s amazingly perceptive about interior design. I appreciate his insights.”
Boone didn’t even try to hide his skepticism. “He’s eight. What kind of insights could he have?”
“He knew immediately that the furniture I was looking at online wasn’t suited for here,” she explained, then grinned. “He didn’t hesitate to tell me that, either. That’s a very good trait in a consultant.”
Boone actually chuckled at that. “Yeah, there’s not much he holds back. If it crosses his mind, it comes out of his mouth.” He ruffled his son’s hair. “You weren’t pestering her, though, were you?”
B.J. regarded him impatiently. “I told you, I’m her official consultant. She wants my help.”
“Now, if only he could wait tables for me,” Emily said, anxious to get away, though not exactly enthusiastic about the prospect of dealing with what already looked like a huge lunch crowd, proving that, as usual, Cora Jane’s instincts about reopening had been right.
“I could carry stuff,” B.J. offered eagerly.
“Sorry, buddy, we have to get going,” Boone said. “I have to get back over to my restaurant. I just wanted to make sure Tommy’s guys had things under control with the roof.”
“Judging from the hammering overhead when I was working inside, they must be making progress,” Emily said.
Boone nodded. “Tommy says the protective sheeting will all be in place before any rain this afternoon. They’ll have a good start on the new shingles, too.”
“That’ll be a huge relief to Grandmother. She was afraid we were going to be dealing with more water damage inside. Speaking of that, did she tell you that the cashier station is a mess?”
Boone nodded. “I’ll take a look before I leave. I have an excellent cabinetmaker I use. I can get Wade over here tomorrow to build something exactly like she wants to replace it. If there’s any other updating she wants in the dining room, just let Wade know.”
“Updating?” Emily said, rolling her eyes. “I’m lucky she’s letting me bring in the painters.”
“Yeah, she is a big fan of the status quo.” He gave her a searching look. “You okay with that now?”
Emily shrugged. “I’ll continue nudging, but I’m not holding out a lot of hope.”
“Okay, then, I’d better check out that cashier area, then hit the road. Let’s go, B.J.”
“But I want to stay here,” B.J. protested at once.
“Not this afternoon,” Boone said firmly. “It’s too busy for you to be underfoot right now. Cora Jane can’t keep an eye on you when it’s crowded like this.”
“I will,” Emily blurted impulsively before she could stop herself. “If that’s okay with you, that is. Between Grandmother, Gabi, Samantha and me, he’ll be fine. And he can always hang out in the kitchen. Jerry loves having him around. Besides, don’t you have your hands full over at your place? I heard about the damage you found.”
“I do, but—”
B.J. bounced up and down. “Please, Dad.”
“Sorry, pal. I made arrangements for you to spend the afternoon with Alex. His mom said you could have
