Emily chuckled. “Of course she went along with it. She had to keep him around if her plan to set him up with Gabi was to succeed. Are you aware that she’s figured out some essential change he had to make practically every day?”
Boone regarded her with surprise. “You’re kidding. And Wade’s gone along with it?”
“He seems to welcome it. The man hasn’t taken his eyes off Gabi since that first day, at least according to Grandmother. He’s no more anxious to leave than she is to let him.”
“And Gabi?”
“Oblivious,” Emily admitted, grinning. “It’s driving Grandmother crazy. Samantha’s finding the whole thing highly entertaining.”
Emily slanted a look at Boone. “I know a surefire way to get her to agree to these changes I want to make.”
“Oh?”
“You could agree to supervise and we could get Wade to do all the carpentry,” she said, oddly pleased by the deviousness of the idea. “Two birds with one stone. She’d be in matchmaking glory.”
“And we’d be exactly where?” Boone asked.
She grinned. “Deep trouble, I imagine, but it could be worth it.”
“Just so you could get your way?”
She nodded. “I’m just saying, I’d certainly consider it a favor.”
Boone shook his head. “Sorry, sweet pea. No can do. Not even for such a noble cause. You’re on your own unless you want B.J.’s help.”
“Fine,” she said, as he pulled up behind her car. “Bring him over. Even a pint-size ally is better than none.”
Boone laughed. “See you in an hour, then.”
As Emily watched him drive away, she couldn’t help wondering when he’d stopped worrying about her spending time with his son. Had he started to trust her, after all? Or had he simply accepted that B.J. would make it all but impossible for Boone to keep them apart?
* * *
As Boone had predicted, the last of the customers was leaving Castle’s just as Emily arrived. With the dining room closed, Wade had arrived to work on the cabinets Cora Jane had decided she wanted behind the cashier stand.
“How’s it going, Wade?” Emily asked. “How many times has Grandmother changed her mind today?”
He laughed. “So far, we’re sticking with yesterday’s plan. Three cabinets for storage, but now she’s decided some open shelving would be good, too.”
“For?”
“Souvenirs, I think. Gabi suggested it. She’s been over there poring over catalogs for a couple of days now. Says it would be great PR to have people walking around all over town wearing Castle’s T-shirts and ball caps and drinking out of Castle’s fancy to-go cups. I recommended she look into sand pails, the perfect thing for making sand castles on the beach, right? I thought it was an inspired tie-in.”
“It actually is,” Emily agreed. “What did Gabi say?”
He shrugged. “About what you’d expect. She told me to stick to carpentry.” He beckoned Emily closer. “But I sneaked a peek at the catalogs she has over there today.” A grin spread across his face. “Sand pails.”
Emily laughed. “Good for you.”
She headed for the booth where her sister had set up shop. “On a spending spree?” she asked, sliding into the booth opposite her.
Gabi looked up, the smile on her face fading as she realized who it was. “Bravely returning to the scene 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
