“Boone didn’t know you were coming, either?”
“I had an unexpected break,” Emily told her irritably. “I decided to take advantage of it.”
“Given the tension I’m hearing in your voice, a break is just what you need,” Cora Jane said. “You might want to start with a nap.”
Emily blinked at her, then winced. “Sorry. I am on edge.”
“Any particular reason?”
Emily’s hesitation was telling.
“You have bad news and you’re trying to figure out how to break it to Boone,” Cora Jane guessed.
“Are you a mind reader or something?” Emily grumbled.
“No, just someone who’s known you your whole life. You’ve always shied away from confrontation. Why don’t we have a cup of tea, and you can tell me about this news you don’t want to share with Boone.”
“Do you have time?”
“As long as I can put my feet up, I have all the time in the world. Now that both of your sisters have gone home, this house is way too quiet most of the time. It’ll be good to have a little conversation at the end of the day.”
“I’m surprised Jerry’s not over here every night, now that you don’t have a houseful of women underfoot.”
“Oh, we see each other plenty,” Cora Jane said, color in her cheeks. “Now, let me change my clothes, and I’ll make that tea. I think it’s warm enough to sit on the porch, don’t you? It’s rare for it to be this nice in early December. We should take advantage of it.”
Twenty minutes later, she was stretched out on the chaise longue with her feet up, a cup of Earl Grey tea beside her along with a plate of shortbread cookies she’d baked the night before. She’d thrown an afghan over her legs and was wearing a sweater she’d knitted. Emily was in a rocker she’d pulled into a patch of warm sunlight.
For a while, they sat there in companionable silence, but Cora Jane knew better than to let it drag on. Emily was probably sitting there right now dreaming up excuses to keep her problems to herself.
“Okay, young lady, tell me what’s going on,” Cora Jane encouraged.
She listened as her youngest granddaughter poured out her heart over the amazing job opportunity she’d been offered.
“I see,” Cora Jane said when she was finished.
“You’re disappointed in me for even considering it,” Emily said, her voice resigned.
“Of course not,” Cora Jane told her. “I’m not blind to the importance of that kind of work. And it says a lot about you that they want you for this job. They’re showing a tremendous amount of faith in you.”
“Doing these homes could make such a difference for so many families and women in trouble,” Emily said, her passion for the work unmistakable. “Working on this first house was the most fulfilling thing I’ve done in my entire career.”
“I know that,” Cora Jane said. “I could hear the excitement in your voice every time we talked.”
“I meant to tell you over Thanksgiving that I met several of the families when they moved in. There was one in particular that really got to me. They’d been housed in a run-down hotel, a mom and two little girls, waiting for this safe house to open. The girls are so excited that there’s a huge playroom and that everything in their room is new. And their mother?” She met Cora Jane’s gaze. “You should have seen the relief in her eyes just thinking about finally being someplace safe until she can get on her feet again.”
“Seems to me the answer’s plain as day,” Cora Jane said. “This means a chance for you to do something meaningful. You can’t turn it down.”
She saw the surprise in Emily’s eyes and smiled. “Not the reaction you expected, is it?”
“Far from it,” Emily admitted. “You didn’t mention Boone once.”
“Neither did you,” Cora Jane pointed out.
Emily frowned at the implication. “Are you suggesting he shouldn’t matter?”
“Absolutely not. You know how much I want the two of you to work things out, but it will only be right if you’re both content with your work as well as your relationship. You can’t build a life if one person resents the other for keeping them from something important.”
“He’s going to hate this, though,” Emily said. “It won’t be like what I’m doing now. I’ll have to be in Los Angeles practically full-time. That’s no way to build a real relationship.”
“Maybe not,” Cora Jane conceded. “You won’t know unless you try.” She gave her granddaughter a pointed look. “You realize I’m not the one you should be talking to about this.”
“I’m seeing Boone tonight, though I doubt we’ll have much time alone with B.J. underfoot,” Emily said, her frustration plain. “Boone wanted to invite Ethan over, too, but at least I think I convinced him not to do that.”
“No matter who’s around, you’ll find a way to make some time,” Cora Jane said. “If you have to stay up all night and lose sleep, then do it. I’ll have someone drive you over to Raleigh tomorrow to catch your flight so you don’t fall asleep behind the wheel. This is too important to be put off until it’s convenient.”
“Agreed,” Emily said, then sighed. “But I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Honey bun, life is always easier when it’s smooth sailing, but these waves are what keep it interesting. They make us stronger and help us figure out what’s really worthwhile.”
She was surprised when Emily moved to sit beside her on the chaise longue and pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s times like this when I really miss Mom, but having you in my life to talk to makes that a little more bearable. Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“Sure I do,” Cora Jane said with a smile. “But it never hurts to be reminded.”
“Wish me luck tonight.”
“I wish you luck every single day of your life,” Cora Jane reminded her. “More than that, though, I want you to find
