Page 12 of Harmony Island Gazette
“See, Betty. She’s fine. Let’s go.”
“I’m not leaving my daughter like this.”
Dad grumbled like he always did when Mom put up a stink about something. “Boone,” Dad bellowed.
“Yes, Mr. Godwin.”
“Can you make breakfast?”
“Of course.”
“Wonderful.” I peeked over at them to see Dad clap Boone on the back. “You make Juniper some breakfast and get her feeling better while Betty and I meet the cab driver in the driveway.”
Boone nodded before making his way over to the stove, where he awkwardly stood next to Mom, who was in the process of buttering up a pan.
“Betty, we have to go.” Dad made his way toward her. I could see the panic in her gaze.
“I’ll be fine, ma,” I said, forcing my head upright and giving her a smile. I could tell that her reaction had a lot more to do with her fear of what she was going to find in California than her desire to take care of me. Sure, she was worried about me, but that was only a small part of her reaction. Once Mom got to Aunt Christi’s, she’d feel better. She’d go into caretaker mode. But she needed an extra push to get her to take that first step.
Dad wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gently guided her from the kitchen. She sent one last glance back at me, and I smiled at her, hoping she’d feel encouraged instead of forced. She paused, and Dad whispered something to her. That seemed to do the trick, because she turned and made her way to the front door. Dad called for Boone to help with the luggage. Boone set the pan down on the stove before turning off the burner and grabbing the bags.
I nestled my forehead into the crook of my arm that was resting on the table and closed my eyes. I wasn’t ready to tell my parents about the baby, but if I kept having nausea spells like this, they were going to get suspicious. Thankfully, with them leaving for a few weeks, I was going to have some time to come up with a game plan. I hoped that by the time they got back, I’d be feeling much better.
I wasn’t sure how long I sat at the table with my eyes closed, but my ears pricked at the sound of the front door latching. Boone must be back. The sound of a pan being set on the stove to my left indicated that Boone was holding to the agreement he made with my mother that he would cook me some breakfast.
I must have dozed off. I felt a hand on my shoulder and snapped my eyes open, but my head felt cloudy as I straightened and glanced around. It took a moment for me to get my bearings. I glanced to the side to see Boone standing there with his eyes wide and a plate in his hand.
“Sorry,” he murmured as he held up his free hand. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “I wasn’t asleep,” I said, but the grogginess in my voice said otherwise.
And from the look on Boone’s face, he didn’t believe me. “Okay,” he said as he set the plate down on the table.
My stomach grumbled at the sight of freshly scrambled eggs and buttered toast. I was ready to eat. Boone set a fork down next to the plate. A few seconds later, he handed me a glass of water. He stood awkwardly next to me, holding his own plate of food, as he glanced around.
I peeked over at him, wondering if he was waiting for me to give him permission to join me. Not wanting the silence between us to continue, I nodded toward the empty seat next to me. “I won’t bite,” I said around the eggs I was currently eating.
Boone hesitated but then pulled out the chair and sat down. We ate in silence together until my stomach was so full that I had to sit back just to give it more space. I folded my arms across my chest and shifted my gaze to Boone, who had just taken a bite of his toast. His focus was on the wall in front of him, so I took a moment to study him. I had so many questions about this man that I didn’t know where to start.
“Thanks for making me some breakfast,” I said as I reached forward and grabbed the glass of water before taking a sip.
Boone glanced over at me. His jaw muscles were moving as he chewed. He nodded. I waited a few seconds for him to finish chewing and swallow. He took a sip of coffee from his mug. “Of course.”
Having had enough water, I set my glass back down. I wanted to ask him about his personal life, but I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t want to push him away before I could even get to know him.
He must have sensed that I was still staring at him because he flicked his gaze over at me a few times. “What?”
I tipped my head to the side. “Nothing…” I lied. I shifted in my chair before folding my arms across my chest once more. “It’s just…never mind.” Again, I couldn’t quite piece together what I wanted to ask him. And I certainly didn’t know how to ask it without coming across as nosy. I could hear my mother’s voice,Don’t be prying into other people’s business. It’s not your row to hoe.If she knew what I was fixing to do, she’d be so embarrassed.
Boone abandoned eating and was now sitting back in his seat, watching me. He had no intention of ignoring the fact that I’d been trying to say something, and he was going to wait for me to finish.
I met his gaze, and his eyes were dark as he studied me. He reached forward and took a sip of his coffee, all the while watching me from over the rim of his mug.
I sighed. I’d started opening Pandora’s box, I might as well see it through. “What’s in this for you?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, this,” I said as I pointed to my plate, myself, and the rest of the house in turn. “You’re a grown man who looks like he’s lived on his own for a long time. Why are you sleeping on my parents’ couch and cooking me breakfast?” My cheeks warmed with how direct my question was, but I needed to know. What was in it for him? “I mean, my parents aren’t rich. So if you’re hoping to get a payday”—I leaned forward—“it’s not going to happen.”
