Page 47 of Harmony Island Gazette
He turned his attention back to the griddle. “Did you sleep well?” He flipped another pancake.
I nodded. “I did.”
“No more nausea?” He glanced over his shoulder at me.
“Not really.”
Boone grabbed a nearby plate that had some sausage links on it. He added a few pancakes before handing the plate to me. “No eggs,” he said, his lips tipping up into a smile.
The sight of the egg yolk and whites from last night flashed in my mind, and I felt my stomach tighten from the memory. I swallowed the saliva that flooded my mouth as I took the fork he’d extended to me and hurried over to the table. Food seemed to appease my nausea more than anything.
After slathering my pancakes with butter and syrup, I dove in. When the food touched my tongue, I let out a soft moan. This was delicious.
“Good?” Boone asked.
I turned to see him watching me, but my mouth was full, so all I could do was nod.
He smiled. “Good.”
He finished off the batter and dropped the bowl in the sink. He put together a second plate of pancakes before he joined me at the table with his plate and a mug of coffee. We ate in silence until my curiosity got the better of me.
“You were up early,” I said as I cut off another chunk of pancake with the edge of my fork.
He glanced up at me and nodded. “I needed a run.”
“I figured.” This man was determined to remain cryptic to me. “The trails here in Harmony are amazing. Did you run along the shoreline?”
Boone paused before he glanced over at me. “Something like that.”
This conversation was going nowhere. Not with Boone giving me three-word sentences. I wanted to push, but he was making it clear that he wasn’t really interested in telling me where he’d been. So, I decided to shift topics. Boone already knew about the baby; he might as well be the first to find out about my marriage to Kevin.
“I think I’m ready.” The sentence came out as a whisper. My chest squeezed with fear from just speaking the words, but I needed to be stronger than the fear. I needed someone to know what I wanted before I chickened out.
“You’re ready?” he asked, turning his attention to me.
I nodded. “I’m ready. I’m ready to divorce Kevin.” I was staring at the wood tabletop in front of me before I slowly raised my gaze to meet his. “My marriage is over.”
Boone was quiet for a moment as he studied me. Then he nodded. “Okay.”
I dropped my gaze back to the table and pushed around some crumbs with the tips of my fingers. “Do you think…you can help me?” I peeked up at him to see he was watching me.
He must have sensed my gaze, because a moment later, he raised his to meet mine. I felt like he was searching my gaze, and then relief filled my chest when he started to nod.
“Of course. I’d be happy to help.”
I reached forward and laid my hand on his. I felt him freeze as he stared down at our hands before he glanced up at me.
“Thanks,” I whispered, my throat tightening from emotion.
Boone had really gone above and beyond with his promise to Dad. He’d been present for this fundamental shift in the trajectory of my life. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when he decided that he was finished with Harmony, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to go.
He was the most constant thing in my changing life, and even though I’d only known him for a short time, he felt so foundational that I knew when he left, I was going to feel it.
And I wasn’t ready for it.
We kept our conversation light for the rest of breakfast. Then we worked together to clean the kitchen and we drove to the store. He made me laugh as he recounted his time in the military as we readied the store. He took to the back as I prepped the register.
When the time came, I unlocked the sliding door and returned to the checkout lane. By midday, the store was bustling with people. I had a steady stream of customers but never really got backed up enough to have to call Boone to help.
