by Barbara Gee
“Here.” She quickly took a step back and thrust a carrot at him. “It’s already peeled. You can chop it up. And the celery, too. It’s right there,” she said, pointing.
His hands dropped and he blinked, a little taken aback by her abrupt pullback. “Okay,” he said, drawing the word out a bit. “Got a knife for me?”
“You can use this one.” She handed him the cleaver she’d been using. “I’ll get the rest of the stuff in the pot, then I’ll start on dessert.”
He took the knife and carrot, accepting her swift change of subject like the gentleman he was. “Sounds good. I’m always up for dessert. What’s it gonna be?”
“Blueberry cobbler. Unless you don’t like blueberries.”
His head fell back and he groaned appreciatively. “That’s one of my favorites, but I haven’t had it in years. Literally. I can’t believe you know how to make it.”
She laughed. “I have a spotted up recipe card for it, just like my brownies,” she told him. “But this one I’ll actually have to look at, since I don’t make it as often.”
He chuckled and got to chopping, and Jolene breathed a sigh of relief. Her over-the-top reaction to him was embarrassing, but she’d been powerless to hide it. She also knew he’d picked up on the fact that she wanted him to kiss her, and she wondered how he felt about her repeated refusal to give in to that desire. Did he understand why, or was he confused by her mixed signals? It was probably something they would have to talk about at some point, but she was happy to put it off a while longer.
She dumped frozen peas, green beans and lima beans into the soup, and then Boone scraped the carrots off the cutting board into the pot. While he started on the celery, she laid out the recipe card and ingredients for the cobbler.
“The soup needs to simmer for quite a while. I like the veggies cooked soft rather than crunchy. That okay with you?”
“Sure, just ignore the sound of my stomach growling,” he teased.
She laughed. “I have some smoked gouda cheese and crackers. How about I set you up with that while I stir up the dessert?”
He looked torn, like he didn’t want her to go to any trouble, but it was pretty obvious he wouldn’t turn it down. “Don’t be timid, Boone,” she teased, jabbing him lightly with her elbow on the way to the fridge. “I should’ve just put it in front of you without asking. It’s not like I thought you’d refuse food.”
She found the chunk of cheese, and poured some crackers from a box onto a plate. Handing him a cheese knife, she let him slice it himself while she went back to her mixing bowl. He took a seat on a bar stool and they chatted easily while she stirred up the batter for the cobbler.
After a while he got up and helped himself to a bottle of tea from the fridge, making Jolene smile inwardly because she liked that he felt comfortable in her home.
“Better give the soup a taste,” she suggested. “See if it needs more salt and pepper.”
He found a spoon and sampled it. “Mmm. The salt is fine but it could use a little more zip. Where are your spices?”
“Cupboard to your right,” she said as she put some butter in the microwave to melt.
He looked through her large selection of seasonings, then muttered a pleased ‘Aha.’
“What did you find?” Jolene asked curiously as he went back to the stove and started sprinkling something into the soup.
“Creole seasoning. Just a touch,” he said. “My mom puts it in her vegetable soup.”
“I’ve never tried that.”
He stirred, then sampled again. “Perfect,” he declared. “Carrots are still a bit crunchy, though.”
He propped a hip against the counter next to her, making her feel flustered all over again. She poured the butter into the baking pan, followed by the batter. Then she mixed the berries and sugar and sprinkled them on top.
“You make it with the blueberries on top?” he asked.
“The batter will come up over them,” she said with a smile. “And it’s buttery and just a little crispy and oh, so good.”
“Sounds heavenly. I like being in your kitchen, Jolene. So many good things come out of it.”
“I like having you here.”
He smiled, making her heart pound again. “Thanks again for the invite. It saved me having to hogtie you and haul you off to my lair to keep me company this evening.”
She laughed at the image that conjured up, but if she were honest, being hauled off to his lair didn’t sound all that bad.
He finished a cracker and washed it down with a swallow of tea. “So what time do you think Tuck and Libby will be talking to them?”
Jolene reached out and squeezed his arm, knowing that in spite of his good natured banter, he was totally aware of the fact that the evening would be life changing for Virgil and Kay. “They usually eat around six-thirty, so I’d say probably seven-thirty.”
Boone glanced at the clock above the sink. “So roughly an hour and a half from now their world is gonna be rocked.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, his jaw tense. “I wish I knew what to expect.”
Jolene slid the baking dish into the oven and set the timer before turning to face him. “The more I think about it, Boone, the more I’m convinced they’re going to want to see you sooner rather than later.”
He frowned. “But my dad stole their kid. You don’t think they’re going to need some time to try to get a handle on that?”
“Oh, they definitely will. They wouldn’t be normal if their first instinct isn’t to lash out and mourn what they’ve lost.” Jolene folded her arms and shook her head slowly. “But I don’t think any of that is going to transfer onto you. You were just a baby. Their baby. I think they’re going to want to claim you and begin getting to know you as soon as they can, and deal with the other stuff separately. Even though you met the other night, it’s going to be completely different for them now, knowing you’re their son. My prediction is Kay won’t be able to wait to get her hands on you. She has a lot of years to make up for.” Jolene raised her brows. “To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t be surprised if they would want to see you yet tonight.”
“Oh, man. Now I’m really nervous.”
“I know. But it’s going to work out.” Jolene put a skillet on the stove and turned on the burner to get it hot, then began slicing a loaf of French bread she’d picked up the day before. “I just hope you don’t have to leave the ranch anytime soon. That would be sad for them.”
“Everything is so complicated.” Boone rubbed the back of his neck. “I hope they don’t expect me to cut ties with my mom and dad. Even with what he did, I don’t think I can turn my back on Dad for good, and certainly not on Mom. They’re still my parents, you know? And they were nothing but good to me.”
Jolene pondered that for a moment. “I honestly don’t think they’ll expect that, but I also don’t think it would be realistic to expect Virgil and Kay to have any contact with Aaron themselves. Carla maybe, but not Aaron.”
She started slicing some sharp cheddar cheese, and Boone grunted. “That won’t be much of an issue, considering Dad will probably spend most of the rest of his life in prison.”
“I’m so sorry, Boone. I know that’s going to be painful for you.”
“It’s the only option, though. And now that it’s gotten this far, I’m just ready to get on with it.”
“At least we know Doug is safe. And Ryan and Tuck are on the case, and that makes me feel better.”
“Yeah. Me too. You were right about bringing them in.”
Jolene put the sandwiches in the hot skillet and a short time later they were enjoying the soup and grilled cheese, the smell of blueberry cobbler heavy in the air.
“You want to watch a movie or something while we eat dessert?” Jolene asked when they’d finished the main course and were carrying their plates and bowls to the sink.
“Depends what the ‘or something’ entails,” he said with a suggestive grin.
Jolene felt her cheeks flush and
she couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to finally give in to her desire to kiss the man. She quickly turned toward the sink so he couldn’t see her reaction, but then she felt his big hands settle on her shoulders. Her fingers lost their grip, causing her plate to drop and clatter against the sink. When he pressed his lips against the curve of her neck, which was bared by her braid, her whole body trembled.
“How long are you gonna fight it, Jo?” he asked softly.
“Boone,” she murmured, taking a shaky breath. “I don’t know if I can do this. If I give in, it’s going to make letting you go even harder than it’s already going to be.”
“Why do you have to let me go?” His breath was warm against her skin and she swallowed hard, her pulse racing.
“Because you’re Boone Kendall.”
“Huh?” He turned her to face him, his eyes searching hers. “I’m not seeing your logic.”
She tried to stand her ground. “Our lives are so different. I’m not sure we’re compatible.”
“We sure as heck feel compatible to me,” he replied smoothly.
“Well, yeah, it’s easy to feel that way when we’re together. But you’ll be leaving here at some point, maybe soon, and you already know I have concerns about what comes after that. Even if we decide to keep seeing each other, it’ll be so hard.”
“I’m not afraid of hard, Jo. Not when it’s the only way to get something I really want.”
She put her hands on his waist, her eyes troubled. “When would I see you?”
“You mean once the new season starts up?”
“Yeah. I think long term, remember.”
He smiled. “Barlow isn’t that far from St. Paul. Our schedule gets released in August, so maybe you could plan ahead and come to town sometimes when we have a stand of home games. And we do get a couple of days off occasionally.” He winced. “Very occasionally, but it does happen, and I could come here to the ranch then. I know it’s not ideal, but in my mind it’s a lot better than not even trying.”
Jolene closed her eyes and let her forehead fall against his chest. She wanted it so badly. This man had gotten past her safeguards and claimed a piece of her heart, and what he was proposing was incredibly tempting. And just as incredibly terrifying.
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered.
He ran his hands gently down her back. “Don’t say no, that’s all I’m asking for now. We have the whole off-season staring us in the face right now. Give me that time, Jolene. Give us that time. I know it’s going to be stressful with everything else going on, but I promise I’ll be here at the ranch as much as possible. And after the summer, maybe we’ll have a clearer picture of what the future holds for us.”
She looked up at him, her eyes shiny with tears. “You make it sound so reasonable, but I’m scared to death.”
His arms came around her, strong and comforting. “I know. There’s definitely the potential for a lot of hurt if we can’t make things work, and yet I can’t see just giving up and walking away. I honestly think we could have something great. I don’t want to push you too hard, but at the same time, how can I not fight for the chance to know for sure?”
In his eyes she saw nothing but sincerity and hope. It gave her the courage to voice another one of her fears. “Do you think maybe you’ve latched onto me simply because you needed a listening ear and I was there? And when things are sorted out and this ordeal with your parents is finally over, you’ll find that your feelings for me are over, too?”
His smile made her heart turn over. “Nah. I’m pretty sure that’s not it. We had a bond even before I shared my story with you. You’ve fought it from the beginning, but it’s been there just the same.” He cupped her face in a big hand. “Don’t say no. Give me the summer, Jo.”
She slid her hands up his chest. She couldn’t say no, but she couldn’t promise him the whole summer, either. “We’ll take it a day at a time. That’s all I can commit to right now. But I’ll try really hard to put my fears aside and be open to it. I do want to give us a chance.”
He chuckled. “Even as you say that, you look terrified.”
She smiled nervously. “It’s not like the fear is going to be gone overnight. This whole thing—I’m overwhelmed. I mean, I’ve been watching you on the ice for two years, and you know how big of a fan I am. And to have you standing here in my kitchen saying you want a shot at a relationship, with me—it’s hard to believe it’s real.”
His eyes glinted as one corner of his mouth turned up slightly. “If making it feel real is what you need, Jolene, I think I can help with that.”
Her heart raced as he put his thumb beneath her chin and tilted her face up to his, then slowly dipped his head and pressed his mouth to hers, warm and gentle and sweet. She felt the shock of it to her very toes and she was powerless to move. Not that she wanted to. Her eyes slid closed and she wilted into him, sighing against his lips.
He adjusted his angle and increased the pressure, and Jolene suddenly felt ready to erupt. Delaying their first kiss for so long had apparently kept her on a slow burn, and now the smoldering turned to flame in an instant. She went up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips eagerly parting to deepen the kiss.
His own response was gratifyingly immediate. He groaned and pulled her tight against his body, his kiss everything she’d anticipated and more. It was just so much. So intense. So skilled. So very, very hot. The feelings Boone elicited were entirely unprecedented, and for the first time in her life Jolene realized how easy it would be to get carried away with a man.
No, not any man. Boone. Only him.
After a long, drugging minute, she slowly pulled away, her breathing ragged, her pulse still racing. Their eyes met and she couldn’t stop the slow, bemused smile that lit her face.
“Wow, Boone.” She blinked and took a deep breath. “I have no words.”
He raised a brow, his lips curving into an answering smile. He ran his thumb slowly along her bottom lip, his eyes dark. “Who needs words?” He kissed her again, and it was magical, so right and perfect. Everything a kiss should be, but had never been before. Not until now.
When he lifted his head, his gaze held hers as he ran the backs of his fingers slowly down the curve of her cheek. “Even with the countless hours I’ve spent imagining what that would be like, I still underestimated it,” he told her, his voice low and rough.
She sighed, snuggling against him. “Sorry, but I still have no words.”
He chuckled, and then the oven timer beeped. Jolene started to push away but he took her hands in his, lacing their fingers together.
“I’ll never smell blueberry cobbler without thinking of our first kiss,” he told her, squeezing her fingers. “A day at a time, you said. I can live with that.”
She smiled. “Then I guess that’s settled. Come on. Let’s have dessert before Libby calls.”
“Why do we have to eat before she calls?” Boone asked, leaning back against the counter while she took the pan from the oven.
“Remember my prediction,” Jolene said, going to the freezer for ice cream. “Kay is going to want to see you tonight. I’m sure of it.”
She handed him the vanilla ice cream and took two bowls from a cupboard. While she dished up the hot cobbler, he opened drawers until he found an ice cream scoop, topping the steaming dessert with generous helpings. Bowls in hand, they went into the living room and Jolene picked up the remote.
“We won’t have time for a movie, so let’s find a hockey game to watch. You choose.”
She handed him the remote and he grinned, taking a seat on the couch. “You’re my kind of girl, Ms. Tolley.”
Jolene sat beside him, close but not quite touching. He found a game, then picked up his spoon, groaning when he took his first bite. “Definitely my kind of girl.”
She giggled. “So if I ever make you mad, all I have to do is cook for you and we’ll make up?”
“Cook for me, kiss me, and watch a hoc
key game with me. The Jolene hat trick.”
“I’ll remember that.”
He clinked bowls with her and they both grinned. A few minutes later he set his empty dish on the coffee table and looked at the clock on the wall.
“It’s seven-thirty,” he said.
“Yep.” She took his hand between both of hers. “It’s going to be okay, Boone. Virgil and Kay are going to be so happy.”
“If you say so.”
Forty minutes later, his phone rang.
CHAPTER 25
He quickly pulled it from his pocket and saw Libby’s name on the screen. He looked over at Jolene, his heart pounding so hard he could feel it in his head.
She smiled encouragingly. “Answer. It’s okay.”
He took a breath and swiped.
“Hey, Libby,” he said, holding his phone so Jolene could hear.
“Hey, Boone. Tuck and I are with Virgil and Kay. I just stepped out to call you. Do you think you could come over to the house? We’ve explained everything to them, and they want to see you pretty badly.”
“Are they doing okay?” he asked.
“Oh, they’re better than okay, brother. They want to hug their son. Can you come?”
Boone closed his eyes, his relief intense. He’d been so afraid of hearing they were distraught and had no desire to see him anytime soon. “Sure, I can come. I’m over at Jolene’s so it’ll be fifteen minutes or so.”
“She can come along if she wants,” Libby said.
He looked at her and raised a brow in question, but she shook her head.
“I think it should just be the five of you the first time,” she told him.
He squeezed her knee. “I guess it’ll just be me this time,” he told Libby. “See you in a bit.” He disconnected and stared at his phone for a moment before giving Jolene a sideways look. “Guess you called that one.”
Jolene couldn’t contain her happy grin. “I knew it, Boone. I knew they’d be excited.”
He blew out a long breath. “Seems like a good sign. I know we’ve got a long road ahead, but if this evening goes well, I’ll be a little more optimistic.”