when Boone gave his jacket a tug and a pat, and she remembered the way he always did that when he got dressed. A final tug. A final pat. And then, usually, a final kiss before he headed out the door.
How many times had that last kiss turned into something more?
And how many times would she be fool enough to torture herself with memories such as that before she—
Boone looked past her to the road. “Looks like you have company.”
Kate turned. One glance at the little white hatchback turning into her driveway and her heart sank.
“Oh, God,” she said bleakly. “It’s my mother.”
Boone flinched. “She still pissed at me?”
“Yes.” There was no point in sugarcoating the truth, especially when Boone was well aware that he was high on Maggie Hebert’s hit list. “I meant to warn you, but I thought she’d give us at least a full day.”
“And lose the element of surprise?”
At least he didn’t sound too worried.
“There’s one thing in your favor. Allie’s former fiancé moved into the Number One Scum spot when the Mounties showed up. You, at least, tried to do the right thing.” Kate waved at her mother, now walking toward them. “If we can get her talking about that, it’ll remind her that you’re a prince in comparison.”
“I’m not holding my breath,” he said, then waved as cheerfully as if Kate hadn’t just given him the equivalent of a battle plan. “Hello, Maggie!”
Kate winced. “It’s Mrs. Hebert to you,” she reminded him, but it was too late. Maggie was already scowling as she climbed the steps.
“Good morning, Katie. Good morning, sweet little Jamie.” She looked past them. “Boone.”
Kate closed her eyes against the whirlwind generated by being dragged abruptly back into adolescent embarrassment over her mother.
“Mom. Be nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
Right. According to Maggie, the fact that Boone still had testicles was proof of her magnanimity.
“What can we do for you, Mom?”
Maggie sent a cold look in Boone’s direction before turning to focus on Jamie. “Well,” she said in a much milder tone as she grabbed the tiny foot, “I came by to invite you to dinner on Sunday.” She sighed and glanced up at Boone. “All of you.”
Oh, joy.
“You could have called,” Kate said.
“I’m well aware of that, Katherine. But I was out running errands already, and I saw you outside, and this way I got to have a minute with the sweetest little guy in the whole wide world. Right, Jamiekins?”
Kate was never quite sure how her mother managed to adore everything about Jamie while claiming to be plotting revenge against the man who had fathered him. But then, there were many things about Maggie Hebert that had never made sense.
“I don’t know,” she began, only to be interrupted.
“Allie and Cash are coming, too, and there’s no one booked for the bed and breakfast that night. I thought we could have a real family meal.”
Dear Lord. If the sarcasm were any thicker, they could spread it on toast in place of peanut butter.
Something warm landed on Kate’s shoulder. Boone’s hand. He squeezed, gentle but heartening, and she got the message. They were going to have to do this eventually, and if Allie and Cash were present, there might be a buffer zone.
“Okay. We’ll be there.”
Maggie grabbed Jamie’s hands and pulled them together in an imitation of applause. “Yay! Can you say yay, sweetie? You’ll be talking soon, you smart boy.”
“Mom. He’s not going to say anything like that for a while.”
“She is such an unbeliever, isn’t she?” Maggie made a sourpuss face, drawing a giggle from Jamie. “That’s right. You know it’s the truth, don’t you, sweetheart?”
“Very kind of you to invite us,” Boone said, and Kate marveled at the evenness of his voice. “What time should we get there?”
“Oh, the usual. Kate knows.”
Yes, Kate knew. She knew many things. Like how her mother had the ability to convey about twelve different messages with two tiny words.
They were going to have to talk. Soon.
“So, not to be rude, Mom, but we have a lot to get through today, and since we’re going to see you soon anyway...”
Maggie straightened and gave the house a brisk once-over. “You told him about the roof, right?”
Kate opened her mouth to answer but Boone beat her to it. “I’m going up there after we look around from the ground, but my suspicion is that it will need to be completely reshingled.”
“It will. The porch needs to be fixed first, though, before Katie goes through it.”
“Hello?” Kate waved her hand in front of Maggie’s face. “Standing right here in front of you?”
“It’s on the list.” Boone gave her shoulder another squeeze. Purely to help her stay calm, Kate knew, but at the same time, oh, it felt so good. All that heat and strength. All that promise.
All that heartache, Kate.
“Make sure you check out the basement. Katie says it’s good, but I think there’s some water seeping in at the back wall. The upstairs bathroom needs to be completely gutted. The kitchen could use an overhaul, too, but—”
“Mom.” Kate had to put an end to this. “We’ve got this, okay?”
Maggie looked between them, searching, though for what, Kate wasn’t sure. The only certainty was that when she spied Boone’s hand, she snapped to rigid uprightness so fast that it was like someone had replaced her spine with a titanium rod.
Boone left his palm exactly where it was. Which was a good thing. It kept Kate from turning and walking away in disgust.
“That’s right,” Maggie said. “You’ve got this.” And she tickled Jamie’s stomach.
God, Kate thought, please help me remember this when someone breaks Jamie’s heart someday.
“Well, it’s good to know that the place will get the makeover it needs.” Maggie shielded her eyes as she looked over the house again, this time with her face softening. “It’s a good, sturdy home. It’s a shame to think that it will finally get the attention it deserves only to be let go, but—” she shot daggers at Boone “—I guess these things happen.”
“Mom. We’ve talked about this. I love this place, too, but it’s too big and too expensive. The heating bills alone would put me in the poorhouse. Add in the village taxes and the furnace on its last legs and—”
“I know. You’re right, of course. I just hate to see how easily people let go of things these days. Like they don’t matter. Home, family. Whish. Thrown to the wind.”
Okay, that did it. “I think Jamie needs a diaper change. We’d better take care of that. Don’t want him to get a rash, right, Mom?” She leaned forward and dropped a fast, totally unauthentic kiss on Maggie’s cheek. “See you Sunday. Come on, Boone.”
She turned quickly, and then, just to piss off her mother, reached back and grabbed Boone’s hand. Probably a mistake, given the rush of memories that flooded her at the small bit of contact—not to mention the sea of hormones that threatened to swamp her—but hey. Maggie needed to know she and Boone were a team. An unconventional one, to be sure, but a team nonetheless.
Of