Harmony Island Gazette

4. Juniper

Monday morning, I was startled awake by the screeching sound of the alarm on my phone. I groaned and flipped to my side as I reached out to stop the obnoxious noise. Once silence surrounded me, I let out my breath and stared up at the dark ceiling.

Mom and Dad were leaving today to go help Aunt Christi, and I wanted to see them off.

I pulled off the covers and slipped my feet onto the floor. After grabbing my robe and opening my door, I padded down the hallway into the kitchen, where the light was on, causing me to squint as my eyes adjusted.

I yawned as I shuffled into the room and pulled out a chair that was tucked under the kitchen table. I pulled my robe tighter around my chest before reaching up to run my fingers through my tousled hair. Mom and Dad’s larger luggage was sitting near the front door, but they were nowhere to be seen.

I glanced toward the living room, where I knew Boone had crashed the night before. After our family meeting at the store, Dad invited him over for dinner and then let him crash on the couch.

It was strange how, just a day ago, it had bothered me so much that he was staying with us, but now, it was nice. I liked that my parents trusted him. I was certain that if it had just been me suggesting they go spend some time in California, Dad would have never gone. I knew my father trusted me, but he worried too much about me and the store.

With Boone here, that worry seemed to have lessened.

I was grateful that they were leaving for an extended period of time. Kevin being in town and my pregnancy meant I was ready for some me time so I could process everything. And call me crazy, but I suspected Boone would be less nosy than my parents.

“Oh, good. You’re up,” Mom said as she hurried into the kitchen. She set her purse and larger carry-on down onto the table. Then she made her way over to the coffee machine and turned it on. “Think you can handle things here while we are gone?” she asked as she opened the cupboard and grabbed a mug.

“I think so,” I said as I reached up and began massaging my temples. I loved my mom, and I knew she meant well, but I couldn’t help but feel like her questions were steeped in disappointment.

“Listen, Juniper, I know you’re still mad at me and Dad for bringing Boone on.” She turned to face me. “But we’re really just worried about you, and we want to make sure you are safe.”

My gaze drifted back over to the living room before I focused back on Mom.

“I just hope someday you’ll understand and forgive us for hiring him.”

I raised my hand, hoping that was all it was going to take to stop my mom from continuing. Thankfully, she understood and pinched her lips together.

“Listen, Mom, it’s okay. Boone is growing on me. Plus, it’ll be nice to have some help while you’re gone.” I gave her a soft smile. “Go take care of Aunt Christi, and we’ll take care of things here.”

She studied me before she let out her breath. I could see the tears brimming in her eyes, so I pushed my hands against the table and stood. “Ma,” I whispered as I crossed the space between us and pulled her into a hug.

She waved away my words but didn’t fight me as I held her close. “I was just so worried about you, and now Christi.”

“I know,” I whispered, hating that I’d stressed my mother out this much. We didn’t have the closest relationship, I had Kevin to thank for that. But I never wanted her to worry or stress out over me. Especially when she already had so much going on in her life. “I’ll be fine.”

She squeezed me tight before she let me go. The coffee machine had finished filling her cup, so she stepped around me and grabbed it. I got a mug down from the cupboard and placed it under the coffee machine spout when I stopped.

Was coffee good for the baby?

My stomach churned as I realized that I didn’t really know anything about being pregnant or what was going to happen to me. A wave of inferiority washed over me. I wasn’t ready to be a mom yet. Not while my relationship with Kevin was so rocky. Not without a stable foundation to bring the baby home to.

I was going to have to tell Kevin…I was going to have to tell Kevin.

“Juniper, you okay?” Mom’s voice pulled me from my thoughts as she appeared in my line of sight.

I blinked a few times willing myself to calm down. Once Mom and Dad were gone, I could freak out. Not before.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I whispered as I leaned against the counter next to me.

“You’re as white as a ghost,” she said.

My head was swimming and my ears felt clogged. I closed my eyes and folded my arms in an effort to give myself some deep, physical input.

“I don’t think I ate enough yesterday,” I mumbled.

“Juniper!” Mom’s voice was one of exasperation and concern. “You need to be taking care of yourself.” I heard the fridge open, but I didn’t open my eyes to see what she was getting out. “Oh, Boone. I hope we didn’t wake you up.”

My body tensed at the sound of Boone’s name. He was awake.

“Can you grab a chair and help Juniper? She’s feeling lightheaded—hypoglycemic—because she didn’t eat enough yesterday.”

There was a quick sound of a chair being pulled out from the table, and then silence until, suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm and the warmth of Boone’s chest as he bumped into my shoulder. I didn’t fight him as he guided me over to the table. “The chair is behind you,” he said, his voice low and smooth.

I kept my eyes slammed shut as I nodded and allowed him to help me onto the chair. I leaned forward, keeping my head down and my eyes closed tight as I took in deep breaths. I was going to have to get used to this nausea. If my pregnancy was anything like my mother’s, I should clean the toilet today ’cause I was going to spend a lot of time next to it.

“Good lord, woman.” Dad’s voice was panicked. “Why are you making breakfast? We’re going to be late to the airport if we don’t leave now.”

“Rich, your daughter is nauseous. I need to make her some eggs and toast.”

I heard Dad’s signature shuffle as he approached me.

“Morning, Boone,” he said.

I tipped my head to the side. Was Boone still standing next to me? Why? The questions were forced from my mind with the feeling of Dad’s hand on my shoulder.

“Are you sick, Juniper?”

I shook my head. “Just a little nauseous. Give me a piece of cheese and I should be fine,” I said even though the thought of cheese made my stomach churn.

“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.”

Boone didn’t flinch as I got closer to him. In fact, he kept his gaze focused on me even though I’d just closed the space between us. He was so calm and unbothered that it was bothering me.

“Do you want free groceries?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. Then I shook my head. “You’ll be disappointed to learn that my dad doesn’t give out free food to me, and I’m his daughter. You don’t have a prayer in hell…” I whispered, letting my voice trail off. “What is it you want from my family? From me?”

A silence fell between us as my last question lingered in the air. Boone’s gaze was still locked with mine. There was a pain in his gaze that I’d never noticed. He was hiding something. But it wasn’t just anything. It was something that had caused a wound big and deep.

I wondered if I should be worried. After all, I knew very little about this man. But instead of fear, a different feeling arose in my gut. It was the desire to heal whatever was haunting him.

Maybe it was because he was the only person on the planet who knew about the baby. Or the fact that he’d been there to support me through the last few traumatic things I’d gone through. But I cared. I cared enough to want to know more.

As if he suddenly realized that he was exposing more of himself than he wanted to, he blinked, pulled back, and returned to eating his eggs. After a few bites, he turned back to me. The storm had disappeared from his gaze.

“I don’t want anything from you or your family. I just need a place to crash for a bit, and then I’ll move on. That’s it.” He shrugged as he cut another chunk of eggs off with his fork and slipped it into his mouth.

I narrowed my eyes at him. If he noticed, he didn’t acknowledge it. He couldn’t possibly think I was going to buy that. I’d seen the pain he was carrying around. There was a mystery here, and I was going to solve it.

Maybe it had more to do with the fact that I wasn’t ready to face my own demons—and focusing on Boone’s was the perfect distraction—but I was going to find out why Boone was sleeping on my parents’ couch. I was going to figure out why he got honorably discharged. And maybe I could lift some of the weight he seemed to be carrying around.

My problems were written in stone. I couldn’t escape the inevitable. This baby was coming, forever tying me to Kevin and the Proctor family.

I couldn’t imagine Boone having similar issues, which meant his problems had solutions. And I was going to spend all of my free time figuring out what those solutions were.