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I’d been planning to keep my distance from Boone after our embarrassing moment in the car, but my heart still skipped a beat when I saw him. That long, lean body. Broad shoulders with tapered hips. Those damn blue eyes. Why was it so hard to keep my emotions in check when he was around? Now he was heading toward me and even though I’d planned to find something else to do, I was curious about the little boy clinging to his hand while chattering animatedly.
Boone caught my eye and smiled, so I had no choice but to nod in acknowledgment, but before I could decide how to handle things, the little boy came running up to me.
“Are you a mermaid?” he demanded breathlessly. He had the same blue eyes as Boone and I was momentarily stunned. Did Boone have a son I’d never heard about?
Oh shit, was he involved with someone?
My intention the other night had been clear, so if he had a girlfriend somewhere, I’d be even more embarrassed.
“You’re Ariel, right?” the little boy continued.
I squatted down so we were eye level. “Nope. My name is Jolie.”
His face turned down in a frown. “But you’re Ariel,” he insisted. He reached out and gently pulled a lock of my hair. “Like fromThe Little Mermaid.”
“Joey.” Boone’s voice was firm but gentle. “You can’t pull a girl’s hair.”
“I didn’t pull it,” he insisted, turning to him. “I just wanted to touch it. But she said she’s not Ariel.”
“That’s right.” Boone scooped him up, grinning. “This is my friend Jolie. She’s another coach here at hockey camp.”
“You’re not a mermaid?” Joey turned to me almost accusingly and I laughed.
“I’m sorry, no. I wish I was a mermaid, but no tail, see?” I held out my right foot and wiggled it a little.
Joey laughed.
“This is my nephew, Joey,” Boone said. “My sister’s son. He’ll be staying with me for a while.” The look he gave me told me there was a lot more to the story but that we shouldn’t talk about it in front of Joey.
I nodded, a relief I couldn’t explain surging through me.
It wasn’t his kid.
Not that his having a child would have changed anything on my part, but at least this meant I hadn’t hit on someone in a relationship.
“Do you play hockey?” I asked Joey.
He shook his head sadly. “No. But Mommy says Uncle Mikey can teach me!”
“What did I tell you to call me, buddy?”
Joey grinned up at him. “Uncle Boone! Like your hockey buddies!”
“Right.” Boone ruffled his hair. “Hang on while I go find you some skates, okay?”
“Okay.” Joey seemed happy to sit on the nearest bench, playing with a stuffed elephant that looked well loved.
“Walk with me, Jolie?” he asked.
“Uh, sure.” I fell into step next to him.
“I wanted to apologize for the other night,” he said softly.
“Oh, it’s okay.” This was the last thing I wanted to talk about.
“No, it’s not.” He stopped and turned to me. “I didn’t mean to seem like I was blowing you off. That wasn’t it at all. I wanted to come upstairs, but I’m worried—”
“Uncle Boone, look!” Joey came racing over to us, pointing at the ice. “Is that the zologna?” He pronounced it like bologna but with aZ.
