The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 1)

“You’re in for a treat,” Cooper said, taking my hand as we followed Joey around the corner.

“What would you like to hear?” Joey said to me.

“You pick.”

When the first strain of Tchaikovsky hit my ears I couldn’t believe it. And when I recognized it as the music from the dying swan scene in Swan Lake, every muscle in my body locked.

There was a part of me dealing with the awe of watching an eight-year-old play Tchaikovsky.

But a much bigger part of me was thinking of my little sister and the fact that the anniversary of her death was only a mere thirty-one days from now.

I’d been trying to push it aside, hoping that my new routines here, the excitement of settling into a new place, would help me forget. However, it was like someone didn’t want me to. Someone didn’t want me to finally have peace after all these years.

Tears welled in my eyes as the memory of my sister dancing the dying swan rushed me. Julia had loved dancing since she was a kid, and she’d been a talented ballerina. She’d danced until the end. She’d finally gotten an audition for the School of American Ballet. She didn’t get in.

It was the one thing that had kept her focused. Kept her going.

Everything fell apart after that moment.

Bailey wrapped her arm around my shoulder and gave me a hug, pulling me back into the present. “I know, he’s that good.”

I could feel Cooper staring at me, but I refused to look at him. I didn’t want him to know my emotion wasn’t over Joey. “He’s amazing,” I whispered.

Because, despite what his music choice had done to me, the kid was amazing.

A warm, strong hand curled around mine. At Cooper’s touch I couldn’t help but look up at him. He stared back at me, concerned.

He saw far too much.

I squeezed his hand and smiled to cover up what I didn’t want seen. “You must be so proud,” I whispered.

His answering nod was slow because he was still scrutinizing me.

Thankfully, Joey finished and I was able to avoid Cooper by whooping and clapping along with Bailey and Cat.

“So?” Joey turned around on the seat to grin at me. “Did you like it?”

I returned his grin. “Like it? I loved it! You, Mr. Lawson, have the hands of a world-class surgeon.”

Joey’s whole face lit up at the thought before it quickly turned crestfallen. “I find insides yucky, remember.”

Cat laughed and moved over to her son to hug him against her waist. “I guess you’ll just have to stick to being a piano prodigy.”

He grinned at his mom and then jumped off the stool to hurry over to me. He tilted his head back to look up at me. “What next?”

My melancholy began to slip away. Joey was adorable and it was heartwarming that he seemed to like me. “Hmm.” I tapped my chin, thinking about someone I hadn’t seen in a few days. “Do you like books?” I had a suspicion he did.

I was right.

His blue eyes grew round. “I love books!”

“Yeah? What’s your favorite?”

“I can’t choose just one, silly,” he scoffed.

I laughed. Oh yes. He definitely had to meet Emery. “I know someplace where there are lots of books.” I looked up at Cooper and Cat. “And coffee for us.”

Cooper shook his head, but he was smiling. “You can’t be serious, Doc. She’ll have a heart attack if we all walk in together.”

“I don’t think so.” I looked down at Joey. “Trust me.”

Not too long later we found ourselves at Emery’s. The place was much busier than I was used to, with tourists looking for a coffee and a good book to read on the beach. There was a girl behind the coffee counter I’d never seen before, while Emery was helping a customer in the bookstore. The reading area itself was empty—I guessed because it was so nice outside.

Emery shot me a smile as soon as she saw me and, finishing up with her customer, came toward me. Her footsteps faltered as she realized Cooper was with me.

“Hey.” I grinned at her. “Guess who decided to stick around?”

“I heard,” she said, her smile shy now. “Iris told me.”

“You talk to Iris?” Cat said, not hiding her surprise.

Emery immediately blushed.

“I brought someone who loves books,” I said as a distraction, nudging Joey toward Emery.

As for Joey, he was staring up at Emery with his lips parted in wonder.

As for Emery, when she looked down at Joey all her timidity seemed to disappear. “Hey there.”

Joey just blinked at her.

I covered a chuckle and placed my hands on his shoulders. “Why don’t you go with Emery and she can help you pick out a book? My treat.”

He nodded, still staring at her, that wonder only increasing when Emery held out her hand to him. “So what kinds of stories do you like?” she said as they walked away together.

“Your treat?” Cat said. “If the plan is to buy my kid’s affection with books and a woman who looks like a character from Frozen, then well done.” She grinned at me and strode toward the coffee counter.

Confused, I turned to Cooper. “Frozen?”

“The Disney movie.”

“I don’t watch a lot of movies.”

He wrapped his arm around my waist and shook his head in disbelief. “Jesus Christ, Doc, I’m a thirty-six-year-old bar owner and even I’ve heard of Frozen.” o;You’re in for a treat,” Cooper said, taking my hand as we followed Joey around the corner.

“What would you like to hear?” Joey said to me.

“You pick.”

When the first strain of Tchaikovsky hit my ears I couldn’t believe it. And when I recognized it as the music from the dying swan scene in Swan Lake, every muscle in my body locked.

There was a part of me dealing with the awe of watching an eight-year-old play Tchaikovsky.

But a much bigger part of me was thinking of my little sister and the fact that the anniversary of her death was only a mere thirty-one days from now.

I’d been trying to push it aside, hoping that my new routines here, the excitement of settling into a new place, would help me forget. However, it was like someone didn’t want me to. Someone didn’t want me to finally have peace after all these years.

Tears welled in my eyes as the memory of my sister dancing the dying swan rushed me. Julia had loved dancing since she was a kid, and she’d been a talented ballerina. She’d danced until the end. She’d finally gotten an audition for the School of American Ballet. She didn’t get in.

It was the one thing that had kept her focused. Kept her going.

Everything fell apart after that moment.

Bailey wrapped her arm around my shoulder and gave me a hug, pulling me back into the present. “I know, he’s that good.”

I could feel Cooper staring at me, but I refused to look at him. I didn’t want him to know my emotion wasn’t over Joey. “He’s amazing,” I whispered.

Because, despite what his music choice had done to me, the kid was amazing.

A warm, strong hand curled around mine. At Cooper’s touch I couldn’t help but look up at him. He stared back at me, concerned.

He saw far too much.

I squeezed his hand and smiled to cover up what I didn’t want seen. “You must be so proud,” I whispered.

His answering nod was slow because he was still scrutinizing me.

Thankfully, Joey finished and I was able to avoid Cooper by whooping and clapping along with Bailey and Cat.

“So?” Joey turned around on the seat to grin at me. “Did you like it?”

I returned his grin. “Like it? I loved it! You, Mr. Lawson, have the hands of a world-class surgeon.”

Joey’s whole face lit up at the thought before it quickly turned crestfallen. “I find insides yucky, remember.”

Cat laughed and moved over to her son to hug him against her waist. “I guess you’ll just have to stick to being a piano prodigy.”

He grinned at his mom and then jumped off the stool to hurry over to me. He tilted his head back to look up at me. “What next?”

My melancholy began to slip away. Joey was adorable and it was heartwarming that he seemed to like me. “Hmm.” I tapped my chin, thinking about someone I hadn’t seen in a few days. “Do you like books?” I had a suspicion he did.

I was right.

His blue eyes grew round. “I love books!”

“Yeah? What’s your favorite?”

“I can’t choose just one, silly,” he scoffed.

I laughed. Oh yes. He definitely had to meet Emery. “I know someplace where there are lots of books.” I looked up at Cooper and Cat. “And coffee for us.”

Cooper shook his head, but he was smiling. “You can’t be serious, Doc. She’ll have a heart attack if we all walk in together.”

“I don’t think so.” I looked down at Joey. “Trust me.”

Not too long later we found ourselves at Emery’s. The place was much busier than I was used to, with tourists looking for a coffee and a good book to read on the beach. There was a girl behind the coffee counter I’d never seen before, while Emery was helping a customer in the bookstore. The reading area itself was empty—I guessed because it was so nice outside.

Emery shot me a smile as soon as she saw me and, finishing up with her customer, came toward me. Her footsteps faltered as she realized Cooper was with me.

“Hey.” I grinned at her. “Guess who decided to stick around?”

“I heard,” she said, her smile shy now. “Iris told me.”

“You talk to Iris?” Cat said, not hiding her surprise.

Emery immediately blushed.

“I brought someone who loves books,” I said as a distraction, nudging Joey toward Emery.

As for Joey, he was staring up at Emery with his lips parted in wonder.

As for Emery, when she looked down at Joey all her timidity seemed to disappear. “Hey there.”

Joey just blinked at her.

I covered a chuckle and placed my hands on his shoulders. “Why don’t you go with Emery and she can help you pick out a book? My treat.”

He nodded, still staring at her, that wonder only increasing when Emery held out her hand to him. “So what kinds of stories do you like?” she said as they walked away together.

“Your treat?” Cat said. “If the plan is to buy my kid’s affection with books and a woman who looks like a character from Frozen, then well done.” She grinned at me and strode toward the coffee counter.

Confused, I turned to Cooper. “Frozen?”

“The Disney movie.”

“I don’t watch a lot of movies.”

He wrapped his arm around my waist and shook his head in disbelief. “Jesus Christ, Doc, I’m a thirty-six-year-old bar owner and even I’ve heard of Frozen.”