The Truest Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 4)

As always, it made my heart feel a million times bigger.

“And you look very handsome in that tux.”

He beamed at me. “Will you dance with me first? A guy’s gotta stake his claim.”

I struggled not to laugh. As did everyone else. Except Cat, who shot Cooper an amused but accusatory glare.

Cooper chuckled. “Why am I getting the look?”

“Because where else would he have heard something like that?”

“Oh, it wasn’t Uncle Coop.” Joey shook his head. “I read it in one of those books you like so much. The ones with the motorcycles on the cover.”

Cat paled. “You did what? Did you take my e-reader?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged.

“Joey, what have I told you about that? When we get home, we’re going to have a discussion about privacy and not touching things Mom has expressly forbidden you to touch. And I also want to know how much you’ve read.”

Joey looked chagrined, his gaze downcast. “It was a chapter. You came back into the room before I could read much of it.”

“Joey …” She sighed heavily.

He winced at her disappointed tone.

“Hey.” I smiled down at him, trying to distract them both. “Of course, you can have the first dance.”

His melancholy melted away and he hugged into my side, his arm around my waist. I held him to me as I took a huge gulp of water. Joey was a bit of a contradiction. Exceptionally bright, a gifted musician, he knew more about the world than other kids his age. He was precocious and confident. At the same time, he was still innocent and affectionate.

“What’s with the books?” Dahlia asked Cat.

“They’re romance novels.” Cat worried her lip. “Dark romance novels. With the kind of stuff in it I don’t want my kid reading. Jesus. Can you put a password on an e-reader?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “I’ll show you how.”

Cat seemed surprised by my offer but smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”

“Jack,” Cooper said, and I turned to see Jack striding across the lobby. He slowed but didn’t stop, his eyes dropping to where Joey clung to my side. His expression warmed as he shot me an tender look before turning to Coop. “Drink?”

Jack shook his head. “I better get inside, grab my seat.”

“Sure? The happy couple might be a little while yet.”

He flicked a look at me before replying to his friend. “I’ll catch you later.”

Guilt suffused me. I knew there was probably nothing more Jack wanted than to hang out with Cooper, but he was abiding by my wishes to avoid me today.

Unfortunately, his abidance didn’t last long.

“Emery, Joey, I hate to cut in, but I’m going to.” Bailey pulled up beside me and Joey on the dance floor. She was glowing with bliss. And a handsome, dark-haired man around my height with dreamy bedroom eyes accompanied her.

“Emery, this is Soren Michaelson. He’s an old college friend of Vaughn’s and lives in Manhattan. Soren, Emery used to live in upstate New York but now owns the boardwalk bookstore.”

Oh, hell no.

I hadn’t believed Bailey would try to play matchmaker at her wedding. But why not? It was definitely something she was capable of.

And she was doing it!