Page 11 of Secret Southern Promises

“He’s rugged,” one of them said, her voice filled with that unmistakable swoon.

“I think you mean drop-dead gorgeous,” the other woman agreed, practically giggling.

I tipped my head to the side, curious despite myself. Who in the world were they talking about? I shifted slightly and peeked around the corner of the register. It was Sam and Renee—two women who’d graduated a few years behind me. Like most people in Magnolia Grove, I knew who they were, but we weren’t exactly close. I wasn’t one to mix with everyone. I tended to keep to myself, staying busy with the store and Nash.

Sam and Renee were both dressed casually, their makeup perfectly done, as if they were headed somewhere important. I should’ve gone back to stacking the candy bars, but their conversation had hooked me.

“I still can’t believe he’s back after all these years,” Sam continued, clearly enthralled.

“And he’s single,” Renee added with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the candy bars. Of course, they were talking about Boone. Who else would it be?

Wasn’t it enough that he had been on my mind constantly since he walked back into Magnolia Grove? Now, I had to listen to other people go on and on about him, too. The last few days had been an endless loop of Boone West—his name popping up in conversations, the looks people gave me as if they knew something I didn’t.

I shoved another bar onto the shelf a little harder than necessary. Why couldn’t people leave well enough alone?

“You think he’s looking to date?” Sam asked, her voice dropping in that way people do when they’re about to say something they think is juicy.

Renee let out a laugh. “Maybe we could each take him for a ride.”

I made a face. Ugh, seriously? The last thing I needed was to hear Sam and Renee lusting over Boone. It was already bad enough that I couldn’t stop thinking about him myself. Boone West had always been larger than life. In high school, he’d been the guy everyone gravitated toward, with that rugged charm and confidence that pulled you in before you even realized it. And he was mine. At least, he used to be.

Now, after fifteen years, he was back in Magnolia Grove and hanging around town like he hadn’t left.

I stood up, dusting my hands off and straightening my apron. No point lingering down here anymore. I needed to get on with my day, not wallow in whatever Boone-related nonsense was swirling around.

I thought about making my way toward the back to put the overstock away; the voices of Sam and Renee echoed through the store, their laughter bouncing off the shelves. I tried to ignore it, but their words followed me, clawing at my nerves.

“Do you think he’s going to get back together with Dolly?” Sam’s voice cut through the background noise and was clear as day.

I froze mid-step, a box of candy bars balanced in my arms. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt the blood drain from my face.They were talking about me.

Renee’s laugh followed Sam’s question, sharp and dismissive. “Please. He’s not going to go back to her. I’m sure he knows that as soon as he left town, she shacked up with some loser and got pregnant. He probably won’t even look her way.”

The sting of her words hit me harder than I’d expected. My grip tightened on the box in my hands as if holding onto it could somehow ground me. My heart pounded in my chest, a heavy thud that seemed to echo through my entire body. I felt…shocked and hurt, like I’d been blindsided.Of course,I knew what people thought about me, what they said when they thought I couldn’t hear. But hearing it laid out so plainly, so brutally, still hurt.

I had to fight to keep my composure.It’s just words,I reminded myself. I couldn’t let them see how much their gossip affected me. My hand trembled as I set the box down beside the rack, not sure if I should go confront them or retreat and finish stocking shelves. But I stayed rooted to the spot, invisible by the register, as their conversation continued.

After Boone left town, I’d made sure to squash any whispers about him being Nash’s father. I staged a wild night out with Lindsay and made sure half the town knew about it. A month later, the rumor that I was pregnant by a random one-night stand was everywhere, just like I planned. Of course, some people questioned if Boone might be the father, but I’d been meticulous about making sure everyone thought it was impossible. The gossip had spread like wildfire, faster than I’d ever imagined.

But at what cost?

People like Sam and Renee believed the worst of me—that I wasn’t good enough for Boone. Maybe I got what I wanted in some twisted way—Boone stayed away, and everyone bought the lie. But standing there now, overhearing their cruel words, I wasn’t so sure it had been worth it. The lie had worked, but it also left me with a reputation I couldn’t shake.

At least no one treated Nash any differently because of it. I’d made sure to protect him, and that was all that really mattered. I could handle people thinking I was some careless girl who’d gotten knocked up by a stranger if it meant Nash was left alone. Still, it didn’t make their words hurt any less.

I numbly made my way back behind the register, my hands moving on autopilot as I straightened the few papers there. A few customers trickled in, picking up odds and ends. Two of them checked out quickly, and before I could retreat to the back again, Sam and Renee strolled up to the register, their grocery baskets full.

“Hi!” Sam called with a wide grin plastered on her face as she tossed her groceries onto the belt. “How’ve you been, Molly?”

I raised an eyebrow, correcting her immediately. “It’sDolly.” My tone was sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. Sam knew my name just fine when she was talking behind my back.

“Oh, right,” she giggled, brushing it off as if it was nothing. “My bad.”

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to breathe through the irritation as I started scanning their items. Renee dumped her things onto the belt beside Sam’s.

“How have you been?” Renee asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

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