Page 12 of Secret Southern Promises

I kept my eyes focused on the groceries, sliding each item over the scanner. “Never better,” I replied, my voice flat.

“Seeing anyone these days?” Sam chimed in, leaning her elbow on the counter like she was about to get comfortable.

I shook my head, not bothering to look up. “No. I’m pretty busy with the store and Nash. No time to date.” I kept my tone casual, though I saw the knowing glance they exchanged from the corner of my eye. The judgment hung thick in the air between us.

“Oh, right,” Renee murmured. “Yeah, being a single mom must keep you busy.”

I bit my tongue to keep from saying something I’d regret. The condescending tone wasn’t lost on me.

“Did you know Boone’s back in town?” Sam asked, her voice bright with faux curiosity, as if she hadn’t just been talking about it two minutes ago.

My fingers faltered for just a second as I scanned the next item, but I recovered quickly, keeping my face neutral. “Yeah, I saw him a few days ago,” I answered. More like I’d run right into him in the most awkward way possible.

“Any sparks fly between you two?” Renee asked, her tone playful, but her eyes sharp, like she was waiting for some juicy bit of gossip to latch onto.

I shook my head, forcing a laugh that I didn’t feel. “Hardly. It’s been fifteen years since I saw Boone.”

Renee raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but she didn’t push.

“So, you wouldn’t be upset if he started dating again?” Sam asked, her voice innocent, but I could see the trap she was setting.

I forced myself to smile as I scanned the last of their groceries. “Not at all. Whatever was between Boone and me is long over.”

I tried to keep my voice steady, like it didn’t matter. Like the idea of Boone moving on didn’t twist something deep inside me. But the truth was, I didn’t know how I’d feel if he started dating someone else. It shouldn’t matter.It shouldn’t.

I glanced at the register, hitting the total button a little too hard. “That’ll be thirty-seven-fifteen.”

They both handed over their cash, still grinning like they hadn’t just gutted me with their passive-aggressive questions.

“Well, it’s good to see you again,Dolly,” Sam said with a wink as she gathered her bags. “We’ll have to catch up sometime.”

“Sure,” I muttered under my breath as they walked out the door with their laughter trailing behind them like nails on a chalkboard.

As soon as they were gone, I slumped against the counter, letting out a shaky breath. I didn’t know why their words had gotten under my skin so much, but they had. Maybe it was the years of pretending not to care, of brushing off the whispers and the sideways glances. Or maybe it was because hearing their cruel speculation out loud made it impossible to ignore what people really thought of me.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the lingering sting of their comments.

It had been years since I had heard anyone talk about me and Boone, and now I had to hear it in my own store.

The lies I had spread years ago were back to haunt me again. The only difference this time was Boone was in town to hear them all.

Chapter Eight

Boone

I sat in my truck, and my hands gripped the steering wheel a little tighter than necessary as I stared at Magnolia Mart. The damn place hadn’t changed much in all the years I’d been gone. Sure, the paint might’ve faded, and the sign had a few more dents, but it was still the same small-town grocery store I remembered. And now it was Dolly’s.

I could’ve driven to the next town over, picked up groceries somewhere else, and avoided this whole situation. But running wasn’t what I came back here to do. I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life dodging the past, dodging her. So instead, I’d been sitting here for the better part of ten minutes, trying to psych myself up just to walk into the store.

I pushed a breath out, squared my shoulders, and grabbed the door handle. There was no avoiding it now. I needed groceries, and Magnolia Mart was the only place in town. I got out of the truck and shut the door with a solid thud. My boots hit the pavement as I made my way to the entrance. The sidewalk felt a little longer today, each step heavier as the bell above the door chimed when I walked in.

My eyes went straight to her.

Goddamn, she was beautiful.

It hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. For a time, while I’d been out on the rodeo circuit, her face had started to blur in my memory. I tried to convince myself I was moving on, forgetting what she looked like. But seeing her now, I realized I hadn’t forgotten a damn thing. If anything, my mind had softened the edges, made her less real. But here she was, at the register, looking better than she had any right to.

I nodded at her, trying to keep my face neutral, and grabbed a cart. I’d meant to play it cool, but my nerves were buzzing.

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