Page 23 of Secret Southern Promises

Oh lord.

I should run.

Instead, I had just made plans to march into Boone West’s kitchen.

Chapter Thirteen

Boone

She was coming over. Jesus. This was exactly what I wanted, but damn if I wasn’t a little terrified.

Not of Dolly—never her. No, it was something deeper, something that had always been there between us but got cut short years ago. I was terrified of what I was feeling.

Dolly had pushed me away all those years ago, but the truth was my feelings for her hadn’t changed. Sure, we’d been young, and most of the time, the things you love when you’re eighteen aren’t the same when you’re in your thirties. But that didn’t apply to Dolly for me. She had always been different, always the one I couldn’t forget, no matter how many miles I put between us or how many years passed.

I knew I loved her the first time we kissed. And I knew I still loved her the second I saw her at Magnolia Mart a few weeks ago, standing there behind the counter, her hair just as wild and beautiful as I remembered. Her smile had hit me like a punch to the gut.

I just hoped she still felt the same way.

It was only three o’clock, and I didn’t know how long I had to wait before she’d be here. I sat at the kitchen island, stared at my phone, and wondered if I should’ve gone shopping for more ingredients or something. But then I remembered—what the hell was I thinking? I didn’t even know how to cook. Buying more would be pointless because I had no clue what to buy.

Still, I wanted things to be right. Wanted tonight to go off without a hitch. My heart was pounding in my chest as I grabbed my phone and typed out a quick message.

What time do you think you’ll be over?

She texted back almost right away.4:30? I need to wait for the dessert to cool.

I stared at the message. She was making dessert? My heart gave a ridiculous little leap at the thought. That had to be a good sign, right?

I texted back before I could second-guess myself.So we’re just focusing on dinner tonight? Maybe another time you can show me dessert?

As soon as I hit send, I cringed. Smooth, Boone. Real smooth. I was supposed to be a grown man, not a lovesick kid with no game.

A few seconds later, her response came through:LOL, let’s just get dinner figured out.

I smiled like a damn goon at my phone. She didn’t seem to mind my terrible attempt at flirting. That had to count for something.

Okay. See you soon.

I put my phone down and glanced at the clock again. There was still over an hour to go, and it felt like time was crawling. I stood up, started pacing the kitchen, and then sat back down. I drummed my fingers on the counter, trying to figure out how to kill time.

I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and popped the top.

Chapter Fourteen

Dolly

I needed to get out of the car.

I had been fine all day, really. Got Nash off to school, worked a few hours at the store, and then came home around two to make the pie. A simple routine, no big deal. Except, of course, the whole time, I was doing my best not to think about Boone. Not think about how the pie I was making was Nash’s favorite or how I was about to spend the evening with Boone. Well, not the nightnight, but still… we’d be together for a while.

That thought alone sent my nerves spinning. I gripped the steering wheel, feeling the cool leather against my palms as I stared at Boone’s house in front of me. What if this was a mistake? Maybe we’d both changed so much over the years that we weren’t Dolly and Boone anymore. Maybe it’d be awkward, and everything between us would just fall apart.

The idea of cranking the car and driving back home felt almost too tempting.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I glanced at the pie sitting in the passenger seat, took a deep breath, and grabbed it. I opened the car door, the cool October breeze rushing in, and I slid out.

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