Page 4 of Secret Southern Promises

Boone West.

I swallowed hard and scooped up the macaroni with my spoon. The warmth of the meal felt distant as I tried to shake the thoughts swirling in my mind. “How was the book?” I asked, trying to sound normal.

“It’s fine,” Nash said, shoveling a piece of hot dog around on his spoon. He didn’t look too enthusiastic about it. “I’m not really into Shakespeare. It’s kind of hard to follow.”

I gave him a small smile. “You need help?”

Nash shook his head, a bit more confident than I’d expected. “Nah, I just have to read it slowly. I think I’ve got the gist of it. I think this will be the only time I readHamlet, though.”

I wrinkled my nose, trying to lighten the mood. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ve readHamletsince freshman year. You’re not missing much if you don’t read it again.”

He chuckled, and for a moment, the tension in my chest loosened. We ate in silence after that, just the sound of our spoons scraping the bowls as we shared this quiet dinner together. I glanced at Nash, watching the way he concentrated on his food, his brow furrowed a little like he was still thinking about the play or maybe something else.

And then, as much as I didn’t want it to, my worst fear flashed in front of me.

Boone West.

He had walked into Magnolia Mart this afternoon, looking like he’d stepped out of a time capsule. And now, all the rumors that had once nearly drowned me started to buzz in the back of my mind, louder with every bite of macaroni I forced down. When Nash was born, everyone in town couldn’t help but make comments about how much he resembled Boone. His dark hair, the same striking blue eyes, even the stubborn set of his jaw—it all matched up too neatly.

I had fought hard to shoot those rumors down, telling anyone who would listen that Nash wasn’t Boone’s. That after Boone left town to rodeo when we broke up, I’d gone out with my best friend, Lindsay, and had a one-night stand that resulted in my pregnancy. It wasn’t anyone’s business, really, but small towns don’t let things go. So I stuck to my story, repeating the lie until I almost believed it myself.

But BoonewasNash’s father.

The only person who knew the truth was Lindsay. I had confided in her that I was pregnant but didn’t want to tie Boone to Magnolia Grove because of me or a baby. Boone had the makings of being a rodeo star, and I wasn’t going to take that away from him. So Lindsay had kept my secret and helped me convince the town that Nash was the product of a one-night stand with a stranger just passing through town.

And now Boone was back.

I stared at Nash, the familiar knot of guilt twisting tighter in my stomach. He had no idea. No clue that a man had walked into the store today wasn’t just an old flame from my past but was his father. Nash knew what everyone in town had been told, and now I was terrified of what might come out if Boone stuck around and the rumors started again.

“You okay, Mom?”

I blinked, realizing Nash was watching me, his spoon resting in his bowl as he waited for me to answer. He was a good kid—too good for the mess I had made. I forced another smile, trying to push the memories away. “Yeah, of course. I’m just tired, that’s all.”

He didn’t seem convinced but didn’t press. “You want me to do the dishes tonight?”

I shook my head, grateful for the offer but needing to keep busy. “No, you did them last night. It’s my turn.”

He nodded, pushing his chair back and stretching. “Alright. I’m gonna finish that reading. If I get stuck, I’ll holler.”

“Sounds good,” I said, watching him as he walked out of the kitchen and down the hall toward his room.

Once I was alone, I cleared the table, and I let out a shaky breath. I leaned against the counter, gripping the edge until my knuckles turned white. Boone’s face flashed in my mind again, and I cursed myself for not being better prepared. I should’ve known this day would come. Magnolia Grove was small, andpeople didn’t just vanish forever, no matter how much you wanted them to.

Boone’s parents had moved out of town not too long after Boone had left, so I was slightly hopeful he might never come back.

I wasn’t sure how long Boone planned on sticking around, but the fact that he was here now brought all those old fears rushing back. What would happen if Nash ever found out the truth? Would he hate me for keeping it from him? And what about Boone—would he want to know? Would he even care? Would he even believe me?

The truth was, I wasn’t ready to deal with any of it.

I started rinsing the bowls in the sink, trying to distract myself with the simple task. But no matter how hard I scrubbed, my mind kept circling back to the same point. Boone had been my first love, the one I thought I’d spend my life with. We had made so many plans back then—plans that had crumbled when I pushed him to go rodeo and broke up with him because I didn’t want to hold him back. I couldn’t chase after him with a baby while he rodeoed. Knowing Boone, he would have given up his dream of being a bull rider to take care of me and Nash.

I told myself it was better this way. I raised Nash on my own, gave him a good life, and tried to forget the what-ifs. And Boone had become a rodeo star.

But I couldn’t bury the past forever. Not when it walked into Magnolia Mart and looked at me like fifteen years hadn’t passed at all.

My phone rang, cutting through the quiet. I grabbed it from the counter and smiled at the name lighting up the screen—Lindsay. My best friend, even if she lived all the way in Spokane. I swiped to answer and kept my voice low so Nash wouldn’t overhear me. “Could you sense that I was in the middle of a freak-out?”

“Dolly Hanes!” Lindsay’s voice was loud enough to make me pull the phone away from my ear. “What in the world is Boone West doing back in Magnolia Grove?” she demanded.

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