Page 6 of Secret Southern Promises

I flinched at her words. I’d spent so many years trying to forget Boone West. He’d been my first love, the boy I thought I’d marry straight out of high school, and also the father of my son that he had no clue about. Life had other plans back then, and we’d gone our separate ways. I’d made peace with that. Or at least, I thought I had.

“It’s been fifteen years, Linds. A lot’s changed.” Like the fourteen-year-old down the hallway.

“Yeah, but not everything,” Lindsay said gently. “You two had something special. That doesn’t just disappear. And maybe it’s time he found out about Nash. If he’s back in town, maybe he’s ready to settle down.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I stayed quiet. Memories of Boone and me laughing, kissing under the oak trees, and dreaming about the future we’d never had came flooding back. It was too much.

“I just…” I swallowed hard, pushing the memories down. “I don’t want to get into all that again.”

“I get it,” Lindsay said softly. “But you’re stronger now, Dolly. And you’ve got Nash to think about. You’ll figure it out.”

Nash. My sweet boy. Boone didn’t know about him. How could he? The thought of Boone meeting my son. His son.Whoa.That was a whole other level of complication I wasn’t ready for.

“I will,” I said, more to myself than to Lindsay. “I’ll figure it out.”

“Good,” she said firmly. “And remember, if you need me, I’m just a phone call away.”

“I know,” I replied, my heart warming a little at her unwavering support. “Thanks, Linds.”

“Anytime, babe. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

I hung up the phone and let out a long, shaky breath. Boone West was back, and my world had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.

Chapter Four

Boone

The crowd was loud, louder than it had ever been. The announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers, and a crackling echo of my name sounded that felt too far away, as if it wasn’t real. I gripped the rope tighter, my knuckles white, and my heart pounded in my chest. The bull beneath me shifted, and my muscles tensed, ready to explode. I could feel its power; the deep rumble of its breathing was like a train engine about to burst through the gate.

Mother’s Devil. This bull had been the bane of my existence.

I exhaled, trying to calm the surge of adrenaline that coursed through my veins. This wasn’t my first rodeo, but something about this moment felt different. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“Ready, West?” the gate man called out.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. I gave a small nod, and before I had time to rethink anything, the gate flew open.

The bull launched forward like a rocket, muscles rippling under its skin. I held on, leaning back, focusing on my rhythm. One jump. Two. The crowd became a blur of sound and color, everything narrowing down to just me and the bull. My grip tightened, legs clamping down, but the bull was strong, stronger than any I’d ridden before. It twisted hard, its body a violent wave beneath me.

Then it happened—too fast to even process. My left hand slipped and the rope burned my palm as I lost control. The bull’s body jerked sharply to the right, and before I could adjust, I was airborne.

I hit the dirt hard, the impact sending a shockwave through my body. I tried to move, but I couldn’t. I tried to breathe, but my lungs wouldn’t cooperate. The bull’s hooves thunderedbeside me; the ground vibrated with each pounding step. I heard the distant shouts of the clowns trying to draw it away, but all I could focus on was the pain—a sharp, searing pain shooting through my back.

I couldn’t feel my legs.

“No...no...come on...” I tried to move. Tried to stand, but my body wouldn’t obey. Panic set in. I could hear voices, someone shouting my name, but it all felt like it was happening underwater.

My world started to fade.

Suddenly, I gasped and sat up sharply as my breath came in ragged heaves. Pain seared through my back, ripping me from the dream and slamming me into reality. I was drenched in sweat, and my heart raced like I’d just been thrown from that bull all over again.

I tried to steady my breathing and blinked in the darkness of the room. It took me a minute to remember where I was. The mattress beneath me was just a makeshift bed I’d set up on the floor until my box spring and frame were delivered in a few days. The blanket was tangled around my legs, and my pillow was drenched in sweat. My back...

Damn. The pain was real, even if the bull wasn’t. I rubbed the small of my back and winced as I got to my feet. The old injury, the one that had ended it all, was reminding me that some things never fully healed.

I stood and stretched gingerly, trying to shake off the dream. The room was cold. Sleep wasn’t going to happen now. It was barely five in the morning, but I was awake. Fully awake, like I’d never even closed my eyes.

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