Page 7 of Secret Southern Promises

I walked over to the window and looked out at the still pitch-black night. The world was still, just a couple of streetlightsshined out front, and the shadows of trees and the dark silhouette of the river out back.

I needed to move and shake off the lingering remnants of the dream, so I headed downstairs. My bare feet padded against the wooden floor, echoing in the silence of the house. The kitchen was quiet as I flicked on the light, and the harsh brightness made me squint.

Coffee. That would help.

I fumbled with the machine, grabbed a mug and filled it with the strong, black brew once it finished. The steam rose, warming my face as I took a sip, but it didn’t do much to calm me from the dream.

I pushed open the back door and stepped out onto the porch, the cool morning air hitting me like a slap in the face. The stars were still out, faint but visible, and the river shimmered faintly in the moonlight. I walked down to the shore, feeling the cold grass under my feet as I made my way closer to the water. I sat down on an old log and stared out at the river, listening to the soft lapping of the current against the shore. My thoughts drifted to Dolly.

Seeing her again after all these years… Damn, it had done something to me. I didn’t expect it, didn’t expect her to still have that hold on me. But the moment I laid eyes on her, it was like being back in high school again.

We’d been kids then, thinking the world was ours and nothing could ever touch us. But life had a way of throwing curveballs, of taking everything you thought was certain and flipping it upside down.

And now… Now, it felt like everything was flipped upside down again.

I took another sip of coffee and stared into the dark water. It had been a long time since I’d let myself think about her like this,about what could have been. What should have been, but seeing her… It had stirred up a lot more than I thought it would.

We weren’t kids anymore. Hell, we were different people now. But for some reason, when I saw her, all those old feelings, the ones I thought I’d buried deep down, had come rushing back like a flood.

The bull-riding accident might have ended my career, but losing Dolly all those years ago? That had taken something else, something deeper.

I closed my eyes, letting the sound of the river fill my ears, and tried to quiet the storm in my head. But no matter how hard I tried, the memories and feelings kept circling back to her.

I was back in Magnolia Grove, and what was I supposed to do now?

Chapter Five

Dolly

I needed a bagel.

Not just any bagel. A cinnamon raisin with honey pecan cream cheese. I knew it would go straight to my hips, but twice a week, I couldn’t resist. Some days, it was a sausage, egg, and cheese kind of day, all savory and satisfying, but today? Today was a sweet day.

It probably had something to do with the stress—the kind that made me feel like my shoulders were permanently clenched. Like I was one deep breath away from screaming into the void. So yeah, I needed something comforting. And for me, that was a sweet, sticky bagel that would melt all the tension away, at least for a few minutes.

“Here you go, Dolly,” Jo called from behind the counter, her voice cut through the comforting scent of fresh-baked bagels. “One cinnamon raisin bagel with honey pecan cream cheese. I really need to try this one.”

I smiled and made my way over to her, grabbing the bag as she handed it across the counter. “You say that every time I order it. Next time, I’m going to order two and give you one,” I laughed.

Jo chuckled, shaking her head as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Yeah, that might be the only way I try it. I’ve got a long list of bagel combinations to work through, but I’ll move it up the list if you make it that easy.”

I rolled my eyes playfully. “I’ll hold you to it,” I said, taking a deep breath as the scent of the warm bagel in the bag hit me. My stomach growled in approval. This was exactly what I needed.

With the bag in hand, I turned toward the door, weaving my way through the tables. It was still early, so the usual breakfast crowd hadn’t fully descended yet. Just a few people here andthere, sipping their coffees, scrolling through their phones, or chatting quietly with a friend. It felt peaceful, and for a moment, I let myself relax into it.

“Have a nice day, Dolly!” Jo’s voice rang out again just as I reached the door.

I glanced back over my shoulder and waved with the bag in my hand. “You too, Jo! I’ll see you next week!” Or possibly tomorrow if this bagel didn’t help fix all of my problems.

As I turned back around, everything happened in slow motion. One second, I was looking forward to my bagel and the next, I was crashing into something—or someone—solid. I stumbled, my feet losing their grip on the tiled floor, and teetered backward as the bag flew from my hand. My arms flailed as I tried to catch myself, but gravity had other plans.

Before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong hands grabbed me, steadying me before I could completely lose my balance. My heart pounded as I blinked up at the person I’d just run into, breathless from the near fall and embarrassment.

And there he was. Boone West.

What were the damn odds?

My breath caught in my throat, and for a second, I couldn’t move, couldn’t even think. His hands were still on my arms, holding me steady, and I could feel the warmth of his touch through my jacket. His eyes met mine, just as blue as I remembered, though there was something different in them now. Something heavier, maybe. The boy I used to know wasn’t the same man standing in front of me.

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