Page 87 of No Apologies
“But if you’re asking when I realized he was it for me, that I couldn’t imagine my life without him, I guess that happened when he said he was coming back here.”
Skylar tilted her head, “To Old Settlers?”
“Uh huh. He was leaving Tulsa, moving back to this tiny, dusty backwoods town to take over his father’s business and he didn’t ask me to come with him. He didn’t have to. I knew that I’d go anywhere with him, give up anything for the chance to be with him. That’s when I knew.”
“Oh…” Her throat felt tight and she couldn’t say anything more.
Her mother reached out and took her hand, “Honey, what’s this all about? I know you told me that you and Trey broke up because you were better as friends but if you’re having second thoughts…”
“I’m not.”
“Trey is a very nice boy and you two seemed to get along well but, if I’m being completely honest, it never seemed like there was much of a spark. Did I miss something?”
“I’m in love with someone else.” She admitted and watched two perfectly sculpted eyebrows rise on her mother’s face, “That’s the reason Trey and I broke up. You’re right, there was never a spark with Trey because my heart wasn’t in it. I had feelings for someone else. I’m in love with someone else. I think I have been for a really long time and it’s big and scary and I don’t know if I’m handling it right at all.”
“You’re in love?”
“Yes.” And because she couldn’t stand the way her mother was looking at her, Skylar admitted, “I’m in love with Colt. I love him. So much it scares me. So much that I know, without a doubt, that I’d go anywhere with him and do anything to be with him. I’d give up anything for him.”
As she spoke, she watched confusion cross into understand and then her mother’s face softened again, “Colt? Your friend, Colt? The boy you’re always talking about?”
“He’s more than a friend, so much more.”
“And is he…”
“A Bomar? Yes, he is, but he’s not his family and he’s not a criminal. He’s a good man.” She felt the rest of her defense get stuck in her throat and her hands clenched before she could stop them.
He wasn’t a criminal. He wasn’t. He’d done some bad things in the past because it was the only way he’d known how to survive. He wouldn’t have to do it anyone. She had made sure of that.
Her mother reached out and squeezed her hand, “Skylar, I was going to ask, is he good to you?”
“Oh…” She felt her cheeks heat at the disapproving way her mother said her name.
“I would have thought we’d raised you to understand that we don’t judge people by the actions of others but since it seems to be a worry for you just know, I don’t care what his last name is so long as he treats you well and makes you happy.”
“Oh…”
She hadn’t been expecting this. The easy acceptance. The understanding. No questions of who and what Colt was. No condemnation of the family he came from. Her mother was only worried about her and after all of the drama and stress of the past few days, Skylar realized she’d needed somebody to make sure she was okay more than she realized.
She burst into tears.
“Oh, baby…” Her mom was instantly there, dragging her chair closer and wrapping her in a hug, “It’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay.”
“Th…Th…Thank you.” She sobbed.
“You don’t have to thank me. I love you.” She smoothed Skylar’s hair back and held her until the worst of the sobs passed, “You could see how I might be worried, Bomar or not, that you burst into tears telling me you love the boy, right?”
“It… It’s not like that. He makes me happy.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Melanie pulled back to meet her daughter’s watery gaze, “You don’t look ridiculously in love, Skylar. You look tired and exhausted. Tell me what’s going on so I can try to help you.”
Skylar wiped at her eyes and tried to pull herself back together. She’d never cried this much in her life. Not even when the doctors had told her that her heart was broken and she’d need surgery to fix it. Not even when they’d told her she’d have to be on medication, have to be careful not to overexert herself, for the rest of her life. She’d dealt with her health issues without a tear but this thing, with Colt, it had the power to break her heart for real, for good, and no matter how many times she told herself to be strong, that scared the crap out of her.
“Is this about your shop being broken into?” Her mother asked hesitantly when she didn’t immediately speak, “I know that boy’s tattoo parlor is next to yours and the rumor is that the people that attacked it only meant to hurt him because of his family but if they know you two are involved maybe…”
“Mom.” She cut her off with a shake of her head, “Can you let me get this out? I’ll tell you what I can. I just need you to promise to hear me out.”
Melanie’s lips pursed, “Of course. Go ahead.”
