Page 53 of Courageous Hearts

“He’s very jumpable,” Dee agrees, to which I laugh.

“And taken,” I mock growl.

Dee grins, bouncing her butt once on my mattress. “This is exciting. That last guy you dated…”

“Brett.”

“Right, Brett. That was over a year ago. It’s been a while,” she notes.

“Thanks for pointin’ out the sad state of my datin’ life,” I huff.

“Not sad anymore,” she says, squeezing her hands together and batting her eyelashes. “My Bo is getting some quality lovin’ again.”

“Dee,” I groan. I’m used to Dee being privy to my personal business. Heck, we share a room and have a system for if one of us is entertaining. Still, I aim for stern. “Be a li’l less invested.”

“What are you up to today?” she asks, avoiding my reprimand.

“Um. My Little has football practice, so I’m goin’ to that later.”

“That’s the sweetest,” Dee replies. “You’re like a proud parent.”

“It’s the least I can do,” I mutter.

Dee shakes her head slowly. “It means something, Bo. Don’t diminish what you’re doing.”

My friend knows about my past regrets. Not every single detail, but enough to understand that this is personal to me. That giving back is a means of righting my wrongs, above the fact that I genuinely care for it. It has become more to me over time. Connecting with these kids, even for a short while, is fulfilling in a way I never expected it to be. I wouldn’t give it up now for any reason.

“Well, I’m lookin’ forward to it,” I say. “I talked to Missa, too. Put in my vacation time.”

“Yeah? When are you heading back to cattleville?”

I huff a laugh. Plum Valley is full of cattle. Mostly Longhorn, but also some Hereford. It’s a ranching town, after all.

“Couple weeks,” I answer.

“Is Jameson going with you?”

“What?” I scoff. “No, ’course not. We’ve been datin’ for all of two seconds.”

Dee frowns slightly. “Are you okay to go by yourself?” She holds up her hands at my exasperated expression. “I know you’re capable, Bo. Of a great many things.” I roll my eyes. “But I worry about you being there alone.”

“I won’t be alone,” I tell her, softening my tone. “I’ll be with Sara. And Coop and Will and Tru.”

“And if you run into Diesel or your dad?” she asks.

“I’m plannin’ on it,” I mutter.

Dee’s eyes widen.

“Just Diesel,” I amend. “It’s long overdue, Dee. Maybe if he sees me—really sees me—he’ll understand.”

The last time I visited Plum Valley, I did run into Diesel. But it was in town, and I was wearing the type of clothes he was used to seeing me in: baggy jeans and a loose tee. It’s what I wore before leaving Texas. My camouflage.

The truth is I was afraid to be myself outside the safe confines of Sara’s house. I didn’t know what people in town would say or think. How they’d react, seeing me look so different from the person they once knew.

I hated it, feeling like I was hiding. As soon as I got back to Sara’s, I changed. And once I arrived home in Chicago, I threw away those ill-fitting—in more ways than one—articles of clothing.

I was done hiding.

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