Chapter Twenty-Three

Boone

It was good, if not a little bit awkward.

Dolly had busied herself in the kitchen, making dinner while Nash and I sat in front of the TV. We'd settled on Top Gun: Maverick , a solid choice. I had to give the kid credit—he had good taste in movies.

As the movie played, I could feel Nash's eyes darting my way every so often. He wasn't sure what to say, and hell, I wasn't either. It was hard trying to connect with someone who was practically a stranger, even if we shared the same blood.

"Have you ever flown in an airplane?" Nash asked, breaking the silence.

I nodded. "A few times, yeah. Most of the time, I drove from rodeo to rodeo, though."

Nash's brow furrowed, like he was trying to imagine that kind of life. "Have you been to all of the states?"

I shrugged. "Probably driven through most of them, but I haven't been to Alaska or Hawaii."

"Me neither," he sighed. "Mom's always busy with the store. She says we can't take a vacation."

That hit me harder than I expected. Dolly had always been tied to that store, just like her family before her. Maybe that was part of the reason she broke up with me all those years ago. How could she have followed me around the country when she was bound to Magnolia Grove, tethered to that grocery store?

"Your mom's a hard worker," I said. "Owning the grocery store, running it the way she does—it's a lot of responsibility."

"Yeah," Nash agreed, but there was a bitterness in his voice. "Still, it'd be nice to go on vacation at least once."

I leaned back, watching him as he stared at the TV but didn't seem to be really seeing it. "Maybe we can make that happen," I said.

He glanced at me, skepticism plain in his eyes. "Sure."

Before I could say more, Dolly walked into the living room with two plates in her hands. "I made burgers and fries," she announced, setting one plate down in front of Nash on the coffee table. He didn't say anything, just stared at it. She handed me my plate next.

"Thanks," I muttered.

Dolly smiled, but it was the kind of smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm going to clean up and lie down for a bit," she said. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do."

She lingered for a second like she was about to say more, but then she turned and headed back into the kitchen. The sound of her footsteps faded, leaving just me and Nash again. I looked down at the burger in front of me—it looked pretty damn good, but Nash hadn't touched his plate.

"You not hungry?" I asked.

Nash pushed the plate away with a huff. "Not for anything my mom wants to give me."

I glanced back at the kitchen, then down at my own plate. The food looked delicious, but I knew it wasn't the food that was the problem. Dolly could've served up the best meal in the world, and it wouldn't have made a difference to Nash right now.

I popped a fry into my mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "You wanna talk about it?"

Nash stared straight ahead with his arms crossed over his chest. "She always told me lying was bad. Said it was wrong. But she lied to me. My whole life."

I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. "Yeah, she did." I wasn't going to sugarcoat it for him. He had every right to feel angry, confused, all of it. I couldn't change what had happened, but I wasn't about to dismiss his feelings either.

"I'm mad," Nash said, his voice tight with emotion.

"So am I," I admitted. We sat there, the silence between us heavy but not uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence where you didn't need to fill it with empty words. We both knew how the other felt—betrayed, hurt, maybe even a little lost.

Nash shifted in his seat, sitting back against the couch and folding his arms tighter. "Why didn't she tell you? I mean... you would've wanted to know, right?"

I let out a long breath. "Yeah, I would've. I didn't know about you, Nash. Not until yesterday. Your mom made the decision to keep it to herself."

"She said it was because you were gonna be some big rodeo star," Nash muttered, his tone flat. "That doesn't make sense. You could've still been around, right?"

He had no idea how much that hit home for me. I'd been thinking about it over and over—what could've been. "I could've figured something out. It wasn't her decision to make, though. I should've had a say."

Nash's face twisted with frustration. "So, she just... decided for both of us?"

"Yeah," I said softly. "But listen, Nash. Your mom made mistakes, no doubt about it. But she's also been there for you your whole life. Don't forget that."

He was quiet for a while, the sounds of the movie playing in the background filling the room. "I guess," he finally muttered. "I still don't get why she didn't tell you, though. Or why she didn't tell me."

"I don't get it either," I admitted. "But she did what she thought was right at the time. It doesn't mean it was the right call, but she wasn't trying to hurt you."

Nash stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the TV. I could tell he was still turning it all over in his mind, trying to make sense of the past. I wasn't sure he'd be able to, not right away. Hell, I was still working through my own feelings about it.

We watched the movie for a while longer, neither of us talking. It wasn't until the credits started rolling that Nash finally spoke again.

"So... what now?" he asked, his voice quieter this time.

I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees. "Now, we take it one step at a time. You and me, we get to know each other. I'm not going anywhere."

He nodded, not looking at me, but I could tell he was listening. "You really mean that?"

"Yeah, Nash," I said, my voice firm. "I mean it."

There was another long pause before he spoke again, this time with a little more vulnerability in his voice. "Okay. We'll see."

It wasn't much, but it was a start. And right now, that was more than enough for me.

Dolly

Man, this hurt.

All these years, I'd known that if Boone or Nash ever found out about the lie I'd told, life would be turned upside down. But I hadn't prepared myself for how much it would hurt me when they finally looked at me with disappointment in their eyes—or worse, didn't look at me at all. I couldn't be mad at them, though. I had no right to be angry that they were upset with me. I was the one who had lied for fourteen years.

This was exactly what Lindsay had warned me about. She'd told me that when the truth finally came out, I'd have to put their feelings first and that I'd have to suck up my own pain because what they were going through would be worse.

Leaning against the bathroom sink, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My face was pale, my eyes red-rimmed, but I'd held it together all through dinner. I'd dished up the food, set it in front of Boone and Nash, and even managed to smile when Nash wouldn't look at me. But now that I was alone, locked in this small space, I couldn't hold it in any longer. The second I twisted the lock, my tears fell.

A knock sounded on the door, and I quickly wiped my nose with the back of my hand, trying to steady my voice. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to head out, Dolly," Boone said from the other side of the door. "The movie's over, and Nash said he was tired, so he went to his room."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Okay, sounds good." I didn't want to leave the bathroom. I wasn't ready to face Boone, not after the way Nash had looked at me—or rather, the way he hadn't.

"You need anything?" Boone asked after a beat.

Yeah, a time machine so I could go back and fix everything. "Nope, I'm just fine," I called out, forcing a brightness into my voice that felt all wrong.

Boone paused before speaking again. "Maybe Nash can come over for dinner this week?"

I felt a fresh wave of tears building, but I pushed them back. Boone was trying to do the right thing, and I wasn't about to make this harder on him than it already was. "Yeah, that would be fine. I'll check his schedule to see when he doesn't have anything after school." I sniffled and grabbed a Kleenex, wiping my eyes. "Actually, I'll just forward you his schedule. He's got a pie fundraiser coming up in a week or so. I'm sure he would like you there."

I wanted Boone to be part of Nash's life. I hadn't kept the secret because I thought Boone was a bad person. I'd done it because I didn't want to hold him back, but that didn't matter now. All that mattered was making sure they had a chance to build something together.

Boone hesitated. "Uh, that would be good."

"Okay," I said, my voice still too chipper, too fake. "I'll let you know what night works for dinner."

There was silence on the other side of the door, and for a second, I thought maybe he had already walked away. But then he spoke again, softer this time. "All right. I guess I'll see you later."

"Bye," I called, my voice small. I listened as his footsteps moved away from the door, and when I was sure he was gone, I let my head drop into my hands. The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over, racking my body in silent sobs.

I had done this. I had created this mess. No matter how good my intentions had been back then, I'd still lied to Boone and Nash. And now, seeing the consequences play out in front of me, I realized just how much damage I had caused.

For so many years, I had convinced myself that I was protecting Nash from the uncertainty of Boone's life on the road. I had convinced myself that letting Boone go was for his own good—that he deserved to chase his dreams without the weight of fatherhood holding him down. But now I saw how wrong I had been. I hadn't given Boone the choice. I hadn't given either of them the choice.

Nash had every right to be angry with me. And Boone... God, Boone had been blindsided by it all. He hadn't asked for this. He had come back to Magnolia Grove thinking his life would be simple, and now he was tangled up in a web of my making.

I pressed a Kleenex to my eyes and tried to calm myself down. I couldn't stay in this bathroom forever. Sooner or later, I'd have to face Nash again, and I needed to be strong for him. He was hurting, and while I couldn't undo the past, I could at least try to make things right from here on out.

I took a deep breath, letting the air fill my lungs before I exhaled slowly. I had to get myself together. Nash needed me. Boone needed me, too, whether he realized it or not. The road ahead wasn't going to be easy, but I wasn't going to run from it anymore.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror again, my eyes still swollen but my resolve hardening. I would make this right. For Nash. For Boone. For all of us.

The truth was out, and now there was no going back. But maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to move forward.