Chapter Seven

Dolly

I crouched near the candy bars and carefully arranged the rows of chocolate and peanut butter cups. It had been a pretty steady morning at Magnolia Mart, with the usual flow of customers coming and going. The bell above the door chimed every few minutes, signaling another regular stopping in for groceries or a quick chat. Most people in town couldn't resist lingering at the register for small talk.

Even when life felt chaotic, there was something steady about stocking shelves and ringing up items for people I'd known my whole life.

I was kneeling close to the floor, half hidden from view, when I heard voices. They weren't quiet either—two women talking loud enough for anyone nearby to overhear.

"He's rugged," one of them said, her voice filled with that unmistakable swoon.

"I think you mean drop-dead gorgeous," the other woman agreed, practically giggling.

I tipped my head to the side, curious despite myself. Who in the world were they talking about? I shifted slightly and peeked around the corner of the register. It was Sam and Renee—two women who'd graduated a few years behind me. Like most people in Magnolia Grove, I knew who they were, but we weren't exactly close. I wasn't one to mix with everyone. I tended to keep to myself, staying busy with the store and Nash.

Sam and Renee were both dressed casually, their makeup perfectly done, as if they were headed somewhere important. I should've gone back to stacking the candy bars, but their conversation had hooked me.

"I still can't believe he's back after all these years," Sam continued, clearly enthralled.

"And he's single," Renee added with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the candy bars. Of course, they were talking about Boone. Who else would it be?

Wasn't it enough that he had been on my mind constantly since he walked back into Magnolia Grove? Now, I had to listen to other people go on and on about him, too. The last few days had been an endless loop of Boone West—his name popping up in conversations, the looks people gave me as if they knew something I didn't.

I shoved another bar onto the shelf a little harder than necessary. Why couldn't people leave well enough alone?

"You think he's looking to date?" Sam asked, her voice dropping in that way people do when they're about to say something they think is juicy.

Renee let out a laugh. "Maybe we could each take him for a ride."

I made a face. Ugh, seriously? The last thing I needed was to hear Sam and Renee lusting over Boone. It was already bad enough that I couldn't stop thinking about him myself. Boone West had always been larger than life. In high school, he'd been the guy everyone gravitated toward, with that rugged charm and confidence that pulled you in before you even realized it. And he was mine. At least, he used to be.

Now, after fifteen years, he was back in Magnolia Grove and hanging around town like he hadn't left.

I stood up, dusting my hands off and straightening my apron. No point lingering down here anymore. I needed to get on with my day, not wallow in whatever Boone-related nonsense was swirling around.

I thought about making my way toward the back to put the overstock away; the voices of Sam and Renee echoed through the store, their laughter bouncing off the shelves. I tried to ignore it, but their words followed me, clawing at my nerves.

"Do you think he's going to get back together with Dolly?" Sam's voice cut through the background noise and was clear as day.

I froze mid-step, a box of candy bars balanced in my arms. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt the blood drain from my face. They were talking about me.

Renee's laugh followed Sam's question, sharp and dismissive. "Please. He's not going to go back to her. I'm sure he knows that as soon as he left town, she shacked up with some loser and got pregnant. He probably won't even look her way."

The sting of her words hit me harder than I'd expected. My grip tightened on the box in my hands as if holding onto it could somehow ground me. My heart pounded in my chest, a heavy thud that seemed to echo through my entire body. I felt…shocked and hurt, like I'd been blindsided. Of course, I knew what people thought about me, what they said when they thought I couldn't hear. But hearing it laid out so plainly, so brutally, still hurt.

I had to fight to keep my composure. It's just words, I reminded myself. I couldn't let them see how much their gossip affected me. My hand trembled as I set the box down beside the rack, not sure if I should go confront them or retreat and finish stocking shelves. But I stayed rooted to the spot, invisible by the register, as their conversation continued.

After Boone left town, I'd made sure to squash any whispers about him being Nash's father. I staged a wild night out with Lindsay and made sure half the town knew about it. A month later, the rumor that I was pregnant by a random one-night stand was everywhere, just like I planned. Of course, some people questioned if Boone might be the father, but I'd been meticulous about making sure everyone thought it was impossible. The gossip had spread like wildfire, faster than I'd ever imagined.

But at what cost?

People like Sam and Renee believed the worst of me—that I wasn't good enough for Boone. Maybe I got what I wanted in some twisted way—Boone stayed away, and everyone bought the lie. But standing there now, overhearing their cruel words, I wasn't so sure it had been worth it. The lie had worked, but it also left me with a reputation I couldn't shake.

At least no one treated Nash any differently because of it. I'd made sure to protect him, and that was all that really mattered. I could handle people thinking I was some careless girl who'd gotten knocked up by a stranger if it meant Nash was left alone. Still, it didn't make their words hurt any less.

I numbly made my way back behind the register, my hands moving on autopilot as I straightened the few papers there. A few customers trickled in, picking up odds and ends. Two of them checked out quickly, and before I could retreat to the back again, Sam and Renee strolled up to the register, their grocery baskets full.

"Hi!" Sam called with a wide grin plastered on her face as she tossed her groceries onto the belt. "How've you been, Molly?"

I raised an eyebrow, correcting her immediately. "It's Dolly ." My tone was sharper than I intended, but I didn't care. Sam knew my name just fine when she was talking behind my back.

"Oh, right," she giggled, brushing it off as if it was nothing. "My bad."

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to breathe through the irritation as I started scanning their items. Renee dumped her things onto the belt beside Sam's.

"How have you been?" Renee asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

I kept my eyes focused on the groceries, sliding each item over the scanner. "Never better," I replied, my voice flat.

"Seeing anyone these days?" Sam chimed in, leaning her elbow on the counter like she was about to get comfortable.

I shook my head, not bothering to look up. "No. I'm pretty busy with the store and Nash. No time to date." I kept my tone casual, though I saw the knowing glance they exchanged from the corner of my eye. The judgment hung thick in the air between us.

"Oh, right," Renee murmured. "Yeah, being a single mom must keep you busy."

I bit my tongue to keep from saying something I'd regret. The condescending tone wasn't lost on me.

"Did you know Boone's back in town?" Sam asked, her voice bright with faux curiosity, as if she hadn't just been talking about it two minutes ago.

My fingers faltered for just a second as I scanned the next item, but I recovered quickly, keeping my face neutral. "Yeah, I saw him a few days ago," I answered. More like I'd run right into him in the most awkward way possible.

"Any sparks fly between you two?" Renee asked, her tone playful, but her eyes sharp, like she was waiting for some juicy bit of gossip to latch onto.

I shook my head, forcing a laugh that I didn't feel. "Hardly. It's been fifteen years since I saw Boone."

Renee raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but she didn't push.

"So, you wouldn't be upset if he started dating again?" Sam asked, her voice innocent, but I could see the trap she was setting.

I forced myself to smile as I scanned the last of their groceries. "Not at all. Whatever was between Boone and me is long over."

I tried to keep my voice steady, like it didn't matter. Like the idea of Boone moving on didn't twist something deep inside me. But the truth was, I didn't know how I'd feel if he started dating someone else. It shouldn't matter. It shouldn't.

I glanced at the register, hitting the total button a little too hard. "That'll be thirty-seven-fifteen."

They both handed over their cash, still grinning like they hadn't just gutted me with their passive-aggressive questions.

"Well, it's good to see you again, Dolly ," Sam said with a wink as she gathered her bags. "We'll have to catch up sometime."

"Sure," I muttered under my breath as they walked out the door with their laughter trailing behind them like nails on a chalkboard.

As soon as they were gone, I slumped against the counter, letting out a shaky breath. I didn't know why their words had gotten under my skin so much, but they had. Maybe it was the years of pretending not to care, of brushing off the whispers and the sideways glances. Or maybe it was because hearing their cruel speculation out loud made it impossible to ignore what people really thought of me.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the lingering sting of their comments.

It had been years since I had heard anyone talk about me and Boone, and now I had to hear it in my own store.

The lies I had spread years ago were back to haunt me again. The only difference this time was Boone was in town to hear them all.