“I see now how his constant fighting should have been a warning sign to me, but I thought it was normal for men to act rowdy. But mostly, I didn’t want to see his red flags because marrying Chris meant getting away from our stepfamily.”
“Do you worry you’re missing red flags with Boone?”
“No. Boone doesn’t hide himself from me.”
Dan tipped back his hat slightly and studied me. “Don’t get your back up about what I’m going to say. Just hear me out, okay?”
Once I nodded, Dan said, “Boone lives a dangerous life and has a temper. That’s how he ended up in jail. He might have been railroaded by a corrupt sheriff, but he did throw the punches. Could you be missing red flags because you’re attracted to him?”
“I know Boone is dangerous to bad people, but he’s been patient and sweet to me. He’s also really good with the girls. You’ve seen him.”
“Yeah, but are you ever scared of him?”
“Not even a little bit. I’ve been moody off and on since our first date. No matter how I reacted, Boone never lost his temper or got irritated. Few men could be so patient.”
Dan nodded. “Aren’t you a little worried you’re rushing into a relationship like Laverne did?”
“No, because she was listening to her family, and I’m listening to me.”
Dan wrapped my hand in his. “I’m not your overprotective dad. I know you’re a grown woman.”
“I know, but Boone’s right. I never got to rebel when I was younger. I get urges now to be wild, especially around the foxes.”
Grinning, he asked, “Are you still thinking about getting that tattoo?”
“Yes,” I said and stroked my forearm where the ink would go.
“Look, I know I have hangups after leaving you alone for years and then finding you battered. I also know the shooting will always fill me with guilt. Those are real problems, and I don’t know if I can fix them. But I truly can’t tell if I should trust what’s happening between you and Boone.”
“You aren’t inside the new family I’m creating with Boone. From the outside, I likely seem impulsive. Boone probably feels like a stranger shoving his way into your life. But inside this new family, everything makes sense. That’s why the girls are crazy about Boone. I hope that over time you’ll be able to trust Boone like I do.”
“You deserve a good man. The girls should have a dad,” Dan said and exhaled deeply. “I’ll try to chill out around Boone and see him the way you do.”
“It’s normal to fear I’ll make another mistake like I did with Chris,” I said softly. “But this isn’t just me. Lula and our new friends wouldn’t be okay with Boone mistreating me. They have honor and demand it from others.”
“True. It’s why some of them struggle with trusting Zodiac. They hear his words and think he can’t care about anyone. But I know he’s crazy about Elle. No way would he let her so close if he wasn’t. But they don’t know him, so they don’t trust him. I guess that’s my problem with Boone. I’ll give him a chance, okay?”
Hugging Dan, I said, “When I drove up here to see why you hadn’t come back, I was ready to hate Lula. I imagined her as a stuffy bitch who would look down at me. But Lula was great, and I felt silly for thinking otherwise. I’m sure you’ll feel the same way one day about Boone.”
My brother looked at his new wife, and I felt how amazed he remained by her. Dan and I weren’t miserable hermits in BatonRouge, but we’d kept our dreams small. He never hoped to meet a woman, let alone one like Lula.
Meanwhile, I read my romance novels and fantasized about meeting Mister Right. Deep down, though, I never believed it would happen. I figured if I dreamed small enough, I’d end up happy. Now, having won a man like Boone, I’d never need to dream small again.
BOONE
Around eleven, I rode to the Reed Auto Shop located between a strip mall and a veterinarian's office. Pulling into the garage, I climbed off and nodded at one of the women working under a Mazda. Inside the office, Vanessa ate lunch with Rowdy and Nine.
“Aww, look who’s hungry?” Vanessa said and stood up to drag a chair to the table for me. “Rowdy brought mushroom chicken and chow mein. There’s plenty to go around.”
“What are you doing here?” Nine asked me as I settled next to him.
“My engine sounded like it wanted to stall this morning. I figured I’d get it checked out before I take a ride south,” I explained and filled my plate. “What are you doing here?”
“Rowdy and I were having a conversation earlier about his sad dick, and I followed him here so we could finish.”
I frowned at Rowdy next to me. “What’s wrong with your dick?”
“I told you, man. I met a woman who made my dick and heart happy, but she blew me off.”
