Gone Country (30 page)

Another moment passed. Boone didn’t look at her when he said, “My dad found out that I couldn’t read.”

Her heart squeezed hard at his confession.

“I was eight years old and I couldn’t read a single word. My mom played dumb, but the truth was she was either drunk or high and she didn’t give a shit, hell, she didn’t know where I was half the time. Dad felt guilty, which made him mad, so he caused a big stink with the Moorcroft school board, railing against lazy teachers just passing me when I was illiterate. He had no idea I was a problem child and the teachers couldn’t wait to get me the hell out of their classroom.”

“How did he find out you couldn’t read? Did your mom tell him? Or did you?”

“My Aunt Carolyn figured it out when we were at a West reunion. God. I wanted to die because I knew I was stupid and then everyone else would know it too.”

“Did she single you out and embarrass you in front of your whole family?” she demanded.

He finally looked up at her and smiled. “Yep, you’re definitely a McKay with how indignant you just got on my behalf. Aunt Caro did too. She read my dad the riot act. I’ve never heard her swear like that. She even threatened to petition the court for temporary custody of me.”

“Did you end up living with her?”

“Just for the summer while my dad got his shit together. She and my Aunt Kimi and my cousin Keely worked with me. They were patient and understanding—everything my mom and dad weren’t. I learned a lot, but not enough to make up for all I’d missed in first, second and third grade. So I repeated third grade in Sundance. Which is why I’m graduating at age nineteen instead of eighteen.

“My mom got herself cleaned up after she stopped getting child support payments. By the time I was in fifth grade I was bouncing back and forth between them. But even during those years when I lived with my dad, my grandparents or uncles ended up stuck with me since my dad wasn’t around. Then my mom married, had another couple kids. I’ve more or less been on my own since I was fifteen.”

Sierra put her arm around his shoulders, resting her cheek on his bicep. “Okay, West. You win the shitty parents contest.”

He laughed.

“However…I saw your name on the honor roll for last quarter, Mr. Four Point Oh. You’re not so dumb after all.” She closed her eyes when she caught a whiff of his cologne. Tempting to rub her face against his soft flannel shirt and purr like a kitten.

What are you doing? Back off. Don’t be stupid and act like you’re making a move on him.

Sierra slowly sat up. “Thanks for telling me, Boone.”

“There’s something about you, McKay, that makes me trust you. Which is weird because I don’t trust anyone.”

“It’s probably because I fed you that first time. You keep coming back like a stray dog.”

He snorted. “But since I spilled an embarrassing secret, you gotta do the same.”

“Why?”

“It’s the rules.”

“Says who?”

“Me. And my rules…rule.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yep. Unless you’re Little Miss Perfect Princess who’s never done anything wrong.”

She slapped his thigh. “Perfect. Princess. As if. I’ll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone. Ever.”

Those warm fingers were on her chin again, turning her to face him. Then she was looking into that handsome face of his and getting trapped in those gorgeous golden-brown eyes of his. “You can trust me, okay? It’s not like I’ve got a bunch of guy friends I drink beer and bullshit with.”

“What about girlfriends?” just slipped out.

“None of those either.”

“I’ve seen girls all over you at school and the games.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“And you don’t take any of them out?”

“Nope. It’s because I’m…fuck, why are you so nosy, McKay?”

“You’d be disappointed if I wasn’t. So what’s the deal?” As soon as she said it, she hoped to God that beautiful, hot Boone West wasn’t about to confess that he was gay.

His topaz-colored eyes searched hers. “The truth? I can’t afford a girlfriend. I live with my dad, but he’s never fucking there. He reminds me that I’m an adult and I have to pay for everything myself. Even working part-time means I’m full-time broke. I don’t even have a goddamn car, so it’s not like I can pick up a chick on my bike when it’s twenty degrees below zero.”

Sierra exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

“If anyone asks—and some girls just don’t get the hint that I’m not interested—I tell them I’m seeing a woman who lives in Casper.” He shrugged and dropped his hand from her face. “Not an original lie, but one that usually works.” He gave her a light butt on the head. “Nice distraction, but you still owe me an embarrassing fact about you.”

“I’m learning to knit and I really love it.”

“That is
not
embarrassing. So quit hedging and lay the real dirt on me.”

She blurted, “I was put in juvenile for shoplifting and had to go to teen court.”

Boone whistled. “Wasn’t expecting that. What happened?”

She told him. Her face flamed, as it always did, when she thought about how stupid she’d been.

“What’d you take?”

“A bottle of perfume.”

He studied her. “Would your dad have bought it for you if you’d asked him?”

“Maybe. My mom definitely would’ve coughed up the cash. Of course, it would’ve been money she’d gotten from my dad.”

“So why’d you do it?”

“A dare from my friends. They said I was too much of a goody-goody. Then they showed me the stuff they’d taken. So I tried to prove I was badass by stealing something. God. I was so fucking gullible and I got caught.”

“Did you tell the cops your friends were ripping off stuff too?”

Sierra shook her head. “When the mall cops couldn’t get a hold of my mom or my dad, they called the real cops who put me in juvenile detention. With all these kids who had serious problems.” She shuddered. “A fifteen-year-old busted for prostitution, a twelve-year-old who’d passed out in the park after she’d nearly died from alcohol poisoning and a girl who assaulted a cop as a gang initiation.”

“How long did they leave you in the holding cell?”

“Six hours before my dad showed up. It was horrible. And I said really awful things to him. I was just scared and took it out on him.” She sighed. “He got the best shot in though, when he sprang the surprise move on me in front of the magistrate.”

Boone grinned. “Bet that went over well with you.”

“It was like he was purposely trying to ruin my life. My mom had ditched me. The people I’d tried to impress with my klepto ways? They lied; they’d
bought
all the stuff they’d supposedly stolen. Then those fuckers had the balls to tell me that they didn’t want to be associated with a juvenile delinquent.”

“Fuck, Sierra. That’s harsh. So do you hate that your dad made you move to Wyoming?”

She shrugged. “Some days it’s not so bad.”
Like right now.
“But others…it sucks. It hasn’t escaped your notice that I’m home on a Saturday night.” For the third Saturday night in a row.

“I thought you were hanging out with Marin?”

“I was. Until she got a boyfriend. I mean, we still see each other at school, but she’d rather be with him on weekends. And I can only tag along out of pity so many times.”

“Pity. Right. Haven’t any of the guys in our school asked you out?” He paused and frowned. “That’s a good thing. They’re all boneheads. Or cowboys. You’re better off at home.” Boone stood. “Now that I know all your secrets, I gotta head out so I can spread them far and wide.” He ducked when she swatted at him. “Kidding. But I do need to hit the road.”

“You’re not leaving until you call your uncles.”

“Maybe my cell phone is warmed up. The cold sucks the battery life to nothin’.” Boone reached into the pocket of his coveralls and pulled out an older model cell phone with an antenna. “Just enough juice to make a call.”

“Use the house phone and save your battery life.” She snagged the portable receiver from the hallway.

He kept his eyes on hers as he waited for someone to pick up. “Chet? Ha ha, asshole, no, I ain’t in jail. Fuck you. I am having problems with my bike though.” Pause. “Yeah, I know. I’m on my way home. Out Burner Road. I had to stop in at Rielle’s place and warm up after my bike crapped out. Okay. Yeah, I’ve got it with me but it shuts down.” Pause. “I will. God. I said I would. Bye.” He hung up.

Then he started putting his clothes back on.

“Do I get your number? So I can check to see that you’re home safe?” That didn’t sound skanky and desperate, did it?

“I don’t know…” He tapped his finger on his lips as if giving the matter great thought. “I don’t usually give it out. But I
suppose
I could make an exception to the person who saved my life.” He rattled off the number.

She added him to her contact list. “Why don’t you give it out?”

“Because I’m not interested in dating, remember? But I’m pretty sure you won’t be calling me up to ask me out.”

“How do you know?”

Boone’s face turned somber. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You don’t want to date me, beautiful girl. Trust me on that.”

Sierra couldn’t move. She couldn’t speak. She barely breathed.

“Besides. We’re friends. Now that we know each other’s secrets, maybe I’ll swing by some Friday night and we can do each other’s hair.”

She found her voice. “With the hat hair you’re sporting? No way, dude.”

“You crack me up.” He slipped on his hat and gloves.

“Promise you’ll call me when you get home. Or text me. Something that lets me know you’re safe.”

“I will. See ya around, McKay.”

She wanted to stand on the porch and watch him take off, but remained inside by the door, listening for the sound of a motorcycle starting. She heard a high pitched whine and then the sound faded.

Chapter Twenty-Three

December…

The week after Thanksgiving Sierra entered Gavin’s office, phone to her ear, stopping in front of his desk. “No, Mom. I don’t get to decide that. It’s between you and Dad. Hang on, he’s right here.” She handed him her phone. “You need to talk to her
now
.”

Gavin’s entire body tensed. “Fine. But stick around.” Then he steeled himself for the conversation. “Hey, Ellen. What’s up?”

“After speaking with our daughter? My blood pressure,
merci
.”

Christ. Now she casually sprinkled French words into conversation? She was probably wearing a damn beret. “I don’t know what’s going on, so why don’t you fill me in?”

“I asked Sierra to come to Paris for her Christmas break and she didn’t seem very excited. That hurts because I haven’t seen my only child since June. So have you spent the last few months turning my daughter against me, Gavin?”

Stay calm. “Not at all. You have to admit the
come to Paris for the holidays
invitation is a little out of left field.”

“But not out of line,” she retorted. “The court awarded you full custody, but I do have the legal right to request holidays.”

“I realize that.”

“Then you also realize you’ve had her for every holiday this year? And her birthday?”

“You’ve had her for Christmas the last five years! I only get her for one day on Thanksgiving, and then you pick her up at the crack of dawn to go shopping the next day. This is the first year I haven’t had to share her on her birthday since she was five years old.” He felt Sierra staring at him and his face heated. Dammit. He’d sworn he wouldn’t do this in front of her.

“Fine. Whatever. But consider this my unofficial request. I want Sierra to spend Christmas with me. In Paris.”

“You really expect me to put our sixteen-year-old daughter on a ten-hour flight to France…by herself?”

Sierra leapt up and leaned across the desk, her eyes beseeching. “No. Don’t let her guilt you into it, Dad.”

“She’s not a baby. She’s flown more times than most kids her age. Don’t you remember she flew to New York by herself when she was twelve?”

“She wasn’t by herself. That was a school-sponsored event with adult chaperones, so there’s no correlation to this situation.”

“I suppose we could take this issue to our attorneys.” Ellen sighed. “Or we could save the legal fees and you could fly to Paris with her, and back to the U.S., since you’re so concerned about her safety.”

“Really? What would I do in Paris for a week?”

“It’s the most romantic city in the world, I’m sure you could come up with something.” She trilled that mean, annoying laugh. “Oh right, for a second I forgot who I was talking to. Gavin Daniels—the man without a romantic bone in his body.”

Don’t take the bait
.

When he didn’t respond, she blithely continued on, “Besides, it’s not like you can’t afford it.”

“Not the point, Ellen.”

“And Sierra’s break is
two
weeks, not one week, so I’d expect her here for the entire time. Plus the travel days. I intend to show her more of Europe than just France.”