Unnerved by his abrupt mood swing to anger, Sierra waited for him to explain, but he stayed quiet, almost closed off. “What did he find out?”
“Just drop it.”
“Were you being abused?”
His head snapped up. “Believe it or not, I would’ve preferred that ’cause I could have fought back.”
“Okay, now after that remark, you’ve got to tell me.”
“I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“Boone. Some part of you wants me to know if you mentioned it.”
“I don’t know why I did. It’s just so fucking…embarrassing,” he said softly. “I never talk about this shit. Why do I just spill my guts every freakin’ time I see you?”
“Because we’re friends.” She scooted next to him. “Because everyone needs someone to talk to and you can trust me. I promise whatever you share with me will stay between us. So tell me. Please.”
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.