Page 49 of The One Who Saw Her: Boone

"Sorry I left early. I had to relieve Anabelle."

"I understand. Although I think it had more to do with Eli being there," Vivi said, watching Jo stir her coffee absentmindedly. "You spent the entire morning avoiding him. Not a single word exchanged. Care to explain?"

Jo's laugh was shaky—a brief, brittle sound that almost made Vivi flinch. There was tension etched in Jo's gaze, the kind that spoke of long-held pain. "Not really."

Vivi lifted a liar-liar brow.

"Fine, I avoided him. But for good reason."

"Your turn to spill."

Jo let out a long breath, as if she'd been holding it for years. Vivi could see the hesitation in the slight slump of her frame, the way her hands unclenched from the coffee mug.

"Fine, you were right, we were engaged. But I screwed it up. Well, I didn't, my family did. Long story. But marrying him wouldn't have been fair, so I walked away because it was the right thing to do."

Vivi's chest tightened. The weight of Jo's words, spoken so quietly but with such raw honesty, made the air feel thicker. "Does he know that?"

"No, and he never will." Jo's voice shook in a way that sent a pang through Vivi's chest—a deep, resonant ache that had her reaching across the counter and patting Jo’s hand with sympathy. "How long is he staying? Do you know?"

"I think he has a little over a week left before he’s deployed. Why?"

"Just trying to figure out how long I need to stay hidden." Jo's laugh this time was almost self-mocking. Her eyes flicked to Vivi's, and for a heartbeat the façade of sharp-edged toughness wavered.

They just sat there, sipping coffee while the sounds of the shop buzzed around them. Vivi could feel the weight of Jo's history pressing into the quiet between them and could sense the careful balance Jo maintained between honesty and armor.

It made her own worries—the awkwardness with Boone, the upheaval of Bridlewood, the tangled mess of feelings she'd been trying to sort—feel simultaneously lighter and heavier. Lighter, because someone else understood the kind of loss that left permanent echoes. Heavier, because she couldn't imagine carrying a secret like that without it cutting at her from the inside.

"You know, when Boone said he was proud of me…" Her voice faltered slightly, betraying the mix of emotions she was trying to shove down.

Jo raised an eyebrow, leaning against the counter, arms crossed. "Boone? Proud? That's a new one. Did you faint or just about cry in front of him?"

"He was serious," Vivi admitted, feeling a rush of heat to her cheeks. "But I didn't do it for him. I did it for me. That's the first time since I was a kid that I did something purely for myself."

Jo smirked in a kind of way that made Vivi feel like she was under a microscope. "Huh. You finally did something for yourself instead of bending over backward for everyone else? And here I thought you were incapable."

Vivi laughed softly, a little embarrassed and then, without quite meaning to, her mind wandered to Boone. The way he'd praised her, the subtle warmth in his voice—the way he’d looked at her as if she mattered in a way no one else ever had.

"You've been single for five minutes and already caught feelings? Pull it together, New York."

"I have not."

"Sure you haven't. You're blushing, babe. And that little hesitation? Yeah, that's you thinking about Boone right there. Don't pretend you're immune."

"It's complicated," she said finally, staring into her cup like it might give her an out. "He's the kind of man who doesn't do casual, and I'm barely remembering how to be on my own. I just got free of someone who wanted to build my life for me. The last thing I need is a man who makes me forget why I wanted to be alone."

"Oh relax, New York. All I'm saying is the guy's got presence. The kind that makes people straighten up or spread their legs, depending on the mood." She tipped her coffee toward Vivi in mock salute. "And you? You look about two seconds from doing both. And I’m pretty sure he already knows."

Boone trudged up the stairs to the house, each step heavier than the last. His body ached from overworking himself, every muscle screaming for a hot shower. The barn loft had served its purpose while she'd taken over his room, but the idea of lukewarm water scraping across sunburned skin was no longer appealing. He needed the house, a steaming shower, and the promise of heat that could melt tension as well as dirt.

Vivi was in town ordering curtains or some shit for the bunkhouse, so he had the run of the ranch. And he was going to take his time and enjoy it. Take a moment to himself that wasn't filled with thoughts of her.

He walked into the master bath and⁠—

Fuck me.

Strung across the top of the glass shower door, hanging to dry, was an impressive collection of thongs and bras. Silk, satin, lace—every color of the rainbow.

Unable to help himself, he picked one up and breathed it in. God help him—he could smell her. Just the faint scent and his dick twitched behind his zipper.