by Amy Vastine
“Don’t apologize for having feelings, kid.”
“My mom’s on her way. I was thinking maybe we could all have dinner tonight if you aren’t busy. We like to go to this place called Pizza Sam. You could meet us there around six,” she suggested.
How could he possibly say no?
“I could do that. You probably owe me for agreeing to be your trainer for the next show.”
“Probably,” Violet agreed as she tried to hide her smile.
“Six o’clock at Pizza Sam. I’ll be there because Dean got me a truck.” He turned and pointed at his loaner.
“Nice. I feel like there’s a song in this pickup’s future.”
Boone ruffled her hair. She really was something. “I’ll get right on that. Maybe it can be the star of the duet between me and Piper Starling.”
“You’re singing with Piper Starling? What is it? A father-daughter ballad?”
“Hey, I’m not old enough to be her dad.” That was a low blow. Piper was somewhere in her midtwenties, and he wasn’t turning forty until the end of the year.
“Whatever you say, old man.”
Ruby drove up and rolled her window down. He hadn’t seen her since their interview. She had her hair pulled back today and no makeup on. She didn’t need that stuff to look pretty, though. She was a natural beauty.
“How’d it go today?”
“Fine,” Violet said, running around to the other side to get in. “Can we go to Pizza Sam tonight with Boone? He’s treating.”
He should have called that one.
Ruby turned toward Violet. “Don’t assume he’s always going to pay. That’s rude.”
“I think I can afford a pizza for the three of us.”
Ruby’s gaze met his. “You don’t have to do that. If she asked you to come out for pizza, she shouldn’t ask you to pay.”
“Are you offering to take me out?”
Her eyes went wide like he had scared her. “Not like a date.”
“No, not a date,” he said in agreement. “We wouldn’t be on a date. Violet’s going to be there. You’re bringing me along for dinner. Like...” He couldn’t think of the right word.
“Like a family,” Violet said. “We’ll see you at six. And if I can’t afford to go to college because my mom had to buy dinner, it will be all your fault.”
“Violet,” Ruby scolded. She turned back toward Boone. “Don’t listen to her.”
“I’ll see you at six.” For a family dinner. Why did that scare him more than a date?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“CAN I GO over to Peyton’s house?” Violet had actually spent the afternoon in the family room. On her phone, but not locked away in her room. That was huge.
“What about dinner?”
“I’ll text Boone and ask him to pick me up, since I’ll be out by Helping Hooves.”
“You’ll text Boone? For real? Do you know what Mrs. Davis would say if she heard you could text Boone Williams?”
“I forget he’s famous,” Violet said with a laugh. “I don’t know why, I even searched ‘How famous is Boone Williams’ on the internet. There’s a lady in Texas who has an entire room in her house dedicated to him. She has pictures of him all over her walls and a hat he supposedly wore at a concert that she bought on eBay for, like, a million dollars or something, and a bandanna that she wiped on him when he was shaking hands with people in the front row so it would have his sweat on it. People are psycho.”
“He’s pretty famous. And you’re going to ask him to pick you up from your friend’s house like he’s an Uber driver?”
“It’s fine. He’ll do it. He probably needs directions to the restaurant, anyway.”
“I’ll pick you up.” Ruby was not going to let Violet take advantage of the man’s kindness. She couldn’t believe he would come out to dinner with them in the first place. He had Piper Starling in town. They could drive into Franklin and have a five-star meal. Pizza Sam was good, but not that good.
“Oh my gosh, Mom. It’s fine. I texted him and he said fine.”
“You texted him?” Ruby got up to see for herself, but Violet pressed her phone to her chest.
“Mom, privacy. He said it was a good idea. Can you please take me to Peyton’s now?”
He was probably being nice. Ruby didn’t have his number to check, though. Her thirteen-year-old had the contact information of one of the biggest names in country music and she had nothing.
She drove Violet where she wanted to go and stopped by Holly’s on the way back. Ruby had left her a nasty message after the interview with Boone and refused to answer her calls since then. It didn’t help that her best friend’s first response was to laugh hysterically.
Ruby rang the doorbell and was greeted by Holly’s husband, Jon. He welcomed her in and shouted for his wife.
“She was getting worried you were never going to forgive her,” he said as he shut the door.
“I seriously considered it.”
“Oh, come on,” Holly said, coming down the stairs. “I thought you would review the questions before you read them to him. It was supposed to make you laugh, not send you into a tizzy.”
Ruby held out her handwritten notes. “You can type these up and make them into something interesting.”
Holly opened her arms for a hug. “Forgive me?”
“You’re so lucky I didn’t read him the whole question.” She hugged her friend and put the whole incident behind them.
They went to sit in the kitchen while Holly reviewed the answers. She did a lot of nodding while she read, made a surprised face once, then set the papers down. “Good job. It would have been nice if you dug a little deeper, but my guess is he was a tad reluctant to give much away.”
“He said meeting me and Violet was one of the best parts. He said I was beautiful.” The words came flying out of her mouth like a breath she’d been holding too long.
Holly’s big eyes bulged. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“And Violet has his number in her phone and he’s meeting us for dinner tonight. Not only that, but he’s picking Violet up from a friend’s house and bringing her to dinner like he’s her dad or something. This is getting really weird.”
“I...I don’t even know what to say.” Holly sat back in her chair with her mouth agape.
“Right? I don’t know what to say, either. And thanks to your little joke, all I can think about is how I would literally pass out if he kissed me.”
“He’s going to kiss you. Boone Williams is going to kiss you. And are you kidding me about Violet having his number? When did we enter the twilight zone?”
Ruby wished she knew. This entire thing was surreal. The first time they’d met, she hadn’t even known who he was. The second time they’d met, he was a complete jerk. Now he was coming to a family dinner and she wanted to kiss him.
“Okay, we have to figure this out,” Holly said, getting up and pacing around the kitchen. “You need to invite him back to the house. Violet will go up to her room because she always goes to her room. You’ll be alone. You’ll offer him some wine. You’ll drink, you’ll talk and then...he’ll kiss you.”
“I can’t offer Boone wine. Haven’t you read the tabloids lately? He’s a recovering alcoholic.” Another huge red flag telling her she should stay far away.
“Okay, skip the wine. Offer him some dessert.”
This was crazy. Ruby was not going to invite Boone back to her house. He was not going to kiss her.
“He’s a famous singer. I am nobody. He’ll be gone soon, and ideally Violet and I will be gone in a year. This is pointless.”
Holly sat back down and grabbed Ruby’s hands in hers. “You deserve to be kissed by someone gorgeous and famous. It doesn’t mean you have to marry him. Enjoy the m
oment. You used to be the girl who knew how to live in the moment better than anyone.”
“And look where that got me. I can’t be that person. My decisions affect more than just me. I’m not sure Violet should get attached. There’s no way he’s going to be in her life when we move to Seattle.”
“What if you stayed? Made a life here? You like it here, don’t you?”
“Levi lets Violet down every time we let him get close. The best thing I can do for her is get away. Put some distance between them so she can move on and not be stuck in this limbo, wondering whether he’ll show up.”
Holly’s boys ran through the kitchen, giggling and screaming. Trevor was in the lead with Zander at his heels. Henry trailed behind them with drool covering his chin and a giant smile on his face.
“Careful, you guys,” their mom warned. She turned back to Ruby. “I don’t envy the position you’re in. I really don’t. But I still think you should let Boone Williams kiss you if that’s what he wants to do.”
The boys came through again, this time being chased by their father, who was doing his best impression of a monster. The boys kept looking over their shoulders and squealing.
Holly would never understand what it was like for Ruby. She had an incredible husband. Jon loved his boys as much as he loved their mom. He was present and engaged. He helped with baths and bedtimes. Holly was luckier than she knew.
“Kiss your husband tonight,” Ruby said. “He deserves it.”
* * *
WHEN RUBY GOT to Pizza Sam, Boone was already there. He had on a baseball hat and had been seated in the back corner, away from everyone else. Ruby’s heart began to beat faster and harder. If he did kiss her, she’d never survive.
Boone stood up as she approached the table. “Where’s Violet?” he asked.
“What do you mean? She told me she was coming with you.”
The confused expression on Boone’s face told her that was not the case. “Why would she come with me?”
Ruby took out her phone and texted her daughter. “I dropped her off at a friend’s house near the farm. She said she texted you about picking her up and you said you would.”
“I never got a text from Violet. She doesn’t even have my phone number.”
She really was a great liar. All the worst-case scenarios began to run through Ruby’s brain. “She’d better still be at Peyton’s.”
Ruby’s phone chimed with a text from Violet with a picture attached of her eating spaghetti with her friend.
SURPRISE! Enjoy your date with Boone. You both need to have some fun.
She’d done this on purpose? Ruby replied that she did not think this plan of hers was the least bit funny. All she got back was a smiley face.
The humiliation Ruby was experiencing was beyond any she had felt in her life. “Well, apparently my dear daughter decided to set us up on a surprise date.”
“A surprise date?”
Ruby put down her phone and picked up one of the water glasses on the table, emptying it in a couple of large gulps. Maybe it would cool her off before she had a complete meltdown.
“We should go. I should probably pick her up and ground her for the rest of her life or something.”
Boone covered her hand with his. “Or...we could have dinner and plot our revenge.”
Ruby immediately relaxed. If he wasn’t mortified by their current predicament, perhaps she didn’t need to be, either. They perused the menu and compared favorite toppings, settling on a veggie lover’s pizza.
The waitress came over to take their order and eyed Boone for a second before asking, “Maybe I’m crazy, but did you know you look exactly like Boone Williams?”
Boone smiled up at her. “I get that from time to time.”
“I mean, you really look like him. You could work as one of those impersonators. People would have a hard time believing you weren’t really him.”
“That’s a good idea. I wonder how much money I could make doing that.”
“I think you could do pretty well. People would hire you on the spot. That’s how strong the resemblance is.”
“Something to consider,” Boone said, clearly wishing she would move on.
Ruby bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. When the waitress finally left, Ruby’s shoulders shook. “Where do Boone Williams impersonators work? County fairs? Birthday parties? Company picnics?” she wondered aloud.
“I can’t imagine.”
“I don’t know whether I’d like it if wherever I went, people knew who I was.”
“It’s part of the job. But you might be surprised to know that some people have no idea who I am.” He gave her a pointed look.
“In my defense, I had heard of you. I didn’t recognize you.”
“Fair enough.”
It became pretty obvious that most of the other people in the restaurant did not have any trouble recognizing him. A young couple a few tables away had their phones out and were not-so-nonchalantly taking pictures. The girl’s flash went off each time.
Boone leaned over the table. “Once those hit social media, we might be in trouble.”
“Do you want to take the pizza to go? We could hide out at my house,” Ruby offered. “There’s no one there to alert the media.”
The waitress was conferring with a family at the table closest to the door. They all glanced in Boone’s direction and seemed to determine he was no impersonator.
“Do you know if there’s a back door to this place?” Boone asked Ruby.
“Right through there is a game room. There are video games all along the wall. In the left corner, there’s a door that goes out to the parking lot.”
Boone dropped his voice to a whisper. “I’ll pretend to go to the bathroom and sneak out. You ask the waitress to wrap up our pizza, and I’ll meet you at your house.”
The whole room was beginning to buzz. Everyone knew who was seated in the corner. It was now or never. A woman with hair bigger than Texas got up and shook off her friend who begged her not to bother “him.”
“Go now,” Ruby said. He didn’t hesitate. Boone took off down the hall, and Ruby stood up, blocking the woman’s pursuit.
“Is that Boone Williams?”
“Is who Boone Williams?” Ruby asked, stepping to her left when the woman stepped right.
“It is, isn’t it? Can I get a picture? I’m a huge fan.”
“Of who?”
The woman didn’t find her as funny as Ruby found herself. “Can you get out of my way? What are you, his bodyguard?”
Ruby let her past, figuring Boone should be safely in his car by now. She waved the waitress down and changed their order to takeout. As she waited, the thrill of the getaway wore off and the realization that Ruby had invited Boone to have dinner at her house set in.
What was she thinking?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
BOONE WAITED FOR Ruby and their pizza in her driveway. He wasn’t sure if he should be glad their plans got changed or not. He had been so nervous about the family dinner that pizza with Ruby seemed like no big deal. Pizza with Ruby alone in her house felt like a bigger deal.
A knock on the passenger window made him jump. Ruby’s neighbor waved and apologized. He didn’t want to, but he rolled down the window.
“Ruby’s not home. I saw her leave a little while ago when I was putting the garbage at the curb.”
Boone nodded slowly. “I know. She’ll be back in a minute.”
“So I just have to ask, are you two really friends? How did that happen?”
Boone wanted to tell her it was none of her business, but Ruby lived next to this woman. She probably wouldn’t appreciate him being nasty to her neighbor. “We met. We became friends. And, yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
She was unsurprisingly unsatisfied with that answer. She kept the most fake smile on her face, though. “Have you known each other long?”
“Have you?”
Taken aback, she answered, “We’ve been neighbors for a few months. Our kids are so far apart in age that we don’t really run in the same social circles. She’s not exactly attending playgroup!”
“Right. Well, it was great catching up with you. It’s kind of chilly. Have a good night.” He raised the window back up and gave her a little wave goodbye.
She stood there stunned for a moment and finally headed back to her house. Poor Ruby. That woman was the epitome of a nosy neighbor.
A few minutes later, Ruby pulled in next to him. She put a smile on his face every time he saw her lately. Today was no exception. He climbed out of his truck and offered to carry in the pizza for her. It smelled delicious.
“I had a nice chat with that neighbor of yours.”
Ruby unlocked the front door. “Oh, no. Mary Ellen? Why do I feel like that didn’t make your night complete?”
“You should know she’s desperate to find out how this friendship started.”
“What did you tell her?” She pushed open the door and flipped on the light.
“We met. We became friends.”
“That’s it?”
Boone followed her into the kitchen. “It drove her nuts that I wouldn’t tell her what she wanted to know. Is it really so strange that you and I would get along? According to her, people with kids the same age tend to run in the same circles. We have kids almost the same age.”
She pulled out two plates and set the table. “I think it’s the fact that you’ve performed in front of millions of people all over the world and I deliver babies in rural Tennessee.”
“So it’s the fact that you have a noble profession and I’m nothing but a monkey on a stage?” Boone opened the pizza box and placed it in the center of the table.
Her laugh made his heart bang in his chest. “Right, that’s it.”
“Napkins?” he asked.