Know Me, Keep Me

by Barbara Gee

  Boone stood and held out a hand to her, pulling her up. “You sure you don’t want to come?”

  “I’m sure. I don’t want you to worry about anything but bonding with them. It’s been twenty-nine years in the making.”

  He caught her around the waist and pulled her close. “Can I tell them you and I are a thing?” he asked with a smile, tugging her braid.

  Her eyes widened and she wrapped her hands around his triceps. “Are we officially a thing?”

  He tilted his head, his green eyes teasing. “Oh, we’re a thing all right. We have to be, because I really want to kiss you again, and I’m not sure you’ll let me if we aren’t a thing.”

  She laughed. “Oh, well in that case, I agree. We’re definitely a thing.”

  He looked down at her, his gaze warm. “I love that you’re straight up with me, Jo.”

  She shrugged self-consciously. “I don’t know how to be any other way.”

  “Please don’t learn.”

  Her eyes dropped to his mouth. “You know, I can honestly say I’ve never been addicted to anything.” She met his eyes again with a shy smile. “But I think that might change. In case you don’t know already, you’re a really, really good kisser, Boone.”

  “Oh yeah? Good to know.” He smiled, convinced he’d never held a sweeter girl in his arms, nor kissed a sweeter mouth. “You know I don’t mind feeding your new addiction, right?”

  She beamed, reaching up to take his head in her hands so she could urge his mouth down to hers. They kept the kiss soft and light, because he needed to be going and she needed to let him. Even so, it was a hugely satisfying kiss. Everything about her felt so right, and Boone knew in his heart he would never be able to get enough of Jolene Tolley. Even if he had a lifetime to try.

  “I’ll call you,” he said, pressing one last peck against her soft lips. “I promise.”

  “I’ll be praying for you guys. And maybe shedding a few happy tears,” she told him, her beautiful dark eyes showing just how thrilled she was. “Now go hug your mom and dad.”

  He nodded and left, looking forward to seeing the Desmonds, but dreading what Tuck might have to say about the investigation. Still, with a girl like Jolene by his side, he felt like he could get through anything. She’d given him back the strength and confidence he’d been losing over the past few months, and he’d be forever grateful.

  And yes, they were totally a thing, which brought a huge smile to his face as he drove toward the ranch.

  * * *

  Libby opened the door before he could press the doorbell, greeting him with a bear hug. “Thanks for coming, Boone. Oh my gosh, this is so exciting.” She grabbed his hand and tugged him inside.

  He looked over her head and saw Virgil and Kay rise from the couch. Both of them managed smiles as he approached, but they looked nervous and uncertain. Just like him. Kay’s eyes were red and puffy, and he hated that she was feeling such pain.

  He cleared his throat. “I guess I’m not sure what to say,” he began, shoving his hands in his pockets because he didn’t know what to do with them. “First, I feel like I need to apologize for coming to the ranch under false pretenses. I should have been up front with you right from the beginning.”

  Kay shook her head vigorously. “You don’t have one single thing to apologize for, Boone. Not one.”

  “I appreciate you saying that, but I could have handled things differently. I’m sorry for my deception. Especially for coming here for dinner the other night and still not telling you who I am.”

  “It’s a difficult situation, and there’s no need for second-guessing. The fact is, none of this was your fault. You were an innocent little baby, for goodness sake.” Her breath hitched and new tears began streaming down her cheeks. “Our baby. Our precious boy. Please, Boone, can I hug you? I’m sorry if that’s asking too much too soon, but my arms have been empty for twenty-nine years.”

  “Twenty-nine years, four months and six days,” Virgil said quietly.

  Boone wasn’t a crier, far from it, but he felt hot tears on his own cheeks as he opened his arms and his mother walked into them. She held him as if she was afraid he would disappear if she let go. Virgil joined them, stoic and dry eyed for the moment, wrapping his arms around both of them. Tuck and Libby walked over, too, each placing a hand on Boone’s back, giving their support as they wiped their own eyes.

  “Hugging is great,” Libby declared, “but let’s sit and talk for a while. I’ll bring out some iced tea and Boone can tell us about his life.”

  Boone looked at his parents questioningly. “Do you want to hear about it? I completely understand if you don’t feel up to it right now.”

  Kay grabbed another tissue from the box on the sofa table. “Tuck says you had a good childhood, and if that’s true, I want to hear about it. But if you suffered, I don’t think I can stand to hear it. Not yet, at least.”

  “It was good,” Boone said hesitantly. “I’ll try not to say too much about my mom and—um—about Aaron and Carla.”

  Kay patted his arm. “It’s okay, Boone. They’re always going to be your parents. Nothing can change the fact that they raised you. But I have to admit it will be a tad bit easier on me if you leave Aaron out of it as much as possible. I’m told Carla is as innocent as you are, and believe me, I don’t get any satisfaction out of knowing she’s got some real bad news coming up.” Kay’s tears started anew. “What a terrible business this is, all the way around.”

  “It is,” Boone agreed.

  Virgil cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I don’t have a real forgiving heart right now. What that man did is about as unforgivable as anything I’ve ever heard of. But with the good Lord’s help, we’ll find a way to come to peace about it. I don’t want it to come between us, son. I’m guessin’ you’re not the kind of man who can turn his back on the man who raised you, and we’ll do our best to understand that.”

  Libby urged them toward the sofas and chairs again, then went to the kitchen for the tea. Kay settled beside Boone on the couch, scarcely able to take her eyes off him.

  “I’ll bet you were an adorable baby,” she said longingly. “I hope to see pictures one day.”

  “Actually I was a little on the homely side,” Boone told her with a smile. “I didn’t have hair until I was almost two.”

  “Neither did Virgil,” Kay said. “I bet you looked just like him.”

  “Could be.”

  “There’s definitely a resemblance now, too,” Tuck added. “Actually, I see both of you in him, now that I know he’s your kid.”

  “It would probably still be good to do a DNA test,” Boone said. “Just so there aren’t any questions.”

  “I already know what it’ll show,” Kay declared. “I know you’re ours.”

  Libby returned with a pitcher of tea and a stack of plastic cups. “We’re keeping it simple, folks,” she announced. “No glasses to wash later.”

  “Would you like something to eat, Boone?” Kay asked. “I have some carrot cake from dinner.”

  “No, thanks. I just had a big bowl of blueberry cobbler over at Jolene’s.”

  Kay’s eyes developed a sparkle at that news. “Oh, well that gal’s a fine cook. I’m sure it was every bit as tasty as my cake.”

  “Why didn’t she come along?” Tuck wondered.

  “She thought it should just be the five of us for tonight.”

  “That’s our thoughtful little Jolene,” Kay said fondly. “But it would have been quite all right with me if she’d come.”

  “So have you played hockey all your life?” Virgil asked, eager to hear more about Boone’s early life.

  “I started at six. The first time I skated was when I went to an open skate at a local rink with a little buddy of mine, Josh, from the neighborhood. He had some older brothers who played, so he went to the rink a lot. I picked up skating pretty quickly that morning, and then we watched one of his brothers’ games. After that, I was hooked. I kept tagging along with Josh,
because he started playing in a league, and his mom offered to haul me around with them if I joined too. A year in, Josh decided he was more into soccer, so my mom had to start taking me to practices and games. Luckily she grew to love the sport almost as much as I did. It practically killed her when I got traded from Chicago to Minnesota. She’s still my biggest fan, though.”

  “Bigger than Jolene?” Tuck asked skeptically, making the others laugh.

  “Well, Jolene seems to be right up there,” Boone admitted, trying not to get sidetracked by thoughts of the girl who was almost always on his mind.

  For the next two hours, Boone talked about his life, answering what seemed like a hundred questions. The Desmonds hung on his every word. While he’d fully expected them to experience intense regret at missing his childhood, actually seeing them grieve—while trying to put on a brave face for his benefit—was heart wrenching. After their most pressing questions and concerns had finally been answered, they reluctantly decided they’d better call it a night.

  “It’s going to take a while for all this to fully sink in,” Kay said as they walked him to the door. “I’m going to have my ups and downs, but I’ll try not to feel too sorry for myself. I want to concentrate on the fact that you’re alive, and not dwell on the other stuff. Please forgive me when I fail, though, because I’m quite certain I will.”

  “I would never hold that against you,” Boone assured her. “It’s hard not to dwell on the ‘what ifs,’ that’s for sure. I’ve been doing that myself. I mean, I had a good childhood, but growing up on a ranch like this is every kid’s dream. I know it would’ve been incredible.”

  Those words finally broke the dam for Virgil. He uttered a single sob that seemed to be torn from his very soul. “We’d have loved nothing more,” he choked out. His shoulders shook with grief as he covered his face with a trembling hand. Tuck stepped up and wrapped the big man in his arms, holding him as he finally let it out, unable to hold back his pain any longer.

  Boone completely understood. Virgil had ridden his beloved ranch alone for thirty years, when he could have had his perfectly healthy son by his side. The loss of what could have been was almost unbearable. Kay grabbed more tissues and took hold of her husband’s arm, leaning into him as he gradually calmed. She gave Boone a watery smile.

  “We’ll be okay. Please don’t worry about us. We need to grieve all over again, in a different way from before, but we’re also rejoicing. We truly are. Our son is alive and well, and such a fine, fine man. We’re proud and happy, Boone. It’s just that we need a little time to work things out all the way through.”

  “Of course you do. I understand that.”

  “But we want to see you as much as we possibly can. There’s so much to catch up on. Can you come to dinner tomorrow?” Kay asked hopefully.

  Boone didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation. He owed them as much time as they wanted.

  “And bring Jolene. If my suspicions are right, she needs to be a part of this, too.”

  Libby’s brows raised immediately and her gaze sharpened. “Am I missing something here? Wait, are you and Jolene an item?”

  Boone chuckled. “I’m working on it. She’s stubborn, but I’m working on it.”

  “I knew it!” Libby said gleefully. “Anyone with eyes could see the sparks between you two. Maddy and I have been predicting this ever since you got here.”

  Tuck clapped the other man on the back. “Come on, Boone, I’ll walk you out. Kay and Virgil need to get to bed, and my sister needs to calm down and save her match-making for another day.”

  Once outside, the men leaned up against Boone’s car while Tuck switched gears and filled him in on what was happening down in Texas.

  “I talked to the agent in charge this afternoon. Right now they’re focusing on the Ashton Police Department. Your private investigator made a pretty strong case for the blackmailer having an inside guy there. If we can figure out who it is and then pressure that cop for a name, maybe we can get a quick arrest and put the blackmailer behind bars with no bail. That would eliminate the danger, and let us get on with the rest of the investigation.”

  Boone frowned. “Do you think there’s any chance the blackmailer will simply opt to cut and run, and not worry about trying to track me down?”

  “I think the amount of money at stake will make him desperate enough to try to stop your efforts to expose him. If we could put out the word that the FBI is already working the case, he might realize that getting to you won’t stop him from getting caught. But right now, the FBI doesn’t want our involvement to get out, because we don’t want to alert the Tamkins. We now know they moved to Alabama three years ago, and we have people watching their house. There’s been no activity there, though, so an agent called the medical office where Tamkin works. The receptionist said he’s been on vacation for two weeks. We’re checking for a vacation home, and also to see whether they purchased any airline tickets.”

  “If they talked to the dirty cop, they might be laying low, which means they’ll be really hard to find.”

  “Yeah, but we’ll get them. We hope to be able to build enough of a case to allow for an immediate extradition back to Texas. We already have enough to implicate them in the baby swapping, but we still need to find out if they’re the ones doing the blackmailing, or helping with it in some capacity.”

  “So how are your guys handling things at the Ashton PD, since they aren’t going in officially?”

  “It’s not hard to find cops to do favors for the FBI. We just needed to find someone in the department who we can trust, and let them start poking around. I’m told we already have a guy on it, so hopefully we’ll hear soon.”

  “Is Doug free to come back to Minnesota?”

  “He can leave wherever he wants, but Special Agent Whitaker said Doug has asked to stay down there and assist with the case. He feels invested and wants to help, and Agent Whitaker said his knowledge has been real useful so far. They’re still picking his brain.”

  Boone nodded. “I’m happy to continue paying him to stay, if that’s what he wants to do.”

  “The Feds might pick up part of the tab, if his info proves good.”

  “We can work that out later. But right now, I need you to be straight with me about something.” Boone looked at his friend earnestly. “Am I putting the people at the ranch in danger by staying here?”

  Tuck folded his arms across his chest. “Ryan and I discussed that for a while this afternoon. We feel like it depends on whether you can be tracked here anytime soon. We know there could be hackers involved, and our own tech guys are already working to scrub all evidence of your flight to North Dakota. Aside from that, who all knows you’re here?”

  Boone clasped his hands behind his head. “The team’s owner and general manager, the team doc, and the two trainers. And also my teammate, Jax. All of them know I don’t want it made public, and I trust them. I think the bigger problem is that everyone here on the ranch knows. The staff and all the retreat goers know my privacy is important, but realistically, the chances that none of them have told people back home are pretty slim. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the St. Paul hockey paparazzi arriving in Barlow by next week. Maybe sooner.”

  He dropped his hands and gave Tuck a bleak look. “I think I just answered my own question.”

  Tuck nodded slowly. “I hate to say it, but I believe you’re right.”

  Boone kicked at a small pebble on the drive. “I hate to miss the end-of-retreat hockey tournament, but I don’t think I should stay another three days.”

  “I don’t want the vets to miss out on you being a part of that game, though. They’ve worked so hard, and Maddy said the whole center is pumped about the tournament. Let’s see if we can move it up to tomorrow. That’s only two days earlier than planned, so it shouldn’t be a big deal, right? You can take off as soon as it’s over. We’ll get a copter to take you into Grand Forks, and you can charter a plane to St. Paul and be there by midnight.”
<
br />   “You don’t think I should leave yet tonight?”

  Tuck shook his head. “If the paparazzi haven’t found the missing hockey player yet, I don’t think the bad guy is going to locate you in twenty-four hours. We’ll get some extra security in place and get some drones up, just to be safe, but we should be fine.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to Donovan yet tonight to make sure he doesn’t have a problem with rescheduling the tournament. If anything changes, you’ll let me know?”

  “You bet. I’ll be in close contact with Texas.”

  Boone nodded. “I appreciate everything you’ve done. I guess I’ll have to reschedule dinner with Kay and Virgil. Or maybe we can meet in the dining hall before the tournament.”

  Tuck grunted. “I’ll fill them in in the morning. They’re not going to be happy about you having to leave so soon after they found out about you.”

  “I’ll be a frequent visitor once all this crap is taken care of,” Boone promised.

  Tuck gave him a crooked grin. “Why do I have the feeling it’s not just your parents you’ll be coming back for?”

  Boone laughed. “I’m not going to deny it. If she’ll have me, I’ll come back every chance I get.

  “If she’ll have you, you’re a lucky man,” Tuck stated. “Jolene is one in a million. I love her like a sister, so you’re lucky I approve.”

  “Thanks for that. I hope I don’t ever give you reason to regret it.”

  Tuck clapped him on the shoulder. “You won’t. You’re a Desmond. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  As the other man walked off toward his nearby house, Boone raised his face to the night sky and went back over everything that had happened in the last few hours. He closed his eyes and said a quick prayer for everyone involved. For Jolene. For his new family, Virgil, Kay, Libby, and Tuck, and also Ryan and Maddy. For the safety of the people on the ranch. For Doug’s safety.

  He also prayed fervently that the bad stuff would be over soon. He longed for the time when he could focus on building his relationship with Jolene without worrying about what lay ahead, or about putting her in danger.