Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy #1)(43)

Boone frowned at my attire. “Wasn’t tonight the dance?”

“No. It was last night.”

“Oh. Was it fun?”

“I don’t know. I skipped it.”

“But…you said that night at the lake you wanted to go.”

I shrugged. “Marin is at her grandma’s for a week so she wasn’t going. Besides, they probably only played country music.”

“You should’ve gone.”

But I knew you wouldn’t be there.

“You asked me here to chew my ass about a dance I didn’t go to?”

“No.”

“What are you doing out here, anyway? Did your bike break down again?”

“Funny. It was a great night for a ride. I lost track of time. When I pulled over, I realized I wasn’t far from your place.”

“So you called me.” Instead of just showing up at my house. That made no sense. Especially if Boone thought I was at the dance. What was going on with him? He acted…jumpy.

“You got any decent tunes in that piece of crap car you’re driving these days?” he asked.

The Mercedes was hardly a piece of crap and he knew it. Boone also knew that the only reason my dad had bought it was for the safety features, including an excess of air bags after the air bag in my first car failed to deploy during my car accident. “I’ll play music as long as you don’t bitch about what it is.”

“Deal.”

After I rolled down the windows, I plugged my iPod into the stereo system. I mimicked his pose against the car, standing opposite him.

Boone grinned when the music started. “Foo Fighters. Cool.”

“Don’t get used to it. The next song might be by Flogging Molly.”

“I don’t even know what the hell that is, McKay. You’re more ur-bane than me.”

“Right. Seriously, West, what’s up? It’s not like you to text me, demanding I meet you out in the middle of nowhere. Especially this late.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Since when is ten late?”

“Since my dad grills me about where I’m going at ten at night and who I’m going with.”

“Did you tell him you were meeting me?”

“Yeah.” I smirked. “He said not to let you drive my car.”

“Smartass.” Boone paused and tipped his head toward the sky. “As much as I love how bright the moon is, I miss seeing the stars on nights like this.”

“Me too.”

Neither of us said anything for several minutes.

“But this moon-gazing shit is killing my neck.” He moved to lean next to me and my pulse skipped a beat. “Much better. So, what are your plans for this summer?”

“I’ve thought about becoming a carny.”

“Yeah? What’s the appeal? Getting hooked on meth? Hooked on pot? Hooked on fried food? Or is it getting to rip off little kids every day? Maybe you’ll grow a mustache and get a bad tattoo.”

I laughed. “You’ve weighed the pros and cons way more than I have. I was just in it for the unlimited cotton candy.”

“What’s option two for your summer?”

He was more persistent than usual, so I hedged, in case he had a specific reason for asking my plans—like he wanted to spend the summer with me. “I don’t know. It depends.”

“On?”

“How much my mom and dad argue over me and where I should be. My mom’s boyfriend bought a place in Paris with an extra bedroom, so she wants me to stay at least half the summer with her.” I shot him a sideways warning glance. “I haven’t mentioned this to my dad yet.”

“Why not?”

“I just found out yesterday. He’ll ask me what I want to do, and like I said, I’m not sure.”

“But he gives you a vote in your options?”

“Yes. What about you? Now that you’ve graduated, what are your plans?”

“Well, that’s the reason I asked you to meet me.”

My stomach performed a hopeful summersault.

But as usual, he didn’t elaborate. He just kept looking skyward.

“Boone? I’m lousy at guessing games, remember? So just tell me.”

“I won’t be here this summer because I joined the army.”

I gave him a ten-second pause and hip-checked him. “You have a bizarre sense of humor sometimes.”

He faced me. “I’m not joking. I joined the army.”

A sick feeling took root as I realized he was serious. Then I…exploded. “Why would you just up and do that?”

“It wasn’t an impulsive decision. I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

“How long?”

“Almost three years. Since my youth forestry counselor suggested it when I was sixteen.”

And this was the first time he’d mentioned it? After all the time we’d spent together? “But we’re at war! The military sends the newest recruits over there.” Another horrible thought occurred. “You’ve got medical training, which means they’ll put you on the first cargo plane and drop you right in the middle of a combat zone.”

“Sierra. That’s what I want.”

“To get yourself killed?” I demanded.