Catch A Fallen Star. Amy Vastine

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      Not surprising Violet wanted to be like the high schoolers. She was thirteen going on eighteen. There was no way Ruby was going to convince her daughter this was a bad idea. She was much too excited.

      “I guess that means yes, you want to do it. What time did he say you needed to be there?”

      “Nine. Eat your breakfast faster. I don’t want to be late.” Violet snatched a blueberry muffin off the table and headed back upstairs to finish getting ready.

      Ruby should have known Violet was serious about this when she was up and moving before eleven. All Ruby could do now was accept that there would eventually be some sort of awkward face-to-face with Boone.

      Letting Holly come along had been the worst idea ever. Boone had proved to be exactly like Levi. Her ex-husband loved to blow everything out of proportion and didn’t care about anyone except for himself.

      “Let’s go, Mom!” Violet shouted from the front door.

      Ruby stood up and grabbed her purse. The things she did for this child. Although this time, she hoped Boone was there when she arrived, so she could get the awkwardness out of the way.

      Her prayers were answered. Boone and Jesse were standing outside the barn when she drove into the farm. They watched the car pull in, and surprisingly Boone didn’t run off.

      “Don’t get out of the car, Mom. Come back at eleven and wait in the car for me.”

      Apparently Ruby wasn’t the only one worried about what would happen when she had to confront Boone again. “I’m not going to embarrass you, I promise.”

      “Yeah, I totally trust you.” Violet’s sarcasm was not Ruby’s favorite. “Please stay in the car.”

      Ruby did as Violet asked. There was no reason for her to start trouble with an angry teenager and an angry country star. She didn’t avert her eyes when Boone stared her down, though. She held his gaze until he was the one to look away. It was a small victory, but a victory all the same.

      She drove home, determined to push all thoughts of Boone out of her mind. It was impossible that she could be under some strange spell like Holly claimed. Maybe he was a bit intriguing and quite handsome, but he was also stubborn and mean. His negative traits outweighed the positives.

      Ruby’s phone rang just as she pulled into her driveway. Levi’s name appeared on the screen. Given a choice, she would have preferred fighting with Boone to fighting with Levi, but she wasn’t lucky enough to choose.

      “Hello?”

      “Ruby? I thought I was calling Violet’s phone.”

      No, he didn’t. He had pulled this trick a time or two, especially when he had bad news to share with Violet but didn’t want to be the one who had to tell her.

      “Violet is at the horse farm. Should I have her call you when she’s done?”

      “Oh, I thought she’d be sleeping. Does she have an early-morning lesson?”

      Ruby took a deep breath to keep her frustration from spilling over. She got out of her car and headed inside. “She’s volunteering there now. They got a new horse, and she’s learning how to train it to do therapy.”

      “Wow. Good for her! What kind of horse is it?”

      There was no need for all this small talk. “What do you want, Levi? Do you want me to have her call you when she gets done?”

      “No, no, no,” Levi insisted. “I was just calling about that email you sent with the info on Violet’s horse show. Next weekend is kind of a busy one for me—”

      Ruby lost what was left of her patience and cut him off. “Don’t you dare back out. You know how important this is to her. She has worked really hard, and she wants you to see what she can do. Your opinion matters to her.”

      Violet was dying for her father’s approval. Levi was a bull rider. He wasn’t a huge star but made a decent living doing it. Violet thought riding was the way to prove to him that she was worthy of his attention.

      “I didn’t say I wasn’t coming. I just need you to know that there’s a possibility I might only be able to drop by for part of it. I have a life, you know?”

      He had a life? Ruby was about to hang up but stopped herself. If she turned this into a fight, he would tell Violet he hadn’t come because of what her mother did or said.

      “I know you have a life. You also have a daughter. I trust you’ll do the right thing.”

      “Of course you try to make me feel bad,” Levi complained. “I’m doing the best I can, Ruby. Sorry I’m not perfect like you.”

      Ruby tried not to laugh. “I’m far from perfect, but I am here. Every day. Trying to do what’s best for her.”

      “You’re the one who moved out of Nashville. You’re the one who thought you could do this on your own. That’s not my fault.”

      Levi loved to blame that one on her. As if he was such a big help when they were living within the city limits. Even then, Ruby was raising Violet on her own.

      “You do what you have to do. I hope you make it to the competition. Vi really wants you to be there.”

      Levi wouldn’t let it go. He wanted a fight even if she wasn’t going to give him one. “You act like I said I wasn’t coming. I called to say I was coming but wouldn’t be able to stay the whole time. You love to make me the bad guy, don’t you?”

      “I’m not calling you a bad guy. I will let her know that you’ll be there.”

      “Well, if you’re going to be like this, I’m not sure if I will. I don’t deserve to be treated this way.”

      Ruby sat down at the kitchen table and propped her head on her hand. Classic Levi. He instigated the argument and imagined insults she might have thought but didn’t say aloud. It would be all her fault when he didn’t show up to the competition, and Violet would believe it.

      “What if I promise not to say a word? Will you come then?”

      “You don’t have to say anything to make me feel judged. You say plenty with one of your dirty looks.”

      “I promise not to give you any dirty looks or say anything that could be construed as an insult. Please come,” she begged.

      “I’ll think about it. As much as I want to go to support our daughter, I don’t know if I can trust you.”

      “I hope you will.” She wanted to tell him to put Violet first for once but figured he’d take it the wrong way. Someone was on the other line. “I have to go, Levi. One of my patients is calling.”

      “Right,” he said before hanging up.

      Ruby wanted to scream, but there really was a patient calling. Iris Downing was thirty-nine weeks pregnant and had called last night about some back pain. Today her contractions were coming every ten minutes. She’d been timing them for almost an hour.

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