Page 31 of Cowboy and the Convict

"She's a bitch." Her eyes jumped to his face. "And I know I shouldn't say that about my mother, but it's true." She swiped at that little, rogue piece of hair always falling into her face. "Nothing I've done has ever been, or will ever be, good enough for her, and she never misses the opportunity to remind me of it."

The information was a kick in the pants. One he deserved. He'd figured out Janie didn't appreciate his assistance, but still wasn't one hundred percent sure why. Now he knew, and it explained why she got so pissed off every time he tried to offer advice. To her it was just more of the same shit she’d been dealing with her whole life. Yet another person pointing out flaws and shortcomings. That wasn't what he was doing, but he could see how she might see it that way.

“So you see her much?” He wasn’t paying any attention to the movie now. Not when the woman beside him was opening up. It was the kind of closeness he and Maggie never had, and he was only just beginning to see how much he craved it.

How unfulfilled he might have also been in their marriage.

"I haven't talked to her much since I moved out here, so that's been kinda nice." She gave him a weak smile. "She's got a new husband whose daughter is married to a doctor, so I'm sure what I'm up to is less than interesting to her. My life isn’t the kind she can go bragging to her friends about."

He knew not everyone had great parents, but had been lucky not to experience it firsthand. It was hard to imagine what a life without someone backing you up would be like. It was unlikely he would have made it through Maggie’s death as well as he did without his parents supporting him. "Were you and your mother ever close?"

Janie’s lips curved in a sad smile. "No. Never." Her head dropped back, resting against his arm instead of the cushion. "When my dad died five years ago, the gap between us only widened. And honestly, that was the best thing that could've happened to me." She pinched her lower lip between her teeth, eyes far away as she continued. "For the first time in my life I wasn't chasing her approval anymore, and it was pretty fucking fantastic."

He twisted to face her, reaching for that wayward bit of hair that always taunted him. "You'll have to forgive me for saying this, but it sounds like she's not just a bitch, but a stupid bitch." He squinted, thinking his words over. "I don't think I've ever called a woman a bitch before."

Janie's smile lifted a little, the weight of her head settling heavier against his arm as she seemed to relax. "Well, I appreciate that you used your bitch cherry to defend me."

She was so close. Smelled so fucking good. Now that he knew she tasted even better, the temptation to pull her against him was almost overwhelming.

But it couldn't happen.

Pulling his hand from her hair, Devon straightened away, giving her a wink. "That's what friends are for."

13

Janie

THIS PLACE WAS insane. It had been years since she’d been to a high school football game, and holy hell were they different when you were over forty and not looking to socialize.

Janie dodged a group of teenage boys paying zero attention to where they were going, shooting them a glare not a single one of them noticed, as she shoved her freezing hands into the pockets of her fall jacket. It was way colder than she thought and the chill in the air was already starting to sink through the fleece lining, making her regret not digging her down coat out of the closet.

If she hadn’t promised to be here, her ass would be turning around and heading back to her car. The last thing she wanted to do on a Friday night was sit in a packed football stadium, freezing her tits off, watching a bunch of high schoolers scramble their gray matter.

Thankfully, it was the last game of the season, so she couldn’t be talked into coming to another one.

Stopping at the concession stand, she ordered the biggest hot chocolate they offered and a soft pretzel. She was just digging through the small purse strapped across her chest in search of her wallet when a deep voice made her fumble the leather pouch.

“Make that two hot chocolates and two pretzels.” Devon dropped a twenty onto the counter and tucked another into the donation jar dedicated to whatever sports team was slinging hot dogs and popcorn tonight.

Janie dropped her wallet back into place, ignoring the flip of her stomach, as she tipped her head in a nod and offered a little smile. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me.” He leaned close, bringing that scent she was becoming way too familiar with into her personal space. “I may have used you to skip the line.”

Janie scoffed, faking outrage. “You are a man of the law.”

Devon collected the first of the hot chocolates and passed it to her. “That makes it even more impressive when I break the rules.”

He took their pretzels and his hot chocolate before leading her away from the cinderblock building situated next to the home stands. Shooting her a sexy grin that pulled all her focus to his lips, he winked. “Don’t pretend you aren’t in awe of my rebellion.”

“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. This guy was really starting to become a problem. All the shit-eating grins and corny jokes and overused winks should be reminding her he was a dad, but the more she was around him, the more impossible it was to think of Devon as anything other than a man. One who was frustratingly charming.

“I’ll be in awe when you clean out your garage so you can park your car in it.”

It was impossible to resist giving him a hard time. Lecturing him the way he used to lecture her. But somehow it always came out as teasing. Possibly flirting.

“Always bringing up the mess in the garage.” He shook his head but didn’t look put out. “Even though the house looks a thousand times better.”

“The house does look a lot better.” She could give him that. “You and the girls have done a good job of keeping it up.” She gave him a sidelong glance. "But you’ll thank me for giving you shit about the garage when it starts to snow."

---