Page 53 of Cowboy and the Convict

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Janie was always on the move. Even when she was at home, her ass didn’t sit for long. She was up and turning over laundry. Running the vacuum. Going through her closet to bring her winter clothes to the front and send her warm weather items to the back. No way would she be happy sitting behind a desk all day. “Careers are kind of like relationships. What you want when you’re young might not be what you want as you get older. You can keep pushing through and end up with a degree in something you hate, or you can cut your losses and move on.”

It was one more thing he liked about Janie. She didn’t settle. She didn’t keep going down the wrong path just because it was the one she’d picked. Like the different careers she’d started and left behind. Like the twat she ditched in Tukwila.

On the flipside, when Janie wanted something, nothing got in her way. When she enjoyed what she was doing she was a fucking machine. He'd seen her in action at The Baking Rack and attacking the clusterfuck of his house. He had to assume she was the same way with relationships. When she thought it was right, she went all in. Possibly to a fault. One that left her devastated when things didn't work out the way she planned.

That's why he had to be careful. Had to take his time. Work up to where he wanted them to be slowly so he didn't scare her off. Things had gone wrong for her too many times, and at any sort of blip, she would jump to the conclusion that it was wrong once again.

But it wasn't. He was even more sure now that he knew his girls saw the same thing he did.

He'd just finished pouring the egg, cheese, and ham combination into the pie crust and was in the process of sliding it into the oven when the doorbell rang. Riley's excited gaze met his, and he knew who she was expecting on the other side of the door.

If she was right, it meant Janie still wasn't comfortable using her key unless no one else was home, and that dampened his spirits a little.

But, as he made his way down the hall, it wasn't Janie he found in the entryway.

"It's my favorite people." Sharon came in, giving Riley a long squeeze before coming to offer him the same.

His mother-in-law came into town a few times a year and always went out of her way to spend as much time with his girls as possible, even though he could see how difficult it was for her. Especially with Riley. Riley was the most like Maggie, both in looks and temperament. While he imagined it was great for Sharon to see a piece of her daughter living on, it was likely equally painful.

"I just put dinner in the oven." He tipped his head, hollering up the stairs. "Girls. Nana's here."

Olivia and Gwen hurried down the stairs. They'd been close with Sharon before she moved to Florida, and it was nice to see they still held the same amount of affection for her.

"I'm going to go shower and change real quick." If his daughters heard him, they didn't acknowledge it. They were all focused on Sharon, much like they were when Janie came over.

A realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Their reaction was likely due to the loss of Maggie. When they had a motherly figure around, they soaked it up.

While she hadn't been able to have any children of her own, Janie was certainly motherly. She didn't just have fun with his girls—though they did spend time learning how to do hairstyles, practicing backflips, and watching movies—she made sure they did the things they should. Things he'd slacked on because of guilt and exhaustion.

It felt wrong to give his daughters shit about cleaning their rooms or taking out the trash after they’d gone through so much, ultimately losing their mom. It was also exhausting to argue and continuously remind. But Janie stepped in to do that without blinking. Seamlessly picking up the ball he’d dropped.

Riley had asked if he and Janie fit, and everywhere he looked he could see how her edges aligned with his.

After jumping in the shower and scrubbing down, he pulled on jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, padding down the steps to find his girls and Sharon in the living room, piled up on the sofas much the way they did with Janie. He gave them a glance on his way to the kitchen. After checking on the quiche, giving it a little shake to test for doneness like Janie had instructed, he pulled a bag of shredded potatoes from the freezer and started heating a pan to fry them up.

"Look at you being all fancy." Sharon sidled up to the counter beside him as he dumped the frozen potatoes into the screaming hot oil. "The girls said you're making quiche?"

"A friend of mine told me it would be a good simple dinner to try." He didn't want to keep what was going on between him and Janie from Sharon, but it didn't feel right to come out and say it either. He knew Sharon wouldn't begrudge him finding happiness, especially since—after talking to Riley—he was suspicious she might have also known what happened between him and Maggie. Even so, Maggie was her daughter, and telling Sharon he'd found someone was like throwing the fact that her daughter was gone in her face.

"That's good." Sharon gave him a smile. "The friend part, not the quiche part." She looked him over. "You could use some friends." Her head tipped to one side as she continued studying him. "You know it's okay to have a social life, right? Those girls are going to grow up and move away. If they’re the only people in your life, you're going to be real lonely."

He'd always gotten along with Sharon. She was a good mom. Both to him and Maggie. He appreciated it then, and he appreciated it now. "I know, and I've been working on it."

"Good." Sharon slid one hand across the counter, eyes wandering around the kitchen. "I'm glad you're starting to get back in the swing of things. I worried about you for a while, but it looks like you're getting it all sorted out." Her eyes continued roaming. "The house looks great. The girls are happy." Her eyes came back to his face. "And supposedly you have friends."

"They're not even imaginary." He gave her a wink, turning back to shift around his cooking potatoes.

"That's extra good, because I've got something I need to tell you." Sharon took a deep breath, blowing it back out. "I know I kept the trailer because I thought I'd move back after a few years when it got easier, but I’ve decided to stay in Florida, so I’ll be selling it."

Devon's head snapped her way. "You're selling the trailer?"

Sharon nodded. "It's time. I can't come back here to live full-time. It's too hard."

He understood. He'd honestly never expected Sharon to move back to Moss Creek, in spite of her claims. He also hadn't expected her to sell the trailer. "But I thought you were making money renting the trailer out."

Sharon shrugged. "I am. But sooner or later I'm going to have to start replacing things, and Janie's not going to live there forever. Who knows what kind of renter I’ll end up with when she's gone."

"Do you already have a buyer lined up?"

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