Page 55 of Cowboy and the Convict

Janie nodded once more, confirming either the best decision she'd ever made or the worst. "Really."

“Well,” Devon spoke slowly, “in that case, I’m going to press my luck and say we have something else we need to talk about.”

“Oh?” Her stomach dropped, falling straight to her feet. Devon wouldn’t want to trade cars if he was about to tell her this wasn’t working, would he?

No. She was overreacting. Letting that damn knee get in her way again.

“Sharon told me she was selling this place.”

All the air rushed from her lungs. “Oh.” She struggled to breath, watching his face for any sign of the anger she knew was there.

Hadn’t she just lost her mind on him a few days ago for not telling her his mother-in-law was her landlady? And then she’d turned around and done the same thing, holding back something he should know just because she was afraid to let him too far into her life.

Because of that fucking knee.

“I was going to tell you.” The words rushed out. “I just—”

Devon’s brows came together. “You don’t have to tell me everything, J. You’re an adult. You have a life, and parts of it don’t involve me right now.”

She didn’t miss that qualifier he put on the end. “But she’s your mother-in-law, and selling this place cuts all ties she has to Moss Creek. It means she might not come back as often—”

“Sharon was never coming back to live in Moss Creek.” Devon moved close, snagging her by the arm and reeling her in. “She was done with Moss Creek the day Maggie died. I knew it. She knew it. My girls knew it.”

Janie pressed her lips together, eyes on his face. “You’re not mad that I didn’t tell you?”

Devon shook his head. “I’m not mad you didn’t tell me.”

She sat on that a minute before asking, “Is that just so I can feel like an ass for being mad at you over not telling me Sharon was your mother-in-law?”

Devon’s lips curved into a small smile. “Maybe a little.”

“Ugh.” Janie’s head dropped back on a groan. “And here I was about to tell you my period’s done.”

“Done, you say?” Devon pressed against her, moving her toward the bedroom. “I feel like that’s information you should have shared the minute I opened the door.” He suddenly bent his knees, hooking both hands around her thighs to pull her body up his, legs circling his hips. “I might be mad you didn’t tell me about that sooner.”

Janie held onto his shoulders, eyes on Devon’s face as he made his way to her bedroom. "I'm sorry about getting so upset with you over not telling me about Sharon being your mother-in-law." She chewed her lower lip, struggling to make her next admission even though Devon already knew. "Sometimes I jump to the worst-case scenario and occasionally it makes me overreact."

He angled a brow. "You don't say."

This was why she wanted to apologize. She knew Devon wouldn't gloat. Wouldn't revel in her acceptance of fault. That wasn’t the kind of man he was.

"I messed up. I'm probably gonna mess up again." She repeated the words he'd given to her before, but the next ones would be different. "It's probably a good thing you know how to deal with it."

She didn't want to think too hard on the fact that dealing with criminals as a cop was what prepared him for dealing with her. Whatever the reason, he had never batted an eye at anything she'd said or done. He’d made it clear that while she could feel a certain way, act a certain way, they would be figuring it out. Because, no matter what, Devon wouldn't run away. He wouldn't back down from her outbursts or that damn knee always trying to get in the middle of everything.

"It is a good thing." Devon flexed, letting out the smallest of grunts a second before her body went flying.

By the time she realized what was going on, her back hit the mattress and she bounced, bringing out a laugh instead of a scream. "Did you really just throw me onto the bed?"

Devon shrugged as he started to crawl over her. "It was easy. You don't have any body fat, remember?"

Janie rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She poked him in the stomach. "I just think you're trying to show off."

Devon's big body settled over hers. "Maybe. Is it working?"

"Meh."

"Meh?" He looked shocked, and not in a completely fake way. "My powers of seduction are better than just meh."

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