Page 12 of The Convict Gets His Girl

Gemma finally looked at her and said, "You'll come with me to the office tomorrow, right? I can't believe you're finally joining us!"

Jewel laughed and swallowed. "I know, I'm a few years late to the party."

Henry snorted. "A few years."

Jewel ignored him and Gemma said, "The timing couldn't be better. I need to go to Dallas tomorrow night for the Opening Ceremony. Then we have sessions all day Friday, General Meeting Saturday night. I'm sure we'll end up doing things on Sunday too, but I plan to be back by dark."

Henry set his soda on the table and stabbed at his food. "It'll be nice to not have to close the office while you're gone, if Jewel can handle it."

"I'll handle it," Jewel said, her voice harder than normal. Her nostrils flared as an awkward silence settled on the table, which Gemma of course broke.

"So when will Destini arrive? I can't wait to show her around."

Jewel avoided looking at them and filled them in on the plan. "Hoping in a few weeks before school starts."

"She's a good, strong worker," Henry said with pride. "I don't blame NASA for asking her to stay and finish her summer contract."

Jewel nodded but swallowed down the words that bubbled to the surface. She wouldn't resent the way Henry loved her daughter. There was something special between the two of them, and since her dad was the only father figure she'd ever been around—besides her cousin in Houston—Jewel would not take that away from her.

She still tensed up when Henry talked like that, though. What kind of shit mom was jealous of her own daughter? Ugh. The rest of dinner went well, as Gemma steered the topics into more neutral territory.

Henry eventually went to the living room to prop his feet up in the recliner, turning the television on to some wrestling show. Jewel helped Gemma do the dishes, humming quietly.

"I'm glad you're here," Gemma said softly as she handed Jewel a clean dish.

Jewel dried it and put it up as she replied, "I'm glad too."

"It's time to face him, you know."

Jewel swallowed hard, her breathing growing shallow and fast at just the mention of it. "I—I know, but there's not really a rush, is there?"

Gemma shrugged. "It's foaling season, so you could run into him this weekend."

Jewel groaned and took the next plate. "What about Dad?"

Gemma shrugged. "He has the monthly spay and neuter clinic Saturday, so you'll be the one called if anyone needs an on-site vet. Being the largest ranch in the county and this one of their busiest seasons, you'd be wise to prepare yourself mentally now."

Jewel closed her eyes and leaned against the counter, regulating her breathing and stretching her neck side to side. "It's not a big deal. We both have to live in this town, so it'd be best to talk with him at the ranch anyway. Away from all the small-town gossips."

"Very true. I don't know about you, but I'm so fucking glad they're going to know about Destini soon. I always feel so guilty when I go over there or talk with Mrs. Williams."

Jewel winced and straightened, taking the last plate and wiping it down. "I'm sorry, Sis. I shouldn't have asked you and Dad to keep her from them, but I really thought it was the best thing to do that year. With all they were going through, I didn't want to add stress to their lives."

Gemma wiped down the sink. "Destini could never be stressful. She's an angel, but I get what you're saying."

Jewel snorted and rolled her eyes. She would wait to burst her elder sister's bubble about how stressful a teenage girl can be.

* * *

"So it's the same computer system as the one we had in the Woodlands," Jewel said, nodding at the computer.

Gemma's shoulders relaxed. "Oh good, I was hoping you'd say that, but it was a fifty-fifty chance on whether you knew it or the other one. Now, you remember the storage room and where everything's at? It hasn't changed in fifteen years, but do you remember that far back?"

Jewel shrugged and smiled as a mom and teenager came in with a cat in a carrier. "I'm sure I'll be fine. We practically grew up in here."

She turned to the new customers. "Good morning, how are you today?"

Kayla came out of the back at the sound of the bell and sat in her chair at the check-in counter. Gemma and Jewel moved out of the way to give the secretary room to work.

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