The Cowboy Takes A Wife

Work at a bakery started early. Josephina and her sister-in-law, Keri Teague, who owned the bakery, were probably the first people into downtown each morning.

She waved a goodbye and headed for the door, pausing when Talia Monroe stepped inside with her stepdaughter, Mia.

“Good morning,” Devon said. “How are you all?”

Talia smiled and placed her hand lovingly on Mia’s head. “Great, actually. We’re here for celebratory sweets. Miss Mia just had her latest checkup and got another clean bill of health.”

“Cancer-free!” Mia said with great exuberance as she threw her arms out wide.

“That’s awesome.” Devon leaned down to meet Mia’s gaze. “That is a great reason for a treat.”

An idea popped into her head, something she could do during her anniversary celebration.

“Mia, I have an idea for something to do at my store, and I was wondering if you’d give me your opinion.”

“Sure.” Mia crossed her arms, and her expression changed from gleeful, cancer-free kid to serious consideration, like she was a mini adult.

“Do you think kids like you would be interested in learning how to knit? We could do fun things that you could give as Christmas gifts.” She was making it up on the fly, but the more she said, the more she liked the idea.

“Sounds cool.” She looked up at Talia. “Could I do that?”

“I don’t see why not.” Talia met Devon’s gaze as Devon stood to her full height again. “Great idea.”

After insisting on buying Mia’s and Talia’s pastries, Devon headed to the shop feeling really good. Nothing like a jolt of coffee and learning that a sweet little girl was healthy after her struggle with the big, dreaded C word to put pep in your step. She was darn near skipping by the time she stepped into the shop.

“Good morning, Mandy,” she said in greeting to her best friend since the second grade.

Devon barely had time to detect the tense look of warning on Mandy’s face before she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Devon knew before turning that it was her mother. It was something about how the air changed near her, as if it crackled before a lightning strike.

“We need to talk about your rude behavior,” her mom said without any preamble.

“Good morning to you, too, Mom.” Devon rounded the front counter and stuffed her purse underneath it in the safe alongside Mandy’s.

“Don’t be smart with me.”

“If you’re here about your sneak attack on me yesterday, you can save your breath.”

“Attack? That’s what you call my having your best interests in mind when I introduce you to a handsome, successful young man?” Angela shifted her attention to Mandy. “Dear, don’t you have somewhere else you can be?”

“I work here, remember?”

Devon bit her lip, trying not to laugh. In the past, her mother had first scared Mandy, then hurt her feelings. The fact that Mandy hadn’t had much money growing up, had been the daughter of a single mother who had to work three jobs to make ends meet, had made her an inappropriate friend for Devon, according to her mother.

“Your father and I have an image to uphold. It’s what your father’s customers expect,” she’d said when Devon was only nine. “Some people just don’t fit into our world.”

Our world. Even at that young age, Devon had known her mother was a snob. And despite the fact that her mother scared her, too, Devon had refused to stop being friends with Mandy. In fact, they’d become inseparable. When Devon had reached high school, her mother had blamed Mandy for Devon’s lack of popularity. The woman hadn’t been able to see that she was the reason.She’d driven her only daughter into a self-protective shell built from books, crafts, baggy clothes and lots of comfort food.

Her mother looked exasperated as she shifted her piercing gaze back to Devon. “You embarrassed me yesterday. I had to try to explain away your rudeness.”

“I wasn’t rude. I was perfectly cordial to Steven because I figured he got dragged into the situation with no clue about the backstory.” Devon braced her palms against the top of the counter. “I’ve told you over and over to stop trying to fix me up with these men you deem appropriate. I’m not interested.”

“Which just proves that you don’t know what’s best for you. I mean, seriously, Cole Davis? Please tell me you’re not dating him.”

Devon detected a barely contained sound of shock from Mandy. She’d have to explain everything when her mom finally vacated the premises.

“There’s nothing wrong with Cole.”

“He has nothing to offer you.”

“At least he isn’t trying to make me something I’m not.”

Her mother opened her mouth to speak again, but she instantly transformed her expression to one of perfectly crafted cordiality when the mayor came through the front door.

But before her mother could say anything, Devon beat her to it. “Good morning, Karen.”

Mayor Karen Tompkins smiled. “Good morning.”

Devon noticed the way her mother’s expression shifted back to one that promised another scolding, but Devon chose to ignore her, at least for the moment.

“What can I help you with?”

Karen pointed toward the large candles. “I need something that will make my office smell like anything other than the plumbing work they’re finally doing.”

After Devon helped Karen select a large lemon-scented candle and accepted her payment, the mayor hurried off to make an early meeting with several other mayors from throughout the Hill Country.

“You do realize it’s appropriate to address Mayor Tompkins by her title?” Angela said the moment the front door closed behind Karen.

It was the last straw. Devon rounded on her mother. “And you do realize that I’m not a child who has to live under your overbearing thumb anymore, right?”

Devon suspected she should feel ashamed of talking to her mother in such a way, but she didn’t. In fact, seeing the anger burning in her mother’s eyes gave her a sense of empowerment that didn’t often make an appearance when she was around her mom.

“Mark my words. You will regret talking to me this way when you want my help. You’ll realize that you’ve made a lot of mistakes and that I’ve been right all along.”

“I doubt that.”

“Remember you said that when your choices lead to failure and heartbreak.”

Devon started to make a retort, feeling like she was on a roll, but her mother lifted her hand to stop her.

“If nothing else, at least find someone who isn’t so...” Her mom made a face, as if she thought Cole might smell like horse manure.

“What, Mom? Beneath me?” Well, that brought up an interesting image in her head, one she simply could not indulge while facing her mother. “Cole is a good man, and you’re just going to have to get used to seeing us together.”

Her mother shook her head and strode out of the shop without another word. Devon wasn’t fooled into thinking her mother had suddenly given up, though. She also wasn’t fooled that her mom’s displeasure with Devon’s choices had much to do with Devon at all. No, her mother was more worried about how those choices reflected on her and the precious family name. Sometimes Devon wondered if her mom thought she was royalty and shouldn’t mix with the commoners.

Devon sank onto a tall stool behind the counter, already exhausted and the day had barely started. A few ticks of the clock on the wall behind her went by before she noticed that Mandy was staring at her with her mouth slightly parted.

“You’re dating Cole Davis? How exactly did that happen? And why didn’t you tell me?” The pitch of Mandy’s voice went up with each question.