Page 57 of Owned By The Cowboy

“I want to. Please. Let me cook for you.”

He studies my face for a moment. “What are you making?” he asks finally.

“What do you want?”

“Surprise me.”

* * *

Two hours later, I’m standing in my kitchen making Blayne’s favorite meal, or at least, what I think is his favorite based on the way he demolished it the last time I made it. Pot roast with vegetables, mashed potatoes, and homemade biscuits. Comfort food that takes time and attention, the kind of meal you make for people you love.

Nia’s on the couch with her foot up, recounting her misadventure to Jaylen and Annalise with dramatics. Blayne’s in the living room with them, supposedly watching TV but actually making sure Nia has everything she needs.

“He’s really good with them,” Mama observes from her spot at the kitchen table, where she’s been not-so-subtly watching the whole domestic scene unfold.

“Yeah, he is.”

“And they adore him.”

“I know.”

“And Nia… I’ve never seen her open up to an adult that fast.”

I glance into the living room, where my daughter’s showing Blayne something on her phone and he’s listening like it’s the most fascinating thing in the world.

“She called him,” I say quietly. “When she got hurt. The school called him too.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, when she returned her emergency forms, she put his name down as secondary contact. Without telling me.”

Mama’s eyebrows shoot up. “Really?”

“Really. The nurse said Nia specifically asked them to call him.”

“That’s… a big deal, Reggie.”

“I know”

“How do you feel about that?”

I consider the question while I check on the roast. How do I feel about my daughter trusting Blayne enough to list him as anemergency contact? About him dropping everything to take care of her? About the way he handled the whole situation like it was the most natural thing in the world?

“Grateful,” I say finally. “And a little scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“Of how much we’re all starting to depend on him.”

“Would that be such a bad thing?”

“I don’t know, Mama. What if this doesn’t work out? What if he decides three kids, and a divorced woman are too much to deal with?”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“Mama…”

“I’m serious, Regina. What if he’s exactly who you think he is? What if he’s the kind of man who shows up when you need him and doesn’t run when things get tough?”