Page 56 of A Cowboy's Bride
Petra: Jinx is doing great. One little panic attack yesterday when she looked up in the middle of helping Aiden and realized there were two additional contractors in the room. She hadn’t noticed when they walked in, and extra male humans in unexpected places are definitely a trigger. But she’s a sweetie with a huge heart that needs filling, and I think knowing you guys better will only give her more of a sense of family.
Tansy: You’re making me blush.
Sydney: We’ll be there.
Petra got Jinx’s attention. “The girls are cooking tonight,” Petra informed her. “My friends Tansy and Sydney are coming over, and the four of us are hosting a family pizza party.”
“Okay.” Jinx glanced at the table where Declan was working. He was listening intently but pretending not to. Jinx considered then informed him, “We’ll make you pizza, too, Declan.”
He peered over the top of the glasses perched on his nose. “I assumed that.”
Jinx pulled her expression to deadpan and looked Petra in the eye. “I heard Declan loves liver on his pizza.”
His lips twitched, which was as close to an outright smile as he seemed to get. “Best pizza ever if there’s caramelized onion on there as well.”
This time, Jinx outright snickered.
That bubble of hope in Petra’s chest expanded another little bit. “Tansy will come over first to help us make the dough, and you and I will get started chopping ingredients. Sydney will show up when she can. She's got a house call planned to one of the local old-timers, Mr. Talita. If he’s not cooperative, it might be only you and me helping Tansy.”
Jinx nodded. “That’s okay. I'm looking forward to meeting Sydney when it works.”
“She’s looking forward to seeing you, too.”
The day passed quickly. Tansy showed up early as promised, and Petra and Jinx, fresh from their showers after helping Aiden and Jake in the studio, greeted her.
Tansy strolled into the house as if she lived there—probably from all the years when it had been her Grandma’s place.
She shook the Rubbermaid tote in her arms. “You probably have all the stuff I’ll need, but just in case, I came prepared.” She tilted her head toward the door. “Hey, Jinx. Can you grab the second box from my truck?”
“Sure.” Jinx headed to the door at a rapid clip with Dixie hard on her heels. “Don’t start making the dough without me,” she called over her shoulder.
Petra boldly seized the tote from Tansy's grasp. “Thank you for arriving early. That girl has had ants in her pants all day waiting for you.”
“I do inspire that level of excitement,” Tansy offered seriously, ruining it by adding a brow waggle. She pulled a wrapped candle from her box. “Here, this is for you.”
“Not suitable for Jinx to see?” Petra suggested, ripping away the paper and letting out a huge guffaw. “What (and I can’t stress this enough) the Fuck?It’s awesome. Thanks.”
“It seemed appropriate,” Tansy teased, accepting the hug of thanks Petra offered. “So, other than obsessing over the wonderfulness that is me, how’s the kiddo doing?”
“Settling in,” Petra said quietly, tucking the candle away in the cupboard for now. “I don't want to jinx it, but it seems as long as I'm around, things are going smoothly.”
Tansy wrinkled her nose as she piled things on the counter. “That doesn’t bode well for school on Monday.”
“I know. The shopping trip with Sasha went wonderfully. I hate to rely on one nearly sixteen-year-old to watch over another, but from the sounds of it, Sasha is a bit of a mother hen to begin with.”
Tansy nodded, a big, exaggerated motion. “Oh, girl. You have no idea.”
Which still left Petra feeling a little kerfuffled. She suddenly had a whole lot more sympathy for those helicopter parents she’d read about who had seemed so horrible at the time. She was now mentally apologizing for every eye roll she’d offered at how ridiculous those parents had sounded because she was tempted to hold on too tight as well.
Jinx burst into the house with an open tote in her arms. “Is all the stuff in here for toppings on the pizzas?” She sounded moderately horrified.
Tansy planted her hands on her hips. “Man does not live on pepperoni pizza alone, my girl. So, yes. Not all of them at the same time, but trust me. I’m magical in the kitchen.”
Jinx placed the container on the counter then held up what looked like a miniature white log. She tilted her head slightly as she stared at it. “Goat cheese. Which I know is a thing because there's goat’s milk, butreally?”
Petra smiled. “Oh, sweetie. We look forward to expanding your tastebud repertoire.”
Jinx made a face. “Fine. But there will be pepperoni, right?”
