Page 55 of Owned By The Cowboy
“How’d you know?”
“She always cries when she’s relieved. Happy tears.”
“She was really scared for you.”
We share a serious gaze.
“Yeah, that’s what moms do. They worry about everything.” She takes a sip of her milkshake. “But she knew she could trust you with me.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because she called you. No one else in town. That means a lot coming from my mom.”
It means everything. It means Reggie trusts me with the most important thing in her world. Her children. And she’s done it twice now. It means I’ve become the person she turns to when she needs help with real shit.
That’s a hell of a responsibility. And it’s one I want.
“Can I ask you something?” Nia questions.
“Shoot.”
“Are you going to marry my mom?”
I nearly choke on my coffee. “Jesus, kid. Where’d that come from?”
“Annalise keeps talking about it. And you basically live at our house now.”
“Your mom and I are figuring things out.”
“That’s what she said too.”
“You talked to her about this?”
“Yeah, I told her I’m not blind. You’re there every night. You came running when I got hurt.”
“Because I care about you guys.”
“I know. We like you, Blayne.”
The simple statement hits me harder than it should.
She looks out the glass panel, her expression way too serious for her age. “I hope you two get married. Mama’s happier than she’s been in years.”
“Yeah?” I ask in a raspy voice, my throat contracted with emotion.
She nods, her eyes coming back to mine. “And you’re good with us.” Her face relaxes into a teasing smile. “Even when we’re being brats.”
“Smartass.”
We both laugh.
Sixteen
Reggie
The drive from Monterey felt like the longest of my life, even though Blayne kept texting me updates and reassuring me that Nia was fine. But I need to see her with my own eyes. Need to touch my baby and make sure she’s really okay.
“Regina, calm down,” Mama says as we get out of the car. “She’s fine.”
