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“Good. We’ll revisit it next time then.” Chandra made a note.

We talked a while longer, and then I excused myself to let them have the last bit in private. I kissed Bodhi’s cheek and waved bye to Chandra and left the office.

I went to the paddock where all three of our horses were happily munching hay together. I was glad Nelson fit in so well with Ezio and Imelda Staunton. Nyx manifested next to me like a big black ghost, and I gave her scratches as I enjoyed the afternoon light. I felt at home here. Just like I did at the ranch. My own property… well, it was still an emotional work in process, but I’d get there.

The next morning, I stole Jenn. She was thrilled to get to go on an adventure with me. Nyx was less happy to be left at home, but she’d deal.

We were going to the closest Walmart that she liked the best. It was about an hour away, but we had time. She had promised to still watch most of the grandkids in the afternoon for a while, but everyone was eager to give her the morning off. Abigail’s SUV came rumbling down the driveway, as Ville had decided I couldn’t be trusted alone. Okay, that was me being snarky. I was glad she got to come, and by the way she looked in her everyday clothing instead of her smart work attire, Abi was also going to make the most of today.

“Morning!” she said brightly as she climbed into the backseat. “I’m sorry it took me longer to get here. There was a traffic jam about a mile from here.” Both Jenn and I turned to look at her incredulously, and she snickered. “A tractor was pulling a sedan out of a ditch.”

We laughed, and I started the engine.

“Oh, I totally forgot!” I exclaimed as we passed the Yellow Ribbon driveway on our way toward town and beyond. “I have gossip.”

She gasped. “You? Gossip?”

“I know!”

We all laughed, because I was notoriously against any gossip, for obvious reasons. I’d been battling or trying to ignore it for my whole career.

“Yesterday morning when I left Bodhi’s, I saw Sky come out of Nick’s place,” I said, wondering how Jenn would react.

“Oh, wow. Well good for them, I suppose,” she said thoughtfully enough that I glanced at her with my brow raised. She caught my look and frowned. “I don’t know how Judson will feel about that.”

It was my turn to frown. “What?”

“He has… I don’t want to say crush or feelings, but some… curiosity toward Nick.”

“Oh.” I made a turn, then asked, “I thought he was on the more erm, straight side of your kids?”

That made her snicker. “Yes, I guess so. And that’s definitely what he thinks himself, as far as I know. But a mother doesn’t miss these things.”

I wanted to correct her by saying that a good mother didn’t miss these things, but I ended up just humming thoughtfully.

“Well, I hope he can figure it out and the situation doesn’t get messy in any way.”

“I’m going to cross my fingers for that.” Suddenly she exclaimed happily and cranked up the volume on the radio.

It was one of my older songs, Windswept, an upbeat, happy one they played on regular radio and not just the country stations I avoided these days. I didn’t dislike it, but I groaned theatrically anyway, and she laughed.

“Do you mind?” she asked, and I could tell she wanted a real answer.

“Not this one.”

She did a little shimmy and started to sing along to my twenty-something year old self. I laughed. Gods, I wondered if my own mother even knew the lyrics. I did know that she wouldn’t make a fool out of herself by dancing in her seat like Jenn.

“Hey, Jenn?” I looked at her once the song ended.

“Yeah?” Her expression was curious at my tone.

“Thank you for being my mom, too. I love you.”

She smacked my arm. “Don’t you dare make me cry, Wren hopefully-one-day-Harrington!”

I laughed and handed her the tissues I kept in the console.

As I glanced in the rearview mirror, I could see Abi wipe her eyes, too.