Chapter 10
10
Devon
JANIE'S CAR STILL being parked in front of his house offered some warning about what he was about to find, but it didn't come close to preparing him for the full reality of what was happening in his house right now.
He’d managed to get through the front door, past the entryway, and now was standing in the doorway, without a single one of them noticing. "What’s going on here?"
Four heads swiveled his way and three sets of eyes widened. The last pair narrowed.
Riley was the first to speak up. She gave him a tentative smile from where she sat behind Gwen, fingers twisted in her younger sister’s hair. "You're home early."
Devon shook his head, hooking his keys beside the door as he continued trying to make sense of what he was seeing. "Nope. Right on time."
Olivia, who was currently standing in the middle of the rearranged living room with both hands over her head, grinned. "Guess we just lost track of time."
He took a few more steps into the house, looking over a living room that looked quite different than it had when he left. "Looks like you've been busy." His eyes found Janie. "I didn't expect you to rearrange the whole house."
She angled a brow at him, lifting her chin. "Oh, you mean the house that would have taken me an entire month to clean?" She walked around where Olivia stood. "The house that you told me I could spend just a few hours on every other Sunday?"
She did have him there. He hadn't been entirely forthcoming with the condition of his home when he told Janie she could even out the payment he’d sent to Tukwila by doing a little housework every couple of weeks. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she should know, it was just embarrassing. It was the same reason he made sure not to be there when she came over. He didn't want to see the look on her face when she saw just how bad he'd allowed it to get.
"Don't yell at Janie." Gwen winced as Riley continued twisting her hair. "She's awesome."
He turned back to where Janie stood next to Olivia, looking her over. "Is she?"
Olivia tightened her ponytail and straightened her shoulders. "She's helping me with my backflips." His middle daughter pointed at where the furniture was shoved against one wall. "That's why we had to move everything out of the way."
Gwen piped up. "She's teaching Riley how to braid my hair so it won't get in my face when I'm studying."
Janie stepped a little closer, smirking at him. "And, for the record, not only did I clean your kitchen, but your daughters also cleaned out the front closet."
He'd been surprised to see Janie was still at his house. Even more so to discover what was happening inside. But finding out his daughters helped clean? That shocked the shit out of him.
"Really?"
He looked between his daughters before turning to the closet in question and yanking open the door, half expecting a ton of shit to come tumbling out on top of him. They were notorious for saying they'd cleaned something, when in reality they hadn’t done shit. To his continuing shock, the closet was perfectly organized. All their coats were hung in an orderly fashion. Their boots and the rest of the shoes that had been piled up were now lined in neat rows. Backpacks and purses were hooked on the door. They'd even vacuumed out the debris covering the floor and crusted into the corners.
"Told you." Janie stood right next to him, still smirking his way. "So, do I lecture you about the state of your house now, or later?"
He chuckled. "So now you’re all about lectures?"
Janie shrugged. "Turns out they're more fun when they're not directed at me."
Devon glanced into the living room where his daughters were back to being focused on the tasks they'd been doing when he walked in. "I don't know how people keep up with everything." He raked one hand through his hair. "I feel like I'm barely treading water. It's exhausting."
“Ugh.” Janie rolled her eyes. "If you can't handle being lectured, just say it. You don't have to guilt trip me." She looked over the entryway and the mess it still contained. "I know our initial agreement was every other Sunday, but honestly I don't know that I'm gonna be able to make a dent in this place if I’m only here every two weeks."
It made him feel slightly better to see she was just as overwhelmed by the place as he had been. "I know it’s a shitshow, I just didn't know where to start."
"I can imagine.” Janie let out a quiet laugh. “I wasn't really sure where to start either." She turned to where Olivia was making serious progress on her backflips and Riley was nearing the ends of Gwen’s light brown hair. "The girls and I had a talk though, and right now they're saying they'll clean their rooms, so hopefully they follow through."
Devon snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it."
He'd tried a million times, and a million times they'd picked up a few things then flaked out. He couldn't even be mad at them because he did the same thing. There were only so many hours in the day, and between work and school and activities, the ones they had left to clean were few and far between.
"Might as well get them started now." Janie stepped forward, clapping her hands. "Let's put the furniture back, and then you girls can go work on your rooms.”
All three girls groaned, but didn't complain. The five of them pushed all the furniture back into place, and his daughters went upstairs, grumbling a little, but not acting too put-out over Janie stepping in.
When they were all out of sight, Janie gave him a little smile. "You’ll have to let me know how they do." She turned away, going to collect the plastic caddy filled with cleaning products by the door. "If nothing else, you'll get a little peace and quiet tonight."
"Not really.” He blew out a breath at the reminder of all that still had to be done. “I've still gotta take care of the horses and make sure everyone’s ready for school tomorrow."
Janie stilled, abandoning the caddy to face him. "Horses?"
Her tone was a little strange. Higher pitched, like it would be if she was excited, which didn't make sense considering she worked at a whole-ass ranch every morning. "That's right. Horses." He tipped his head toward the back of the house. "You want to go see them?"
Janie rocked on her feet for a second, chewing her lip before finally offering a small shrug. "Might as well. Since I'm here."
He studied her for a second, trying to read her odd reaction but coming up empty. "Give me a few minutes to change, and then we can go out."
"That's fine." She crossed both arms over her chest for a second, but then ended up dropping them to her sides. "I'll be here when you're ready."
She was definitely acting strange. Oddly excited when he mentioned his horses and now awkwardly dismissive.
Leaving her in the entryway, he hurried upstairs, taking them two at a time. With no small amount of shock, he glanced in his daughters’ rooms to discover they were, in fact, cleaning. He shook his head as he went into his own room and closed the door. "Figures."
If he'd known all it would take was Janie putting the smack down, he’d have figured out a way to get her over here months ago. On their own, his eyes drifted to his bed, his neglected libido immediately imagining the other things he could invite Janie to his house for.
If only he had the time.
Speaking of time. He changed quickly, shucking his uniform before pulling on jeans and a long-sleeved Henley. After stuffing both feet into his boots, he hustled back downstairs to find Janie frowning at him disapprovingly.
"You seriously wear those all through the house?" She pressed one hand to her temple, eyes snapping from his feet to his face. "Those are your barn shoes."
He looked her over, noticing for the first time she was in her socks. He should have expected it given her reaction when he tried to walk into her home. "Are you gonna start making us take our shoes off at the door?"
She grabbed her discarded sneakers from beside the front door. "I should. It will make my job a hell of a lot easier." She hooked them over her fingers and followed him down the hall into the kitchen. He stopped a few steps in, looking over the space like he'd never seen it before.
He had, but it'd been years since he'd seen it like this. "Holy shit. I can't believe you got so much done."
Again, Janie shrugged. "It still needs a lot of work, but all your food is put away and I got rid of everything that was expired."
"You did way more than that." He opened the back door and stepped out onto the deck, coming face-to-face with a pile of the consequences of his non-actions.
"Oh yeah. I'm not taking those out." She toed the mountain of trash bags with one of the sneakers she’d pulled on. “Those are your problem." Janie poked him in the shoulder as she passed. “Mister Messy Pants.”
The nickname didn’t bother him. It was the truth. "Funny." He pulled the door closed, leading her across the deck and down the stairs. “If I’m Mister Messy Pants, does that make you Little Miss Immaculate?”
Janie grinned up at him from where she walked at his side. “I feel like you’re getting dangerously close to dad joke territory.”
He scoffed. “You started that.”
She tipped her head. “Come on. I bet you have a whole list of them, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to whip one out.”
“No.” He paused, trying like hell not to prove her right. “I’m not Indiana Jones.” He risked a peek Janie’s way and found her watching him with a raised brow. “Whip one out? Indiana Jones has a whip?”
“Oh, I got it.” She pursed her lips, but he could swear it looked like she was about to smil e. “I think I liked it better when you were lecturing me.”
“Well that’s just mean.” He bumped her shoulder with his so she would know he was teasing. “See if I ever tell you a joke again.”
“I’ll mourn the loss.” Janie peeked up at him from under her lashes, unsuccessfully smothering out a smile as she returned his shoulder bump.
Following the path he'd taken twice a day for the past ten years, he headed for the barn. Since his daughters didn't come out here much, it was the first time he'd had anyone with him in longer than he could remember, and it was a little strange. In a good way.
Moving past the line of trees taking up the back of the main yard, he glanced at Janie when the barn came into view, trying to gauge her reaction.
While she didn't say anything, her eyes were bright as they locked onto the John Deere green structure, and a small smile played on her lips. Her steps were quick beside him, giving away her eagerness as they crossed the last remaining bit of grass. She rocked up onto her toes as he pulled the door to one side, standing back so she could be the first one inside. Janie didn’t hesitate. She went straight for Winston’s stall, fearlessly going right up to his horse.
Devon lingered behind her, watching as she made long strokes down the gelding’s neck. "I didn't know you were a horse girl."
Janie didn't turn his way, keeping all her attention on the animal in front of her. "This is actually the first horse I've ever met." She leaned back, looking over Winston’s face. "He's beautiful."
Devon stood there for a second, trying to make sense of what she’d just told him. "You've never been around a horse before?"
Janie shook her head. "No, but I've always wanted to. They're just so pretty."
He was listening to her, but it still wasn't quite connecting. "But you work at a ranch. How have you not been around a horse before?"
Janie finally glanced his way, her expression slightly irritated. "I work in the kitchen of an inn on a ranch." She turned back to Winston. "As soon as I finish there, I have to leave to go to The Baking Rack. I don't exactly have a ton of time to spend in their barn."
It was a stark reminder that he was taking up even more of her time. He should probably feel guilty for it. For monopolizing Janie’s only day off. But he didn't. Maybe that made him an asshole. Maybe it made him selfish. But it was easy to see Janie got along with his girls. And it was easier to admit than it should have been that he liked having her there with him now. Having someone to keep him company. Someone to joke with. Someone to talk to.
They were only one day into their agreement, and shelling out the money she owed Tukwila already felt like a small price to pay for all Janie brought to the table.
But there was no avoiding that his end of the table was a little lacking. Good thing he had an idea that might level the scales. "What time ar e you done at The Baking Rack tomorrow?"
Janie continued petting Winston. "Same time I'm always done. Pretty sure you're familiar with it since you were waiting to arrest me after work the other day.”
She didn't sound upset, which was a relief. He was a little worried she’d hold that against him. He expected to hold it against himself. But so far, that arrest might be the best thing that ever happened to him.
Devon leaned against the stall. "You want to come here when you're done? We can go out for a ride."
Janie's head snapped his way. "On the horse?"
Devon stepped to the stall next to Winston’s, slapping the door and waiting until Winnifred poked her head over the edge. "Horses."
Janie's eyes went even wider. "Oh my gosh. That one's beautiful too." She abandoned Winston and went straight for Winnifred, smoothing down her dappled coat. "What are their names?"
“That one’s Winston, and she’s Winnifred.”
He went to collect Winston’s feed while Janie continued dishing out attention. She was still dishing out affection when he returned. “I think you’re their new favorite person.” He carried a bucket of pellets into Winston’s stall, switching it out for the empty one. “Just a heads-up, they’re going to expect the same kind of treatment the next time they see you.”
"Then they’re going to be extra sad when I have to spend all my time cleaning the house instead of out here petting them." Janie smoothed down the center of Winnifred's nose, directing her next question to the mare. "Aren't you?"
Devon collected a pile of hay, adding it to Winston's stall. "Not if you come over tomorrow for a ride." He watched as Janie continued loving on Winnifred, the joy she found in being so close to a horse written all over her face. "I don't get to ride them as much as I used to, so I'm sure they'd love to be taken out."
Janie chewed her lower lip, eyes sliding from Winnifred to him. "The girls don't like to ride?"
"The girls don't have time to ride."
He gathered Winnifred’s food, carrying the bucket back to where Janie stood. “Even if they did, they’re teenagers. They've got a million other things they'd rather be doing then hanging out with their dad."
A smile teased Janie's lips. "And you think I don't have a million things I'd rather do than hang out with their dad?"
"You don’t have to pretend." He leaned against the section of wall between the stalls, propping one arm on the wood surface. "I know you'd only be coming to hang out with Winnifred."
Janie pushed up on her toes, peeking over the gate into Winnifred’s stall. "She does keep a better house than you do."
"That's because she doesn't have three messy teenage tornadoes tearing everything up all day." He swung open Winnifred’s gate, sending Janie stepping back. Tipping his chin toward the stall, he stepped inside. "Come on. Might as well get real close. Make sure you'll feel comfortable going for a ride tomorrow."
It didn't matter whether she was going to be comfortable or not. Janie was already decided, he could see it all over her face. Hell, she'd probably go out tonight if he offered.
Unfortunately, he’d had a long day, and there were still three girls who’d be fighting and bickering as they got ready for bed. They could handle the actual task themselves—and did on the nights he had to work late—but when he was home, he tried to run interference.
Janie cautiously followed him inside, sticking closer than he expected as she sidestepped around Winnifred. "She seems a lot bigger without the gate between us."
"Winnie’s not a small horse, but she’s sweet as pie." He gave the mare a gentle slap on her flank, collecting her empty bucket as she shifted out of his path.
"Was she your wife’s horse?" Janie's question was soft. Hesitant.
They'd never discussed Mags, but he didn’t discuss her with most people. Because—like most people—Janie appeared hesitant to bring her up. Worried he might not want to talk about his dead wife.
It was always an uncomfortable spot to be in. Not for the reasons most people assumed either. He'd loved Maggie. She was a great woman. She'd given him three amazing daughters and shown a strength unlike anything he'd ever seen as she fought to stay here with her girls. But the last two years of their marriage hadn't been what most people thought. Hell, the five before that hadn't be en what he thought. It was only when Maggie found out she was sick that he learned the truth.
That she wasn’t happy, and hadn’t been for a long time.
“She was my wife’s horse.” He gave Winnifred her food and hay, watching as Janie continued smoothing one hand down the horse’s side. “She used to love riding. After she died, I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of them even though I can’t give them the time they deserve.”
The horses were one of the few memories he had that Maggie’s admission hadn’t tainted. So much of his life had turned out to be nothing like he thought it was, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind Maggie was happy when they went riding, and it felt wrong to let that go. To give up the only bit of what they’d had that still felt real.
Janie turned to him and he braced himself for the sympathy that always came his way during discussions of Maggie, but—as if she was determined to remind him of how different she was—Janie rolled her eyes on a groan. “Fine. I’ll come over and go for a ride.” She poked him in the stomach as she moved out of the stall. “But if you keep trying to guilt trip me, I’m going to hide your daughters’ flat irons and tell the girls you threw them away. ”