Chapter Fourteen #3
“Nope,” Owen agreed. “But they transferred him out of there really fast.”
Wendy shut the water off and turned to give Owen her undivided attention.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. Tyler rarely talks about his time at the facility, and I don’t want to push.
” She reached up and played with a delicate gold cross hanging from a slender chain around her neck.
“I just worry he keeps things bottled up that he shouldn’t. ”
Owen thought both about her remark and the right way to respond. He didn’t want to betray a confidence by saying things Ty wanted to keep private, but he wanted to assure Wendy that her son wasn’t a powder keg on the verge of exploding.
“I imagine the worst-case scenarios,” Wendy continued. “Like him getting beaten up and bullied by other inmates.”
“I promise you that didn’t happen,” Owen said, his expression and tone matching the seriousness of the conversation.
He wanted Wendy to know Tyler had been and always would be safe with him.
“I’d been at the facility for about a year before Tyler arrived, and I always kept my eye on him.
Where he went, I went too. Nothing and no one was going to hurt him.
Jail wasn’t fun, but we were better men when we left.
People always say they wish they could go back in time and not make the same mistakes again.
” Owen shook his head. “Not me. My mistake brought Tyler into my life.”
Wendy reached over and squeezed his arm. “I think you still would’ve found each other, just in a different way.”
Maybe she was right, but he sure as hell wasn’t willing to chance it.
They resumed cleaning in silence for a while until Wendy said, “Tell me about yourself.”
When Owen started to tell her about the circumstances leading up to his arrest, she stopped him.
Wendy placed her hand over her heart and tapped. “I want to know what’s in here.”
“Oh,” he said. “Um, unlike Tyler, I’m an only child.
It’s just me and my mom.” But maybe not for long.
Owen recalled the recent selfie he’d received of his mom and Stephanie wearing matching pajamas.
They made a huge bowl of popcorn and were watching a Hallmark Christmas movie marathon.
Things were progressing well between them, and Owen had never seen his mom so happy.
He forced his thoughts back to the present and told Wendy a little about his boxing days and how he still used the bags during workouts.
He thought about Tyler’s suggestion that he use those skills to help teens work through their problems. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.
But was it something he could really do without training?
What if he said the wrong thing and made a kid’s life worse somehow?
Maybe he could partner with a therapist like Bryant, who could—
“Can I ask you something?” Wendy asked.
The question snapped him from his musings, but he gave Wendy his full attention again. “Of course.”
“Have you thought about what you want to do after you leave the ranch? Tyler hasn’t said, but I figured there’d be a limit for how long you can work there?”
“There isn’t,” Owen said. “The jobs are ours as long as we want them.”
“But what about other people who deserve a chance at redemption? Will Cash be able to accommodate them?”
Owen was a little wary about her questions.
Tyler had mentioned how badly Wendy wanted him to return to Texas, but Tyler had no intention of moving back.
Owen didn’t want to say something that would make trouble or put words in Tyler’s mouth, but he wasn’t willing to bullshit someone he wanted to build trust with.
“There’s plenty of room to expand the programs and living quarters,” Owen said.
“He could build new cabins, or some of us could move off the ranch while maintaining our employment there.” He expected Kieran and Finley were quickly approaching the latter option, as they’d been living together in Kieran’s small cabin for over a year.
He and Tyler would probably outgrow theirs quickly too, but he hadn’t imagined himself working anywhere else.
Not only did he enjoy the work, but he also didn’t feel qualified to do much else.
“Is working on the ranch the future you envision?” Wendy asked. Maybe she sensed Owen’s unease because she reached out and touched his arm again. “I’m not trying to be critical. There’s no wrong answer here. If you’re passionate about what you do, then keep doing it, by all means.”
“I do plan to continue working on the ranch, though I can see us finding a place of our own nearby.” He hadn’t really thought that far ahead until Wendy’s questions forced him to do so.
And it was weird because normally that type of probing would get under his skin and make him feel inferior.
With Wendy, it felt like she wanted to get to know him.
“And I think I’d like to work with at-risk youths.
Maybe on a volunteer basis. Redemption is a great thing, don’t get me wrong, but prevention is best.”
Wendy’s approval shone in her expressive eyes. “Like counseling?”
Heat crept up Owen’s neck as old humiliations taunted him. “I’m not smart enough for that.”
Wendy shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”
“I dropped out of school when I was fifteen. There’s something wrong with my brain, and I can’t read very well. I know the letters and the sounds they make, or at least I did, but I can’t string them together to make sense.”
“Did Tyler tell you I’m a reading intervention specialist?” Wendy asked.
“Yes, but I think I let my problem go too long.”
“Nonsense,” Wendy said. “I help people of all ages learn to read better. I worked for the local school district before I had my own children. I loved the educators, students, and the principal, but I had a major conflict with the superintendent and board members, who didn’t think intervention specialists were necessary.
I refused to put my kids through the district, and private school was too expensive, so I used my education background at home.
Now, I volunteer for a nonprofit that offers assistance where schools either can’t or won’t help.
We also have evening classes for adults who’ve embraced that it’s never too late to learn. ”
Never too late. That reminded Owen of the book he’d given to his mom for Christmas.
He’d wanted to encourage her to follow her dreams while completely discounting his own.
In fact, he’d never permitted himself to dream of any type of future beyond loving Tyler.
If Owen wanted to provide Ty with the life he deserved—they deserved—he’d need to put himself out there and be the best version of himself.
Howie was right about that. He couldn’t sit around and wait for stars to align or for magic to happen; Owen needed to create his own miracle. “Never too late,” he repeated.
“Did you get tested for dyslexia?” Wendy asked.
Owen shook his head. “I was too stubborn,” he admitted sheepishly.
Wendy smiled gently. “That’s a very common reaction.” She leaned forward and added, “Especially with young boys. Male pride starts at an early age, and boys equate needing help as being weak. Sound familiar?”
Owen briefly pursed his lips. “Maybe a little.” He straightened up and got serious. “But I’ve outgrown most of that stupidity. You can trust Tyler with me.”
“I trust my son to make his own decisions,” Wendy replied. “Despite the rodeo thing, Tyler has always had a good head on his shoulders and is an excellent judge of character. If I’d loosened up a little and let him know I had faith in him, I might not have pushed him away.”
Owen much preferred it when Wendy’s eyes sparkled with mischief or mirth over the sadness filling her eyes with tears. “Don’t forget Mistress Divine,” Owen added.
A loud bark of laughter boomed from her tiny frame before she slapped a hand over her mouth.
Tyler had told him about Wendy’s bawdy laugh, and Owen was so grateful to witness it in person.
She dropped her hand and inched closer. “He told you about that?” When Owen nodded, Wendy sighed and rolled her eyes.
“I knew he’d gone into the tent and dismissed his curiosity as harmless.
Tyler would hand over a few bucks, and a lady in a costume would give him a generic spiel.
Imagine my surprise when I read the paper the next morning and discovered Mistress Divine used the tent for more lucrative hustles.
I would never have been able to look people in the eyes if Tyler had gotten caught up in the raid.
” Wendy’s grin grew sly. “I never asked what message she’d given him. Did he tell you?”
Owen figured it wouldn’t hurt to reveal this little secret. “She told Tyler he was on the dawn of awareness.”
Wendy blinked for a few moments before more bawdy laughter erupted.
She didn’t try to hold it back this time, and Owen joined her.
Tears streamed down Wendy’s face, and she wiped them away as she pulled herself together.
“Yeah, I bet he was. I saw her mugshot in the paper, and she was a stunner.” She giggled a few more times and pressed her hand to her chest. “No wonder he eagerly accepted his month-long grounding. Tyler didn’t complain once about spending time alone in his room.
His showers got longer, and I wore cleaning gloves when I washed his laundry. ”
A chuckle rumbled through Owen as he realized Wendy wasn’t as uptight as Tyler suspected.
He didn’t think he could possibly like her more until she spent the rest of their cleaning time telling him about young Tyler’s antics.
Owen knew his love had an ornery side to him, of course, but it was fun to learn the origin of his mischievous streak.
After they finished, Wendy invited Owen to her office, which was next to the kitchen.
She pulled out a basket of books and tools she used as an educator.