Janie smiled at him. “So, you’re seeing someone?”

    “Yeah. Her name is Sierra. She’s awesome.”

    “Um, Connie,” his mother said. “Why don’t you seem particularly happy about it?”

    “Oh, I am,” he said. “I’ve never even known a girl like Sierra. Woman. She’s thirty so she’s not a girl, right?”

    Janie laughed. “Some women get their undies in a twist about that. I might have even scolded you about that sort of thing when you were younger, but there are bigger fish to fry these days. If it’s any consolation, I go out with the girls every other Friday night. The youngest of us is forty-five.”

    “Well, Sierra’s really something. I met her back in March. Several months ago. Hard to believe it’s almost fall. She’s the sister of a friend from Timberlake. She lives at Sully’s place and helps him out around the Crossing. Plus, she works at the diner in town a couple of days a week.”

    “Tell me all about her,” Janie said.

    “Well, she’s pretty, of course. But not flashy at all—she likes jeans and shorts and stuff like that. She’s probably the smartest girl I’ve ever met. She spent about six years in college. Part-time because she had to work. She’s funny. She’s always reading. She rescued Molly here from a jerk who was mistreating her. And... I don’t know...”

    “Connie,” Janie urged gently.

    “Listen, I’m probably in over my head already so advice is out the window. But I think she’s in trouble.”

    “Oh no,” Janie said. “What kind of trouble?”

    “She’s not coming right out with it. I mean, she’s been letting information about herself, her past, dribble out a little at a time, like she’s afraid one of these days I’m going to say I can’t deal with it. And she’s got some real challenging stuff, like her dad has been struggling with mental illness his whole life. Complicated, right? She got in some messes before she came to Colorado and she wanted me to know some personal stuff before we got, you know...”

    “Yes, Conrad,” she said, smiling. “I know.”

    “I guess you want to tell me to be careful here, right?”

    She frowned and gave her head a slight shake. “What do you mean?”

    “You and me, we both have had our issues with the opposite sex,” he said. “You had two lousy husbands and I had one train wreck of a fiancée. Obviously we can’t pick ’em all that well.” He laughed. “And the funny thing is, Sierra thinks she can’t pick ’em.”

    “Well, obviously her luck is changing,” Janie said. “Now, Connie, are you going to blame me for your father and stepfather? Because I don’t think it was my fault. You know I had a lot of counseling. I might not have had the best psychic abilities but those men seemed very nice when I first met them before they became verbally and emotionally abusive. I did my best but I couldn’t stay with either one of them. And I’m sorry if that just makes you paranoid about relationships. It wouldn’t hurt you to get some counseling. I’ve had a few nice relationships since then.”

    “What relationships? You didn’t have relationships,” he said.

    “Okay, I had a few steadies along the way. You haven’t lived with me since my second divorce, remember. And I doubt Beaner would consider his mother’s dates to be interesting news. I’ve been seeing a very nice man for the last couple of years and Ted is a good, kind, respectful man and he makes me very happy. Believe me, my radar is on! I’m happy with Ted.”

    “Ted?” Connie said. His mother was fifty-seven. “You’re just friends!”

    Janie rolled her eyes. “I admit we’re not a very exciting couple, but we’re not dead yet. I’m just sorry I didn’t meet a man like Ted decades ago. But then Ted even confesses he probably wasn’t the best husband on record as a younger man.” She smiled. “I kind of like that he doesn’t blame his ex-wife for everything.”

    “Why don’t you get married, then? Why don’t you live together?”

    “Well, Connie, we might, now that you mention it. We talk about marriage sometimes. Maybe we’re a little set in our ways and Ted has his own kids and grandkids to look out for. He helps them all out a lot. I’ve been in this little house for sixteen years, since Beaner was in elementary school. I’m not sure I’m anxious to share my space with a boyfriend.”

    “And I never lived here,” Connie said.

    “I know. That was kind of hard for me, but I think you made a good decision. The Vadas family was such a great family for you. Not just Rafe, but his parents, too. I was struggling to get on my feet and glad you didn’t have to struggle, too. Can you imagine, changing schools your senior year? Plus, living with a recently divorced mother who was always an emotional wreck?”

    “You weren’t,” he said. “You seemed relieved to be rid of that SOB.”

    “I was that, too,” she said with a smile. “What’s this all got to do with your girl?”

    He took a breath. “She scares me to death.”

    “You?” she asked with a laugh. “You’re not afraid of anything. And that usually scares me!”

    “I don’t want to make another mistake, but I think I’m too late. I don’t think I have it in me to back away from her now—I’m pretty sure I love her. And I have a bad track record.”

    “Connie, it makes perfect sense for you to look at that last relationship and try to understand how you could’ve known it wasn’t right for you. Or maybe there was something to understand about Alyssa that you ignored, something that might’ve saved you making the wrong choice. But frankly, I think it was Alyssa who made the mistake.” She arched her eyebrows. “How’s that working out for her?”