In the backseat, Cole was twirling the tassel from Jake’s cap around his finger, talking excitedly about where he would go to college one day. After months and months of physical and emotional therapy (and, fortunately, no Frankie, due in large part to Cole’s coming to live with Jake and Robin), Cole had hope for the first time in his life. Just as Jake had once dreamed, he was a flourishing sixteen-year-old with a girlfriend that both Jake and Robin liked. Cole had a long way to go—because of his injuries, he’d never be a baseball player—but he didn’t mope anymore and now had friends and a purpose in life. He was going to be an astronaut if he had his way, and Robin and Jake were prepared to move mountains to make it happen.
Cole’s recovery was just one of many milestones they had passed since Robin had run out of Hobby Airport. She had moved in with Jake shortly after leaving LTI. When she left the house on North Boulevard, she left her old life behind, including Mia and Michael (who separated shortly after their wedding), and LTI, where Lucy said Evan was now the COO in place of Dad. Robin didn’t really know what was going on with that, because Dad had managed to alienate himself from the family again. But curiously, she didn’t care about LTI and didn’t miss the work. She had become Jake’s bookkeeper and office manager, bringing a level of organization to him that enabled him to take on more work. He needed her, was constantly telling her he couldn’t do without her. She liked that. She liked what she was doing, so much so that she had become Girt’s bookkeeper, too. They had determined, after American Motorfreight wouldn’t up their offer, that the thing to do was to make Girt the new Queen of Styrofoam Containers—not to be confused with Robin, otherwise known as Peanut, the retiring Queen.
Even Zaney was doing well. He had finally formed that band he had always wanted, and the band had, at long last, performed at their first real live paying gig. Jake, Robin, and Lucy had gone to cheer the band on, and actually had been blown away. Who knew?
The surprise party they were about to reach was another accomplishment, although Jake didn’t know it yet. For the first time ever, the Mannings and the Lears would join together to celebrate (music provided courtesy of the Zany Zaney’s). Rebecca and Grayson, Grandma and Grandpa, Mom, even Rachel would all be in attendance, as would Norma (who was starting to come around to actually tolerating Robin), her sister Wanda, and Vickie and her crew, of course.
They turned onto Montrose. Jake was beaming ear to ear, telling Cole what to expect in college. They had become very close in the course of Cole’s recovery, much to their mutual surprise—but Jake stopped mid-sentence when they turned onto his street and he saw all the cars outside the house. “What the—”
“Surprise!” Cole yelled as Robin turned into the drive.
Before Jake could respond, they all came rushing out beneath the homemade banner someone had hung across the porch (Congratulations Jake!) clapping and shouting for the graduate to join them.
Cole was the first out, hobbling on one crutch into their midst with Jake’s tassel now hanging from his pants.
Slack-jawed, Jake turned and looked at Robin. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“You deserve it,” she said happily.
He laughed, shook his head. “No, I don’t deserve a damn thing. But I thank God every day that I have all this.” He reached across the truck, slipped his hand behind her neck, and pulled her close to kiss her. “I thank God I have you,” he said, and kissed her again until someone pounded on the window. Laughing against her mouth, he let go, got out, and was instantly overtaken by a swarm of buoyant, beer-drinking well-wishers.
Proud of him, and pleased with pulling off the party, Robin got out, too. As she walked around the front of the truck, she caught sight of a lone figure up on the porch, a little stooped, but still . . . her heart stopped; she shaded her eyes with her hand and peered up to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.
Nope. She’d know Dad anywhere. He was looking at her, his jaw clenched tight, and slowly, uncertainly, he lifted his hand and waved.
And Robin waved back.
--------
Beauty Queen (Book Two)
UNDERAPPRECIATED?
WE HAVE THE PERFECT JOB FOR YOU!
WANTED!! Dynamic, Exciting, and Very Important Company seeks former Beauty Queen with no discernible skills or knowledge for any position, no experience in any job-related field, and less than 30 hours toward Bachelor of Arts degree. Will train. Will assume lack of employment history is not necessarily a reflection upon applicant, but the result of a very busy social calendar. Will consider quantifying years spent shopping as years spent acquiring a skill, like maybe, time management, or something sounding equally important. Will provide ample opportunity for applicant to demonstrate she really is employable and really can do a good job, as put forth in Chapter 2, A Woman’s Guide to Finding Meaningful Employment.
Excellent pay and benefit packages commensurate with the lifestyle to which applicant has become accustomed, including plenty of time off to take care of the kid since the nanny will not, apparently, relocate, plus FMLA benefits so when Father calls, applicant can drop everything and dash off to tend to his cancer-in-remission neuroses. This Fortune 500 Company offers lots of exposure to successful people, preferably under the age of 50, who will admire applicant for her witty repartee and not her beauty-queen looks, because we know she can’t help it! Come join our team!
Chapter One