Free Cowboy Fever by Joanne Kennedy

for me.” Jodi slumped against the counter. “I can’t sleep nights, thinking of how it must have been for you when I didn’t answer your calls or return your e-mails. I want to make it up to you, and I thought if I helped out with the store…”
    â€œWell, I’d like that, honey.” Her mom set the second shirt on top of the first one and folded her hands. “But I thought you wanted to work with horses somehow, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in all this, it’s that you should do the things you love. You can only go so long living your life for other people.”
    â€œI know. And I’m going to start a therapy riding clinic eventually, if I can raise the funds. It’ll take it a while to get off the ground.” Jodi rounded the counter and pulled a shirt from the box. Clumsily, she tried to emulate her mother’s quick folding technique. “So I thought I’d at least help you set up a system to deal with the Internet orders. I took some computer classes in school.”
    â€œWell, that would sure help. And working together…” Her mom bit her lip and ducked her head as if the shirts suddenly required her full attention. “It would be nice.”
    Jodi smiled. Throughout her nearly six-year brat-fit, her mother had never complained, never stopped calling, never stopped trying. And now that they were reconciled, she’d never ask for anything—but it was obvious Jodi had hit on the one thing that would mean the most to her.
    â€œI think it’ll be nice, too, Mom.”
    â€œBut take a week or so to settle in. Have you seen any of your old friends? I guess most of them have left.”
    â€œI saw Teague,” Jodi said.
    â€œTeague.” Her mother pronounced the name the way most people would say maggot infestation or uncontrolled vomiting . “Of course he’s still here.”
    Jodi swallowed back a snappy retort. Her mother had never liked the Treadwells. Keeping her distance from Teague’s parents was understandable, but it wasn’t Teague’s fault his folks had been the town drunk and the village floozy.
    â€œHe looks like he’s doing really well.”
    â€œYou saw him already?”
    â€œAt the Rexall.” Jodi got up and examined some belts on a nearby rack so her mother wouldn’t see her face flushing. “I ran into him yesterday, right after I got to town.” She unhooked a belt from a display rack. It looked like an obsessive/compulsive BeDazzler had attacked an innocent piece of leather with pink and blue rhinestones. “He was dressed really nice.”
    â€œYou can dehorn the devil and dress him in feathers, but he’s still no angel.” Her mom pulled another shirt from the box. “That boy can’t hide who he is. He can’t even raise civilized livestock. Why anyone would raise bucking horses on purpose is beyond me.”
    â€œIt’s for the rodeo, Mom. And besides, it’s not just Teague’s clothes that have changed. He has a really nice house, too.”
    Her mother widened her eyes. “You went to his house ?”
    â€œJust—just to drop off Troy.” Jodi turned her attention back to the belt, but her hands were shaking so much she dropped it. Bending to pick it up, she returned it to the rack. “Teague’s an old friend, Mom. I was just visiting.”
    â€œJodi, listen.” Her mom put the shirt down and rested her elbows on the counter. “You know I love you, and I want what’s best for you.”
    Jodi nodded reluctantly. In all her plans to reconcile with her mother, she’d conjured up memories of the fun things they’d done together over the years—shopping, baking cookies, even a birthday trip to Vegas when she’d turned sixteen. She’d conveniently forgotten the inevitable downside of their relationship—the lectures. They were picking up right where they’d left