CJ Box is one of my favorite authors. Box is a native of Wyoming, and lives outside of Cheyenne with his wife and 3 daughters.
14 of his 18 novels feature Joe Pickett, a mystery-solving, accidental crime fighting Fish & Game Warden for the State of Wyoming. He loves nature, he loves solitude, he loves his family … and he’s got 3 daughters that he finds challenging.
No surprise there, right?
The latest novel is Stone Cold. Here’s where Joe and his wife Marybeth talk about their daughters:
“Oh,” she said, smiling wistfully, “life was so much easier when they were all my little chickens and I could keep an eye on them because they were close. Now Sheridan’s in another town, April’s going off the rails because of a cowboy, and Lucy wants to start dating. I feel like they’re drifting away from me.”
There were tears in her eyes, and Joe pulled her close. He said, “We’ve done all we can. You’re the greatest mother I’ve every been around – better than both of ours. Especially yours. They’ll be all right. You’ll be all right.”
“But I’ve lost control,” she said into his shoulder.
“That’s part of the deal, I think.” he said.
Indeed it is.
Little Girl is moving out today.
The nest is empty.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
That’s not to say the transition isn’t emotional. That’s not to say Little Girl didn’t ask me to tell Velda, because she didn’t want to.
That’s OK, she still did what she needed to do. Velda … well, she’s OK.
And Velda’s already ordered the bedroom set that will go into our new guest room. I think we’ll all be OK.
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