The Next Step

Chapter 1

Jo turned to take one last look of the house she had spend past 25 years turning into a home for her husband 2 amazing kids and herself. She had always felt lucky, being such a young family, being able to have such a beautiful place to call home.
She had met her husband, Derek, when she was just a nieve 16 year old school girl and he was 20 home from college during break. Everyone told her it would never work, he was to old, he was only after one thing (sex) and if he didn't get what he wanted he'd move on. Well none of that happened. He dropped out of college after his first year and went to work for his dad's construction company. Jo graduated high school got a job and they both started saving for their future. When Jo was 19, a few months before her 20th birthday, Derek decided they had waited long enough to get married. They were already expecting their first child and he wanted them to be married when he or she was born. So they went to the courthouse and married that cold day on October 24th. Five months later they were blessed with their first son Jamie. A little over a year later their second son was born, Ryan.
Derek moved up through the ranks at his dad's construction company making it easier for them to be able to afford the house she is now moving out of.

"Mom? Are you sure you want to do this?" Jo's oldest son Jamie's asked.

She turns and walks up to him and gives him a hug, then hugs Ryan. "It's a little late to be asking that now, don't you think? The house is yours and I've already bought a new place in Colorado. And it's not like you need me here anymore." She says with tears in here eyes. "You are amazing young adults. You know what you're doing with the company, or your dad would never have left you half of it."

"Mom don't say that, we will always need you." Ryan, her youngest tells her, as he hugs her again. He's always been somewhat of a momma's boy, but he didn't care one bit, he bragged about it himself.

"Well I'll just be a phone call away. Boys, I need to do this. If I stay here I'll never be able to start over. I'll always be seen as Derek Weston's wife. I need to go somewhere fresh and new."

"Yeah, but did you have to pick a place so far away, geeze, mom." Ryan complained.

"Hun, it's not like I don't have the money to fly home anytime I want. We are rich you know." Jo chuckled at her sons whining.

Jamie laughed. "Told you it wouldn't work anymore. Dumbass you're not that cute little blonde cherub anymore."

Ryan just shrugged and gave a half smile. "It was worth a shot." He grumbled. "So exactly where is Pleasant, Colorado (made up place) anyway?"

"It's a small town at the base of the mountains, I bought a cabin and the local bar there. Robert, the guy that used work for your dad, was the owner. Well his dad was until he died last year, he's got a manager running it now til I get there to take over. Bob told me he's concidering on whether or not he wants to look for a new job or not when I get there. I hope I can talk him into staying if we get along." Jo says.

"Does he sound like a decent enough guy?" Jamie asks.

"He sounds like a nice enough guy, I'll have to decide that when I meet him. What if we don't get along, hate each other on site. I can't work with someone like that. Now give me another hug." Jo tells her sons holding her arms wide. "I love you both more than anything, you know that right?" She tells them with tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. "I'll call when I get to my hotel tonight." She adds as she starts her brand new 4x4 truck she bought just for the Colorado winters.

Once she got onto the freeway she brought the directions to her new home up on the gps, turned on the radio to her favorite station and sat back to enjoy the drive. To look at Jo or listen to the way she talked most people would think she was a hard core country music fan, but that just wasn't the case. She was, once you got to know her, dispite her skinny jeans, boots and flannel shirts, known as the cool mom to her kids friends. It was nothing for their home to be filled every weekend with either the football team or basketball team rocking out to the latest hits going at the time, and "Momma Jo" would be right there with them dancing around and laughing unil Derek came home smiling at how youthful his wife was acting. And of course Jo would just tease him about being an old fuddy duddy til he joined in. The point was Jo hated country music with a passion. What she did like was the classics rock she grew up listening to when she a her husband were dating and much to most people her age surprise she like a lot of today pop, rock and R and B, there was plenty of time she got odd looks while stopped at stop lights with widows down while she jamed out to Eminem. That was ok with her though, she was who she was, take her as she was or walk away.

Several hours after dark and nowhere near tired yet Jo decided she would stop fill up with gas, call the boys let them know she was going to try to drive through the night. Once that was done she grabbed her something to drink and headed back out.

Jo pulled into the drive of her "cabin" at 3pm the next day. The term cabin could be used loosely. It was huge, larger than she alone needed, but she fell in love with the picture of it and the view that was discribed when the realtor was telling her about it over the phone. The first thing she did was call her boys, letting them know she made it safely. Then she grabbed one of the bags she knew had comfy clothes in it and went inside. She decided right away, sleep first look around and upack later, but she would call the bar and let the manager know she was in town.
Dialing the number she was given she waited for someone to answer, on about the 4th ring it finally was by a deep voiced person.

"The Oasis, Harry speaking how can I help you?" Harry spoke softly into the phone, glad he didn't have to scream since they didn't have very many customers yet since they just opened.

"Oh, I'm so glad you are the one to answer, Harry." Jo said in her nicest voice. "This is Jo Weston the new owner. I just wanted you to know I was in town, but I just got here. I've been on the road non-stop for over 20 hours. I hope you don't mind me putting off coming in to meet you til after I sleep and unpack do you?"

Harry was shocked. He never expected the new owner to sound so nice. Robert told him she was older and a bit set in her ways, not as old as his cranky dad, but a little older than him putting her around his mom's age. She didn't sound it though, hell she didn't sound tired either. "Of course I don't mind. Take your time. We're fine here."

"It will be no more than a couple of days I'm sure. I just need some sleep and to get my things in order here. Robert told me you know what you're doing and if he trusts you then that's good enough for me, I'll trust you too. I'll let you know when I'm coming in I always hate surprised visits from the bosses." Jo chuckled.

Not only did Harry hear the light laugh but he could hear it, which sounds strange, the smile in her voice as she talked. "Wait, you know Robert?"

"Yeah." Jo said after taking a sip of her water. "He used to work for my husband. But when his dad's health started going down hill and he refused to slow down at the bar he quit and moved back here. We stayed in touch, when the news of his dad's passing hit we flew here for the funeral. Bob called me and told me he was selling the bar and I thought what the hell, so I bought it." Jo explained. "Anyway if I get enough rest and my things unloaded and put away I might be in tomorrow night if not then the day after that."

"Seriously Mrs. Weston it's fine, take your time." Harry tells Jo. She seemed nice on the phone but the longer she stayed away the longer he was able to keep his job.

"Harry, my name is Jo. Please, if we are going to be working together this Mrs. Weston shit won't cut it." Jo tells him.

"Okay, Jo, now get some rest. I'll see you when you are up to coming in." Harry says.

"Okay, night Harry." Jo mumbles around a yawn.

"Night Jo." Harry replies. Smiling as he hung the phone up. He shook his head, he just might like this boss. She seems cool so far and he's not even seen her yet. What surprised him was her comment on them working together. Maybe Robert was wrong about her taking over all aspects of the bar and him needing to find a new job.