Just One Kiss

“We have the money to pay for staff,” Patience said, “and our reserve fund. I won’t be taking a salary for at least the first couple of months.”

“Don’t worry about the bills around here,” her mother told her. “I’ll cover them. With the mortgage paid off, we have more than enough, plus a little extra to put into the store.”

Patience nodded. None of this was new information. They’d been over their budget so many times before, playing out different scenarios. The difference was, this time it was real. They were doing this. The inheritance meant there wasn’t a bank loan to worry about. Talk about a miracle.

“If nothing else, I have my fallback position,” she said with a smile. “I can go back to doing hair.”

“You won’t have to,” her mother told her. “We’re going to take this town by storm.”

“One cup at a time,” Patience added.

“That’s right.” Her mother flipped through the paperwork. “We need to get together a work party. The contractor will install the built-ins and there’s the plumber and electrician, but what about the general cleaning and painting? It’s much cheaper to do it ourselves.”

It would save a lot of money, Patience thought. “You’re right. We’re talking about what? Three weeks from now?”

“The remodeling starts Monday and it takes a week. The equipment comes in the week after that. So about three weeks seems right.” Ava made a note. “I’ll pull out the phone tree.”

One of the advantages of living in a place like Fool’s Gold was the community involvement. Neighbors stepped in to help each other. If the school needed classrooms painted, or a holiday production needed stage sets refurbished, people showed up and helped. Although Patience had been on the participating end of a lot of work parties, she’d never been one of the people doing the asking.

“Do you think we should bother people?” Even as she asked the question, she knew what her mother was going to say.

“Everyone who loves us will be delighted to help.”

“I know. You’re right.” She drew in a breath. “Work now, freak out later.”

“At least you have a plan.”

They went over the rest of the details. In the next couple of days the local print shop would have the proofs of their logo ready. The logo would go on the signs, the aprons and eventually the mugs. She was even thinking of offering “Brew-haha” merchandise to sell.

“And we’re done,” Ava told her.

“Yay, us.” Patience put down her pad of paper and her pen and straightened her legs. “Lillie should be getting home soon.” Her daughter was at a friend’s house for the afternoon.

“You heard the Zack issue was resolved.”

Patience smiled. “Yes. Poor kid. He had to endure a whole meeting about his crush. That’s going to leave a scar.”

“Justice handled the situation extremely well. I know I have nothing to do with it, but I’m still proud of how he turned out.”

Patience was impressed as well, but didn’t think “proud” described her feelings. “He’s a good guy.”

A good guy who confused her. If only she didn’t like him so much. She had thought to keep him far enough from Lillie that her daughter wouldn’t start to bond, only to have Lillie take matters into her own hands. Now Justice was her daughter’s hero. Kind of Patience’s hero, too, for helping out Lillie.

He’d decided to start his business in Fool’s Gold, which meant he was staying. But he still hadn’t explained why he’d avoided her for years and years. Avoiding him until she figured it out seemed like the best option, only the town was small and in truth, she didn’t want to. Maybe she needed an intervention.

At least being insanely busy with the store was going to help. She wouldn’t have time to play the what-if game right now.

“It’s interesting he chose to settle here,” her mother said. “He could have gone anywhere.”

“I think Ford had something to do with it. They’re still friends.” She laughed. “Or maybe it’s all Fool’s Gold. Once this town finds you, it doesn’t let you go.”

“That sounds a little scary.”

“I didn’t mean it that way.” She looked at her mother. “I’m glad Justice is okay. Even though we were just kids, I thought about him a lot—what might have happened to him.”

Ava nodded. “I remember the mayor trying to find out. Alice Barns used her contacts, as well.”

Then Deputy Barns, now Police Chief Barns, Patience thought. “We were dealing with the witness protection program. There was no way we could have figured it out.” Even now she had trouble believing someone had thought to keep a kid in danger safe in Fool’s Gold. Nothing like that had ever happened here. Which was probably the point, she thought.

She reached for her pen, then straightened. A nagging thought reappeared and she knew she had to suck it up and tell her mother what was going on.

“Mom, Ned’s father came by the other day.”

Ava turned to her. “Steve?”

“Uh-huh. He says he wants to have a relationship with Lillie.”

Patience braced herself for the rant. Ava had dealt with men abandoning her more than once in her life. First her father had cut and run on his family; then her husband had played the same disappearing game. She’d had to watch the same thing happen to her daughter.

No doubt Ava would have several not-very-nice things to say about Ned’s father. After all, Steve had also left his family. There was an epidemic of men who weren’t in it for the long haul.

“How was he?” her mother asked instead.

Patience shrugged. “He was quiet. Pleasant. He apologized for what he’d done to Ned and for how Ned had treated Lillie and me. He says he’s a changed man and wants a second chance with his granddaughter.”

“Do you believe him?”

“I don’t know. I’d only met him once before. Ned never had anything good to say about him, but he’s hardly someone I’d trust as far as judging character goes. I asked Justice to check him out.”

Her mother’s expression was unreadable. “That’s a sensible solution. Justice will find out if he has any issues we need to be concerned about.”

Patience waited. “That’s it? You’re not going to call him an SOB or tell me to grab Lillie and run?”

“People change.”

“You think Steve has changed?”

Ava shifted in her seat. “I’m not sure. I’m just saying he might mean what he says. Time has a way of making things more clear. For some people, that means dealing with regrets. If Steve is genuine, then you might want to take him seriously.”

Patience was less sure. “I don’t want Lillie to get hurt. She never talks about her dad, but I know she thinks about him. Her friends have fathers. Even the ones with divorced parents still see their dads. She never has. He’s just gone and he’s not coming back. It would be different if he’d died—then his absence wouldn’t be a choice. What if Steve hasn’t changed? What if he sees her a few times and then disappears?”

“Maybe he wouldn’t.”

“You’re taking his side.”

“I’m saying you need more information.”

Patience didn’t understand. It almost felt as if there was something her mother wasn’t telling her.

“I’m going to wait to hear what Justice has to say,” she told her mother. “If he clears Steve, then I’ll consider letting him meet Lillie. Otherwise, there’s no way he’s getting close to my daughter.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

JO’S BAR WAS one of those places unique to Fool’s Gold. Decorated in female-friendly colors, with TVs turned to shopping networks and fun reality TV, the place catered to the women in town. There were plenty of low-calorie choices on the menu, a play area for toddlers during lunch and a complete lack of single guys on the prowl. While men were welcome, they tended to avoid Jo’s Bar. If they did show up, they migrated to the back room where they could find a pool table and smaller TVs with professional sports playing.

Patience walked in and saw her friends at the table by the back wall. Usually they settled in one of the large booths, but with Annabelle due to give birth at any second, and Heidi about seven months along, sliding into a booth had become complicated.

“How are you?” she asked as she approached.

“Huge,” Annabelle said.

The petite redhead did look uncomfortably large, Patience thought as she hugged her. Heidi was a little taller and carrying a bit less baby.

“I’m good,” Heidi said with a smile.

“She’s serene,” Charlie announced. “It’s kind of annoying.”

“I’m in the Zen part of my pregnancy.” Heidi laughed. “Very one with the universe.”

Heidi was a pretty blonde who lived on the Castle Ranch just outside town. Charlie was a local firefighter. Strong, tall and possibly the least girlie woman Patience had met. She was attractive, but had an air of competence that scared off most men.

Last year the three friends had fallen in love with the Stryker brothers. As their friend, Patience had had a front-row seat to all the excitement, heartache and ultimately the happy endings.

Now she took one of the remaining chairs and hung her purse on the back. “I invited a friend of mine to join us. I hope that’s okay.”

Charlie leaned toward her. “You know that’s perfectly fine. We like a big crowd. It keeps the conversation lively. Who is she?”

“Her name is Isabel Beebe. Her family has owned Paper Moon forever. She’s been living in New York for the past few years, but is back for a while. Her parents want to sell the store. Isabel is going to run it and get it ready for sale.”

Annabelle’s eyes filled with tears. “She’s selling Paper Moon? But I was going to get my dress there. It’s a Fool’s Gold institution. I want to be part of an institution.”

“More like you need to be locked away in one,” Charlie muttered, rubbing Annabelle’s back. “Come on. Take a few breaths. You’re very emotional. It’s the hormones. Nothing is really wrong.”

Annabelle sniffed a couple of times. “I can’t help it. I cry at everything.”

Heidi patted her hand. “Charlie’s right. Try breathing.”

“I need to pull it together,” Annabelle said with a tiny sob. “I don’t want to scare Isabel away. Even if she is closing the store.”

Patience glanced at Charlie, who rolled her eyes. “You’ve never even been in the store,” Charlie told her. “How can you be this upset?”

“I had p-plans.”

“I really hope the baby comes soon,” Charlie muttered. “I can’t take much more of this.”

Patience held in a smile. She didn’t remember her pregnancy being so emotional, but everyone was different.

Annabelle raised her head and sniffed. “Oh, look. That’s her. She’s very pretty. Isabel is a nice name. Maybe we should put it on the list.”

“Kill me now,” Charlie said with a sigh. “I’m never getting pregnant. It’s not worth it.”

“Oh, it’s wonderful,” Annabelle told her earnestly. “You’ll be a great mother.”

“And the tears are gone.”

Patience waved Isabel over, then made the introductions. Isabel settled in the seat next to her. She eyed the two pregnant women.

“I think I’m going to drink my water out of a bottle while I’m at this table.”

Heidi laughed. “It’s not contagious.”

“I’m not taking any chances.” She turned to Charlie. “How have you escaped their fate?”

“Careful planning.”

Heidi leaned close. “Clay, her fiancé, is more worried about getting her married than anything else right now.”

“We’re getting married,” Charlie said. “Just as soon as I knock some sense into him.”

Patience glanced at Isabel. “Clay wants a big wedding. Charlie doesn’t.”

“It’s stupid to have a bunch of people over for a big ceremony. We should elope.”

Annabelle’s eyes filled again. “You hate weddings?”

Jo, the owner, walked over. “Nice to see all of you for lunch.” She looked at Isabel. “I’m Jo.”

“Isabel Beebe.”

“Paper Moon,” Jo said. “Great store. I know your sister, Maeve. Now, there’s a woman committed to having children.” She pointed to the chalkboard by the bar. “We have two specials today. One of them is a salad. Plenty of lean protein and lots of greens for my pregnant customers. I’ve also been working on a new smoothie. Lots of dairy. I can do chocolate or blueberry.”

Heidi took a deep breath, as if finding her Zen center. “Yes to both, please. Chocolate.”

“I’m still in emotional distress,” Annabelle admitted.

“We’ll need a few minutes,” Charlie told Jo. “Bring the weepy one some herbal tea. Iced and with extra lemon.”

“Diet soda,” Patience said.

“I’ll have the same,” Isabel said.

“A double shot of tequila,” Charlie told Jo, then held up her hand. “I’m kidding. But I will take a mint chocolate milkshake.”

Jo nodded. “If it’s too early for alcohol, then go for the sugar.” She wrote down the orders. “I’ll let you look over the menus.”