Just One Kiss (13 page)

Lillie grinned. “I’m very mature for my age.”

“Yes, you are.”

Lillie took Justice’s hand as well and walked between them.

The park was close and they reached it a few minutes later. Steve was waiting where they’d arranged, on a bench by the duck pond. Lillie’s grip tightened as they approached, and when they were within speaking range, Steve rose and the three of them came to a halt.

Patience saw that he was exactly what she’d been telling herself for days. A man in his sixties who looked nervous and tentative. Not a monster. Just an ordinary man who had made awful choices and was now paying for them.

“Hello, Lillie,” Steve said quietly. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me today.”

Lillie studied him. “I’ve seen you before. In town.”

Steve’s eyes widened. “I’ve been living around here for a while.”

“Okay.” Lillie pulled her hands free and walked toward Steve. “You know my dad, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you ever see him?”

“I don’t. We haven’t spoken in many years.”

“I don’t see him, either.” Lillie looked at the lake. “We usually feed the ducks.”

“Your mom mentioned that. I brought bread.”

They collected the bag from the bench and walked down to the water. Patience followed, close enough to hear what was going on, but far enough away to give them the illusion of privacy. Justice stayed with her.

“Thoughts?” she asked. “Is it going okay? Is your Spidey sense tingling?”

“I’m tingle free.”

She sighed. “You must think I’m a freakish worrier.”

“No. I think you’re a concerned mom who doesn’t want to trust her kid with a man she barely knows. You’re right to be wary. Steve checked out, but he’s also the man who left his family. Sure, people change, but he has to prove that to you.”

He had a point, she thought, still worried, but now less so. Of course, she had planned to keep her daughter safe from Justice, and that hadn’t happened. He’d been so supportive and kind that she’d just plain forgotten.

The fact that he was buying a warehouse and starting a business in town implied he was sticking around. So it wasn’t as if he would simply disappear from her daughter’s life. She sighed. Was that her being rational or rationalizing? She wished she knew.

She continued to watch her daughter. Lillie was talking about her teacher and her friends at school. Steve listened with what looked like genuine interest.

Patience stepped closer to Justice. “You’ve been great. I’m sorry if I’ve been claiming too much of your time. You moved here to start a business and ended up getting sucked into my crazy world. I have to say, usually my life is really calm. Even boring. But the last few weeks have been wild.”

“I like your crazy world. It’s delightfully normal.”

She laughed. “You’re not the kind of guy who says
delightfully.
”

“I do now. Fool’s Gold is changing me.”

She wondered if that was true. “In your bodyguard job, do you hang out with other military types?”

“Mostly.”

“So being here means you don’t know quite what to do with us civilians.”

“You’re not as different as you think. Besides, most of my clients are civilians.”

“How disappointing. I was picturing you with ousted dictators who have a price on their heads.”

“Not this week. It’s mostly successful men with a price on their heads.”

She wasn’t sure if he was teasing or telling the truth. She had a feeling it was the latter, which wasn’t the least bit comforting.

“You have that assignment coming up,” she said. “You promise you’ll be safe?”

“Yes.” His dark blue gaze locked with hers. “I will be safe and I will be here for the opening. You have my word.”

“You’re very sexy when you make promises.”

She spoke without thinking, then wanted to call the words back. A quick glance at Lillie and Steve showed her they were deep in their own conversation, which was a relief, but Justice had still heard.

“Sexy?”

She cleared her throat. “You know. Um, well...” She waved her hand. “Oh, look. Ducks. We should feed them.”

She started to walk toward the water, but Justice grabbed her hand and held her in place.

Tension spiraled between them, making her want to step closer. He got to her, and she couldn’t figure out a way to mind.

“Don’t act all surprised,” she told him, her voice low. “You know what you are. Dangerous. Powerful. Plus, the kissing was nice.”

One eyebrow rose. “Just nice. Not great? Not spectacular?”

“I’ve had better,” she said with a sniff.

He drew her close. “Now you’re lying,” he said with a growl.

She smiled. “Maybe a little.”

She glanced at her daughter and saw both Lillie and Steve watching them. She took a quick step back.

“So. Ducks. How are they doing?” she asked.

Lillie gave her a “sometimes you’re really strange” look. “They’re fine, Mom. They like the bread.”

“Then it’s good your grandfather brought some.”

Justice stepped behind her. “That’s the best you can do?” he asked in a whisper. “You’d never make it undercover.”

“Fine. Be critical, but I’d like to see you try to cut hair, mister.”

CHAPTER TEN

P
ATIENCE
WANDERED
AROUND
the main showroom of Paper Moon Wedding Gowns. Big windows opened up onto the small square of “exclusive shops” in the center of Fool’s Gold. Across the courtyard were the brightly colored windows for da bump Maternity. A humorous connection for those who weren’t getting married or pregnant.

Inside the shop, several wedding dresses were on display, with more racks of them available for browsing. There was a second, smaller room devoted to bridesmaids’ dresses and gowns for the mother of the bride.

“I swear, this place hasn’t changed at all,” Patience said, touching the sleeve of a beautiful, traditional white gown.

Isabel wrinkled her nose. “That would be part of the problem. We’re well into a new century. The store should reflect that. The stock is current. My mom paid attention to trends, but the rest of the place is very 1999.”

“You’re going to change that?”

“As much as possible. I have a budget and some ideas. If we’re going to sell, we might as well get as much as we can for the place. That means making it fresh.”

Paper Moon had always been a part of the community. Patience remembered friends with older sisters coming in to be fitted for junior bridesmaids’ dresses. Before the samples went on sale, the teenaged girls were allowed to come in and play “bride for a day,” trying on different dresses and wondering what it would be like on that far-off special day.

“I bought my wedding dress here,” Patience admitted. “From the sale rack, which turned out to be a good thing. It wasn’t like the marriage lasted.”

“I’m sorry,” Isabel said. “That must have been difficult. And you had Lillie, too.”

“She was who got me through. Her and my mom. They were both what kept me going.” Patience looked at her friend. “How are you doing with all the changes?”

Isabel shrugged. “I don’t know. Some days are easy, some are hard. Come on back to the office. I’ll buy you a soda.”

They walked through the dressing-room area. There were two fitting rooms large enough to accommodate the fullest of skirts. Each had several chairs for the various family members who might be in on the decision. Smaller fitting rooms, still huge by normal standards, lined the back wall. In the middle of the space were a five-way mirror and a low platform where the bride-to-be could show off.

Isabel walked past all of it and entered a door marked Private. Behind that was an office with several desks, a table and chairs, computers, stacks of fabric samples and a small refrigerator.

“Diet okay?” she asked as she pulled open the door.

“My favorite.”

She removed two cans, then motioned to the chairs by the table.

“This is the store that time forgot,” Isabel said as she popped the top on her drink and took a sip. “When I first saw it, I felt like I’d been whipped back in time ten years. I knew my parents had lost their enthusiasm for the place, but the lack of changes was surprising.”

“You’re not tempted to just take it over and fix it up how you’d like it?”

Isabel shook her head. “No, thanks. I have plans and they don’t include sticking around here. I know you love it, but I would go crazy here.”

“In the store or in town?”

“The store for sure. I couldn’t deal with the brides for the rest of my life. I want to do something more. It’s not the retail I mind. As I mentioned before, I have plans with a friend to open a store in New York. High-fashion designs. Very upscale.”

“That’s still retail, my friend.”

Isabel smiled. “New York retail.”

“So you’re really going back?”

“Uh-huh.”

Patience wondered what it would be like to live somewhere else. She’d never not known her neighbors or the people in her town. She understood the rhythms of life—with seasons marked by festivals as well as the changes in weather.

“I suppose New York is exciting,” she said slowly.

Isabel laughed. “You’re are such a country mouse, and I say that with love. I can’t see you living anywhere else.”

“Me, either. Isn’t it hard to make friends and figure out where everything is?”

“Yes, but that’s what makes it exciting. The city is big and loud and crazy and I enjoy that.” She took another sip of her soda. “But I’ll admit, it’s nice to be here, even for a few months.”

“Getting away from what happened?”

Isabel’s blue eyes darkened with a flash of pain. “Eric and I are still friends, but I don’t care how friendly a divorce is. It’s not something easy to go through.”

“Have you talked to him much?”

“A few times. I’m not sure what to say.” She looked at Patience. “I’m actually not surprised we split up, and yet I’m completely shocked. I don’t know if that makes sense.”

Patience suspected in her heart she’d known something was wrong. But living a divorce was completely different from guessing there was a problem in the relationship.

“You’re still healing,” Patience said. “The cliché about time happens to be true. After Ned left, I didn’t think I would ever recover. But I did. Now I can’t imagine what it was I saw in him.”

“I’ll get there, too,” Isabel said. “At least I hope so. It’s just some days I feel so pathetic. When some excited, bright-eyed bride-to-be walks in the store, I can’t help wondering if she’ll still be married to the guy in twenty years or if she’ll be a statistic, too.” She sighed. “Okay, I’ve officially become the depressing friend. I don’t want that.”

“You’re still healing. Give yourself a break.”

Isabel managed a smile. “What? You’re saying beating myself up isn’t the quickest way to a happier tomorrow?”

“Not even close. You’ve temporarily left New York. Take advantage of that. Lose yourself in the quaint, small-town gooeyness that is Fool’s Gold. Go to a festival. Gain five pounds from eating locally made goat cheese. Seduce a handsome tourist.”

“Not sure I’m up to that last suggestion, but the others sound fun.”

Patience drank some of her soda. “You’re not ready for transition guy?”

“Not even close.” Isabel studied her. “I can’t see you having one, either. Not with a child to worry about.”

Patience was too embarrassed to admit there hadn’t been a man in her life since Ned left. “No transitional man for me, either. I was busy with Lillie, and now it’s been too long. But I do like the theory.” She grinned. “Ford is coming home any day now. What about him? You had a huge crush on him years ago. Maybe he’s still gorgeous and sexy.”

Isabel’s expression brightened. “If only that were true. You promised he wouldn’t be.” She sighed, obviously remembering. “I was so insanely in love with him.”

“The love of a fourteen-year-old girl is very special.”

Isabel laughed. “I hope he saw it that way rather than as something he had to escape.” Her smile turned rueful. “Of course, my sister had just dumped him, so I doubt he had much time to think about my feelings. He was too busy wrestling with his own.”

Patience had been only a couple of years older than Isabel, but even she remembered the scandal. Ford had been engaged to Maeve, Isabel’s older and very beautiful sister. Only a few weeks before the wedding, he’d caught Maeve in bed with his best friend, Leonard. Words and possibly blows had been exchanged. Maeve had been apologetic, but refused to give up Leonard. The engagement had been broken and Ford had left town. He’d joined the navy, had become a SEAL and until recently had pretty much never returned.

There had been the one or two weekends when he’d been spotted around town, but mostly he’d seen his family in other places. Patience wasn’t sure if that was a logistical choice or if he’d been avoiding Maeve. Either way, after close to fourteen years, he was coming home now.

“Maybe he kept all your letters,” Patience said, her voice teasing. “Read them when things were tough.”

Isabel laughed. “Sure he did. Because hearing about my life was so special. I just hope I edited myself and didn’t dump on him, emotionally. High school is never pretty, and I don’t think telling him about my experiences would have been very entertaining.”

Patience leaned toward her and lowered her voice. “Or they could have been
extremely
entertaining.”

Isabel winced. “Oh God. You’re right. I remember going to a prom with a guy named Warren. There was no happy ending.” She picked up her soda. “I’m sure I didn’t mention that.”

“You could get on the welcome committee,” Patience told her. “Be one of the first to greet him.”

“There’s a welcome committee?”

“Not that I’ve heard of, but who knows what this town will do? Ford is a returning hero.”

“He’s going to hate hearing that over and over again.”

“You could comfort him.”

Isabel sighed. “Stop trying to throw us together. The man isn’t even home yet.”

“I’m a romantic. I can’t help it. One of us has to have a summer romance.”

“I’m fresh off a divorce. Any romance is up to you. What about that guy? Justice?”

Patience cleared her throat. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Isabel raised her eyebrows. “Uh-huh. You’re blushing.”

Patience ducked her head. “I am not.” But she was. She could feel the heat on her cheeks. “I like him,” she admitted. “But it’s confusing. Exciting, but confusing.”

“Good luck with that. I’m the last person you should come to for advice. I still have a tan line from my wedding ring.”

Patience sighed. “I really am sorry about that.”

“Me, too. But I’ll move on.”

* * *

“O
KAY
,
so here’s the counter, obviously. And this is where the magic will happen.” Patience ran her hands over the large espresso machine. It was big and shiny and the most perfect thing she’d ever seen. At least in the mechanical world. Lillie was the most perfect in the life-form department.

“I know all the specs by heart,” she continued. “Want me to tell you how many cups per hour and the amount of milk we’ll go through making lattes?”

Justice leaned against the counter and smiled at her. “If it’s important to you.”

“It is but I won’t torture you. Not when you’ve said you’ll help me.”

There were the last, most recent boxes of mugs and plates to be unpacked. As the dishwasher wasn’t coming in until next week, they would also have to be stacked neatly next to the others in preparation for their professional sanitizing.

She turned toward the space that would be filled by a very large dishwasher and sighed. “Held up by a shipping glitch,” she said. “Mom and I decided that since we hadn’t picked an actual date for the opening, we’re going to delay it three days. That way the dishwasher will be installed and we’ll have more time to train the staff.”

She drew in a breath and pressed her hands together. “There’s going to be staff. Actual employees. And we have our food on order and the coffee is here. We’ll have intermittent times when we’re open for about a week, then the real thing.”

She turned to him. “You said you could make it. Is that still true?”

“Yes. My trip’s been cut back—I’ll only be gone a couple of days.”

“To the dangerous place you can’t name.”

His blue eyes brightened with amusement. “That’s the one.”

“You could give me a hint. Is it an island or a continent?”

“There’s a big size difference there. It’s a continent.”

“But not this one.”

“No.”

She tilted her head. “You’re really not going to tell me, are you?”

“I’m not.”

“Fine. Be that way. I still owe you. You’ve helped so much. So when you’re ready to unpack your bullets or whatever for CDS, I’ll be there for you.”

“No bullets.”

“I thought you were going to have a shooting range.”

“Okay, some bullets.”

She beamed. “See. I can be helpful.”

It was a beautiful spring afternoon, with sunlight spilling in through the freshly washed windows. Crisp curtains fluttered in the breeze or would if the windows were open. Right now they were closed and the front door was locked. Patience had learned if she didn’t keep the place locked, people tended to wander in and ask when she would open. While she appreciated the interest, every conversation took time, which meant she was always running behind on her work schedule.

She looked at the tables and chairs, the humming cold case and the shiny floor. There was coffee for sale on the shelves, along with various coffee supplies. The last delivery of mugs, glasses and plates had come in. She’d hired some help, been instructed on using all the equipment and once the dishwasher made its debut, she would be ready to open the doors to her new business.

“I can’t believe it,” she admitted. “This is really happening. Did you see the sign?”

“I saw the sign.”

She clasped her hands together in front of her waist. “I love it so much.”

The logo she and her mother had chosen was a yellow oval with a red coffee cup in the middle. Adorable hearts graced the cup. “We’re going to have T-shirts and aprons with the design,” she added.