said no?” Incredulous, Pam’s voice went high.
“Of course I said no. I’m not going to agree to marry him just because I’m pregnant again.”
“You’re pregnant?”
Amanda wrapped her arms around her middle as if giving her unborn child a comforting hug. “I am, and I can raise my baby all by myself. The baby will have a mom and an aunt, right?”
Smiling, Pam said, “Absolutely. Aunt Pam.”
Amanda nodded. “I can do this and I can do it without Nathan Battle if I have to.”
“If he lets you,” Pam muttered.
“Lets me?” Amanda repeated, staring at her sister. “Did you just say if he lets me?”
Pam lifted both hands. “You know Nathan. He doesn’t usually hear the word ‘no.’”
“Well, he’ll have to hear it this time. I’m going to live my life my way. I’m not going to be told what to do and where to go and who to love.” She walked over to the window and stared down at Royal. It was dark and streetlights created puddles of gold up and down the street. Overhead, the moon hung like a lopsided teeter-totter and the stars winked down on the world.
And over on the Battlelands, the man she loved was alone with his plans. She hoped he was as lonely as she was.
“Sure am glad the diner’s back open.”
It was a couple of days later when Hank Bristow lifted a cup of coffee and took a long, leisurely sip. He sighed in pure pleasure before picking up his coffee and heading for a group of his friends at a far table. “Didn’t know what to do with myself when you girls were closed.”
“We’re glad to be open again, too, Hank,” Amanda assured him as he walked away.
She glanced at her sister. Pam was like a different person. The old bitterness was gone and she and Amanda had spent the last couple of days building a shaky bridge between them. Someday, Amanda hoped the two of them would be close. It wouldn’t happen overnight, of course, but at least now there was a chance that the Altman girls were finally going to have a good relationship.
“Earth to Amanda …”
She jolted a little and, laughing, turned to look at Piper, sitting on a stool at the counter. “Sorry. Mind wandering.”
“It’s okay, but since I’m starving, how about a doughnut to go with this excellent coffee?”
“You bet.” It was good to have friends, Amanda thought as she opened the door to the glass display case and set a doughnut on a plate. Piper had been the one Amanda went to after Nathan’s abrupt proposal. And Piper was the one who had insisted that Nathan did love Amanda, that he was just being male and sometimes that had to be overlooked.
Amanda wasn’t so sure. She’d missed Nathan desperately the last couple of days. He hadn’t called. Hadn’t come to her. Was he waiting for her to go to him? How could she?
She set the doughnut in front of Piper and whispered, “Thanks again for everything.”
“No problem,” Piper told her and took a sip of coffee. “I’m guessing you still haven’t heard from him.”
“No.” Amanda planted both hands on the counter. “I don’t think I will, either. Nathan’s a proud man—maybe too proud. And I turned him down and walked away.”
“Then maybe you should go to him,” Piper said matter-of-factly.
“How can I?” Amanda shook her head.
“Give him a chance, Amanda. Heck, everyone in town knows Nathan’s crazy about you. Why can’t you believe it?”
She wanted to. More than anything.
Walking along the length of the counter, Pam refilled coffee cups, chatted with customers and stopped when she reached JT in his usual spot. “More coffee?”
“Thanks.” He watched her in silence for a second, then said, “Looks like you and Amanda got things sorted out.”
She set the coffeepot down and glanced at her sister. “We’re getting there. I guess you could say I finally grew up.”
All around them, the diner was buzzing with morning conversations, so JT’s words were almost lost in the sound when he said, “It’s about time.”
Pam smiled. “True enough. JT, why are you always so nice to me?”
In answer, he stood up and came around the end of the counter. When he was close enough, he grabbed hold of Pam, pulled her in tight, then bent her over in a dip as he kissed her, long and slow. Finally, he swung her back onto her feet and let her go.
“That’s why,” he said, grinning at her. “Any other questions?”
The whole diner was silent as everyone in the place focused on the drama playing out right in front of them. A second ticked past, then two. Pam lifted one hand and rubbed her fingertips across her lips, then grinned widely. “Only one question, JT McKenna. What in hell took you so long?”
Applause burst into the room as Pam leapt into JT’s arms and kissed him back.
The rest of the day passed quickly as people came and went, and life in Royal marched on. Amanda did her work, smiled and talked with her customers all while trying to breathe past the knot in her throat. Thoughts of Nathan crowded her mind and the emptiness she felt without him left an ache in the center of her chest.
JT had taken up permanent roost at the end of the counter and Pam took every chance she could to stop for a kiss as she passed him. A patient man, JT had waited years for Pam to finally realize that he was the man for her.
Nathan wasn’t patient, Amanda told herself. He didn’t wait. He pushed. He nudged. He ordered and when that didn’t work, just went ahead and did whatever he thought was the right thing to do.
As those thoughts wandered through her mind, Amanda realized that she’d always known that about Nathan. And she loved him for who he was, irritations and all. So how could she blame him for doing everything he could now to make sure she married him?
Sighing, she glanced out the front window toward Main Street and her breath caught when she saw Nathan headed for the diner. Just one look at him and her heartbeat jumped into a gallop. He had his hat pulled down low against the brilliant summer sunshine and his steps were long and determined. She could almost feel the intensity preceding him as he stalked ever closer, people instinctively moving out of his way.
Amanda fought for calm and didn’t find it. Her heartbeat continued to race and her stomach swirled with expectation.
He stepped into the diner and his gaze swept the place in seconds, finally landing on her as if drawn to her by some immutable force. She felt the power of his stare from across the room and couldn’t look away from those dark brown eyes that were filled with heat and charged with emotion.
The crowd in the diner took
