Mr. Whittaker?”
“You know about Angel?”
“I’ve heard a few things. We haven’t yet met, although I’m looking forward to that.”
She moved toward the doorway. He found himself following, although he couldn’t say why.
“You’ll have some kind of physical-fitness facility?” she asked.
“Yes. And an outdoor obstacle course.”
“You’re very close to Josh Golden’s cycling school.” She handed him a business card. “You might want to speak to him about using the facilities. Cycling provides overall conditioning.”
He took the card. “You came prepared.”
“I’m always prepared, Justice. This is my town and I take care of my citizens.”
He got the message and braced himself for the warning. He told himself she was just an old lady who made smart guesses, but he didn’t believe it. She knew things and that meant she could easily have figured out his issues. She was going to warn him off, and he couldn’t blame her for that.
“You’ll find the city is very supportive of your venture. If you need anything, contact me directly and I’ll get you in touch with the right person. You belong here, Justice—I have a feeling about that.”
He’d been captured once. On a mission. Held and beaten for a few hours. He’d barely begun to prepare himself for the ordeal when his team had broken in and rescued him. He’d been as shocked by their arrival then as he was by the mayor’s words now.
“You’ll want to provide some community outreach,” she continued. “Maybe self-defense classes, something for children. You’ll be welcome in the community regardless, but it’s nice to give back. You’ll feel better about yourself, and the transition will be easier for all your staff.”
She smiled again. “I doubt your employees are just regular folks, are they?”
“Not really.”
“I thought not. They’ll need to find their footing, as well. Some of them will believe that’s not possible. You and I know otherwise. It’s up to us to show them what Fool’s Gold has to offer.”
“I hadn’t thought of classes for the community,” he admitted.
“That’s why I’m here. To offer possibilities.” She lightly touched his arm. “Welcome home, Justice. I’m glad you found your way.”
He wanted to tell her he wasn’t sure he was staying, but even as he thought the words, he knew they weren’t true. He had decided the second he’d returned. Seeing Patience had sealed the deal. He might not be able to have what he wanted with her, but he couldn’t seem to walk away, either. An uncomfortable dilemma.
Mayor Tilson wished him the best and walked out of the warehouse. Justice reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
“Is it Fool’s Gold?” Felicia asked by way of greeting.
“It is.”
“Great. It’s going to take me a couple of weeks to wrap everything up. Maybe three. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way. In the meantime I’ll notify Ford and Angel and get going on the plan. Send me pictures of the building and the outlying area. I’ll coordinate with the lawyer on the purchase and investigate leasing options, as well.”
Felicia wasn’t one for pleasantries. She got right to the problem and in a matter of seconds, had sixteen solutions. She could list them in order of success ratio, danger or cost. She was the smartest person he knew, and probably one of the ten most intelligent people in the world. At times that made her challenging to work with, but she was never boring.
“How are you?” he asked, mostly to mess with her.
She sighed. “Really? We have to do that every time we speak?” There was a pause. “I’m fine, Justice. Thank you so much for asking. How are you enjoying Fool’s Gold?”
“It’s very nice.” He grinned. “Are you calculating how much work you could have gotten done if we hadn’t wasted time on that exchange?”
“No. I’m trying to be more social. I’m going to be living in a small town and I want to be like everyone else.”
He didn’t have the heart to tell her that would never happen. She was many things, but “just like everyone else” wasn’t one of them.
“Did you see her?” Felicia asked. “Your friend?”
He’d told her a little about Patience—that they’d known each other back in high school. But not that she’d haunted him and that the memories of her had kept him anchored and strong.
“I have.”
“Is she how you remember?”
He thought about the feel of her in his arms. How she’d kissed. He remembered her laughter and her spinning in the middle of an empty storefront.
“She’s better.”
* * *
JULIAHELD OUT her arms. “Congratulations, Patience. This is everything you’ve wanted.”
Patience hugged her boss. “I know. I’m so excited.” She’d gotten the lease from Josh and had taken it over to an attorney that morning for a quick review. The next order of business was telling the woman she worked for that she would be leaving.
“What’s your time frame?” Julia asked, releasing her.
“Six weeks,” Patience said. “Maybe eight. I thought I could work part-time for a while, if that’s okay with you.” She held up her hands. “I feel like I’m leaving you in a lurch.”
“You are, but so what? This is like winning the lotto. You can’t turn your back on opportunity. We’ll talk about who would do best with each of your clients. After we do that, you can call all your regulars and let them know what’s happening.” Julia’s good humor faded slightly. “Just don’t let them go over to Bella’s place.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Patience murmured, eager to avoid that particular conversation.
Bella and Julia were sisters. Estranged sisters. They owned competing salons in town, which required the good citizens of Fool’s Gold to be careful if they wanted to keep the peace.
Patience promised to contact her clients within a couple of days and left the office. She’d come in on her day off to tell Julia what had happened. Now she had a thousand things to do and no idea of where to start.
As promised, Great-Aunt Becky’s lawyer had sent the check overnight. The money was currently sitting in her checking account. Ava had already researched where to put the money for Lillie’s college fund, and they would pay off the mortgage at the end of the week. Once the lease was signed, they would start ordering the equipment and talking to a contractor about remodeling the store.
Patience stepped into the salon, prepared to get her purse and move
