an opinion?”
“Both.” She studied him. “You went into the military after your father was taken into custody.”
He nodded.
“Whatever you did was dangerous. Patience and I have speculated, but I’m sure we won’t be able to guess.”
“Probably not.”
“You’ve seen things.”
More than she could ever know.
“Now you’re going to open your school here.”
He chuckled. “It’s not a school.”
“You know what I mean.” She leaned toward him. “Can you do it? Settle in a small town?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I want to be here.”
It was an honest answer, he thought. As much as the town drew him, he was concerned about fitting in. He could fake his way through any situation for a period of time. But in the end, who he was would come out.
He’d done things no man should be able to live with. Yet, as Ava had said, here he was. There were questions he couldn’t answer. Like how much of his father lived in him? Could he escape Bart’s cruel influence? Would he end up hurting the people he cared about? He’d never taken the risk. It hadn’t been worth it. He’d always been content to move on. But now he was starting to think he wanted to stay.
“Where does Patience fit in your decision?” Ava asked.
“She’s a draw. I never forgot her.”
“You’re both different people now.”
“She’s not so different.” She was older, more beautiful. But the essence of her remained. The sweetness, the humor, the unique worldview that, in her case, came out through her wardrobe of cute T-shirts.
“What are you afraid of?” Ava asked.
He turned to her. “That I’ll hurt her.”
“Then don’t.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Sometimes it is.”
* * *
PATIENCESTUDIED THE to-do list and felt the last of her stress fade away. Everything was getting done and more quickly than she could have imagined. The cleaning was done and all the plates, mugs and glasses had been unpacked. In the back room, a team worked on her shelves. Nevada kept a tight control on her team, ordering the guys around easily.
Charlie walked over. “The trim is painted. Finn, Simon and Tucker are putting up the curtain rods. Tucker has the professional experience, but Simon brings his surgeon’s precision to the experience, so imagine how that’s going. Finn’s egging them both on because it’s fun. I won’t bother telling you the trouble the Stryker brothers are getting into, but know that later, they will be punished.”
Patience laughed. “I’m not worried. Everyone is working really hard and my list is nearly complete.” She hugged Charlie. “I love this town.”
“The town loves you back.” Charlie turned her head and groaned. “Old ladies at ten o’clock.”
Patience followed her gaze and saw that Eddie and Gladys had shown up. No doubt the near octogenarians were hoping to catch sight of good-looking guys in tight jeans. The two were completely shameless. Last year Clay had arranged for some male-model friends to pose for a charity calendar. When Eddie and Gladys had found out, they’d shown up with folding chairs and stayed to watch the show.
Some of the shots had required the guys to get naked, which had delighted the friends. They’d taken pictures with their cell phones. Charlie had been forced to edit out the “frontal” nudity pictures, much to the dismay of Eddie and Gladys.
“I’ll go make sure they behave themselves,” Patience said.
Charlie put her hand on Patience’s arm. “I’ll do it. You need to stay focused on the projects. Plus, you’re too nice. They at least pretend to be scared of me.”
“Thanks.”
“What can I say? I’m an amazing friend and you’re lucky to have me in your life.”
Patience laughed.
She watched Charlie head for the old ladies and saw the two trying to duck away. But Charlie was faster and soon they were corralled. Patience made the rounds, stopping to check on the various projects.
Simon and Tucker were glaring at each other. “It’s a thirty-second of an inch off,” the surgeon said. “Do you know what that means?”
“Nothing,” Tucker told him. “Because it’s not off. It’s even. Look at the level.”
“I’m measuring and that’s more accurate than a bubble.”
Finn leaned back against the wall, enjoying the show.
“The curtains look great,” Patience said. “I love them.”
“See?” Tucker said.
“You have to be on a ladder to see the difference,” Simon informed him.
“I’m thinking not many of my customers are going to do that,” Patience said; then she smiled and kept moving.
As she circled around the room, she passed by Kent Hendrix and his mother. Denise was staring up at her son.
“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice hopeful.
“It’s been long enough,” Kent told her. “I want to move on. Lorraine is gone and not coming back. I need to get going with my life. I’ve wasted enough time on her.”
Denise reached for him.
Patience inched away, not wanting to intrude on such a private, family moment.
She knew the basic facts. Kent had been married. He and Lorraine had a son, Reese. Several years ago Lorraine had decided she didn’t want to be married, or a mother, so she’d taken off, leaving her husband and her son. Sort of like Ned, Patience thought.
Josh and Ethan came by with two-by-fours over their shoulders, trapping her in place.
“I’m so glad,” Denise told her son. “You need to start the next chapter of your life. Are you dating?”
“Mom, let it go. I’ll find my own girl.”
“But I want to help.”
Patience looked around frantically, still pinned in by moving wood. Any second now Denise was going to start searching for a suitable future Mrs. Kent Hendrix, and she didn’t want to be the one the other woman saw first. Kent was a great guy, but they’d only ever been friends.
She finally managed to duck under the wood and make
