of funny because Annabelle is sort of traditional, so for her to do this all backward isn’t like her. But they’re blissfully happy together.”
She studied the crowd. “You met everyone else at the work party. Don’t worry about remembering names.”
“I remember their names.”
“You can’t. You’ve only been in town for a few weeks.”
He allowed himself a slight smile, then started on the left. “The two blondes are Dakota and Montana. Next to them are Finn and Simon. The older woman is their mother, Denise, and the white-haired lady talking is Mayor Marsha.”
“Wow.”
He shrugged. “It’s part of what I do, but remember, I was friends with Ford way back when.”
“If I hadn’t been born here, I doubt I would have remembered everyone’s name.”
“It’s a parlor trick.”
“A good one.”
He wanted to impress her and knew the danger of making her believe in him. He reminded himself he had to make up his mind. Was he willing to risk getting involved with Patience? Did he trust himself that much? Or was it too late to have the conversation? Because he was starting to think he was already in too deep to find his way out.
* * *
PATIENCEHELD THE tiny baby in her arms. “Aren’t you handsome?” she whispered to the sleeping little boy. “So precious.”
Annabelle sat on the padded rocking chair in the baby’s room and smiled. “I feel useless. Everyone is helping out so much there’s nothing for me to do.”
“Oh, you should hold him,” Patience said, walking toward her.
Annabelle shook her head. “I wasn’t complaining. I was very stressed about having him. I wasn’t sure I would know what to do. But it turns out I don’t have to worry at all. We’re never alone, and I mean that in a good way.”
“How’s Shane handling fatherhood?”
“He’s excited and freaked. It’s a fun combination. He kept saying having a child was no big deal. Nature takes care of the details. But he’s discovered it’s not exactly like having one of his mares drop a foal.”
“The power of being smug,” Patience said, returning little Wyatt to his mother’s arms. She settled in the chair next to Annabelle’s and leaned close. “He’s adorable.”
“I think so.” Annabelle grinned. “So, tell me. How many casseroles are there in my freezer?”
“At last count there were thirty-two, but more are coming. Oh, and there’s a beautiful fruit arrangement in your refrigerator. Very upscale. There are cookies and brownies and I’m not sure what else.”
Annabelle leaned back in the rocker. “I love this town. I’m never leaving.”
“No one wants you to.” Patience gave her a quick hug, then stood. “I need to head back. I’ll call you in a couple of days to see how it’s going. By then you should be less busy here.”
“Thanks for coming by.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it.”
She returned to the front part of the house and found Justice talking to Clay Stryker. When Justice saw her, he excused himself and joined her.
“You ready to go?”
She smiled. “Are you done pretending to be excited about the baby? Did you want to hold him?”
He flinched. “No.”
“Not a kid person.”
“I like kids. Babies make me nervous.”
“So you’re ready to go?” she asked, amused by his infant phobia.
“Say the word.”
They walked out of the house and made their way to his car.
“What about you?” he asked as he held open the passenger door. “Did you hold the baby?”
“Of course. He’s wonderful. So tiny. I remember when Lillie was first born. I was so scared.”
He closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.
“You had your mom,” he said as he slid onto the seat.
“And Ned,” she added. “Although by then, things were already falling apart. He left shortly after. But even with half the town in my living room, I was still terrified. I was too young to be a mother. I had no idea what I was doing. But from the first second I saw her, I loved her so much.”
She glanced at him. “Do you remember your mom?”
“Some. She was always hugging me.” His mouth twisted. “As I started getting older, I would squirm away. Now I wish I hadn’t resisted so much.”
“It’s part of growing up,” she said quietly. “She didn’t blame you.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Sure I can. I have a daughter. Kids grow and separate. One day Lillie will roll her eyes at me. It doesn’t mean we aren’t close.”
“I think my father killed her.”
Patience stared at him. “What? How?”
“She died in a car accident. The brake line was cut. They said in the report it was inconclusive, but when I was a little older I went to the junkyard, found the car and saw the line myself. He did it.”
She saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel as they drove toward town.
“Justice, I’m so sorry.”
She tried to think of something else to say, but couldn’t. Was it possible he was right? That Justice’s father murdered his wife? Her worldview made the concept inconceivable, but the truth was hard to deny. Justice had been in the witness protection program because his father had broken out of prison and come after his own son. The U.S. Marshals didn’t take care of someone on a whim. There was a real reason. Bart had been put away for killing a man. Sadly, that made the concept of him murdering his own wife much more real.
“Once she was gone, I was biding my time until I could leave,” he continued. “Trying to stay out of the old man’s way. I was big enough that he didn’t try to beat me very often, but that didn’t make him any less dangerous.”
“Then you came here.”
He nodded. “It was like an alternative universe.”
“I must have seemed really foolish to you.”
“No. Never that. You were an anchor. You showed me what was possible. I knew I didn’t want to be like him
