CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AT SEVEN THAT night, Patience stopped in front of her business and looked toward the dark windows. She didn’t see anything wrong. But Police Chief Barns had phoned a few minutes before to say there was a problem. Ava had said she would watch Lillie while Patience hurried over to check the business.
“Nothing bad,” she whispered, reaching for the front door. “Please, nothing bad.”
She used her key and opened the door, then flipped on the lights.
“Surprise!”
She jumped back and shrieked as over a dozen women gathered around. All her friends were there holding bottles of champagne and presents. Charlie; Heidi; Julia, Patience’s former boss; Dakota, Montana and Nevada; Annabelle; Isabel and even Felicia.
Charlie hugged her first. “Sorry to scare you, but we wanted this to be a surprise.”
Patience had trouble taking it all in. “You mean there’s no emergency?”
“Nope. I called Alice and she was happy to be part of the surprise. Your mom was in on it, too.”
Patience pressed a hand to her still-pounding heart. “She and I are going to have a talk about this when I get home.”
“Come on,” Isabel said, taking her arm and leading her forward. “We’re going to get you drunk.”
“I have to be up at three-thirty to be here at four in the morning. I don’t want a hangover.”
Isabel grinned. “Sure you do. The headache will distract you from any nerves you might have.”
Charlie and Nevada opened the bottles of champagne and poured. On the coffee bar were platters of appetizers along with a pitcher of what looked like herbal iced tea. No doubt for the recent moms and the mother-to-be. The tables had been dragged together with chairs pulled around.
When Annabelle came over to hug her, she smiled. “I can’t stay all that long because I’m between feedings, but I didn’t want to miss this.”
“I’m glad you came.”
“You’re going to do great. You’ll see. The whole town will support you.”
“I’m counting on that.”
“I swear, the second I’m done breast-feeding, I’m coming right here for coffee. I miss lattes and double shots and caffeine in general. I also miss wine. I’ll have to go somewhere else for that.”
Isabel and Charlie led Patience to one of the chairs. Glasses of champagne were handed out and the food passed around. Everyone settled in for a good gossip session.
Montana looked at Felicia. “Wow, you’re really gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” Felicia said. “I wasn’t born this way.”
Charlie chuckled. “It’s her way of saying not to hate her.”
“I’m more likely to make people uncomfortable than generate hatred,” Felicia said. “I am hoping you’ll like me, though.”
“Honesty,” Heidi said. “Impressive.”
“You’re not the only new girl in town,” Charity Golden said. “I heard a rumor that a woman was looking at retail space right next to the sporting-goods store.”
Charity would know, Patience thought. She was the city planner.
“Do you know what kind of store she’s opening?” Isabel asked.
“Afraid you’ll have gown competition?” Heidi sipped her herbal tea.
“No. Just curious.”
“I don’t think she said,” Charity admitted. “I didn’t see the paperwork for her business license.”
Charlie looked at Charity. “Tell your husband he needs to name his damn store.”
“It’s the sporting-goods store.”
“That’s what it is, not what it’s called.”
Charity laughed. “It’s what the sign says.”
“Right. Like there’s a big sign that says library in town, too, but it has a name.”
“I’ll tell him you’re concerned.”
Isabel got up and walked over to the sound-system controls tucked into the bookcase. She turned it on and quickly dialed in one of the local radio stations. An oldies song started to play.
“Tell us about the hunky bodyguards coming to Fool’s Gold,” Dakota said to Felicia. “With my brother being one of them, you’d think we’d know something, but he’s barely been in touch.”
Nevada nodded at her triplet. “I sent him an email the other day. I swear, his reply was the written equivalent of a grunt.”
“He’s okay, isn’t he?” Montana asked.
Felicia looked at the three sisters. “Last time I saw Ford, he was fine. I’m sure he’s busy wrapping up his time in the army. There’s a lot of paperwork and a process for soldiers to acclimate to civilian life.”
“He’s not emailing you, either, then,” Dakota said.
“Not very much. Justice corresponds with him regularly.”
“Did you want to go out with him?” Montana asked. “I’m only mentioning it because our mom is determined to get him married to someone local. So he’ll stay. We think it’s a good idea.”
“We do not,” Nevada said. She glared at her sisters. “You think it’s a good idea. I think we should leave the man alone. He’s plenty capable of getting his own girl. If you get in his face, he might just leave.”
Felicia stared at them with undisguised interest. “You disagree about what to do about Ford.”
Dakota nodded. “We disagree a lot. I’ve explained their lives would be better if they would simply listen to me, but what can I say? They only look smart.”
Montana rolled her eyes. “Oh, please.” She turned to Felicia. “She thinks she’s all that because she has a psychology degree.”
“Yet you’re genetically identical.”
Dakota shifted toward her. “I know. It’s fascinating, isn’t it? That when the cell divided in utero we were identical in every way possible. But over time, through random events, experiences, even minute biological differences, we’ve become completely different people.”
Nevada groaned. “Oh, please. We’re not that interesting.”
“Has anyone ever studied the three of you?” Felicia asked.
“No,” Montana said loudly. “And we’re not going to be studied now.” She softened her words with a quick pat on Felicia’s hand. “Maybe you should get some mice or something. You know, to keep you busy.”
Felicia nodded. “I had thought of getting a dog.”
Patience leaned back in her chair and sipped her champagne. This moment was exactly what she loved about her hometown. She was surrounded by her friends, having a great time, feeling supported and listening to some very bizarre conversation. Whatever people might say about small towns, life in Fool’s Gold was never boring.
Annabelle picked up her tea. “You never told us if there were any other guys coming.”
“Interested?” Heidi asked with a grin.
“You know my heart will always belong to Shane. And our baby. But now I’m curious.”
“There is a third partner,” Felicia said. “Angel.”
“Ooh,” the triplets said together.
“Angel, huh?” Charlie sniffed. “That means he’s nothing but trouble.”
“He’s a former sniper who went to work for a private company. I’ve known him for a while, but we’re not especially close.” Felicia paused. “There’s something about his eyes. With Justice and Ford, you know they’ve seen things. That they’re strong and capable. But with Angel...” She shrugged. “I don’t want to be fanciful.”
“Be fanciful,” Isabel said.
Felicia looked uncomfortable. “It’s like he’s been to the depths of hell. He’s very nice,” she added quickly.
“Right,” Charlie said. “In a ‘hey, I can kill you without blinking’ kind of way.”
Patience thought about the mysterious Angel. The men who served went places and did things the rest of them couldn’t begin to imagine. Justice must have dark memories in his past. Not just with his father, but while in the military. But when he was with her, he was tender and funny. He was perfect with her mother and with Lillie. Was it difficult for men like him to be back in the regular world?
She wanted to ask. Just as much, she wanted to see him. She hadn’t heard from him since he’d left and wasn’t willing to ask Felicia if she’d gotten a call or a text. Still, he’d promised to come to the opening and she was going to trust him to be there.
On the radio, there was a second of silence, followed by a sexy voice.
“To a very special lady tonight, Patience McGraw, whose new business, Brew-haha, opens tomorrow. This one’s for you.”
The party went quiet as everyone paused to listen. The opening sounds of “Good Vibrations” spilled into the room. Patience laughed.
“I hope he’s right,” she said. “I need all the help I can get.” She glanced at Charlie. “Did you tell him about the party?”
“I might have mentioned it.”
Felicia leaned toward Patience. “That man on the radio. Who is he?”
“Gideon? Have you met him? He moved here last year and bought a couple of radio stations.”
“Gideon Boylan?”
“Yes.”
Felicia went pale. “Excuse me,” she said as she stood.
Patience half rose. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. My stomach’s been bothering me a little lately. I shouldn’t have had the champagne.”
“The bathrooms are back there,” Patience said as she pointed.
Felicia hurried off.
Patience wondered if she should go after her. She decided that some events should occur in private and that if Felicia wasn’t back in a few minutes, she would check on her.
Unless the problem wasn’t her stomach at all. Did Felicia have a past with Gideon?
The tall, dark-haired man was plenty appealing, she thought absently. He had the same dangerous aura about him as Justice, but with a couple of tattoos and an attitude that was far more Wolverine than James Bond. Patience would say that Justice fell into the James Bond category. She would bet he looked spectacular in a tux. Or without one.
She sipped her champagne and sighed. If he kept his word and returned for the opening, she would see him sometime in the next twenty-four hours. The thought of that got her nerves dancing nearly as much as the thought of opening her business.
* * *
“I WOULD die without you,” Patience told Melissa. “Seriously. I owe you.”
The teenager grinned. “You owe my mom. She said I could take the day off school. She thinks that being a part of a business from the first day is a good experience. You know how she gets.”
“As far as I’m concerned, Liz gets an award of some kind.” Patience took the latte Melissa had finished making and slid the mug across the counter. She smiled at the waiting customer. “Thanks so much for coming in today.”
Coach Green smiled back at her. “We’re all excited about your new store,” he told her. “Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
The coach turned away and joined the huge crowd filling her store. Her business had officially been open five hours and had been busy from 6:01 until right this second.
A steady stream of customers had flowed in, and many of them didn’t seem to want to leave. Her plan had been to offer samples as a way to entice people, but so far everyone was insisting on buying their drinks. She’d run out of pastries by eight, and they were working their way through a cookie supply she thought would last three days.
The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was at noon. If the people already hanging out didn’t leave, they would have to hold the speeches outside.
A great problem to have, Patience thought as she worked her way through the crowd, greeting friends and keeping an eye out for tourists who might not understand why there was such a crush to get coffee.
She spotted a pretty blonde standing by the window. At first Patience thought she was staring out at the park, but as she got closer, she realized the woman was studying the window casings.
“Hi,” she said as she approached. “I’m Patience.”
“Noelle,” the blonde said with a warm smile. She was on the thin side, but tall, with delicate features and blue eyes. “Your store is beautiful. I love the old building, how you’ve retained some of the original features of construction while updating the look.”
“You sound like you know what you’re talking about.”
Noelle smiled. “I wish I did. I’m faking it.”
“You’re doing an excellent job.” Patience paused. “I haven’t seen you around town before. Are you visiting friends or family?”
“No. I don’t know a soul in the area. But I’m moving here.” Noelle squared her shoulders. “That sounded convincing, didn’t it? Hi, I’m Noelle, and I’m moving to a strange town where I don’t know anyone and opening a store when I’ve never worked in retail.” She flashed another smile. “Crazy, huh?”
“Maybe a little. But it also sounds exciting.”
“I’m ready for exciting,” Noelle told her. “Adventure. Grabbing at life with both hands. I’m looking at renting that store over there.” She pointed through the window to the space next to the sporting-goods store.
“For what it’s worth, I’m jumping in the deep end, too,” Patience said. “Last week I was doing hair at a salon. Now I’m opening this.”
“Good for you,” Noelle said. “You’re brave.”
“Right now I feel stressed rather than brave, but I appreciate the compliment.”
Before Patience could ask what kind of business Noelle was going to open, the front door opened and at least ten more people pressed into the space. She and Noelle were separated by the growing throng. She felt like that scene from Titanic where the sinking ship had created a vortex and the swirling waters had pushed Jack and Rose apart.
She supposed an alternative explanation for that visual was that she hadn’t gotten much sleep in the past couple of days and she was a little punchy.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough.” Charlie pushed her way into the store. “Everybody out on the sidewalk. I have a whistle, people. It’s not a sound you’re going to enjoy. Don’t make me use it.”
Charlie, in uniform and looking more crabby than usual, turned to Patience. “You’ve officially violated fire codes with your success.”
Patience beamed. “Really?”
“Don’t look so happy about it. They’re going to have to stand outside and take turns coming in.”
Because there were too many people buying coffee, she thought. Too many people coming to her store. She impulsively hugged her friend.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“I wish everyone took bad news as well as you did.” But her eyes were bright with humor as she spoke.
Patience helped usher everyone outside. Cones had already been set up, blocking off part of the street. Ava said she would take care of letting people in and out to place their orders while the party spilled over the sidewalk.
Patience paused to smile at her mother. “We’re a hazard.”
“I know. Isn’t it wonderful?”
The official ribbon cutting was in a half hour or so. Patience knew the mayor would be there, along with most of the city council. All her friends, her teachers from her twelve years of public education and pretty much everyone she’d ever met in town. But even as she accepted congratulations, she couldn’t help scanning the crowd and wishing for the one person who wasn’t there.
Justice had probably gotten held up, she told herself. A delayed flight. He’d been working and maybe the job had gone on longer than he’d expected. All reasonable explanations, but she didn’t want any of them to be true. He’d told her he would be here and she’d believed him. So where was he?
She told herself that if there was a problem he would have called. Or at the very least, gotten in touch with Felicia, who could have passed on the message. But although the beautiful redhead had been by earlier that morning to buy a latte, she hadn’t said a word about Justice.
Lillie arrived with a couple of her friends.
“Mom, this is great! Look at everyone who came.”
“I know.”
“Are we rich now?”
“I wish we were, but not really.”
“Maybe next week?”
Patience laughed and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll put it on my to-do list.”
Lillie returned to be with her friends. It was closer to noon and the ribbon cutting. She should probably—
“Patience.”
She stood in place for a single heartbeat, then turned toward the low, familiar voice and saw Justice standing beside her. Relief eased the last of the tension in her stomach, and she flung herself at him. His tailored suit was smooth and cool to the touch.
“You’re back.”
He wrapped one arm around her and held on tight. “I am.”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t make it.”
“Here I am.”
She drew back and looked at him. He was pale, she thought. His eyes less focused than usual.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine. It was a long trip.”
She could understand a normal person being tired, but not Justice. It didn’t seem the sort of thing he would allow to happen.
He gave her a weary smile. “I wanted to be here for you, Patience.” He looked up. “The mayor is on her way. The ceremony is starting.”
“Okay.” She hesitated, studying him. “I feel like something’s wrong.”
“You’re imagining things.”
Before she could argue, her mother hurried over. “It’s time. Oh, hi, Justice.”
“Ava.”
“Did you try the cookies? You should get one before they’re gone. Everything is going so well.”
Patience watched her mother lead Justice inside the store. She wanted to follow, but there wasn’t time. Not with the official opening about to begin.
She glanced back at him, then turned toward the small podium that had been set up by the curb. But before she could get there, Pia touched her arm.
“Hey, hi. I wanted to apologize for my meltdown the other day.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Patience told her.
“I feel like an idiot. I was sick to my stomach the next couple of days, so I guess I was coming down with something. I just feel horrible for how I acted.”
“Don’t. You’ve got a lot going on.”
Pia nodded. “You’re sweet. I’m never like that.”
Patience faced her. “Pia, stop. You had a bad day. It happens. I’m fine, really.”
“Good.” The other woman smiled. “I’m glad you want to be a part of the festivals and everything else going on in town. I’ve added you to our email list. There’s a chat group for local businesses. I’ve put you on that. We’re not that active. More information sharing than social.”
“I appreciate that. I’ll do my best not to share any emotional ups and downs and stick with town business.”
Pia laughed, then hugged her. “Perfect. Thank you so much for understanding. And congratulations. Oh, look. It’s time.”
Mayor Marsha had arrived. She walked to the podium and stepped up so she was facing the crowd. Patience hovered, not sure what to do, then walked toward her when the mayor beckoned.
As the chimes from a nearby church clock struck the hour, the crowd grew quiet. Mayor Marsha stepped up to the microphone and smiled at the throng of waiting people.
“Welcome to the grand opening of Brew-haha,” the mayor said. “There are many satisfying elements of being mayor of Fool’s Gold. In addition to my traditional civic duties, I have the pleasure of welcoming every baby born in town and being at the start of grand adventures like this one.”
She paused while people applauded. Ava came up and stood next to Patience. The two women linked arms.
“I’m so excited,” her mother whispered. “And so proud of you.”
“I’m proud of both of us.”
Mayor Marsha glanced toward them. “I remember when Patience was born,” she went on. “I was there to greet her.” She paused. “Not at the exact moment of birth. Ava needed her privacy.”
Everyone laughed.
“As a child, Patience was a sweet girl who was very much a part of our community. Ava was always there for her daughter. She worked hard, gave back to the town and now the two of them are opening this business together. Patience and Ava, you are both an integral part of this community.”
Patience had to blink against the sudden burning in her eyes.
“Now you’ve gone and done something grand,” the mayor continued. “Taken your dream and made it into a reality. I am delighted to have Brew-haha as one of the premier businesses in Fool’s Gold. Congratulations to Patience and Ava.”
Two city council members stretched out a wide length of ribbon. Charity Golden, the city planner, handed the mayor a large pair of scissors. The mayor stepped down from the podium and cut the ribbon. Everyone applauded.
“Speech! Speech!”
Patience looked at her mother. Ava nudged her toward the podium. “You’ve done all the hard work, kid. It’s up to you.”
Patience couldn’t remember ever addressing a group formally before and didn’t like the sudden leapfrogging in her stomach. But she stepped up to the microphone and looked at all her friends and neighbors.
“Thanks for coming,” she said, her voice shaking a little. She drew in a breath. “I love living here and I’m so excited to be able to open this store with my mom. We couldn’t have done it without you and without Great-Aunt Becky, who basically funded this.”
“That’s my mom!”
Patience saw Lillie pointing at her and laughed. Her gaze was drawn to the doorway to the store. Justice stepped out. He looked at her and offered a smile, as well. Only there was something wrong with his expression. Or maybe it was his eyes.
He was even paler than he had been, she realized. He was holding his arm against his side.
She knew she had to finish her minispeech, but couldn’t rip her gaze away from him to focus. Not when he seemed to stagger slightly. His arm dropped and she saw blood seeping through his white shirt. A lot of blood.
He started to speak, then went down like a rock.