Just One Kiss (19 page)

“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.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

T
HERE
WAS
SOMETHING
about the smell of a hospital, Justice thought as he lay on the bed and watched the IV bag drip slowly as fluids were replaced. No, he thought with a grimace, the color coming into focus. Blood. He would guess two pints. He’d lost a lot when he’d been shot and even more at the grand opening. Which had been when, exactly? Earlier today? Yesterday? He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out of it.

He knew he was in Fool’s Gold. He’d made it just in time for the grand opening. He also knew that checking himself out of the hospital in D.C. had been a calculated risk. One that hadn’t worked out.

The last thing he remembered before he collapsed was seeing a man in the crowd. A man who looked exactly like his father. One second he’d been there and the next second he’d been gone. Justice didn’t need a doctor to tell him that too much exertion, not to mention blood loss, had played tricks on his mind.

“You’re awake.”

He turned toward the voice and saw Patience had walked into his room. She looked tired and worried—both of which were his fault.

“Hey,” he said. “Sorry to screw up the party.”

She walked over to the bed and took his hand. “I so want to yell at you.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s difficult to scream really loud at a guy with a gunshot wound.”

“I’m weak,” he told her. “I can’t fight back.”

“I know. That’s part of the problem.”

There were shadows under her brown eyes and she’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Her T-shirt was one from the store, with the Brew-haha logo on the front. He wondered if she would wear only those shirts now. He understood the need to advertise, but he liked the dancing hippos and martini-drinking flamingos.

She continued to hold on to his hand, her fingers worrying his. “You were
shot.
” Her voice accused.

“I tried to duck.”

She pressed her lips together. “Don’t be funny. You could have died.”

“I didn’t.”

“That’s not the point. Dammit, Justice, what were you thinking? What do you really do at your job that you come home with a bullet in your side?”

Her worry wrapped itself around him like a blanket. Warm and comforting. No one had ever worried before. His team wanted him alive because it made their lives easier. He had friends who would miss him if he died, but no one worried.

“They took out the bullet in D.C.,” he told her.

“You know what I mean.” She shook his arm. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry for that.”

“Stop apologizing. I can’t decide if I should kiss you or hit you.”

“Do I get to pick?”

She leaned in and touched her mouth to his. The light pressure did more for his battered body than any IV.

“I assume that’s the one you wanted,” she said, staring into his eyes.

“Good guess.”

She sighed. “You should have stayed put. You could have called. I would have understood.”

“I promised I’d be there.”

“You said you’d be at the grand opening. Not that you would risk life and limb flying the red-eye across country after checking yourself out of the hospital against doctor’s orders.”

He winced. “Felicia told you that?”

“I haven’t seen her, but she told my mom, who told me.”

He knew Felicia would have shared the basics, but nothing else. Not the details of his assignment.

“I needed to be there for you, Patience.”

He hadn’t meant to say the words, but now that he had, he wouldn’t call them back. She deserved him keeping his promises.

“That’s the drugs talking,” she muttered, straightening.

He knew it wasn’t, but decided it was better to pretend. After all, who was he to offer her anything?

“How long was I out?” he asked.

“Nearly twenty-four hours.”

“The opening was yesterday?”

“Uh-huh. You caused quite the scene. You’re on the front page of the paper.”

“Lucky me.” He frowned. “You need to get back to the store.”

“I will. Felicia’s coming to look in on you, and when she gets here, I’ll head back.”

“I don’t need you to babysit me. I’m in a hospital.”

“I’m clear on the where, mister. But I’m not leaving you on your own. You can’t be trusted.”

He’d been injured before. Dozens of times. In the army his C.O. checked on him. Once he’d gone to work for a private company, his boss had followed up with him. A few friends stopped by, but otherwise, he was expected to get better on his own.

“Thank you,” he told her.

They were still holding hands. Or rather she was hanging on to his with both of hers.

“The doctor is going to check your blood count. If it’s where it’s supposed to be, you’ll be released later today.”

“Okay.”

“Into my care.”

She made the statement defiantly, as if she expected him to argue.

“Is that so?”

“It is. The doctor wants a responsible adult around. You’re going to be tired and weak and drugged for a few days. So I’m taking you home. You can have Lillie’s room.”

Bummer, he thought hazily. Because he liked the idea of settling into Patience’s bed. “Where will she sleep?”

“Downstairs. She’s very excited. Right now she’s deciding which of her stuffed animals will make you feel better fastest.”

“That sounds like a lot of work. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“Sure you will. And go where? A hotel?”

She made it sound as if he would be bleeding to death on the street.

“A hotel works.”

“I don’t think so. You need someone looking after you.”

She was still holding on to his hand and looking so damned earnest. As if she meant what she said. What Patience couldn’t know was that no one took care of him. Not for longer than he could remember.

“I mean it, Justice,” she added. “This isn’t your decision. It’s done. The doctor is releasing you to me.”

“Okay. Then I guess I’m your responsibility.”

She blinked. “You’re not going to fight me?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

In truth, he liked the idea of Patience fussing. He knew it was dangerous, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. A sign that he really was in bad shape, he thought.

“Then I guess I’ll be back later to take you home. I want to go check on the store.” She glanced at her watch. “Felicia can’t stay long, so Charlie will be here in an hour after her to sit with you.”

“Charlie?”

While he knew and liked the firefighter, he wasn’t looking for a babysitter.

“Don’t try to get rid of her. She could so take you.”

“Especially today,” he murmured. “You don’t need your friends wasting their time while I’m in the hospital. What could happen here?”

“You could leave. Face it, Justice. I’m not budging on this. I flat-out don’t trust you to stay put.”

She released his hand and then pressed her palm against his forehead.

He smiled. “I think the nurses would notice if I had a fever.”

“Maybe. I’m not taking any chances.” She kissed him. “I’ll be back this afternoon to take you home.”

With that she turned and left.

Justice felt his eyes drift closed as exhaustion swept over him. Home, he thought. Home with Patience would be a very good thing.

* * *

P
ATIENCE
WONDERED
HOW
long it would take her to get used to a 4:00 a.m. alarm. She’d changed her shower schedule to evenings. Once the alarm went off, all she had to do was wash her face, get dressed and braid her hair. She applied a little mascara and lip gloss and called it a win. She could be out the door in less than twenty minutes.

But this morning, she went extra fast so she could have a couple of minutes to check on Justice. He was sleeping in Lillie’s room at the end of the hall.

The previous afternoon, Charlie had stayed until Patience had returned and Justice had been released from the hospital. The two women had gotten him upstairs where he’d fallen asleep almost instantly. He’d awakened long enough to eat a light dinner, take his meds and then he was out.

She’d checked on him several times during the night, but he’d been sleeping. Now she walked quietly down the hall and pushed open the door.

“Morning,” he said, his eyes open, his voice a little groggy.

“Morning, yourself. It’s early. You shouldn’t be up.”

“I’m not up. I’m lying down.”

The night-light in the base of the lamp provided a soft glow in the room. He was a big, tough guy who barely fit in her daughter’s small bed. His broad shoulders practically spanned the mattresses. He needed a shave—which contrasted nicely with the princess sheets. An assortment of stuffed animals crowded between him and the wall, no doubt a gift from Lillie.

He should have looked foolish. Instead, she found his vulnerability sexy and appealing. Maybe because she knew that in just a few days, he would be his powerful self again. But for this moment in time, he needed her.

“Sorry you have to share your bed,” she said, pointing to the array next to him.

He raised one bare shoulder. “The frog is my favorite.”

“Lillie’s, too. When she was little, she kept waiting for him to turn into a prince. She was hoping he would agree to be her baby brother.” She moved toward the bed. “Do you need to get up and use the restroom?”

She wasn’t sure how she was going to maneuver him there and back, but she would make the effort.

“Already went about an hour ago.”

“You got up?”

“It beats making a mess in the bed.”

“You’re not supposed to get up.”

“I’m supposed to take it easy for the next few days,” he corrected. “I was there, Patience. I know what the doctor said.”

“Were you also there when he yelled at you for leaving the hospital in D.C. too early and for nearly bleeding out in my store?”

“I remember a little of that conversation, yes.”

She crossed to the bed and pulled the desk chair close, then sat down. “How are you feeling?”

“Like crap, but better than I did.”

“You lost a lot of blood.”

She started to reach for his hand, then pulled back, not sure if she should. It had been different in the hospital. She wasn’t sure how, but it had been.

He solved the problem by grabbing her hand in his.

“I’m sorry I spoiled the grand opening,” he said.

“You didn’t. You made it memorable.”

One corner of his mouth twitched. “How they’ll be talking.”

“Exactly. It makes my place part of the story, so they’ll be lining up to see where handsome Justice Garrett was shot.”

“I wasn’t shot there.”

“They won’t worry about details like that.” She studied his strong hands, then looked into his eyes. “Can I ask where in the world you
were
shot?”

“I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”

“The civilian equivalent of classified?”

He nodded.

She knew so little about him, she thought. She could find him in the dark by scent or touch, but she knew almost nothing about what he did with his day. Where he went, who he worked for. He was a man who disappeared for several days and then came home with a gunshot wound.

“It scares me,” she murmured.

She thought he might ask for clarification, but instead he squeezed her hand.

“I’m nearly done with them. I’m going to be here, opening the academy.”

“Is that going to be enough? You won’t crave the excitement?”

“I’m ready for a change.”

“This is a small town. Are you sure it’s what you want? Maybe you’d be happier in the big city.”

He smiled. “Do you really call other places ‘the big city’?”

She grinned. “Of course, but we always use a condescending tone when we say it.” Her humor faded as she realized he hadn’t answered the question. “You’re not a kid anymore. You can’t be anonymous in a place like this. Everyone knows everything about you. You’ll be expected to get involved. To show up at events and not almost bleed to death.”

“Trying to scare me away?”

“I want you to be sure before you get in any deeper...with the town.”

She didn’t want him to make promises he couldn’t or wouldn’t keep. Because sometime between Felicia showing up and the second he’d collapsed in front of her store, she’d accepted that she was in love with Justice. It wasn’t smart and she wasn’t sure it was going to end well, but she’d given away her heart.

“I came back, Patience.”

“What if that’s not enough? Where did you go and why did you get shot? Who is in your past? What have you done and is it going to be okay now?”