Patrick's Destiny - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,61
reconciliation with his family?”
“As long as there’s breath, there’s hope. Keep trying, Alice. I see Patrick’s parents from time to time. There was always something a little lost and sad about them, but it’s been worse since Patrick left. I don’t know the whole story, but it would be a shame if it kept them apart for too long. Mending fences is never easy once pride gets in the way, but without forgiveness, where would any of us be?”
“I know,” Alice said. “I agree.”
“Then do something about it. He’ll listen to you. Once a man’s heart opens to love, it’s more accepting of a lot of things.”
“I don’t know that Patrick loves me.”
The principal gave her another of those too-knowing looks. “If not, then what was last night about, my dear?”
Alice blushed furiously. “How…?”
A surprising twinkle lit the principal’s eyes. “You’re wearing your blouse inside out. It’s not like you, so I suspect you dressed in a rush this morning.”
She grinned at Alice, then strode into her office and firmly shut the door.
Alice stared down at the exposed seams of her blouse and felt as if she might die of embarrassment on the spot. She rushed off to the ladies’ room to remedy the telltale mistake before anyone else noticed and the story made its way around town.
She was still completely off-kilter when the day ended and she made her way to Jess’s, hoping for at least a glimpse of Patrick before she went home.
At three o’clock the bar was quiet and Molly was sitting in a booth in a darkened corner, her expression brooding. Alice slid in opposite her and studied her worriedly.
“Bad day?” she asked when Molly volunteered nothing, not even a halfhearted greeting.
“Bad enough.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“No.” She sounded very sure of it, too.
“Sometimes talking helps,” Alice pressed.
“And sometimes it’s just a waste of breath.”
“Now there’s a cynical view.”
“I have a right,” Molly retorted, her tone and her expression unyielding.
“Of course you do, but it’s unlike you. People around here know they can count on you for sound advice and a cheery greeting. You’ll scare them off if you keep the sour look on your face through happy hour.”
Molly feigned a mocking smile. “Will that do?”
“It might fool some, but not most. Talk, Molly.”
“I’ve nothing to say, and if you’re going to keep pestering me, I’ll be forced to head into the kitchen and start dinner preparations.”
“Does that involve sharp knives?”
“Of course.”
“Then maybe you should put it off.”
Molly gave her a wry look. “Very funny.”
“I didn’t mean it to be.”
Molly started to push herself up, then sank back against the cushions of the booth. The effort was so halfhearted, so counter to everything Alice knew about Molly’s usual energy level, that Alice’s alarm grew.
“Dammit, Molly, are you sick?”
Molly’s gaze turned sad. “Not the way you mean.”
“Sick at heart, then?”
She nodded eventually, then cut off all questions by adding firmly, “But I don’t want to talk about it.”
“It has something to do with Daniel Devaney, though, doesn’t it?”
“I said I didn’t want to talk about it,” Molly repeated, though her voice lacked her usual feistiness.
“Oh, Molly, what did he do to you?” Alice whispered, reaching for her friend’s hand.
“Nothing Patrick won’t do to you, if you’re not careful,” Molly said.
The sting of the words was so unexpected that Alice felt as if she’d been slapped. Before she could even think of an adequate response, Molly leaned forward.
“I’m very fond of Patrick,” Molly said, her tone filled with urgency. “He’s a wonderful man, and he’s been a good friend to me, but that’s all he’s capable of, Alice. That’s all either of them are capable of, thanks to those god-awful parents of theirs. Neither of them will ever trust anyone enough to let them into their lives.”
Alice refused to believe that was true, at least of Patrick. In fact, she was still convinced that if he could only forgive his parents and make peace with them, his heart would be open to anything. He’d allowed her into his life, hadn’t he? That had to mean something.
“You’re wrong,” she told Molly.
“Am I? What makes you so certain of that? Is it because Patrick slept with you? Because, if you’re counting on that to make a difference, I’m here to tell you that it’s only the first step on the path to heartbreak.”
“You’re wrong,” Alice said again, unwilling to admit how deeply Molly’s words had shaken her. “And it’s cruel of you to project whatever happened to you with Daniel