defend her, but he did suggest that maybe she just wasn’t capable of much more. That in leaving, he hurt her too much.” She shook her head. “It’s going to be a while before I get there—I’m still pretty angry with my mother. In fact, now that I know my father paid support and wanted to see me, I might be angrier. It wasn’t easy growing up hearing that half of my biology was no damn good, as my mother used to say.”
“She said that? Really?” Tom asked.
“Of course she did,” Nora said. “But I told you that already. That’s why I’m going to think of some positive things to tell the girls about their father when they start to ask.”
He gave a huff of laughter. “That should be interesting. The guy’s an addict in prison for dealing.”
“I know,” she said. “He’s a tragedy, when you think about it. Here was this guy with a dream—a gifted ballplayer who had it all for a little while—a scholarship, a league contract and looks, and then something happened to him. Did he get the idea that things could be a little easier and faster and maybe more fun if he had some pharmaceutical help? Did someone give him something and wham, he was hooked? I’ll never know. I guess he wouldn’t be the first pro athlete to go down that road. It’s an American tragedy, that’s what it is.”
“Nora,” he said, almost shocked, “he wasn’t good to you!”
“I know,” she said softly. “But I don’t want my kids to carry that load. That’s my load. I remember when I first met him—damn, he sparkled all over. Getting involved with him when it wasn’t a good idea, that was probably as much my fault as his.” She turned and looked at Tom. “I had some friends, but when it got down to family, to people who would always play on my team no matter what, I was a little lacking. I was probably stupid and very lonely.”
Tom took a deep breath. “I hope he stays in prison a long time.”
“Oh, me, too. It’s one thing to find positive things to say to the girls about their father. But let him near them?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I will protect them.”
He grinned. “Five feet four inches of hell on wheels.”
She smiled back. “Four and a half inches!”
“But,” he wanted to know, “are you lonely now?”
“Not lonely,” she said, shaking her head. “The kind of friends I have now are tough. Genuine. I have Noah and his wife. There’s Adie, Martha and Leslie—three strong women who have never judged me. And there’s…well, there’s you.”
“Me,” he said. It was almost a question.
“Yes, you’re the one who said we were friends. Without any effort at all, you have me telling you all my personal business so even if you don’t think of me as a friend, I think of you as one. So, how was your weekend?” she asked. “Did you work the whole time?”
“Mostly. But I’m going to take a little time off next weekend. Will your father be back?”
“I’m sure of it,” she said. “We haven’t made specific plans yet, but he didn’t seem to be bored for one minute yesterday. And I know he wants to include this lady friend he’s been seeing for fifteen years.” As Tom pulled up to the barn, she asked, “Do you have overtime on the weekend?”
“Possibly. But I have a friend coming and I’m going to take a little time. Junior and Maxie will be in charge.”
Her eyes lit up. “A friend?”
“A woman.”
“Holy cats!” she said. “You have a girlfriend?”
“Not yet,” he said, turning off the ignition. “This is her first visit.”
“Wow. Maybe we should shut the place down for a while, give you kids your privacy.” And she winked.
“She’s staying at the house, Nora. Privacy and Maxie are mutually exclusive.”
“Awww,” she said. “Well, take it from me—you want to move slowly. Make sure you know what you’re doing.”
He laughed at her. “And do you know what you’re doing now, Miss Nora?”
“I absolutely do,” she said with a nod. And then she thought, Did I really wink at him?
* * *
Nora happened to be picking not far from the drive into the orchard on Friday afternoon when a very classy red Caddy pulled in. She almost fell