of these days I’m going to call you on it. I’ll hire Janet to contest the will.”
“Can’t do it,” Grandpa Harlan said triumphantly. “It’d be a conflict of interest.”
“Is anybody actually going to play poker tonight?” Justin inquired with a wistful glance at the hand he was holding. “I’m feeling lucky.”
Harlan Patrick shot him a knowing look. “I’ll just bet you are.” He tossed some money into the pot. “Okay, let’s see those cards you’re so proud of.”
“Oh, shut up,” Justin muttered, and slapped three aces on the table to take the pot from his mouthy cousin.
From that moment on, he tolerated the jokes and proceeded to whip their tails. He walked away from the poker table a good deal richer than he had been when he sat down.
What troubled him, though, was the fact that his first instinct was to give some of his winnings to Patsy Gresham to make sure she got by until she could find a real job.
Obviously he was turning soft, which was why half a dozen people got tickets for minor traffic violations before he stopped for breakfast the next morning.
When he saw who was about to start serving up eggs behind the counter at Dolan’s, he wished he’d stayed on the street and given out another dozen citations.
* * *
Patsy rose at the crack of dawn, still unable to believe her luck. The tiny house Justin had arranged for her to use was perfect for her and Billy. The furnishings were old, but cheerful with all the chintz upholstery. The rooms were bright and airy.
“I could be happy here,” she thought as she stretched and pulled on her robe. It was Dani’s doing, of course, and not her own, but the house felt like a home. It wasn’t as lavish as the one Will had insisted on buying, but it had a warmth and charm that the house in Oklahoma had lacked no matter how hard she’d tried to turn it into a home.
She checked on Billy, then went into the kitchen where she found cereal, milk and bread, courtesy of Dani, along with a note. “Make yourselves at home. We’ll talk later about what you can do to help with the animals. Dani.”
A nice woman, she concluded. She’d liked her instantly the day before, just as she’d been drawn to Sharon Lynn at the drugstore. It had been a long time since she’d had girlfriends. Will hadn’t encouraged her to have any life at all outside of caring for him and Billy.
Maybe these two women could become real friends in time, she thought wistfully. Maybe there would come a time when she’d be able to confide the truth about her circumstances to them, instead of living this lie. Maybe she could tell them about the fear that had been gnawing at her ever since she’d discovered her husband’s violent side.
First, though, she had to make amends to one of them. As soon as she got Billy up and dressed, she postponed breakfast and headed toward the drugstore, determined to get the apology over with. They were there as soon as the doors opened. Relieved that there was no one else around, Patsy faced Sharon Lynn uncertainly.
“I came to apologize and to thank you for not pressing charges,” she said. “I would never have done it, not in a million years, if I hadn’t been so worried about Billy.”
“I know,” Sharon Lynn said, and sounded as if she meant it. She also sounded as if that were the last word she intended to say on the subject. “How about some coffee? I could fix some cereal for Billy, if you like.”
Could it possibly be that easy? Patsy thought in wonder. Still chagrined by her uncharacteristic behavior the day before, Patsy started to refuse, but Sharon Lynn was already pouring the coffee and dumping cereal into a bowl.
“Dry or with milk?” she asked, taking the decision out of Patsy’s hands.
“Dry for Billy,” Patsy said. “He can eat it with his fingers. Otherwise there’s no telling where he’s likely to fling it with a spoon.”
Sharon Lynn set the bowl on the counter in front of Billy, then grinned as he grabbed a fistful and shoved it into his mouth.
“His table manners leave something to be desired,” Patsy apologized ruefully.
“How old is he?”
“He just turned two.”
“Then he’s got a few years before people start holding that against him. Besides, once you’ve been to a family dinner at our place, missile strikes would probably seem tame. There