tears and guilt and shame. How could she go on deceiving a man who had been nothing but kind to her, a man who’d already put aside his own convictions about right and wrong to give her a break? She was still wrestling with that when Sharon Lynn came out of the back.
Patsy hastily wiped her eyes and forced a smile. She didn’t want this compassionate woman to be caught in the middle. It was too soon to test the strength of their friendship, especially when Justin was part of her family. She knew enough about the Adamses by now to know that they were bound tight by love and loyalty.
“Everything okay?” Sharon Lynn asked, concern etched on her face.
“Fine.”
“You don’t look fine. You look as if you’ve been crying.” Her expression turned indignant. “If that cousin of mine has done anything to upset you, I’ll tear him limb from limb.”
The fierce promise startled Patsy, then left her chuckling. “Don’t you think it would be a bit of a mismatch?” she asked.
“Hey, I grew up playing with him and my brother. I’m as tough as they are. I had to be.” Sharon Lynn winked. “I’m also a better shot.”
Patsy shuddered at the teasing suggestion. “Please, you don’t need to prove it on my account. I don’t think there will be any need to resort to guns. Justin didn’t deliberately upset me. I’m the one responsible for him taking off in such a foul humor. It was all my fault.”
She deliberately pushed her own concerns over Justin aside. Now seemed like a really good time to change the subject and focus on that night’s surprise bridal shower before Sharon Lynn wanted to know exactly what she’d done that was so terrible.
“Don’t forget we’re having dinner tonight,” she reminded Sharon Lynn.
For a moment Sharon Lynn seemed startled by the abrupt shift in topic. “Patsy, don’t you want to talk about what just happened here?”
“No,” she said honestly. “I’d rather think about the pleasant evening we’re going to have. It’s been a long time since I’ve invited company over. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“No, of course not, but there’s no reason you should cook after standing in front of the grill here all day. Why don’t we go out?” she suggested. “We can let somebody else cook for both of us for a change.”
Patsy thought of all the people who’d be waiting in her living room and almost panicked. “Absolutely not,” she said hurriedly and began improvising. “I already have everything ready. It won’t take a minute to get dinner on the table.”
“But you must not get a chance to go out with friends very often because of Billy. Since he’ll be with Justin, it would be the perfect time to get out and kick up your heels a little.”
“Believe me, the last thing I want to do is kick up my heels,” she said with heartfelt sincerity.
Patsy studied her intently, then nodded. “If you’re sure...”
“I am.”
The rest of the afternoon was so busy the only words they had time to exchange were about orders. By the time they closed up, both of them were dead on their feet. Even so, Patsy couldn’t help feeling excited as she and Sharon Lynn headed for her place and the waiting bridal shower. She was grateful she’d been asked to play even a minor role in the surprise. It made her feel as if she belonged, as if she had a contribution to make, something she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
When they reached the house, she was taken aback by its deserted look. Not even Dani’s car was in the driveway, and there were no extra cars parked along the block. Where was everyone? Had she gotten it wrong, after all? If she had, the big surprise for Sharon Lynn was going to be the fact that there was no dinner waiting in the fridge.
Taking it on faith that there was a surprise party waiting inside, she unlocked the door, then led the way into the living room. It wasn’t dark yet, but the room was filled with shadows. Just as she was about to reach for a light switch, someone else turned on the overhead light and the room erupted with noise. People burst in from the clinic, where they’d obviously been hiding. All the shouts of “Surprise!” set off the animals. The dogs began howling and the cats scurried for cover.
In the midst of the chaos, Sharon Lynn stared around at all