of her friends and family, then burst into tears.
“Oh, dear,” Patsy murmured, stunned by the reaction. She put an arm around her. “What’s wrong? Please, don’t cry.”
Sharon Lynn waved off the sympathy. “I’m okay. It’s just...”
“It’s just that she’s never gotten this far before,” Jenny said, coming over to envelop her in a hug. “It’s only a little over a week and counting to the big day.”
Sharon Lynn mopped at her eyes. “I’m actually beginning to believe it’s going to happen this time.” She turned to Patsy and said with mock severity, “As for you, you are a very sneaky lady. I had no idea what you were up to. No wonder you turned down my offer to go out for dinner.”
“Thank goodness you didn’t insist on it. I’m not sure what I would have come up with to get you over here. As for the rest, I didn’t really do anything,” Patsy said. “Jenny and Dani did all the planning and the work. I was just brought in at the last second to deliver you. I still think I ought to get Billy and go out to eat, while you all celebrate.”
“Absolutely not,” Dani said, joining them. “Besides, Justin already has Billy. The boy has my brother wound around his little finger. I believe they were going to stop at the toy store on the way to dinner. Justin saw a remote control police car in there he wanted to check out.”
“Oh, dear,” Patsy murmured. “Maybe I should—”
“You should relax and enjoy yourself,” Jenny told her. “Let Justin spend a little of his money for a change. It’ll do him good to hang out in a toy store. Maybe he’ll rediscover the kid inside. He’s not even thirty and already he’s turned into a straitlaced old man.”
“You’ve got that right,” Sharon Lynn said. “When I think of how much mischief he and Harlan Patrick used to get into, it’s hard to believe it’s the same person.”
“Come on, ladies,” an older woman with the same dark hair as Jenny said. “I’m starving and you know your grandfather will start worrying if I’m out too late. Next thing you know he’ll use it as an excuse to come looking for me. As it is, he’s very put out that he wasn’t invited to the shower. Just give him the slightest excuse and he’ll race into town.”
“Maybe it would be worth it,” Dani said with a wicked twinkle in her eyes. “I can just see Grandpa Harlan’s expression when Sharon Lynn starts opening packages filled with slinky lingerie.”
“If Mom’s half the woman I know she is, it won’t be anything he hasn’t seen before,” Jenny teased, bringing a blush to the older woman’s cheeks.
“Patsy, have you met Janet yet?” Dani asked. “She’s married to Grandpa Harlan and she claims to give him a run for his money, but as you just heard, the man has the original feminist in the family on a short leash.”
Janet winked. “I just let him think that. Now that I’ve closed my law practice, I do my level best to drive him crazy. It’s the only thing I have to look forward to.”
Patsy regarded her intently. “You’re a lawyer?”
“One of the best in the business,” Jenny said proudly. “She was also a real activist for Native American rights. If you ever have a legal problem, you couldn’t find anyone in town to give you better advice.”
Patsy tucked that piece of information away for another time. Could this woman with the wise face and kind eyes be the answer to her prayers? If she knew a lot about Native American affairs, wouldn’t she also know if Patsy’s position would be weakened in a custody battle because she wasn’t Native American? The fear that tribal law would come into play had been nagging at her from the moment she decided to run. She had been terrified that that was the unspoken threat Will would use to take her baby away.
“Hey, why so solemn?” Jenny asked, studying her worriedly.
Patsy forced a smile. “Sorry. Don’t let my mood spoil the party.”
“She and Justin had a little set-to earlier,” Sharon Lynn explained.
“Oh, really?” Janet said, her expression thoughtful. “I haven’t seen Justin riled up much. He’s always been a pretty even-tempered guy.”
“Put him in a room with Patsy for ten minutes and watch the fireworks,” Sharon Lynn suggested.
“Interesting,” Janet said.
“Okay, enough of this. Forget Justin. He’s just a man. Nothing is going to ruin this shower,” Jenny said adamantly. “It’s been too