“Okay, so I’m mellowing. Maybe I’ve finally started getting my priorities in order.” He regarded her wearily. “Too bad it’s too late, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she said softly. “Yes, it is.” And then she turned and gazed at Justin.
There was no mistaking the message in her eyes, and Will didn’t pretend not to get it. He rose from the table and picked up his son. “I’ll give Billy his bath and put him to bed, if you two don’t mind. Then I’ll be on my way.”
“Fine,” Patsy agreed, watching as he left the room and headed toward the bathroom with Billy pointing the way.
After he’d gone, she gazed at Justin. “He’s changed.”
With an odd, cold sensation in his chest, Justin stared at her evenly. “Enough?”
“No,” she said, reaching out to lay a hand against his cheek. “It can never be enough.”
Relief swept over him then. They weren’t at the end of her troubles yet, but they were getting there. And when they did, Justin vowed that he would be waiting.
When it was time to escort Will to his motel, Patsy beckoned Justin back inside for a moment. He studied her expression, trying to guess what was on her mind.
“Second thoughts?”
“About Will and the divorce? No. I just wanted to ask you if you could come to dinner tomorrow night, alone, just the two of us?”
Justin’s heart lurched and his blood began to pump a little faster. He had a thousand questions begging to be asked, but with Will waiting, there was no time. “Seven o’clock?” he asked.
She nodded. “That will be perfect.”
“I’ll be here.”
Back outside he glanced at his watch and noted that it was already after nine. Less than twenty-two hours until he could return and by then Patsy Longhorn would be well on her way to becoming a free woman. He wondered if she could possibly be looking forward to that any more than he was.
Chapter Thirteen
Justin couldn’t seem to make himself wait until dinnertime before catching a glimpse of Patsy. He strolled into Dolan’s first thing in the morning and was stunned to find Sharon Lynn at work behind the counter. Even though he’d seen her talking to Doc Dolan the day before, he hadn’t expected her to return full-time anytime soon.
“Hey, sweetheart, what are you doing here?”
She gave him a wry look. “I work here, or had you forgotten?”
Her tone suggested she didn’t want to get into anything connected to her absence. Justin followed her lead. “Seems to me I do recall seeing you here a time or two. You cook a mean hamburger.”
“I’m glad you approve, because I just bought the place.”
Justin stared. This was a wrinkle he hadn’t really anticipated. He knew she’d been toying with the idea, but to actually do it, especially considering her recent state of mind. He prayed she hadn’t been pushed into making a hasty decision she would come to regret.
“You bought it?” he repeated slowly.
“Yesterday. Doc will stick around for a few more months until he’s sure I understand how his part runs and until I find a replacement pharmacist, but it’s all mine as soon as the bank works out the financing.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to take this on?”
She met his gaze evenly and her chin jutted stubbornly in typical Adams style. “I need it, Justin. Now more than ever. I couldn’t lose it, too. Not after...” Her voice trailed off.
“Not after Kyle?” he asked gently.
She shook her head, blinking back tears. “He was my...”
“I know, sweetheart. Kyle was your world.” He went around behind the counter and hugged her fiercely. “Do you know how proud I am of you?”
“Me? I haven’t done anything.”
“Sure you have. You’ve taken the first step toward getting on with your life. That’s the hardest one. I guess for a minute there I was just surprised you’d taken such a big one.”
“You can thank Patsy for that. She’s a very clever woman.”
He grinned. “I’ve noticed.”
Sharon Lynn snagged a handkerchief from his pocket, brushed away tears and gave him a penetrating look. “Speaking of Patsy, I hear I’m not the only one who’s getting on with her life.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he claimed innocently.
“Yeah, right.”
“By the way, where is she this morning?”
Sharon Lynn shot him a look of triumph that could have rivaled one of Grandpa Harlan’s. “So much for the innocent act. And here I thought you’d stopped by just to visit with me.”