Just One Kiss (Fool's Gold #10)

She glanced at the clock on the wall and figured her mother would be home any minute. Justice was still out with Angel and had told Patience he would be late. Lillie was spending the night with a friend. So for now, it was just her.

She leaned back against the sofa, enjoying the quiet. There wasn’t much silence in her life. Between work and her daughter and everything else she had to get done, she was running all the time.

Busy, she thought with a smile, and happy. So happy. She was in one of those perfect times, when her family was healthy and doing well. She had the store and she had Justice.

Loving him was a little scary—she knew he might not feel the same way, and even if he did, there was no guarantee, but that was okay. She liked that she’d fallen in love. It meant she’d healed enough to give her heart again. That she was willing to trust a man with her world. Even if he broke her heart, she would always have this mental health moment, and that was very satisfying.

She’d been through a lot. From her disastrous relationship with Ned, to figuring out how to be a good mom to Lillie and a good daughter and occasional caretaker for her mom, to having her dream come true. She remembered reading somewhere that luck was all about opportunity and preparation. She’d never gotten that before, but she understood it now. While Great-Aunt Becky’s bequest had provided the money to start her own business, Patience had been ready. She’d taken classes and built her business plan. She knew exactly what she wanted to do, and when she had the chance, she simply had to take the steps. She was proud of herself, she thought happily.

So many of her friends were accomplished. Charlie, who excelled in what was traditionally a man’s world. Annabelle, who last year had put her mind to raising enough money to buy the library a bookmobile and then had done it. Heidi, who had started with nothing and grown a goat-based empire and now sold her soaps and cheeses all over the world. Isabel, too, recovering from a divorce and still planning to fulfill her dreams.

Her new friends, Noelle and Felicia, were just as strong. She was surrounded by women who knew how to achieve their dreams. Patience was pleased to be in a place where she felt as though she had done the same.

The front door opened and her mother walked in. Ava used her cane tonight, but was still smiling happily as she stepped into the living room. She spotted the second glass of wine by the bottle and sighed.

“I raised you right, didn’t I?”

Patience laughed. “Yes, you did. How was your date?”

“Lovely. We had a quiet dinner at Angelo’s. If my metabolism would support it, I would have pasta every single night.”

Patience was about to ask what she’d ordered when she realized there was something different about her mother. Not in her physical appearance, she thought. Ava was wearing exactly what she had been when she left, but there was a light...no, a glow. She straightened.

“What is it?” she asked as her mother approached the sofa. “What happened?”

“And here I thought I could keep a secret at least for a few days.” Ava sat next to her and held out her left hand. A large diamond solitaire winked from her ring finger. “Steve proposed.”

It took Patience a moment to register the meaning. Yes, Steve had been responsible so far with her daughter and her mother. But would he be forever?

“That’s wonderful,” she finally said, then hugged her mother. You couldn’t plan love. She would hope that her mother’s love would only cement the changes Steve had made in his life. “You’re getting married.”

Ava hugged her back, then kissed her cheek. “I can barely believe it myself. It was so romantic. We were in the back of the restaurant and the waiter brought champagne. Steve got down on one knee and everything.” Tears filled her eyes. “He makes me so happy.”

“I’m happy for you.” Patience poured her wine and passed it over, then raised her own glass. “Congratulations, Mom. You deserve all the love in the world.”

“Thank you. I’ll admit I’m a little nervous. It’s been a long time since I had a man in my life.”

There would be a lot of changes, Patience thought. For all of them. “Have you set a date for the wedding?”

“No. We’ll have a very quiet ceremony later this summer. Just family. But you and I have to talk about this house.”

“Right, because it would be weird to have us all living together.” Patience ignored the pang she felt at the thought of moving. “I can find some place for me and Lillie. This is your house, Mom.”

Her mother shook her head. “It’s our house, remember. I put you on the deed when we paid off the mortgage.”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts. Steve and I have already talked about this. We’re having a house built. One designed for me. I’ve been very lucky with the MS, but we both know there are going to be bad days. It’s silly for us to stay in a place where I can’t get to half the rooms.”