Love Is All Around (23 page)

Her hand reached up to caress his hair. Content. She couldn’t be content. Contentment’s what got her in trouble before. Got her stuck in Daisy Creek with a cheating husband and a dead-end job, at twenty, for God’s sake. She stiffened at the thought. She could not make the same mistake twice.

It was great with Will right now, this minute, but when they rolled out of bed, things would change. They were still in Daisy Creek, and Patsy was still Patsy, and he was still Will Barnes. He still wanted to stay in Daisy Creek, and she still wanted to leave. Had to leave; it was the only way to get ahead. If she stayed here, even with Will, nothing would change. Sure, maybe things would be good for awhile, maybe even longer than before.

He wasn’t Johnny, but he and Johnny had a lot in common—rabble-rousing in their youth and smooth manners that disguised a sexy danger. Sooner or later, history would repeat itself. He’d start leaving her alone while he visited the roadhouse. He’d dance with some woman, innocently at first, but eventually they’d be in bed together, maybe even this same bed, and Patsy’d be right back where she started—stuck in Daisy Creek with no career prospects and no future.

She couldn’t get involved with Will. She had to be strong. She had to walk away. Better to do it now before she opened herself up for even more heartbreak and humiliation.

He was awake and staring down at her. As she looked up at him, she felt tears overflow her eyes and roll down her cheeks.

“What’s wrong?” Will’s eyes clouded with concern. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” She brushed away the tears and looked away.

“Then why the tears?” The sound of his voice upset her more.

“Nothing. I’m being silly.”

“Tell me.” He turned her face toward his.

“It’s just. We shouldn’t have done this.” She gestured with her hand down toward their still entwined bodies.

Will pulled his leg off of hers. “Why not? We’re adults.”

Patsy sat up and pulled the blanket over herself. “Yeah, but we can’t get involved. I mean, I hadn’t told you, but I’m leaving Daisy Creek. If I get a chance, that is.”

“Oh, I see.” Will stood up and retrieved his underwear and shorts from the floor. With his back to her, he said, “That’s not a problem, at least not for me. It’s not like I’m looking for a commitment. That’s the last thing I want.” He picked up Patsy’s clothes and tossed them to her, his back still turned.

“I hope you’re not worrying about hurting me.” He jerked on his clothes and banged shut the bedside table drawer that held the condoms.

Patsy jumped at the noise.

“No, of course not. Like I said, I’m just being silly. Just post-sex emotions.” She rubbed her eyes with the blanket and gathered up her clothes. She didn’t look up until she heard the door slam behind him.

Chapter 14

So Patsy wanted to leave Daisy Creek. So she didn’t want a commitment. So what? Neither did Will. It was the perfect situation—a fun, no-ties relationship. No worry about Patsy trying to rope him into marriage. No house in suburbia, no country club membership, no 2.2 kids. What was there to complain about?

How about that she ran away? Barely gave him time to pull on his pants before her feet hit the floor and the door banged behind her. One quick roll in the sheets, and she was done. How about that, suddenly, a no-ties relationship didn’t have the same appeal it once had? No ties meant, well, no ties. Patsy was free to go as she pleased, and apparently that’s exactly what she intended to do—go.

Will slammed the cabinet door shut, causing Ralph to leap to his feet and move next to his owner. Seeing his dog’s alarm, Will sank to his knees and pulled him onto his lap.

“Sorry, boy. It’s okay. I’m not mad, not at you.” It was a half truth. Will wasn’t mad at Ralph, but he was mad, and insulted, and, mainly, confused.

He thought he knew what he wanted or didn’t want. Then Patsy sauntered into his life, and his bed, screwing everything up. He felt like she’d drop-kicked him across the county.

When she’d first started crying, he’d been worried. Who wouldn’t have been? He wasn’t a complete callous heel. He didn’t want to hurt her. He was prepared to reassure her. Tell her it wasn’t a meaningless afternoon of sex, that she meant something to him. He wasn’t sure exactly what, but something. Then she’d told him she was leaving Daisy Creek and didn’t want a relationship. It was the last thing he’d expected.

Rubbing Ralph a little harder on the head than he intended, Will stood up. Fine. She didn’t want a relationship? Neither did he. It was just one afternoon of sex—nothing more. But if she thought she could pretend it never happened, she had a lesson to learn.

o0o

Patsy pulled into her driveway a little after seven to find Ruthann waiting. Her friend was going to want to know why Patsy was late, and Patsy couldn’t think of a single excuse except the truth. Not much hope of hiding news like this from someone you’d known since diapers. Knowing Ruthann, she’d start chanting “Will and Patsy sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g.”

Nothing wrong with that image, but the next passage wasn’t a possibility. No space for love, marriage, or baby carriages in Patsy’s plans.

“Where’ve you been? I been calling you on your cell phone for twenty minutes.”

“Sorry, I left it in the car.” Patsy staggered up the walk, smoothing wrinkles out of her shorts.

“What have you been doing? You look like you pulled your clothes out of the laundry hamper.” Ruthann eyed Patsy while she unlocked the door and flipped on the lights.

Inside, Ruthann grabbed Patsy’s chin. “What’s this? Is that beard burn?”

“No.” Patsy pulled her face away from her friend’s gleeful gaze. “I better let Pugnacious out.”

The dog blinked at her from the couch where she was sprawled belly up.

“She’s fine. Tell me what’s going on.” Ruthann plopped onto the cushion next to the pug. “Where have you been?”

“Did you bring the pizza?”

Ruthann sighed. “I left it on the porch.”

Patsy retrieved the cardboard box and carried it into the kitchen. “What do you want to drink?”

“Anything.” Ruthann slid into a chair at the table. “Are you going to fess up or not? Was it Will?”

Patsy busied herself dropping ice into glasses.

Ruthann raised both eyebrows and said, “It was Will. Well, it’s about time you decided to go for it. Everyone but you knew it was going to happen.” She flipped open the pizza box and selected a slice. “I’m glad one of us has a love life, finally.”

She was jumping to conclusions, just like Patsy was afraid she would. “It isn’t like that. I don’t have a love life. It was just, you know, one of those things.” Patsy swirled Diet Pepsi around in her glass. “I told him we couldn’t get involved.”

Ruthann dropped her slice back into the box. “You what? Why would you do that?”

“You know. I may get a call for that job any day now, and I’m not letting a little lust sucker me into the same mistake I made before.” Patsy tried to sound confident, but petulance snuck in toward the end.

“You’re going to let someone like Will Barnes get away because seven years ago you made a mistake and married an idiot?” Ruthann might as well have been snapping a ruler against her palm, her displeasure was so pronounced.

“Johnny wasn’t an idiot, at least not when I married him,” Patsy objected. “It was this place, the marriage, everything. Nothing lasts in Daisy Creek.”

“How about your parents?”

“They don’t count. They got married years ago. Things have changed since then. Besides, even they’ve had problems.” Patsy drew a heart in the condensation on the side of her glass, then drew an X through it. “The point is, I messed up once, and I’m not doing it again. When I get a job offer that gets me out of Daisy Creek, I’m taking it, so there’s no reason to waste time getting involved with anyone here.”

“But...”

“No buts, it’s the way it is. Hand me a slice of pizza. Did you get onions?”

Ruthann shook her head, but kept her mouth closed. It was a good thing. Patsy was in no mood to debate the issue. The smell of Will still clung to her, and she could still feel the light touch of his hand brushing away her tears. Why had she cried? It made her look so weak, and she wasn’t, she was strong. She was doing the right thing, the responsible thing.

She shoved the pizza into her mouth and asked around it, “How about you? Have you seen Randy?”

Patsy only half-listened as Ruthann bemoaned her lack of luck in securing Randy. Instead, Patsy let herself drift back to Will, his enthusiasm for his new house, his dedication to his dog, and his acceptance of her eccentric family. It was a shame things couldn’t work out. But they couldn’t. He was staying here, and she was leaving, period.

“What should I do?”

“Hmm?” Patsy dropped the slice of pizza she was holding.

Ruthann watched her expectantly. “What should I do? About Randy.”

It took Patsy a beat to change gears, but she was grateful Ruthann had gotten diverted by her own issues. For once, Patsy needed to follow her lead. “Well, like we talked about the other night, it’s a two-prong problem. There’s Randy and his complete lack of backbone.”

Ruthann gave her a baleful look.

Patsy continued, “And there’s his momma. Which one do you want to tackle first?”

“I don’t see why we need to tackle either one. Why can’t we just get him to notice me?”

“You already tried that. Besides, he’s noticed you. Now we have to deal with the more basic problems. Here’s what I think we need to do...” Patsy pushed the pizza box out of the way. “We start with his momma, this Sunday. I know I can get Granny to help us. Then we’ll work on Randy. Growing him a spine is going to be the hard part.” She ignored her friend’s glare as she launched into her plan.

o0o

Sunday morning, Patsy dressed for church complete with pantyhose and heels. Her mother would be ecstatic. She’d filled Granny in on her plan to convert Randy’s mother to Ruthann’s charms and instructed Ruthann in her role. Granny had kicked some about lying, but Patsy had assured her she wouldn’t have to out-and-out lie, just evade the truth a little.

“You just say, according to what I told you or what you heard. That won’t be lying.”

Granny tched and shook her head. “Never thought the day would come you’d have me lying in a house of worship.”

“It’s not lying, and you said yourself Randy’s momma needs a boot in the hiney. She’s never going to give Ruthann a chance as long as she thinks what she does about Ruthann’s mother.”

“You’d be doing Ruthann more of a favor by getting her momma to straighten up and act responsible. Wouldn’t hurt her none to see the inside of the First Baptist.”

“Those do-gooders wouldn’t be waiting to see who picked up the first stone. They’d slice her open with their tongues and go home saying they’d served the Lord.”

“You don’t be sassing like that. There’s a lot of good people that goes to that church.” Granny picked up her Bible and hobbled to the door. “‘Course, there’s no need for Ellen Jensen to be taking the sins of the mother out on Ruthann. She’s nothing but sweet. Kept your fanny out of the fires more than once, I’d guess.” She waited for Patsy to lock the front door. “I’ll help you, but you better watch what you say in the church. I don’t want nobody saying we deceived the Lord.”

Patsy and Granny arrived at church right as Sunday School was letting out. As they filed into line, Patsy searched the crowd for her quarry. Sighting a spit-shined Luke, she shimmied sideways, tugging Granny behind her.

“Hold up, sis. My body don’t squeeze through the same spots yours does.”

Patsy ignored her grandmother’s complaints, not stopping until they were positioned right behind Randy’s mother and his son.

Patsy tapped her on the shoulder. “Why, Mrs. Jensen, is that you? I didn’t even recognize Luke, he’s getting so big.” She beamed down at the little boy.

“Well, Patsy Lee Clark, I declare, you ‘bout scared twenty years off me. Mrs. Jackson, how you been feeling?” Randy’s mother patted Granny’s arm.

Granny shot Patsy a look, but hobbled forward a step. “Fair to middling. These old bones don’t get around like they used to.”

“Oh, let me help you.”

Patsy stood back as Mrs. Jensen guided Granny into the church and toward a pew.

“Patsy Lee, will you bring Luke?”

Patsy held her hand out to the small child, who grasped hers in his smaller, grubbier one and grinned up at her. Maybe Ruthann was right. A ready-made family might not be all bad. Patsy ruffled the boy’s hair and led him to their seats.

“So, Patsy Lee, I hear tell you been seeing that boy Will Barnes.” Mrs. Jensen patted a space on the wooden pew next to her.

Granny raised her eyebrows at Patsy, but jumped into the conversation. “I don’t know where you heard that. From what Patsy’s been telling me, he’s got eyes for nobody but Ruthann Malone.”

“The Malone girl?” Randy’s mother didn’t bother to hide her surprise.

“Yes, Patsy said he’s done nothing but skulk around after her since he hit town. It’s no wonder, her family being what it is and all.”

“Her family? You don’t mean her momma.” Mrs. Jensen folded her hands over the top of her purse.

“No, her daddy’s family. From what Patsy told me, he’s from some big fancy family back east. I guess her momma never let on, wanted to make it on her own and not put on airs. As Patsy tells it, he got hisself killed when she was pregnant, leaving her widowed.” Granny picked up a hymnal and thumbed through it. “What’s the opening song today? I hope it’s the ‘Old Rugged Cross.’ That’s my favorite.”

“Not to speak ill of folks in the Lord’s house, but I thought her daddy was some trucker from down Licking way. Got her momma pregnant and took off.”

Granny studied a page in the hymnal. “Is that the story they been passing around? Well, if that’s what Ruthann’s momma wants folks to believe, it’s not my place to quarrel.”

Ruthann entered the church, wearing a pink cotton dress complete with pearl buttons and Peter Pan collar. Perfect.

“Why, there’s Ruthann now.” Patsy waved her program toward her friend.

Ruthann waved back, but turned to grab the arm of a man who stood chatting with the mayor. His back was to the pews, but Patsy had no trouble recognizing the broad shoulders of Will Barnes. Even in a suit, the definition of his body was obvious. Patsy’s heart constricted before she had time to remember her resolve.