Forgiving Patience (19 page)

“Good grief, Em, you’re about to get
married, you shouldn’t even be thinking about Jake in a bed.”

“I might be getting married, but I am
a woman…and any woman—even you—can appreciate a man like Jake Lawrence. Now
that we’ve got that settled, let’s finish setting up. The girls will be here
soon.”

Anna couldn’t help but wonder how Em
would react if she knew that the night before Jake had given her one
mind-blowing orgasm with just his gentle touch. Em would probably have the
entire town informed before the night was over. That was not something Anna
needed at the moment. She didn’t know what to think, or how to feel. Of course
she had been pleasured, but what was she to think about Jake touching her
there
…making her feel those things
there
? The big question was, did she want
it to happen again? There was no mistaking that he’d made it clear by the bulge
behind his zipper that he wanted her. Did she want him back in that way? Plain,
logical, carefully planning Anna couldn’t justify being with Jake, but…the
wanton carefree, wild, non-thinking Anna wanted to have crazy sex with him. At
least, if she was actually having
or thinking
about
having an affair,
it would be with someone she knew, and even though she couldn’t trust him with
her heart, she knew she would be safe with him physically.

Hollering over Aretha, Em said,
“Anna, help me hang this streamer above the door.”

* * * *

Fifteen minutes later, people started
arriving one after the other. She didn’t realize Em had so many friends, but
she hadn’t exactly been around to know much about
Em’s
life. They talked every week, and she heard about most of these women in one
conversation or another, but she hadn’t known how close Em was to them and how
far apart she and Em really were. It wasn’t that she had thought that life didn’t
go on in Patience when she’d suddenly departed. She just hadn’t thought about
the people, especially Em, and how their lives had changed whether she was
physically there or not.

Em had come to see her once or twice,
but other than that, their friendship had been maintained by phone. And Em
never asked her to visit. She knew Anna enough to know she hadn’t been strong
enough to face Patience yet.

For the next hour Anna busied herself
in the kitchen, throwing away empty plates and cups, refilling the chip bowl,
and making small talk when it was required. Most of the girls knew her because
of Em, but she didn’t have much in common with them. They were people Em worked
with, and the others were family on Tommy’s side. Em was an only child and came
from a small family so she only had her mom there, which Anna thought was
embarrassing. She’d never dreamed of seeing Mrs. Bradshaw and penises in the
same room. Mrs. Bradshaw was the spitting image of Em, or rather, Em was a
spitting image of her. She looked as if she was in her late forties, when in
fact she was close to sixty years old. Anna had asked her once as a teenager
what her secret was to looking so young, and she’d said, “a stress-free life
and Oil of Olay.” Ever since then, Anna had made it a habit to use the lotion
every night.

It didn’t matter what she did, or who
she talked to, she couldn’t stop thinking about Jake. Her feelings for him were
becoming an issue. The closeness and kissing was becoming too much for her.
There were two dates left, and then he would be gone, out of her house and
life. She had hated making the deal, but what other choice did she have? One of
the reasons she’d come back was to live in that house and come to terms with
her past. How could she do that if Jake was there? Dealing with the house and
Jake at the same time seemed too much for her to handle. Her meds kept her sane
and out of a dark pit, but didn’t do miracles.

When she was stressed, she ate, and
when she ate, she gained twenty pounds, but it was that or give in to Jake’s
advances—so she chose the food because it was safer. She dipped a strawberry in
the chocolate fountain, all but sighing at the pure sensation as it hit her
tongue. God, how she loved chocolate. If she didn’t quit doing this, her
bridesmaid dress would not only be snug, but she wouldn’t even be able to zip
it. After eating one more chocolate-covered strawberry, she left the kitchen.

“Why, Anna, where have you been
hiding? I was hoping to see you tonight. We didn’t get to talk at the
engagement party. It’s so nice of you to come home for Emilee’s wedding. I know
she’s just thrilled.”

Em’s
mom gave her a tight hug. Anna had
missed her deeply. She was like a second mother, always offering guidance when
her own mother couldn’t. “Oh, Mrs. Bradshaw, I have missed you. I see you are
still using your Oil of Olay.”

“Oh quit, child, you are just being
silly. I’m actually looking my age. It’s damn depressing. Emilee started
stressing me out about this darn wedding. It’s all her fault. Today she had me
out all day looking for this green dip she has fallen in love with.”

She couldn’t help but smile at the
woman for remembering their conversation. It was awful that she couldn’t come
home more often. She was going to have to invite Em and her mother to Linden,
maybe have a girls’ day of shopping and catching up.

Mrs. Bradshaw pointed a finger at
Anna. “Now, I want you to come by the house this week for lunch. Mr. Bradshaw
will love to see you. He was always fond of you.” Holding up her hands to
shield her lips, she whispered, “unlike some of these girls who run around
wearing child-like dress up clothes and all but sleep with every guy who walks
into Ollie’s.”

“I will. I’ll call you in a few days,
and we can set it up.”

“Sounds good. Now I’ve got to go,
child. This party isn’t appropriate for a lady of my age. I could take Emilee
over my knee and whip her
heinie
for throwing such a
disgusting party. How Tommy puts up with her I will never know.”

“He’s a great guy.”

“Yes, he is.”

The woman left, giving Emilee a kiss
on the cheek before walking out the door. It was a fond gesture that only made
Anna feel more alone while in a crowd of people. She’d felt much like this at
the last party she’d attended in Patience. How she wished her mother was still
here. But she couldn’t think of that right now. Tonight was about Em. Maybe it
was time for her to let go. Just for one night, the world would keep revolving.

“What’s up?” Em had taken a break
from dancing. She had long ago kicked her shoes off and was clearly in a good
mood.

“Nothing. I was just talking to your
mother. We’re having lunch this week.”

“Please tell me you’ve done more than
arrange food in the kitchen and have a conversation with my mother about
lunch.”

“What? I love your mother. It’s nice
to see her. And you threw the party. The least I could do is refill the chip
bowl.” Em wasn’t buying the explanation, but Anna couldn’t tell her the real
reason she was so distracted and removed from the party. She would only ask a
million questions and probably tell Tommy, which would mean Jake knowing she
had liked last night more than she was willing to say.

“For one, I don’t want you to refill
any chip bowls. You are here to have a non-like-Anna good time. If someone
wants chips, they can find the damn bags in the pantry. Second, I know you love
my mother. I love her too, but… please talk to someone your own age. You are
twenty-nine. Act like it. You don’t always have to be the safe, designated
driver, Anna. Promise me you will let go and have fun. If you need to, you can
sleep on my couch. Okay?”

Em knew her all too well. She was
saying everything Anna already acknowledged, but it was nice to have a friend
tell her it was all right. “I promise.”

Chapter Ten

“What do you think the women are
doin’ right now?” Tommy asked as he threw a line in the water.

“Probably watching
Father
of the Bride
or singing
I’m
Every Woman
into their
hair brushes.”

“How is it you know more about my
future wife than I do, Brad?”

“You’ll have to ask her about that. I
don’t kiss and tell.” Tommy hit Bradley on the arm, knowing the kid was just
shitting him. Jake took three beers out of the cooler, popped the tops, and
handed one to each guy, setting his between his legs. He had already drunk two
and knew he needed to slow down. After three beers, he never drove, and he
wasn’t about to ask these two jackasses to take him home. After this little
bachelor party, all he wanted to do was go home and sleep for days. He hadn’t
gotten much sleep the past few nights and he could feel it in his body. He was
too old for this stuff.

“Thanks.” They both spoke at the same
time, not moving their eyes off their floaters bobbing in the water.

“No prob.”

He usually liked fishing, especially
on a humid night when the beer tasted good and he was in good company. Tonight
was about Tommy, but Jake couldn’t get his mind off of Anna. He hoped he hadn’t
run her off after his greediness. What a jackass move. She wasn’t ready for
that. Anna was a woman who thought things out, planned, thought some more…and
then followed through with her plans. He needed to respect that. What the
hell—she honestly didn’t want him. The only reason she was going on these dates
with him was because she wanted him out of her life…not because she wanted him
in it. Maybe he should just give in and let her have the house, move back home
with Bradley, and continue with his love ‘em and leave ‘em lifestyle. Women
flocked to him down at Ollie’s, women who were willing to make him forget all
about his troubles. The only problem with that logic was that when the sun came
up, he would still be in the same predicament—wanting Anna.

“Hey, bro. Are you here?” Bradley was
waving his straw cowboy hat in front of Jake’s face, trying to bring him out of
his trance.

“What?” He wasn’t ready to leave his
thoughts just yet.

“Just wanted to know if you’re going
to do some fishing or just sit here looking lost.”

Jake realized he hadn’t even thrown
his line in. For some reason he was ticked that Bradley called him out on it.
“You just stay over on your side of the boat and not worry about me fishing.
I’ll do what I damn well please, and if I want to sit here drinking a beer or
two and listen to you jackasses talk only about women, I will.”

“So-
rry
.
What’s your deal? This is a bachelor party, not a self-pity Jake party. Get
over screwing up with Anna and start fishing.”

Bradley was way off his game. How
dare he tell Jake to do anything about Anna.

“You’d better watch yourself. I’m in
no mood for your insight on my love life.”

“Well, maybe you should listen to
someone, because all you’ve done is mope around since her little ass got back
into town. I mean, at the softball game, you bit my head off every chance you
could.”

Jake stood, careful not to spill his
beer or rock the boat. He and Bradley hadn’t been in a throw down,
kick-your-ass type of fight since…well, the last time, but he was about to make
his little brother relive his last ass-kicking. Which, now that Jake thought
about it, wasn’t that long ago.

“What are you going to do, kick my
ass because I’m telling the truth? Go ahead. I’m not a kid anymore, and if you
remember from the last time, my punches hurt just as much as yours, so just be
prepared. I won’t be holding back.” Bradley turned away from Jake and continued
staring at the water.

“Whoa, guys, there’s no need for
anyone to kick anyone’s ass. If anything, I should kick both your asses for
throwing me a worthless bachelor party.”

With his fists clenched at his sides
and knuckles turning white, Jake sat down and took a hard pull on his beer. He
leaned back and propped his boots up on the cooler. This was stupid. Was he
really going to have another drag-out fight with his brother? He pulled his
ball cap down over his eyes. And he tried blocking everything out. He was
terrible to Anna, a bad friend, and now he was a bad brother. He totally
sucked.

The ringing of a cell phone
interrupted the quiet. Probably Em or a woman who kept Bradley’s number on
speed dial. He knew it wasn’t his. He didn’t have a woman keeping tabs on him,
and he was fine with that. He answered to nobody.

“Hey, Em, what’s up?”

He was right. It was Em calling
Tommy. She was probably making sure they were really fishing and not at a strip
club putting hard-earned dollars down some woman named Candy’s panties. He
should’ve done something like that. At least then he would stay distracted, but
Em would kick his butt, and he already had one woman mad…or was it happy,
now?…he couldn’t keep up, but he couldn’t handle another angry woman. Corny as
it might sound, Em was a firecracker waiting to explode on the Fourth of July,
and he didn’t want any part of that.

He could tell something was wrong
when Tommy reeled in his line. The only two things that made the man stop
fishing were being out of beer and Em. “We’ll be right there. Love you too.”
Tommy hung up the phone and said, “Reel ‘em in, boys, the women have a little
situation.”