Natural Born Lawman. Sherryl Woods

chintz upholstery. The rooms were bright and airy.

      “I could be happy here,” she thought as she stretched and pulled on her robe. It was Dani’s doing, of course, and not her own, but the house felt like a home. It wasn’t as lavish as the one Will had insisted on buying, but it had a warmth and charm that the house in Oklahoma had lacked no matter how hard she’d tried to turn it into a home.

      She checked on Billy, then went into the kitchen where she found cereal, milk and bread, courtesy of Dani, along with a note. “Make yourselves at home. We’ll talk later about what you can do to help with the animals. Dani.”

      A nice woman, she concluded. She’d liked her instantly the day before, just as she’d been drawn to Sharon Lynn at the drugstore. It had been a long time since she’d had girlfriends. Will hadn’t encouraged her to have any life at all outside of caring for him and Billy.

      Maybe these two women could become real friends in time, she thought wistfully. Maybe there would come a time when she’d be able to confide the truth about her circumstances to them, instead of living this lie. Maybe she could tell them about the fear that had been gnawing at her ever since she’d discovered her husband’s violent side.

      First, though, she had to make amends to one of them. As soon as she got Billy up and dressed, she postponed breakfast and headed toward the drugstore, determined to get the apology over with. They were there as soon as the doors opened. Relieved that there was no one else around, Patsy faced Sharon Lynn uncertainly.

      “I came to apologize and to thank you for not pressing charges,” she said. “I would never have done it, not in a million years, if I hadn’t been so worried about Billy.”

      “I know,” Sharon Lynn said, and sounded as if she meant it. She also sounded as if that were the last word she intended to say on the subject. “How about some coffee? I could fix some cereal for Billy, if you like.”

      Could it possibly be that easy? Patsy thought in wonder. Still chagrined by her uncharacteristic behavior the day before, Patsy started to refuse, but Sharon Lynn was already pouring the coffee and dumping cereal into a bowl.

      “Dry or with milk?” she asked, taking the decision out of Patsy’s hands.

      “Dry for Billy,” Patsy said. “He can eat it with his fingers. Otherwise there’s no telling where he’s likely to fling it with a spoon.”

      Sharon Lynn set the bowl on the counter in front of Billy, then grinned as he grabbed a fistful and shoved it into his mouth.

      “His table manners leave something to be desired,” Patsy apologized ruefully.

      “How old is he?”

      “He just turned two.”

      “Then he’s got a few years before people start holding that against him. Besides, once you’ve been to a family dinner at our place, missile strikes would probably seem tame. There are a lot of kids. We’ve all been brought up to have endless patience. My grandfather, Harlan Adams, would rather have the chaos than a clean house any day.”

      Patsy grinned. “Maybe he can say that because he’s not the one who has to clean it up.”

      “Oh, I’ve seen him on his hands and knees chasing after cornflakes and toys a time or two. Of course, he’s in his eighties now and he’s not as agile as he once was, but he set a good enough example for his sons that they’re pretty decent housekeepers if the need arises. They all married women who see to it the need arises every now and then, just to keep them humble.”

      “It must be wonderful to have so much family,” Patsy said, unable to hide the wistful note in her voice.

      “Your own is small?”

      “Just me and my parents.”

      “And you couldn’t go to them for help when things got tough for you and the baby?” Sharon Lynn asked.

      Patsy shook her head. “No, not this time,” she said, unable to meet the other woman’s gaze for fear all the tears she’d been bottling up would come pouring out.

      “I see.” Sharon Lynn’s expression softened. “I hear Justin arranged for you to stay at Dani’s.”

      Patsy knew enough about small towns not to be surprised that news had traveled so quickly, especially when it involved family members. “For the time being anyway.”

      Sharon Lynn seemed startled by her reply. “Why on earth wouldn’t you go on staying there? It’s a great house. It’s small, but surely it’s big enough for just you and Billy.”

      “Of course it is, and I’m truly grateful to her for letting us move in on such short notice.” Patsy couldn’t say that she was afraid she might have to move on, that her husband would discover her whereabouts and come after her. Instead, she said only, “But I need a job, and someone to look after Billy. I haven’t even had time to check the want ads yet to see if there are any openings here. I can’t stay in Los Piños indefinitely without work.”

      “Then you have work,” Sharon Lynn said with no hesitation at all.

      Patsy stared at her. “What?”

      “You can work right here. I can use the help. The lunch counter’s busier than ever and so’s the pharmacy. The pharmacist can’t keep up with prescriptions and all the gift sales we’re making now that I’ve expanded that section.”

      She smiled persuasively. “So, what do you think? Want to give it a try? I can pay you a halfway decent salary and you’ll get tips when you work the counter. I know Dani’s not going to charge an arm and a leg for the house. No one was using it anyway. And you’ll be able to eat here, so you won’t have grocery expenses.”

      It was more than Patsy had ever dreamed of when she’d walked through the door a few minutes earlier. Though she’d trained as a secretary, she’d known she wouldn’t be able to find work in that field, not without being able to give references, and she surely couldn’t list Will’s firm on her résumé. This job was ideal. She didn’t have to think twice about it. “I’ll take it,” she said at once.

      “You’re sure?” Sharon Lynn asked. “I have to warn you, it gets crazy in here sometimes and I’m going off on a one-week honeymoon at the end of the month. You’ll be on your own. Can you cook?”

      “If you’ll go over the menu with me, I can do it,” Patsy assured her. She’d worked in a place just like this back home one summer while she was taking her secretarial training. This job would be a breeze. “And I’ve run a cash register before. I’m sure I’ll pick up the rest in no time.”

      “You don’t have to sell me. I made the offer, remember?”

      “I wouldn’t want you to regret it.”

      “I won’t,” Sharon Lynn said with confidence. “When can you start?”

      “What about now?” She glanced over at Billy, who was happily mashing cereal on the counter. “Unless you’d rather I make arrangements for him so he’s not in the way.”

      “He’s not in the way. If he gets fussy, you can leave and take him home for a nap. Someone over at Dani’s will keep an eye on him for you.”

      Patsy grinned at her enthusiasm and quick solutions to every possible problem Patsy suggested. “You must be really desperate for help.”

      “Not today, but given the daze I’m in just thinking about everything that’s left to do for the wedding, desperation is not far off.” Sharon Lynn grinned ruefully and admitted, “And there are any number of people in town who’ll be relieved that someone else is going to help with the cooking in here. I’ve been a bit absentminded lately. It’s given the menu some interesting and not entirely successful twists.”

      Patsy grinned back at her as she climbed off the stool and started to join Sharon Lynn behind the counter. “What do you want me to do first?”

      “Sit