“I have Triple-A…”

“It’ll take them longer to get here than it will take us to buy and install a new battery. Let’s just do it.”

She smiled very attractively. “I could pay you for your help,” she said.

“I’m already paid pretty well. And I have a little time to kill. Let me bring around the Jeep, get your engine going and we’ll get this done in no time.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Just when you start to lose faith in human nature… You’re very kind to help with this. Thank you.”

“It’s no trouble. I wouldn’t leave you stranded. I’ll be right back.”

He stowed his groceries in the Jeep and swung around to park directly in front of her. He hooked up the jumper cables and, in no time flat, he had her car running.

“The auto supply is right up the street. Just follow me. This should be simple enough.”

Less than a five-minute drive later, they were in the store together and he was helping her pick out a new battery. Although this didn’t take long, they did have a chance to talk a little. She was visiting family for a few days; he was sitting out some leave near his brothers. He was a Navy pilot, she was a teacher. She said she hadn’t been able to convince her husband to come along and was going to make sure he heard about this. He said putting in a battery was simple, if she wanted to learn.

“I’d rather just make a phone call,” she said.

“Well, if you’re going back in the mountains, your cell won’t work. I think you’re probably lucky your battery went dead here in Fortuna rather than out on a mountain road somewhere, although as long as your engine was running, you were safe.”

“But now I’m safer,” she said. “I bet I can risk going to a florist before I get on my way.”

“A florist, a deli, a dress shop, whatever you feel like.” He tightened down the screw and said, “Start her up.”

She got in the car, turned the ignition and the car roared to life. She left it running, but got out and faced him. “Are you sure I can’t pay you for your trouble?”

He smiled and shook his head. “I’m overpaid already, seriously. I’m just glad I could help.”

“You’re a very impressive young man. I just wish I could wrap you up and give you to my daughter for Christmas.”

He laughed and said, “I’m afraid I’m taken.”

“Unsurprising.” She put out her hand. “I’m Donna,” she said.

“Patrick,” he returned, shaking her hand. “Drive safely.”

“I think I might look around Fortuna. I have plenty of time. It wouldn’t hurt to grab a few things for my brother’s children, since I’m surprising him.”

“Enjoy,” Paddy said, heading for his Jeep.

Patrick looked at his watch. That little adventure had only cost him forty minutes that he could certainly spare. Then it was home to set up his roast. Easily done. Then he peeled potatoes and got them underwater. He was cheating on the peas and carrots—frozen. But frozen was good. Angie, who loved everything, wasn’t much of a cook. She was easy to impress. In fact, he couldn’t think of a single thing he did that didn’t wind her watch and he laughed to himself.

She was so good for his ego, an ego that had suffered the past year. He’d been feeling unsure of himself. A little lost, really. But Angie brought him back to life, made him smile. Laugh. Most important, with her he could revisit hopefulness. Optimism.

In record time, he was on his way to the bar. When he got there, he jumped up on a stool at the end, staying out of the way.

Jack slapped a napkin on the bar in front of him. “How’s it going, pardner?”

“Good, thanks. Beer?”

“You meeting Ange?”

“Yep.”

“Having dinner tonight?”

“I cooked,” he said. “I’m a good cook.”

“I’m sure,” Jack said, placing the cold draft in front of Patrick. The bar hadn’t filled up yet, giving Jack too much time to linger. “And after dinner?” he asked.

“Scrabble,” Paddy said, lifting the icy mug.

“You two must be getting pretty good at Scrabble.”

“She annihilates me. Every time. And I can spell.”

“She’s brilliant,” Jack agreed. “So, when do you leave?”

“Ready for me to go?” Paddy asked.

“Not necessarily. If you’re fool enough to leave her, I just want to be ready to scoop up my little girl and try to keep her from falling apart.”

Patrick got serious for a moment, against his better judgment. “Jack, it has nothing to do with intelligence—it’s just what I have to do. How this went was always up to her. I swear, I didn’t manipulate her. I was honest from the start.”

Jack sighed heavily. “I know. She was hell-bent. Just try to be a little…I don’t know…sensitive.”

“Absolutely. I think the world of Angie. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever… But, see, that’s not going to count for much because Angie has her own plans.”

“So I hear. But just the same. Go easy, all right?”

Patrick wanted to say something like, I wouldn’t hurt her for the world, except leaving her was going to hurt her to at least some degree. Despite her bravado, she was going to grieve him. He was definitely going to grieve her. He wanted to tell Jack he had regrets, which he did, and top of the list was his making a commitment to Marie, even though he knew it was the right thing to do.

“Hold her up, Jack,” Patrick said. “She deserves better than some jet jockey.”

“Probably right about that.”

And right then, speak of the devil, Angie walked into the bar. When he saw her, he sat taller. “Look at her, Jack. She lights up the whole place. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?”

“Not lately.”

And in no time it was easy to see why Patrick was doing this—to be able to lift his arm to circle her shoulders, put a kiss on her cheek, bask in her smile for a little while. To feel that she was his. It brought such a rush of pride. He wondered if he’d ever felt this way about Leigh, but if he had, he couldn’t remember it now.

Angie leaned toward her uncle and kissed his cheek, and even that brought Patrick pleasure. It made him feel a part of something.

Jack served her up a glass of wine and made small talk while he still could; soon the bar would begin to fill up with the dinner crowd and all those people from other towns and outlying regions who wanted to see the magnificent tree. And just before the sun began to set, there was a familiar face in the bar. That tall, auburn-haired woman from the grocery store parking lot walked into the bar.

“Donna!” Jack said, surprised.

“Oh, my God, Mom!” Angie said, horrified.

Instinctively, Patrick’s arm went around Angie’s shoulders and pulled her closer, claiming her. Protecting her. Because she was his.

* * *

He’ll never let her go again, Jack found himself thinking. He’d seen it a hundred times in this town. The chemistry was just too damn strong; it rolled off them in waves. He wasn’t sure how they could make it work if Patrick had a military commitment and Angie was hell-bent to join the peace corps or a reasonable facsimile. But he couldn’t miss Patrick’s proprietary action. Publicly claiming her in front of her mother.

The shock and awe on Angie’s and Donna’s faces told the tale—Donna did not know Angie was seeing someone. Well, Jack certainly hadn’t wanted to tell her. Obviously Brie felt the same way.

He held his breath. He hoped his big sister would handle this wisely. Donna was a wonder woman, no doubt about that, but she seriously liked having her way.

She walked right up to Angie and said, “Darling. How I’ve missed you.”

Angie let herself be embraced, returned the embrace, but then she said, “This isn’t what I’d call giving me space.”

“I won’t be in your way. I might try to steal a few minutes here and there, but I didn’t come here to hound you. I didn’t have to teach so, on a wild lark, I just decided to drive up and take some time off.”

“And you’re staying where?”

“Jack’s guesthouse, of course.” She nodded at Patrick. “Hello again.”

Now everyone but Donna and Patrick were startled. In fact, typical of this bar, the din quieted so that every word could be overheard. People actually moved or at least leaned closer.

“Again?” Angie asked.

“My car battery went out in the grocery store lot in Fortuna. This lovely young man not only got me going again, he helped me buy and install a new battery.”

“Having no idea this could be your mother,” he said. Then he grinned and added, “I would have helped her, anyway. In fact, I think she liked me.”

Donna lifted her chin in agreement. “I had no idea that when you said you were ‘taken,’ the person who has taken you could possibly be my daughter. She never mentioned a young man in her life.”

“For very good reason,” Angie said.

Jack began wiping water spots out of glasses, an action that always occupied him when he didn’t know what else to do. Donna might wisely let Angie off the hook for not telling about Patrick, but Jack didn’t expect to get off so easily. “Did you call Mel or Brie? Let them know you were coming?” he asked.

Donna shook her head. “I didn’t mean to sneak into town, really. I woke up this morning feeling kind of down, missing Angie and everyone so much. If I promise not to be any trouble, can I get a pass?”

“If you’re no trouble, it might be the first time,” Jack said.

“Patrick, excuse me a minute,” Angie said. “Mom, we need to have a word. Let’s just step outside for a minute.” And without waiting for her to follow, Angie headed for the door. Donna followed, leaving Jack and Patrick at the bar.

Jack leveled Patrick with a narrowed gaze. “You know, I actually feel kind of sorry for you.”

Patrick took a drink of his beer. “Yeah, right.”

* * *

Angie stepped onto the porch, the collar of her jacket turned up and her hands buried deep in her pockets. She stared up at the beautiful tree, the bright star crowning its top. She heard the door open and close behind her and she turned around, shaking her head at her mother. “You have some explaining to do,” she said sternly.

“It’s exactly as I said—I wanted to see you, Ange.”

“You vowed to let me have a little space, Mom.”

“And I will, I promise. I had no idea what I was walking into, but I’ll tell you this—I just couldn’t stand the idea of us being at each other, estranged, angry. Especially with you bound and determined to move on to some new, strange life far, far away.” Angie opened her mouth to speak and Donna lifted her hand. “I don’t blame you, I don’t. In fact, this sounds like exactly something I would have done at your age if I could have. I guess my worry comes from the fact that it’s so soon after nearly losing you. Angie, I just want us to try to put our relationship back together before you head off to a new life. I realize I made a mistake in being so controlling. I made many mistakes. I’m sorry, I really am.”

Angie put her hands on her hips. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with my mother?”

Donna’s hands went to her h*ps also. “You know, I’m getting real tired of everyone acting like I’m impossible to deal with all the time! I’m trying. Don’t I get credit for really trying?”

“Where’s Dad?”

“He wanted no part of this. He’s convinced we’re going to fight.”