Forgiving Patience Read Online Free PDF Page B

tomorrow wouldn’t be another dreary day—which normally left him
feeling hopeless and watching those around him live out their lives. He had to
see her, even if it was only for a couple weeks. For the first time in years, he
felt something he’d thought was lost forever and it was because of her.
    Fuck.
    Time to party.
    He allowed himself to linger a couple
more minutes in heaven before stepping out of the shower and dressing in the
clothes Em had demanded he wear. Damn women. He was a grown-ass man. He’d been
dressing himself for a long time.
    He grabbed his keys and let the new
screen door slam behind him.

 
 
 
 
    Chapter Three

 
 
    The bridegroom’s family went all out
for the bash honoring the upcoming nuptials. Expenses had not been spared,
allowing the chef to put his best creations on the buffet. Mrs. Lena’s Flowers
and Gifts had decorated the Banquet Room with bundles of wildflowers, expressing Em’s lively personality. A small band played tasteful
country music and was actually pretty good, considering Mrs. Bradshaw had found
them in the paper at late notice.
    Anna caught the acoustic guitar
player’s eye and couldn’t help but smile as he and his bandmates played a George Strait song. He had to be in his late forties, but he reminded
her of her older man crush, Kevin Costner, so she found it flattering when he
winked at her. She turned her back to him, but couldn’t resist a glance over
her shoulder to see the guy still had his eye on her. It felt good to attract a
man, drawing his attention despite all the slender, sensual women in the room.
She offered him one last smile and turned away for good—allowing him to look to
his heart’s content.
    “Anna Lynn Kelly.”
    Anna knew the voice like she would’ve
known her own mother’s. She turned from the table. “Ms. Edna.” Her fiery
neighbor was dressed in a blue skirt and matching suit jacket paired with
black, sensible flats she imagined the simple woman only brought out for
special occasions. Her gray hair was swept back in a low bun with little
make-up covering her aging face. She looked exactly the same. In Anna’s eyes
she was pure loveliness, even though the old woman made it nearly impossible
for anyone to actually love her.
    “Ms. Edna, you look exquisite
tonight.”
    “So, the lost sheep finally decides
to come home.”
    It was just like the stubborn woman
to ignore a good compliment when it was given and to not even offer one in
return. Anna hadn’t kept in touch with her neighbor and only knew through Em
that Ms. Edna still worked five days a week at the salon and was exactly the
same in spirits. To most, she came off as hard-headed and borderline rude, but
Anna loved that about her. She was true to herself and could care less what
anyone else thought. It must feel nice to be so cavalier about unimportant
things.
    “Yes, I’m back for a little while.”
    “Why?” the woman asked, while
plucking a Swedish meatball off the buffet table and popping it in her mouth,
not bothering with a serving plate.
    “I wouldn’t miss Em’s wedding for anything. I’m the maid of honor.” She hated that
anyone—particularly a person she respected—would think she wouldn’t come home
for her best friend’s wedding. Had everyone been so surprised to see her back?
Of course, she hadn’t really been jumping at the idea of coming back and
dealing with the town and what it represented. She couldn’t really blame Ms.
Edna for doubting her friendship duties. She only hoped Em hadn’t doubted her
too.
    “You missed a lot of other important
things around here, child. When Emilee said you were coming back, I just didn’t
believe her. You know how the girl talks. I don’t think she believes half the
things that come out of her own mouth.”
    Anna could hear the motherly tone
leaking out. Ms. Edna was disappointed in her for taking too long to come back.
Her mother hadn’t lived in Patience for years, so other than Em, what