Patchworked Hearts {SAMPLE}

Chapter 17

"Sorry," she murmured, knowing it was her fault and cursing inwardly when tears pricked at her eyes. "I didn't mean to make you come get me last night—I hope I didn't wake you—"

She was cut off when Pat bent down and pressed his mouth to hers in a quick kiss. "Helen," he soothed when he pulled away, keeping his forehead pressed against hers, "that's not what I meant. I'm sorry, it sounded like that, didn't it? No, sweetheart, I'm glad you called me. You can always call me. I'm just upset with your cousin."

"She's a handful, huh?" Helen asked, but her lighthearted words fell flat when Pat didn't even look the slightest bit amused.

"She took advantage of your kindness," he corrected, his touch gentle as he brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. "I don't want her to do it again; something awful could have happened to you, Helena, and she didn't even care."

He was, as usual, telling the truth—that Katrina had never truly cared for Helen, even after everything her cousin had done for her.

Unfortunately, the truth did indeed hurt, and Helen gulped audibly as she tried to hold back tears.

Pat, however, was ever observant and noticed immediately. "Ah, sweetheart," he sighed, wrapping his arms around her blanket-covered body and pulling her up and into his embrace, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that."

She nuzzled the junction between his neck and shoulder and sniffled loudly. "But you're not wrong," she mumbled sadly, letting her eyes slip shut when he began to rub soothing circles into her back. "She was all I had, you know? I liked to think that she loved me, but I know she didn't. Not like Cece did, anyway. I just want some family, Pat." The tears came faster, and she hiccupped. "I j-just wanted family."

"I know, Helena," his chest rumbled with his comforting words, and she let them wash over her like a healing balm. "I know. Family doesn't have to come from blood, though; Addy and Isaiah are part of your family, and so is Ginger."

The words were simple, but they brought Helen up short.

How had she never considered that?

Of course—of course! Addy had always been part of Helen's family, hadn't she? From the moment they'd met, they'd been inseparable and leaned on one another during difficult times, and wasn't that family?

And then Addy had brought Isaiah into the family, just like Cecily would have done if she'd been alive and gotten married. And, as Pat said, Ginger was like Helen's child, so she was in the family too.

But then . . .?

"Are you in my family?" She asked, her words so soft she wasn't even sure he could hear them. "You and Gill?"

She peeked up at him from the corner of her eye and felt her heart swell at the sight of his happy smile. "We would certainly be honored to be part of your family, Helena."

Helen let a smile touch her mouth, and she pressed a kiss against the skin of his neck. "I'm honored to have you."

And that was the truth, too.

***

"I always knew she was a bitch, but I had no idea she was this much of a bi-otch! Damn her to hell!"

Helen failed to hide a wince at Addy's snarled words and took a step away from her friend.

"Addy, really, it's not—"

Addy whipped around and stuck her index finger at Helen to silence her. "It is a big deal, Nell! Katrina had better never show her face again, unless she wants to meet the ultimate wrath of my fist and nails!"

"Addy," Helen's voice was firmer, "it wasn't right for her to treat me like that, but I ought to share a little bit of the blame too; I'm the one who followed after her in the middle of the night like some kind of idiot."

Addy frowned, even as her eyes softened with understanding. "Ah, Nell," she sighed, the fury seeping from her body as she dropped down in the park bench that they were standing by. "You don't see it, do you? You've got a good heart—you went after Katrina because you were worried about her, and any decent person knows that. Katrina, however," her voice darkened with anger, "is a total ass that never deserved you anyway."

Another thought must have hit Addy, because she sat ramrod-straight and stared at Helen with wide eyes. "Wait, Patterson didn't get mad at you or anything, did he? Because I can add him to my list, and I'll get him after I deal with—"

"No one will be 'dealing' with anyone," Helen interrupted with an amused roll of her eyes. Addy was a handful, but Helen knew this was just how the other woman showed she cared; it was nice, after the events that occurred two nights ago, to know that she was loved. "It's past us now, so we can only move forward." There, that sounded appropriate coming from an advice columnist.

"And no," she continued when Addy opened her mouth to protest, "Pat wasn't mad at all; he was kind and sweet, just like always."

Addy's features shifted, until her lips were curled into a wicked grin and her eyes were alight with deviousness. "Good 'ol Patterson. You know, I still haven't had a nice talk with the man. Maybe we'll need to get together soon . . ." she trailed off and wiggled her eyebrows obnoxiously, and Helen snorted as she sat on the bench beside the other woman.

"Yeah, yeah, your threat is noticed." Though that did remind her of something else. "You and Isaiah up for dinner at my place on Friday?"

Addy tapped at her chin, pretending to think it over for a moment. "Will you make your grandma's macaroni and cheese?" A favorite of Addy's, no doubt because it was filled with cheese and butter, and thus served as an excellent comfort food.

A smirk tugged at Helen's mouth at her best friend's predictability. "And my famous Midnight Delight Truffles."

Throwing her head back, Addy moaned loudly. "Oh, hell yes!" she lifted her head and returned her gaze to Helen's. "Sign me right up. Seven okay?"

"Perfect."

And maybe Helen's relatives were horrible people who took advantage of her kindness or (conversely) wanted nothing to do with her, and maybe she had another appointment with her therapist later that day, and maybe she was dying to figure what was making Dahlia so fidgety and how it related to Isaiah's activities . . .

Nonetheless, she was content.

For the moment, anyway. 

***

A/N: Thanks for reading!

A.R.