"I remember when you could get a Coke for four bits," she said, looking at Matt for a long, pointed moment. When she turned away, Jake thought he saw her wink at Dani, who was having a harder time than his mom not to bust out laughing. "Do I need one of those little electronic anklets to go out into the your mama's garden?"

Jake tried to speak, but his throat was too dry, so he shook his head.

"I'll stay well away from the watermelon patch to avoid temptation." She lifted the Coke can in a mock salute, then sauntered out, her hips doing that provocative side-to-side sway again.

No one spoke or moved until the patio door had creaked open, then closed.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck as his powers of speech and thought crept back. Matt looked as if he'd been turned to stone, but Dani gave Jake a delighted smile. "If you let her get away, you deserve to be a bitter, unhappy man, Jake Kirby."

Luke gave himself a shake, like a man waking from an amazing dream, and looked at Matt. "I'm with Louise," -he gave Dani a quick grin as he used the name she'd used to introduce herself to him when they first met- "on this one, bro. That girl is definitely a keeper. You let her get away, I'll kick your ass. Oh, sorry, Mom."

Jake grinned his relief, then turned to Matt, his grin fading abruptly at his brother's grim expression. He didn't intend to let Phoebe get away, even if it cost him his brother, but he hoped it wouldn't. He kinda liked him.

Matt finally looked at him. "This could screw your career, you know."

"Maybe." He hunched his shoulders. "But I'm betting we recruit her. She's not just uncommon, Matt, she's amazing."

Matt stared at him for a long moment, then his face relaxed. "Well, I'll admit she does remind me of someone." He glanced at his wife, who managed to look innocently puzzled and wickedly amused.

It was as close to admitting he could be wrong as Matt would get, which left Mom. What did she think of his lady thief?

Outside, Phoebe found a wooden bench swing that hadn't been visible from her window. Green vines climbed up one side, wound around the beam, then went down the other, leaving a cool, shady place for her to ponder just how much her life sucked.

There was even a cushion to protect her far-too-bare thighs from slivers. She set the swing in motion, then pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees.

Something wet dropped off her chin and rolled down her leg and across her bare foot. Was it raining? Only if blue sky and bright sun had totally changed their functions.

She touched her face and realized the drop had come from her eyes. Another drop quickly followed, then another. She couldn't be crying. She didn't cry. Maybe she was overflowing? She wasn't sobbing. Her shoulders weren't heaving. Her heart hurt, worse than before, but surely she wasn't crying. Sharp pain spread out from her heart like cracks across glass. It flowed up and out her eyes. It didn't help that she'd always known she couldn't have Jake. Knowing something didn't make it easier to face.

There was a sort of peace in knowing it was better for him. He might be a bit hot for her, but that would pass. People fell out of lust all the time. After the scene in the kitchen, she had her pride, and he had his out. She'd have to find somewhere else to stay, but that would be better anyway. If she spent too much time in the normal zone, who knew what would happen to her?

She heard the patio door creak and quickly wiped her eyes, since teary-eyed didn't match heartless slut. She looked toward the house, expecting to see Jake, not his mom.

Debra Kirby walked toward her with a grace that both pleased and intimidated. Phoebe admired her taste. Her linen pants and shirt were coolly elegant. Her slight smile was so like Jake's that the lump tried to crawl up her throat again.

"Do you like gardens?" Debra asked.

This wasn't the scene Phoebe had expected to play. She didn't know her lines. "Yeah, I guess." This seemed pretty lame, so she added, "It's lovely. Real peaceful."

Debra stopped by the swing and looked around, her expression reflective. "It was my husband's domain. He could make anything grow." She sat down next to Phoebe, setting the swing swaying again. "He had some raspberry bushes in that corner that produced the best berries. They made fabulous jam. The boys loved it so much, I could hardly keep it on the shelf."

Phoebe stretched her legs out and hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her shorts. If Jake's mom was looking to make her feel like she didn't belong, it was working.

"The bushes died the same year John did. Almost as if they knew. Luke dug them out for me and helped me plant tulips there instead. He's very like his father."

"How old-" Phoebe stopped.

"Jake was eight when his father died."

"Old enough to remember." Phoebe stared straight ahead.

"And you?"

"I was three when my father died. I guess that's when Mama started to drink. That's what Kerry Anne said, anyway. I don't remember Mama ever not drinking." Debra might as well know the whole, awful truth about her.

"I thought about getting drunk after John died."

"But you didn't." Phoebe stared into her own past. Her father left them and then her mother left them for her dead husband. As if that wasn't bad enough, Mama turned Montgomery Justice loose in their lives, taking what little was good in their lives and turning it into garbage.

Debra put her hand on Phoebe's, recalling her from the past. "Your mother let you down. Sometimes people do."

"Why didn't you?"

Debra hesitated. "Why didn't you?"

Phoebe blinked. "I don't know."

Debra smiled. "Neither do I. I just didn't. Dani says some people don't know how to go on and some people don't know how to quit." She patted Phoebe's hand. "What happened to you-well, it shouldn't have happened, but it did. At least it brought you to Jake. If you'd had a normal, happy life, you'd probably be married to a Joe Bob or a Ray Dawn. I don't know them, but I know my son. Trust me when I say he'll make you a lot happier than either of them."

Phoebe stared at her. "There's no question..."

She stood up, her face kind. "But there is, dear. There's a very important question. Will you quit or will you go on?" She rose to leave, then stopped. "Unless you don't love my son?"

Phoebe stared up at her. She tried to make herself say it, but she couldn't.

Debra smiled. "Silly question, wasn't it? How could you not love Jake?"

He'd come outside and was standing on the edge of the deck. She saw him when his mama left her. She couldn't see his expression-his face was in shadow-but the sun bathed the rest of him in warm gold light. It loved him, too.

What was she thinking? Phoebe was in the shadow of the swing, so Jake couldn't see her face. And he'd been too far away to hear what his mother said to her. Or what she'd said to his mother?

Only a few yards separated them, but it might as well be the width of a universe. He didn't know how to get from here to her.

His mom passed him, pausing just long enough to pat his cheek and say, "Faint heart never won fair lady, son." Then she was in the house, and he was alone with Phoebe. He looked over his shoulder, sort of alone. His brothers, his mom and Dani were watching from the window. He waved them away. They waved him on.

Great. An audience. He rubbed the back of his neck. This reminded him of the first time he'd jumped off the high dive. He'd inched his way out on the board until he was over the clear green water. He'd wanted to inch his way back, but his brothers had been standing on the edge of the pool watching him with the same expressions on their faces that they wore now. He'd jumped, because even then he'd had his pride. The water had rushed toward him, then closed over his head as he went down, down right to the bottom. He'd pushed off for the surface. It took forever before his head broke into the air and his heaving lungs found relief.

Matt had waited until he paddled to the side of the pool, then said, "Yeah, but can you do it again?"

It took three times, he recalled, before he started to enjoy it.

The wooden deck wasn't as high as that board, but the outcome was a lot less certain. He jumped lightly onto the grass and started toward his fair lady.

Chapter 23.

Phoebe watched Jake walk toward her. He looked so...good. Not just because he was so dang cute, but because he was good. His mama was so right. How could she not love him? Be easier to teach her lungs not to breathe, than teach her heart not to love him. Her selfish heart said, Grab the boy and don't let go. Her mind said, He deserves better than a messed-up thief.