“Hi, Patrick!” she called out. “Mom said you were installing the security equipment today. I hope you don’t mind me stopping by.”
“Of course not.” Patrick wiped his hands on his work shirt and walked toward her. “I should be finished here before your mom gets home from the café. How are you feeling, and how’s the baby?”
Natalie’s face brightened. “We’re both doing wonderfully. Gabe’s been treating me like I’m made of spun glass, but I keep telling him I’m pregnant, not fragile.”
Patrick chuckled, remembering his own protective instincts when his late wife Mary had been expecting their son. “He’s only looking out for both of you. It comes with the territory.”
“I suppose.” Natalie studied the small device he’d just finished mounting near the window. “This looks much more sophisticated than I expected. Mom mentioned you were installing a basic alarm system.”
“Basic in terms of operation, but thorough in terms of coverage,” Patrick explained. “Everything feeds into a central monitoring system. It will send an alert to your mom’s phone if anyone tries to access areas they shouldn’t.”
Natalie nodded, then looked toward the house with an expression Patrick couldn’t quite read. “It’s strange to think that people are so interested in what you and Mom found. I mean, I understand the historical significance, but the idea of strangers trying to break into her basement is plain crazy.”
“It’s an important discovery,” Patrick said carefully. “Helping the women who were pregnant was extraordinary for its time. But you’re right to be concerned about the attention it’s drawing. Some people lose perspective when they think they’ve found something valuable or historically significant.”
Natalie’s gaze wandered over the house. “You can hardly tell there’s a security system attached to the house.”
“That was the plan,” Patrick told her. “I didn’t want it to detract from what your mom’s done.”
With a nod, Natalie turned back to him. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Patrick said as he gave her his full attention.
“Cassie mentioned that Noah’s not going to be the CEO of Wilson Enterprises for much longer. She’s been worried about him, about all the stress he’s been under with the business situation.” Natalie paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. “I know it’s not really my business, but I care about Mom, and I can see how much your friendship means to her.”
Patrick felt a weight settle in his stomach. He’d been expecting this conversation, though not necessarily with Natalie. “It’s good that you’re concerned. Your mom is special.”
“That’s why I wanted to speak to you.” Natalie cleared her throat. “I have the utmost respect for you. The way you’ve helped Mom and the kindness you’ve shown our family have made her happy.”
Patrick could hear the ‘but’ coming, and he braced himself for it.
“But I also remember how devastated she was after she divorced Dad. I don’t know what Mom’s told you about him, but he had an affair with a co-worker. It was someone Mom had considered a friend. The betrayal shattered her ability to trust her instincts about people.” Natalie’s voice grew quieter. “It took her years to rebuild her confidence, to believe she was worthy of love. I don’t want to see her go through that kind of pain again.”
The honesty in her words affected Patrick deeply. He thought about Kathleen’s carefully controlled reactions when he’d returned from Manhattan, the way she’d seemed to hold part of herself in reserve, as if protecting herself against disappointment.
“I would never intentionally hurt your mother,” he said quietly. “She means more to me than I think I fully understood until I was in Manhattan.”
“I believe that,” Natalie said. “But intentions aren’t always enough, are they? Life happens. Circumstances change. And sometimes good people make choices that hurt the people they care about, even when they don’t mean to.”
Patrick studied Natalie’s face. She’d watched her mother navigate heartbreak and rebuild her life. She understood how difficult it was to open your heart up to new possibilities when you were afraid to trust anyone.
“If Noah is leaving Manhattan, does that mean you’re going back?” she asked directly. “Is Sapphire Bay just a temporary stopover for you?”
The question hung in the morning air like a challenge. Patrick thought about the conversation he’d had with Noah and the phone call that had changed everything. “I don’t have to choose between Manhattan and Sapphire Bay,” Patrick said, meeting her gaze directly. “I told the board of Wilson Enterprises that I wouldn’t be returning as a director. My life is here now. With your mother, if she’ll have me.”
The relief that washed over Natalie’s face was unmistakable. “Really? You’re staying?”
“I’m staying,” Patrick confirmed. “While I was in Manhattan, I remembered why I left that world behind. I attended all the meetings and helped Noah, but it wasn’t the kind of life I want anymore.” He gestured toward the house, toward the security system he was installing to protect Kathleen and what they’d discovered. “This feels like living. Building something with my hands, being part of a community, helping with Pastor John’s tiny home project, and yes, falling in love with your mother. This is the life I want.”
Natalie’s smile was radiant. “She loves you, too, you know. She hasn’t said it in so many words, but I can see it in the way she talks about you. When you left for New York, she tried to act like it didn’t matter, but I could tell she was holding her breath until you came back.”
Patrick sighed. “I was afraid I’d waited too long to figure out what really mattered.”
“Mom’s not going anywhere,” Natalie said warmly. “She’s built a life here that she loves.”
Patrick felt the last of his uncertainty dissolve. “Your mother raised an exceptional daughter,” he said. “Thank you for caring enough to have this conversation. And thank you for trusting me with her heart.”
“Just promise me something,” Natalie said, her expression growing serious again. “If you ever have doubts, if life gets complicated or circumstances change, talk to her about it. Don’t disappear the way my father did. Mom’s stronger than she sometimes believes, and she deserves honesty.”
