The Curl Up and Dye (12 page)

Her shoulders slumped as she went to her bedroom and locked herself in. She didn’t want to talk to anyone about Mike. She didn’t want to hear his name or see his face. And, she hoped he and the redhead with the hundred-watt smile would be very happy—bless their hearts.

***

LilyAnn cried herself to sleep that night and, as a result, woke up the next morning with a headache of massive proportions. She washed some painkillers down with coffee and toast as her mom and Eddie were carrying their things out to the car.

Grace hated to leave when Lily was this upset, but she knew her presence wasn’t going to change the outcome. Either Mike and LilyAnn would figure it out, or they wouldn’t.

“Are you going to be all right?” Grace asked, as she hugged LilyAnn good-bye.

LilyAnn rolled her eyes. “Of course I’ll be all right. I have passed the stage of dwelling on my sorrows and accepted that life kicks you in the teeth now and then to remind you that you’re never in charge.”

Grace smiled. “You do have a way with words, honey.”

Eddie gave her a hug. “Hang in there, kiddo. Stay tough and don’t change whatever it is you’ve been doing, because you look amazing.”

“Thanks, Eddie. Y’all drive safe, okay? And tell your daughter I said congratulations.”

“We’ll do that,” he said, and headed out the door, leaving Grace and Lily alone.

Grace cupped her daughter’s face. “Yesterday was amazing. Thank you for such a wonderful dinner and for surprising me with Carol and Don’s presence. It was the best surprise ever.”

Lily shrugged. “I had nothing to do with their presence. I just invited them to dinner after they arrived in town.”

“However it happened, it was the best. Thank you. I love you. And call me if you just want to talk. I’m still your mama. I care what happens to you.”

Now Lily was struggling with tears. “I know. I’ll be fine. Go on now. Eddie’s waiting.”

Moments later, Grace was out the door.

Lily stood on the porch, waving as they drove away, and then the moment they were gone, went back inside to get her coat and car keys. It was time to go to work, and with a sky threatening rain, this wasn’t a day for walking.

***

Mike’s parents left the day after the doctor released him to drive. The silence in the house mirrored the emptiness he was feeling.

LilyAnn was confronted daily by T. J., who had turned into a real-life stalker. He never spoke, but the looks he gave her said volumes.

All of this and it was only the second week in December.

The next day Baby Jesus turned up missing from the manger at the Catholic church, which turned into the topic of conversation at The Curl Up and Dye.

Ruby started a pool that day for anyone who wanted to play. For a dollar, they were to guess how the Baby Jesus would be dressed when it showed back up, and the one closest to the truth got the money, which would then be given to Father Benton for the poor box.

Once word got around, people from all over town stopped by to add their selection to the pool. It was all in fun and all for a good cause, and the business was good for the shop.

Sue Beamon had just paid her dollar and guessed the baby would come back dressed as Honey Boo Boo, a little girl from a TV reality show.

Ruby thought it was a ridiculous choice considering Baby Jesus was a boy, not a girl, but Sue was oblivious. She thought Honey Boo Boo was cute, and that was the end of that.

When Patty June Clymer came in the shop for her appointment decked out in designer clothes straight from the designers’ own shops in Milan, the pool for Baby Jesus took a momentary lull.

Patty June was still sporting the black hair and the short, spiky style Ruby had given her after her husband’s betrayal. She looked ten years younger and a lot less uptight than she had when she left.

She sat down in Ruby’s styling chair for a trim and immediately began fielding questions about her trip to Italy.

“Were the men good-looking?” Vesta asked.

“Did you make friends with anyone while you were there?” Vera countered.

Patty June rolled her eyes. “I didn’t meet anyone I care to see again, and I cannot describe how pretty Italian men are. I mean it, y’all. Black curly hair, beautiful faces, sexy eyes, and they love the women. I wouldn’t trust one as far as I could throw him, but they sure are pretty to look at.”

Laughter ricocheted through the salon, and that’s what LilyAnn heard as she opened the door. She saw Patty June and sauntered to the back to say hello.

“Hey, Patty June. I heard you and your slide show were a big hit at the Rose Garden Club meeting. It’s good to see you again.”

Patty June’s eyes widened. “LilyAnn? My stars, girl! You look amazing!”

“Thanks,” Lily said.

Ruby’s eyes narrowed. She’d heard through the grapevine that Mike had a new girlfriend, which meant Mike had taken her advice on trying to make Lily jealous. What she didn’t know was if it was working. She eyed Lily closely but couldn’t tell anything. LilyAnn had crawled back into her old quiet self with that emotionless mask.

“Did you come to play the pool?” Ruby asked.

Lily nodded. “Here’s my dollar.”

“Go write your name up on the chart on the wall along with your guess. If you win, you get to present Father Benton with the money.”

“Cool idea, Sister,” Lily said.

She dropped her dollar in the money jar and wrote her name and guess on the chart, then walked out without looking back.

Mabel Jean was doing Rachel’s nails. “Hey! What did she write?”

Vera went over to look, then burst out laughing.

“Santa’s elf. That’s a good one.”

Patty June continued to regale them with stories of her trip, while Lily began the walk back to the pharmacy.

She was at the intersection as the light for traffic turned red, which gave her the right of way to cross. She was about to step off the curb when she heard T. J.’s truck and cringed. She kept remembering one of her grandma’s sayings about being careful of what you wish for.

Disgusted with him and the situation in general, she started across the crosswalk. As she did, he revved the engine and let the truck jump forward just enough to make her think he might run over her. She stopped in the middle of the crosswalk and flipped him off, then kept on going.

***

T. J. was livid. No matter what he did, she didn’t respond in the way he expected. It was her defiance and her lack of fear that continued to surprise him. His reaction to her continued rejection was visceral. He watched her hips swaying and her arms swinging and wished he had her flat on her back beneath him, begging for mercy.

Someone honked behind him. He jumped as he realized the light had turned green and accelerated too fast through the intersection just as a cop drove by. He cursed when he saw the cop do a quick U-turn and flip on his lights. On top of everything else, he was about to get a ticket. It was the bitch’s fault for putting him in such a foul mood.

***

Baby Jesus showed up in the manger the next day dressed as Yoda from
Star
Wars
. The picture was on the front page of the local paper.

Myra Franklin from the flower shop, Pots and Posies, won the pool at The Curl Up and Dye because she guessed Darth Vader. Since her guess had been from the
Star
Wars
cast, she was named the winner. That evening, she presented Father Benton with over two hundred dollars. A photographer from the local paper came and took their picture at the manger, with the Baby Jesus in his green robes and pointy ears lying between them.

It was a good ending to a weird week.

The next week passed in a flurry of Christmas shoppers and an outbreak of flu in Blessings, which made the pharmacy one of the busiest businesses on Main Street. Mr. Phillips had already hired two extra clerks for the holiday season, taking some of the pressure off LilyAnn and Mitchell, but since the weather was no longer conducive to walking to work, Lily wasn’t getting in enough exercise to continue her weight-loss program.

Her only option was to go back to the fitness center. It would be miserable for her, and she knew Mike would hate it, which is why she finally decided to do it. She didn’t understand why the jerk was mad at her when he should be concentrating on his girlfriend, and if her presence ticked him off, then so much the better. Once that decision had been made, she began using her lunch hour for workouts. Mike might hate her guts, but Stewart considered her a hero for saving Mike’s life and she’d happily settle for one smiling face.

Today, as she started to leave the pharmacy, the rain that had been threatening all morning began to come down. She backtracked to her locker for an umbrella, then made a run for it.

***

When Mike saw her come in, his heart told him to go talk to her, but his stubborn streak won as he went into his office and shut the door. He was still so mad he couldn’t look at her without wanting to shake her senseless.

Lily saw him bolt and ignored the spurt of pain as she approached the front counter.

Stewart had also seen her come in and was ready for her with a towel and a locker key.

“Hey there, LilyAnn. It’s sure coming down outside, isn’t it?”

She nodded and headed for the women’s lockers to change her clothes and shoes. A few minutes later she was on the treadmill listening to Alvin and the Chipmunks singing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” on her iPod. It was far from inspiring, but it had the right rhythm for her workout. Her head was down, her back to the spa area, as she concentrated on her stride, so she missed seeing Honey Andrews at the counter writing a ticket for the massage she’d just given.

However, Honey saw LilyAnn and was immediately torn between confronting her and staying out of their business.

Ever since Thanksgiving, Mike had become a bear to work for. His one attempt at making LilyAnn jealous seemed to have backfired, but Honey didn’t know why.

“Do you feel better?” Honey asked, as Rachel Goodhope gave Honey her bank card to scan.

Rachel smiled. “Lord yes, and thank you for that. Ever since I had the wreck, my neck and back have been in knots. This is a busy time of year at the bed and breakfast, with so many people traveling home for the holidays, and I can’t be all in a kink and unable to work.”

“Any time you begin hurting like that again, give me a call. I can even come to your house,” Honey said.

Rachel waved good-bye and was starting toward the door when she saw LilyAnn on the treadmill and went the other way. She was still pissed at the woman for intervening in her attempt to visit Mike in the hospital.

The rain was really coming down when Rachel got outside. She made a dash for her new car and breathed a sigh of relief as she got inside. She shivered from the cold, then took a deep breath and briefly closed her eyes.

“I love the smell of a new car in the morning,” she drawled, paraphrasing the famous line from
Apocalypse
Now
.

As she was backing out, she saw T. J. Lachlan’s truck parked in front of Richards’ Realty. She knew his uncle’s house was now up for sale, which gave her a perfectly good reason to visit him again. The house was far larger and grander than theirs was, and since it only a little over a mile out of town, it would make a great venue for a bed and breakfast. Instead of going home, she drove up the street to the Realtor’s office.

She came in with the wind, laughing and shaking the droplets from her hair, well aware that she looked as good without makeup as she did with it.

“My goodness, this day is a mess, isn’t it?” she said, smiling at Ann Richards, the owner’s wife, who manned the front desk.

“Yes it is,” Ann said. “What on earth brings you out in such nasty weather?”

“I heard the Bissell place is for sale. Bud and I might be interested in viewing it. It’s far larger than our place and would be a great location for a bed and breakfast.”

Sensing the possibility of a sale, Ann quickly agreed.

“That’s a marvelous idea, and as luck would have it, the owner is in a meeting with Hank right now. Have a seat and I’ll see if we can set up a time to view.”

“Sure thing,” Rachel said as Ann went into her husband’s office.

She could hear the murmur of voices and recognized T. J.’s voice, as well. The excitement of another interlude made her squirm in her seat, although she wasn’t sure how she could make that happen without one of the Realtors trailing along. Moments later, Ann stepped out and waved her in.

Rachel sashayed into the office. Hank was on his feet and introducing her to T. J. as she sat. She flashed a wide smile.

“I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Lachlan. He’s the gentlemen who stopped at the site of my accident and took me to the emergency room.” Then she shifted her smile to T. J. “Mr. Lachlan, it’s good to see you again.”

T. J. wanted to sell the house and get the hell out of Blessings, and he was guessing the only thing Rachel Goodhope was really interested in was another free fuck, not buying his property. It made his bad mood worse. Still, he had to respond.

“Mrs. Goodhope. It’s good to see you have recovered.”

“Mostly,” she said, and then angled her question toward Hank. “So when would be a good time to check out the property?”

“I’m showing other property this afternoon,” Hank said, “which means Ann will have to man the office. Do you have any time free tomorrow?”

Rachel sensed fate was about to hand her what she wanted and made a face and then sighed. “No, sorry. We have guests coming in, so I’ll be tied up for the rest of the week, maybe all the way through Christmas. This is our busy time, you know.”

Hank knew what happened when prospective buyers had to wait. They often cooled off on the idea and the sale was lost. He looked toward T. J. for assistance.

T. J. was trapped, and Rachel knew it. He could see it on her face.

“I guess I can show it, if it’s not against the Realtor rules,” he said.

Ann laughed. “Not really, if the prospective buyer agrees.”

“It’s fine with me,” Rachel said. “I need to give Bud a call. When do you want to do this?”

“I’m ready anytime,” T. J. said.

Rachel smiled, remembering the state of his impressive erection.

“How about now?” she asked.

T. J. glanced at Hank. “Are we through?”

Hank cautioned Rachel. “You understand that any offers you make on the property need to go through us. This visit is just to give you an idea of the extent of the property.”

“Of course,” Rachel said.

“I’m going home now, Mrs. Goodhope, so come at your leisure,” T. J. said.

She smiled again. Sex was something to be enjoyed, not rushed. She always came at her leisure.

“Then I’ll see you soon,” she said. “Thank you, Hank. Nice to see you, Ann. Happy holidays to the both of you.”

She was still smiling when she got in the car and was calling Bud when T. J. walked out. He gave her a brief glance, then got in his truck and left.

The phone rang several times before Bud answered.

“Goodhope Bed and Breakfast.”

“It’s me,” Rachel said. “What are you doing?” As if she didn’t already know.

“Playing cards with a couple of the guys.”

“Seriously? Are you guys betting with real money?”

The silence was telling.

“Bud Goodhope, you better not be losing all the profit we just made during Thanksgiving.”

“It’s not like we’re going broke. Chill out. What did you want, anyway?”

“I wanted you to go out with me to look at the Bissell place as a possible location for a new business site. It’s for sale now. I was just talking to Hank Richards about it.”

Bud sighed. This was a subject they’d talked about before, and he was fine with the idea, but not with the timing.

“I can’t go now and leave the guys in the middle of the game. Why don’t you go to check it out and see if it would work? If it has possibilities, we can go back together.”

“Oh, okay, whatever you say. I’ll be home later.”

“Drive safely.”

“And you don’t lose all our money.”

She heard a snort as he disconnected.

“Like taking candy from a baby,” she muttered. She put the car in gear and drove out of town.

***

Lily’s lunch hour was almost over when she turned off the treadmill. She wiped the sweat from her face on the way to the locker room and was getting dressed when Honey Andrews walked in.

“Hi, LilyAnn. Good to see you again,” she said.

“You, too,” Lily muttered, as she pulled her sweater over her head and then reached for the hairbrush to fix her hair.

“You’ve got a good workout regimen going. Are you eating healthy? Drinking lots of water?” Honey asked.

“I’m fine,” Lily said, as she put her hair back up in a ponytail and sat down to put on her work shoes.

Honey sat down beside her. “Can I talk to you, woman to woman?”

Lily tensed. “I’d rather not have this conversation.”

Honey sighed. “I think you need to hear it, anyway.”

Lily started to get up, but Honey stopped her.

“What’s going on with you and Mike? Did you have a fight or something? He’s mad at everyone all the time, and it’s making work a drag.”

Lily couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You two have to work out your own issues. They are not my concern.”

Honey lowered her voice. “That’s just the deal. We don’t have issues to work out because we’re not a couple.”

It was the last thing Lily expected her to say.

“What do you mean?”

“Mike used me to make you jealous. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I agreed. I mean, I like Mike, but I don’t swing that way,” she said and grinned.

Lily was trying to absorb the fact that Honey Andrews was gay and Mike wanted to make her jealous when she realized Honey was waiting for a comment.

“Why would he do that? We don’t feel like that about each other,” Lily said.

Honey shook her head. “And that is obviously your opinion only, because he wanted to make you jealous. You might not like him like that, but if you think he doesn’t like you, you are as blind as you are tall. I knew the first day I went to work for him that he was attached to someone. I just didn’t know who it was until I saw him with you. So what’s the deal with not liking him?”

Lily felt like she’d just been sideswiped. “I never thought of Mike like that. I never thought of anybody like that after Randy Joe died. I sort of shut down, and everyone let me do it.”

Honey patted her knee. “Well, woman to woman, I thought it only fair that you know where you stand. Men are okay in their place, but God love ’em, they don’t have the sense God gave a goose. Women on the other hand… if we have a gripe, someone’s gonna know about it before the sun goes down. Know what I mean?”

Lily nodded, while her heart was racing.

“I have a client due, so I’m going back to work. Do what you want with what I told you, and just so you know, I have no intention of telling Mike I spilled the beans.”

“Okay, and Honey…”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry I was so rude to you at dinner.”

Honey frowned. “But you weren’t. You were sweet as can be.”

Lily sighed. “No, I wasn’t, and just so you know, when a Southern girl smiles at you real sweet and says, ‘Bless your heart,’ she’s pretty much telling you to go to hell.”

Honey’s eyes widened, and then she threw back her head and laughed and laughed until tears were rolling down her face.

“Oh my God, that’s the best thing I’ve learned since I came to Georgia, and just for the record, if you ever get fed up with men and wanna give a girl a try, look me up. I think we’d hit it off just fine.”

Lily grinned. “Well, that’s not likely to happen, but I could definitely use a friend.”

“Deal,” Honey said. “Hang in there, girl. Anything worth having is worth fighting for.”

***

Rachel’s cockiness ended the moment T. J. opened the door. He grabbed her arm, shoved her up against the wall, and began tearing off her clothes.

“Hey, hey, wait a minute,” Rachel said, trying to laugh it off.

“Not in the mood for it,” T. J. muttered. “Did you come to buy my house?”

She stuttered. “Well, we’ve thought about—”

His eyes narrowed angrily. “That’s what I thought. You know why you’re here, and I don’t like being used. This time I’m the one in charge.”

Rachel’s heartbeat kicked out of rhythm as his fingers curled around the collar of her blouse.

“Do not tear my clothes,” she said sharply. “You fuck with me and cause me to explain stuff to my husband I don’t want to explain, and you’ll be looking down the barrel of a rape charge. Do we understand each other?”

He froze. Once again, he’d been sideswiped by a female calling all the shots and something inside him just snapped.