To Live (6 page)

"Since when do you cut your hair?"

Apart from an occasional trim, Kelsey had never had her hair cut before. "It's time for something new."

"Good for you. Email me a photo."

***

"Take a seat, Kelsey." Maeve pointed to an empty padded chair. "I'll be with you in a second."

Kelsey sat and crossed her legs. She pretended to leaf through a magazine she'd brought with her as she eavesdropped on the conversations going on in between shampoos and hairsprays. When the conversation steered to Shaun, her ears pricked up.

"I heard something tragic chased him from the United States. He's definitely running from something," said a woman sitting under a hooded dryer as she inspected her nails. She had a button nose and a missing tooth.

"Who cares? A town can never have enough good-looking men," added another hairdresser who was sweeping the floor.

Kelsey lifted her feet so the woman could sweep away someone's hair with a broom that was missing half its bristles.

"You're married, Emma," Maeve scolded.

"I'm talking on behalf of the single women of Dreara."

"Still, it would be interesting to know what he's hiding," Maeve continued.

The toothless woman leaned forward. "I'm pretty sure it has to do with a woman whose heart he broke. He seems to be quite the ladies' man."

Maeve nodded. "I don't blame the women chasing after him. He looks like a Greek god."

They all laughed.

A well-preserved sixty-something woman under another hooded dryer glanced at Maeve. "He's much too mysterious for my liking. Hardly talks to anyone."

A glow flooded Kelsey's veins; she was one of the few people Shaun talked to. Not that she would say that to any of them. They'd attack her for information she didn't have.

"But at least he's friendly," Maeve defended him.

"Except when he's wandering around along the beach. I see him almost every evening when I take Fluffy for a walk. Not one word of greeting," Emma added. "And that haunted look in his eyes makes me shiver." She paused. "Anyway, I don't have to look at other men. I'm happy with my Ciaran."

Maeve gazed at Emma from the corner of her eye. "I bet you are, Emma. Your husband irons your underwear. Who wouldn't be happy in your shoes?"

Kelsey stifled a giggle.

Emma resisted defeat. "Is that jealousy I hear?"

Maeve raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be jealous? Unlike married women, I'm not tied to one man. When I see a sexy guy, I'm not only allowed to look, I'm allowed to touch."

A ripple of laughter filled the room, and Kelsey joined in without meaning to.

Suddenly, the hairdresser with the broom stopped sweeping and scanned Kelsey's face, her beady eyes squinting, and then her mouth dropped open. "Aren't you the O'Neil girl?"

Kelsey blushed and bit her lip. She had hoped not many people would recognize her here in Dreara. But all the women—except Maeve—nearly snapped their necks turning to stare.

The woman with the missing tooth gawked. "Yes, of course it's her. I saw her in the paper a while back. Something about—"

"Done." Maeve removed her client's styling cape and swiveled the salon chair around to face the large mirror, then she turned to the rest of them. "Yes, this is Kelsey O'Neil. Now stop staring at her as if she's some zoo animal. Kelsey, come on. I'm ready for you."

Relieved, Kelsey slid the magazine into her handbag and stood up. The small hairs on the back of her neck stirred as the women's gazes followed her.

"Thanks," she whispered to Maeve as she sat down.

"Don't worry about it." Maeve released Kelsey's hair from its ponytail, allowing the bouncing curls to cascade past her shoulders and down her back. "Now, do you want a subtle change or a drastic one?"

Soft curls encircled Kelsey's fingers as she ran her hands through her hair. She had often been tempted to have it cut, wondering how she would look in one of those cute bobs, but she was never brave enough. Dropping her hand to her lap, she mentally crossed her fingers and said, "drastic."

Maeve reached for a brush and ran it through Kelsey's hair, section by section. "Good decision. I know the perfect style for you."

"I hope so." Kelsey bit her bottom lip.

"Don't worry. Getting a haircut is like having an emotional makeover. This is your last chance to say no."

"Just promise to make me beautiful."

Maeve patted Kelsey's shoulder. "I'll do better than that."

Maeve brought her to a chair in front of a sink and told her to lean back. A jet of warm water flooded Kelsey's hair and scalp, and she closed her eyes. To keep herself from questioning the decision she'd just made, she followed the foamy traces Maeve's hands made along her scalp and fell into a half sleep.

From a distance, she heard the muffled sounds of gossip and breathed in the scent of the refreshing shampoo.

After a few minutes, Maeve moved her to the styling station and reached for the scissors.

The snip of the scissors made Kelsey cringe. She imagined locks of her hair falling like parachutes to the floor. In the end, she closed her eyes again and placed her trust completely in Maeve's hands.

Soon the cut was done, and the warm blast of air from the hairdryer woke up every cell of her body that was still half asleep. But she kept her eyes closed, in case what she saw made her panic.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Maeve asked.

"Like therapy."

"That's the second role of a hairdresser. We’re also therapists," Maeve whispered into Kelsey's ear. "So, have you made any moves on him yet?"

Kelsey laughed. "I never planned to," she whispered back, but she couldn't deny the little flame inside her.

"Wait till he sees you. He'll be the one making the first move." Maeve whirled her around. "Old Kelsey, meet new Kelsey."

Kelsey opened her eyes and did an inward double-take.

"What do you think?"

"I... I—wow..." Kelsey stared into the mirror, too stunned to say more. Her hair fell forward and stroked her cheeks. She had never seen it so straight or silky before.

"Woman, speak. I know you love it."

"I do. It's fun and fresh and feminine—just what I wanted. I love it." Kelsey moved her head from side to side and her locks swished wonderfully. "I feel like a new person already. Maeve, thank you."

***

In the spirit of trying out new things, Kelsey decided she would cook her first meal from scratch.

Since childhood, she had been fascinated by cooking. It all started when her father used to send her to the kitchen as punishment when she misbehaved. After a few months, she looked forward to those punishments. For a while she helped Maria out with the little things—cutting onions or peeling potatoes. Then her father found out and banned her from the kitchen.

Aidan O'Neil had been disappointed when it dawned on him that his daughter would rather stand behind a stove than focus on her schoolwork. He didn't want her to be a cook, and didn't understand why she would want to be one if she could pay someone to do it for her.

But the more he denied her the pleasure of being in the kitchen, the more her dream flourished. When he wasn't around, she sneaked right back in to watch Maria.

The grocery store, with its thatched roof, big glass windows, and fluorescent lighting, was a great combination of old and new. As she walked in, she withdrew the magazine from her bag; there was a particularly delicious-sounding lasagna recipe inside. It took ten minutes to find all the things she needed.

At home, she laid out the ingredients on the kitchen table and read through the recipe. "This can't be too hard," she said out loud, tracing her index finger down the page.

It wasn't. Not really. She cut her finger a little when she sliced the onions, but she didn't give up. She followed the instructions to the last pinch of salt and placed the lid on the pot of sauce. The hardest part was over. The only thing left to be done was remove the sauce from the hot plate and layer the dish for the oven.

Her phone rang. It was Delia, wanting to find out how the makeover went.

Kelsey checked on the sauce, then went upstairs with the phone glued to her ear.

Chapter Eight

Shaun had just completed a chapter and looked up, stretching his arms.

Thick smoke was curling out of Kelsey's kitchen window.

"What the hell?" Without a second thought, he shot out of his chair and darted out of the house into the drizzle, a rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins as it used to a long time ago at any sign of a fire. By the time he reached her door, fear had twisted itself around his heart. He rang the bell once. When there was no answer, he tried the door handle. It was unlocked.

He raced straight to the kitchen. Fortunately, there was no sign of fire apart from the burning pot on the stove. Coughing, he turned off the stove and threw the charred pot into the sink. Then he went to search for Kelsey.

He found her in the bedroom, fast asleep. A cooking magazine lay open on the bed next to her.

She must have sensed someone was in the room, because just as he was about to wake her, her eyes flew open and she jumped up. "Shaun, what... why are you here?"

Shaun threw the windows open. "You left the stove on."

Eyes widening, Kelsey dashed out of the room and down the stairs, Shaun at her heels.

"What in the world were you cooking?" He wrinkled his brow.

Kelsey grimaced at the ruined pot and its contents. "Sauce for lasagna. I totally forgot about it. Oh my God, I could have burned down Brian's cottage."

"Are you sure you didn't do it on purpose?" Shaun teased her in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"What?"

He tried again. "Could it be that you wanted to get me over here so I could see your new hairstyle?"

Kelsey touched her hair. She blushed and the beginning of a smile tipped the corners of her mouth. "Very funny."

He studied her for a moment, then removed the pot from the sink. "I'll throw this away for you. Looks as if you were cooking the pot instead of the lasagna sauce."

That made her laugh. Amidst the smoke, her laughter was like a fresh helping of oxygen.

As they walked toward the front door, Shaun breathed in deeply and toyed with a thought that could end up getting him in trouble. But before he could make up his mind, his mouth spoke for him. "I'm having dinner at The Hot Pot tonight. Since you've burned your food, maybe you should join me."

Kelsey's lips twitched. "I... Yes, I think that's a good idea."

"Shit," Shaun muttered as he opened the door and stepped outside. Why did he have to do that? Spending time with her during the tour of Dreara had already messed him up. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he'd asked her out on a date. But he just couldn't convince himself to call it off.

***

The restaurant was furnished with mahogany tables and chairs, and cream lace curtains. Vases filled with violets lit up the dining area. The whole place smelled of wine and cooking food, and cello music played in the background.

A gray-haired older woman wearing a white blouse and a black pleated skirt sped toward them, beaming. She stretched her hand out to Kelsey. "Welcome to The Hot Pot." The warmth of her smile was reflected in her voice. Then she turned to Shaun. "It's lovely to see you again, Shaun. I hope you're still enjoying Dreara. I hope you plan to stay for a while longer, now that you have a new friend."

Shaun and Kelsey exchanged glances and smiled. She liked his smile. His teeth were so straight and white.

"I definitely intend to." Shaun's eyes didn't leave Kelsey's.

"I'm glad to hear that. Let me show you to your table." She gestured for them to follow her. "What's your name, dear?"

"Kelsey."

"Kelsey," she repeated, the letters rolling across her tongue as if she were tasting them. "What a lovely name. I'm Lucy." She halted in front of a table next to a large potted plant, and while they sat down, she went to hang up their coats. She returned with a menu card, which she handed to Kelsey before disappearing again.

"The usual for me, Lucy," Shaun said when Lucy came back.

He must be a regular
, Kelsey thought.

"Can't get enough, love?" Lucy let out a silvery laugh and without waiting for an answer, she moved her attention to Kelsey. "Have you decided what you're having, dear?"

Kelsey gazed up from her menu. "I'll have the pasta with bacon and broccoli, and a glass of fizzy mineral water."

"Good choice." Lucy nodded and went to the kitchen to get their orders filled.

"She seems nice." Kelsey spread her napkin out on her lap.

"Yes, she is. I like eating here because she's one of the few people who don't try to extract information out of me for distribution to the rest of Dreara."

Kelsey was tempted to ask if the information he was hiding was worth distributing, but she bit her tongue. The worst thing would be for him to think she had the same intention of getting him to reveal his secrets. But she had to admit she was curious. After Maeve mentioned in passing that he wrote under the name Justin Wood, Kelsey had bought his book in Limmery and read it. It had been a really enjoyable read, but it seemed to be all fiction. Even a search about him online yielded no results apart from the fact that he was an international bestselling author.

Shaun was served a shoulder of lamb in a pastry dish. For a while Kelsey envied the rich smell and wished she'd ordered the same. But when her food was placed in front of her, she changed her mind. Her own meal looked just as delicious.

At first they ate in silence. Then Shaun put down his fork and knife and eyed her for a long time.

"What?" Kelsey asked, taking a sip of her mineral water.

"Nothing," he said. "I was just trying to guess who you really are, but I'm stumped. So tell me, what do you do for a living?" he asked with genuine interest on his face.

Before answering, Kelsey swallowed the food in her mouth and drank more water. "Before coming here, I was employed as chief financial officer at Glocal COM."

Shaun straightened up. "Fascinating. So, you studied... something to do with numbers?" He cocked an eyebrow.