Late Bloomer

by Barbara Lohr

  “Are you sure you don’t want to see my doctor for that foot?”

  “Oh, no. What a waste of time.” Who was this woman in the mirror? Carolyn ran a hand over the gauzy fabric.

  “Maybe you need some jewelry.” Her grandmother started for her bedroom.

  “I don’t think so. The beading takes care of that. Do you think this is too big for me?” She pulled at the wide neck.

  Tapping her lip in concentration, her grandmother drew closer. “A girl came into the gallery last week wearing something like this. She called it chilly shoulders or cold shoulders. Maybe it just needs an adjustment.” With that, her grandmother smoothed the top down and cool air breezed over her shoulders.

  “Wow.” Carolyn shivered. “How will I hold it up?”

  “Don’t they still sell strapless bras?” Nearly toppling into the box, her grandmother hooked something flesh-colored and waved it in the air. “See? Strapless!”

  Way to go, Diana. “That girl thinks of everything.” Turning to the mirror, Carolyn swept her hair up and turned. “What do you think? Oh…is it okay if I go out with Brody tomorrow night?”

  “Well, of course. You don’t have to ask me, sweetheart.”

  “You won’t feel abandoned?”

  Mama V puffed out an exasperated sigh. “Nonsense. Of course not. I have a date with Howard tomorrow anyway.” She wandered into the kitchen to return the scissors.

  “Isn’t this too much skin?” This off the shoulder thing wasn’t her.

  At least, it wasn’t the old her.

  “Oh, no. Did you hurt your shin too?” her grandmother called from the kitchen.

  “Skin. I said skin.” Carolyn was beginning to wonder if Mama V had a hearing problem.

  Returning to the living room, her grandmother joined her in pulling out the treasures. She spread a pair of well-worn jeans out on the sofa and frowned. “My goodness, she sent you ripped clothing. Goodwill wouldn’t even take these.”

  Carolyn checked the label. “Oh, yes they would. This torn look is the rage now. And it’s expensive.” Pulling out her treasures, she carted an armful back to the bedroom, her grandmother right behind her.

  Dumping the pile onto the bed, she studied herself in the mirror over the dresser. “If only I were a natural blonde,” she said. “I didn’t have time to have Phoebe do my hair before I left.”

  “What’s on your schedule tomorrow?”

  Turning Carolyn grinned. “I like the way you think.”

  Since her grandmother didn’t have plans that evening, the two of them went over to Mucho Gusto, a quiet family-run place where locals ate. Because of Carolyn’s throbbing foot, Mama V drove them there in her trusty Ford Focus. But her driving made Carolyn nervous. “These streets sure are narrow,” she said as her grandmother nearly sideswiped a Volkswagen.

  “You’re telling me.” Mama V peered over the steering wheel.

  Although she’d been tempted to wear one of the outfits Diana had sent her, Carolyn hesitated. She wanted her hair to be right before she tried out her new look. Besides, the restaurant was casual.

  Heads together, they giggled over their margaritas. Her grandmother had made a call to a hairstylist in town. “Sonrisa will know just what to do,” her grandmother assured her with a wink. The evening passed quickly. The only subjects they didn’t touch on were Howard and Brody. She felt as if they’d called a truce when it came to men.

  Later that night after her grandmother had gone to bed, Carolyn gave Diana a call. “Are you still awake?”

  “Yep, you bet. You’re two hours behind us, remember?” Diana laughed.

  “Your box arrived. I think you’re trying to make a new woman out of me.”

  “Never too late for a do-over. Oprah would approve.”

  Was that what she needed? A do-over on her life?

  “Still there, Carolyn?”

  “Yes, I am. So you think I’m a hopeless case?”

  “Of course not. You could make more of your strong points.”

  “When I get back, I’ll hand myself over to Phoebe.” Lounging back on the soft pillows, Carolyn frowned. “Oh, Diana, I’m not beautiful like you.”

  Her friend sputtered. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about a nose that’s too long...

  “Very patrician and regal.”

  “Eyes that are too small.”

  “The warmest brown ever. Your students drool over you. At least that’s what I overheard some of the girls say in the shop one day.”

  “No way.”

  “I kid you not. ‘If only I could look like Miss Knight.’ I’ve heard that more than once.”

  Was that the truth? In college, she’d been attractive. At least that’s what her friends and Jeff had told her. Striking. “I just don’t know what happened after graduation.”

  “Hey, girlfriend. Life happens.” The finality and forgiveness in Diana’s voice soothed her. “So what outfit did you like the best?”

  “Is it cold shoulders or chilly shoulders? My grandmother is educating me.”

  “Either one. And yes, men love that look. I tried one top out on Will.”

  “The more skin the better?”

  “Something like that.”

  For the next few minutes, they giggled together. Although she was embarrassed to admit it, she needed the tips her friend gave her. Always too busy grading papers, she rarely had time to read magazines, and Gull Harbor could be kind of sheltered. “Between you and my grandmother I’m learning a lot. She was so proud when she found the strapless bra.”

  “Or you could go braless,” Diana teased.

  “Ah, I don’t think so.” And they were off on another laughing spree.

  “So tell me about him,” Diana asked.

  “Who? My grandmother’s boyfriend or his son Alan?”

  “The way you say those names, I know it’s not either one. You’re holding out.” Diana’s voice had become more insistent with each word. Carolyn got up to close the door. Even the pain in her foot reminded her of him. Go figure. How twisted was this?

  Time to confess. Diana didn’t just fall off a turnip truck. “His name’s Brody.”

  “Brody.” Diana repeated the name like whispered confession. Did Carolyn really sound like that?

  “He was my student years ago.” The words created that flurry of uncertainty in her stomach. “Of course, he never would have attracted me back then, not in that way. All the girls loved him, though. Hung out at his locker. Cheered him at the games.”

  “Ah, huh. Really a bad boy?”

  Smiling, Carolyn sank back onto the bed. “Brody was a teenager and he was popular. Brooding one moment and class clown the next.”

  “But now?”

  “Now?” What were they now? “I really don’t know. Besides, he’s younger, of course.”

  “Sounds good to me. Does he make you feel old?”

  “No, but it just feels strange. This change in roles, I mean.” She kept waiting for the old Brody to surface. The boy in a torn T-shirt, ambling down the hallway with the bathroom pass he really didn’t need.

  “Listen, lady, I think you’re making yourself feel old. A younger man? Perfect.” Diana sounded more than delighted. “Nothing wrong with being a cougar.”

  Carolyn had to turn that term over in her mind. “Is Will younger than you are?” Diana’s fiancé Will Applegate was both sweet and hot.

  “We’ve never talked about age. Not that it would matter. Think of all the women you know who married younger men. It’s like a good insurance policy, Carolyn. Heck, we live longer. Who wants to be left alone?”

  “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Thinking of her grandmother and grandfather, Carolyn agreed. But how did Brody feel about the age difference?

  An uneasiness settled over her. Was he interested, really interested in her? Or would she just be another conquest?

  After they hung up, Carolyn got into bed. Getting to sleep took a long time.

  The n
ext day, her grandmother hustled her off to her hairdresser. Facing Carolyn in the mirror, Sonrisa was pretty and a fast talker. She ran her hands through Carolyn’s hair and turned her chin this way and that, making suggestions. Before she knew it, her hair was tucked into a glittering mass of foil. The chemical smell in the air wasn’t as bad as she remembered. Sitting in one of the black vinyl chairs waiting for the color to set, she leafed through magazines. Summer fashions brightened the pages and she smiled. Diana was right on target when it came to style. And the blondes in the pictures sure popped off the pages.

  Why had she ever let her hair go brown? When her mother asked her that question a few years back, Carolyn had been upset. Now she wondered. It’s not as if she made a decision. Maybe she’d just gotten too busy with school work.

  When she left Sonrisa’s Salon that afternoon, she felt fabulous. The difference had an immediate effect. In the space of one block, two men turned to stare. Passing a shop window, she caught a glimpse of herself. Her blonde hair hung straight and shiny past her shoulders. Amazing.

  When she first began teaching, she’d been flattered to be assigned junior and senior classes, especially the honors class. Soon they would graduate and face new challenges. Her responsibility was to prepare them. Carolyn worked her students hard. They had to turn in a composition each week, which meant she had to grade them. That kept her really busy.

  As the years passed, her dedication grew. She attended national conferences and served on the school’s curriculum committee. Had she let her work consume her? Gull Harbor was a pretty little town but it was small. Not a lot of single men, although Kate Kennedy and her sister Mercedes had found Cole and Finn there. Diana was engaged to Will. And for all three of her friends, the matches had been made against all odds.

  But that hadn’t happened for Carolyn. Not in Gull Harbor.

  Shaking out her hair, she set off for Canyon Road and her grandmother’s gallery. The pain in her foot had eased. But she hadn’t gone far when a window display of boots caught her eye. Although her foot injury presented a challenge, she came out twenty minutes later swinging a purple bag. When she passed Haynes Jewelry, she crouched and sped past. Was that Alan behind the counter? When he didn’t look up, she felt relieved. Maybe he wouldn’t even recognize her.

  But her grandmother sure did.

  Mama V was working on her laptop in the back office of the gallery when Carolyn walked in. She struggled to her feet. In unguarded moments, she revealed an awkwardness that tugged on Carolyn’s heart. “Oh, my word. You look fantastic, sweetheart. With this look, you could be a college girl again.”

  Was that a backhanded compliment? Still, it felt good. “So I’m getting back to being myself?” She perched on the corner of Mama V’s desk.

  “Yes, I think so.”

  Laughing together, they talked for a while. Mama V showed her some recently showcased works. Her assistant Wendy was there, watching the front of the store. Carolyn had always liked her and was grateful her grandmother had some trustworthy help. After a while she said goodbye and walked back to the casita.

  What to wear that night? Her closet now presented some exciting options. She decided against the jeans. Not tonight. Maybe later. Then she laughed. There might not be a later with Brody. All kinds of obstacles clouded her mind. After all, she was leaving Sunday. But she pushed that out of her head.

  Finally, she decided on a long skirt that moved like a waterfall of aqua and purple. A woven purple top could handle the cool night air, and the glittery beads set it off perfectly. Diana had also sent a thick bracelet set with red and turquoise beads. When she tried on the outfit, the new boots looked perfect, the aqua tips peeking out from under the skirt.

  Her hair was where she really went crazy. Piling handfuls on top of her head, she secured the mass with a claw clip. Then she teased out some tendrils. The effect looked casual, but sexy, like in the magazines.

  Heart pounding, she found her way to the kitchen. The long skirt felt strange around her ankles. And the air on her neck? Different and maybe not her. While she was getting dressed, her grandmother had come home and was tidying up. Carolyn found her arranging the magazines in a neat row on the coffee table. Looking up, she smiled.

  “Maybe I should change. Mama V, this just isn’t me.”

  “For goodness sakes, it sure is.” Her grandmother took her shoulders. “You look perfect, sweetheart. Don’t change. And those boots? They’re perfect too.” A cloud of perfume enveloped her when her grandmother kissed her forehead.

  Taking her hands, Carolyn squeezed them gently. “And look at you!” Mama V’s tunic and capri pants were a brilliant petunia pink.

  What a change. Her grandmother had become a new woman since her fall last Christmas. Carolyn’s throat swelled. Why hadn’t she noticed this attitude shift when they talked on the phone? She’d been so busy with her term papers and student exams. Her determination to broaden her life grew.

  Running a hand up through her pert hair-do, Mama V blushed. Just then the doorbell rang. Excitement quivered through Carolyn. “Oh, let me,” her grandmother stepped to the door.

  “Well, hello there!” Backing up to allow Brody to enter, Mama V threw a coquettish glance over one shoulder as if to say isn’t she gorgeous.

  Carolyn held her breath. Brody walked in, the usual white shirt completed with a bolo tie. A western silver buckle added style to his jeans. His broad shoulders strained in a corduroy jacket that added a rugged touch to the square jaw that dropped open.

  “Well, now. I don’t know what to say.”

  She fidgeted in her boots. Say something. Okay, she looked ridiculous. Maybe she’d become a Santa Fe parody. While his mouth opened and closed, her heart shrank.

  “You look beautiful,” he finally said, his voice thick.

  “Really?” The look in his eyes about stopped her heart.

  He nodded. “Oh, yeah.”

  Mama V looked downright gleeful.

  When Brody’s glance swept her hair, Carolyn felt every root tingle. Then he smiled. “Looks like Miss Knight’s back in town.”

  Her shoulders relaxed. The three of them laughed. Everything was fine.

  “Okay if I join you?” Howard appeared at the open door. His white hair waved back from his forehead and his face shone. The way he stepped inside? He was used to walking through that door. Maybe he even had a key. Carolyn struggled to put a lid on her misgivings. But although Brody had made a big deal out of Carolyn’s new look, Howard only had eyes for Mama V. “Vera, you look lovely tonight.”

  “Thank you, Howard.”

  The look they gave each other would have melted one of the candles on the wall. What would she ever tell her mother?

  When Howard pivoted to Brody, his expression changed.

  “Brody Wolf.” Brody’s hand went out, and Howard slowly shook it.

  “Oh, Brody’s just a...” she began.

  “An old friend,” her grandmother supplied, with a warning glance in Carolyn’s direction.

  “I see.” Howard’s eyes narrowed, as if he was wondering where his son had missed the mark. That wasn’t the point at all. “So you two are off to paint the town?”

  “Something like that,” Brody said quietly.

  “Well, we’re going to… What was that restaurant again, Howard?” Mama V’s hands fluttered in the air.

  “Galisteo Bistro. Where are you two headed?” The question was directed to Brody, as if men handled all the decisions. Yep, he could be annoying.

  Turning, Carolyn swept her shawl from the back of the sofa. Time to leave.

  “We’re heading up to El Farol,” Brody said, draping the soft black shawl over her shoulders. “Check out the flamenco.”

  “Oh, I know it well.” Howard’s eyes snapped, maybe because she’d turned down El Farol the night she arrived. But she’d been so tired.

  Hurrying to the closet, Mama V grabbed a dove gray leather jacket. It slipped from the hanger, and Howard stooped to retrieve it. He
r grandmother looked flustered.

  “Ready?” Brody arched his brows.

  Oh, boy. Was she ever.

  Chapter 9

  A million stars pierced the sky overhead when Brody and Carolyn stepped into the cool night air. At the gate, Brody hesitated. “What do you think? Drive or walk?”

  “Walk.” And she struck out.

  “Hey, wait a minute.” He took her arm gently. “How’s that foot?”

  His concern touched her but she needed to stretch her legs. “We’re not that far from the restaurant, and it’s so nice out tonight.”

  “Fine with me.” But he didn’t move. Just stood there while moonlight sculpted his unbearably handsome features. For a second she thought he’d kiss her.

  Then he shook himself and fell into step beside her. Blue shadows lengthened over Canyon Road, a relief from the daytime glare. Her new boots crunched on the narrow walkway dusted with reddish soil. Any breeze left a calling card.

  “So what do you think of your grandmother’s boyfriend?” Brody asked, hands stuffed in his jeans.

  “Howard’s not my favorite person.”

  His laughter split the night air. “No kidding. You hide it so well.”

  Heat stoked in her cheeks. “That obvious, huh?”

  “The temperature went up in the room the minute he got there. What’s the problem?”

  She had to think a minute. “Howard kind of bosses my grandmother around, and she lets him.”

  “Hey, now.” He touched her elbow. “Looks like he cares about her. And I’d say the feeling is mutual. Doesn’t that count for something?”

  One touch. That’s all it took and her whole body ignited. She breathed in to cool the heat. “Howard does fuss over her. She’s so different from last Christmas. Happier.”

  “So shoot him, right?” Brody didn’t even try to hide his smile.

  She came to a halt so fast, her left foot felt it. “You’re noticing things I’m not seeing.”

  “You think?” Yep, he was still grinning. “Okay, I’m looking at it from a guy’s point of view. How serious are they?”

  “I don’t know.” But I better have answers for my mother. “That’s not really a question a granddaughter asks.”