by Dixie Cash
“I kept giving my ironing customers my own kids’ clothes by mistake,” Edwina continued as she ran a brush through Allison’s hair. “I had to give up that ironing job when I realized buying new clothes was costing me more than I was making ironing. My poor girls. I can barely remember raising them. Seems like all I ever did was work while they raised themselves.”
Allison looked at Edwina in the mirror. She had never heard anything but good about Edwina’s children. “But they turned out all right. I mean, from what you’ve told me, it sounds like they have terrific lives.”
“Oh, they’re great. And yep, they’re happy. All three married wonderful men. God love ’em, they turned out just fine. In spite of having me for a mom.”
“Oh, Edwina, I know you’re exaggerating. I’ve seen you from the store window, stopping to feed stray dogs and cats. I doubt you were anything less than a good mother.”
“Well, maybe I’m stretching the truth a little, but looking back, I still wish I could have worked less and stayed at home with them more. They’re only young once.”
“And that time flies by,” Allison said softly.
“And that time flies by,” Edwina confirmed.
Debbie Sue came through the curtained door from the storeroom and saw the two women staring into emptiness with gloomy expressions. “What happened to y’all? I wasn’t in the back more than three minutes. You look like you just found out George Strait was in town and you missed him.” She walked over and switched on the CD player. George Jones came on with “The Race Is On.” “There. That ought to liven things up a little.”
Edwina sniffed and straightened her shoulders. “We’re fine. Just talking. So you want just a trim, Allison?” She lifted a sheaf of her hair and let it fall. “I can’t talk you into a manicure, too?”
“No, thanks, just a trim today.”
Debbie Sue began restocking her beauty tray without entering the conversation, but she’d have had to be deaf not to have heard it. Talking about her children was one of the few times Edwina got emotional.
Debbie Sue couldn’t contribute much to a discussion of offspring, but if Edwina and Allison thought having one grow up quickly was hard, they should know the pain in having one that never grew up at all. This year, her and Buddy’s little Luke would be eleven if he had lived. It dawned on Debbie Sue that she and Allison were almost the same age, and if Luke had made it this far, he and Allison’s daughter might be friends. A rush of sadness sluiced through her.
“So,” she said to Allison, trying to sound cheerful, “I hear you’ve been dating Quint Matthews.”
“I wouldn’t call it dating. We’ve had only a couple of sort of get-togethers.”
“Quint and I go back a long way. Did he tell you?”
“He said y’all had been friends since you were kids.” Debbie Sue listened as Allison told about being brought home twice by Quint’s friend, then about Quint’s allergic reaction to the latex balloons and how concerned she had been.
“Yep,” Debbie Sue said, “I remember the night a couple of years ago when Vic nearly killed him with cheesecake and Frangelico sauce.”
Edwina nodded solemnly. “That’s a fact.”
“It’s kind of funny when you think about it,” Debbie Sue said. “I mean, when have you ever met a more macho guy than Quint? He’s tougher than a boiled owl, but he’s allergic to damn near everything.”
“Getting back to you and Quint,” Edwina said to Allison’s reflection. “Twice now you’ve started the evening with him and ended up with Tag? Why, girl, that’s karma. Maybe you should heed the signs and shift your sights to Tag. I don’t know him, but I can already tell you I like him better than Quint. Who wouldn’t?”
“Now that’s not fair,” Debbie Sue said. “Not that Tag’s not a good guy. And not that Quint doesn’t have a few shortcomings, but—”
“Shortcomings? Is that what they’re calling it these days when a man can’t keep his pants zipped?” Edwina patted Allison’s shoulder. “Listen to ol’ Edwina, sugarfoot. Forget Quint.”
“Why don’t you like him, Edwina?” Allison asked.
“He’s got one thing on his mind all the time. And that’s taking care of himself and the little cowboy between his legs. Not that I have anything against a man with a healthy libido, but when he cares more about that than other people’s feelings, then, as far as I’m concerned, he’s a jerk.”
“But he’s been a perfect gentleman,” Allison said.
“It’s been two dates, right? I guaran-damn-tee you that by the next date he’ll make his move.”
“Ed,” Debbie Sue said, ever compelled to stand up for a friend. “Quint just needs to find the right woman. For all we know, it could be Allison. After what happened with Eugene/Janine, he might have matured and grown past all that naked ape stuff.”
“Who’s Eugene/Janine?” Allison asked.
“It’s a long story, hon,” Edwina answered.
“He’s somebody we ran into once who can’t tell what sex he wants to be,” Debbie Sue added.
“You mean he’s gay? What does that have to do with Quint?”
Edwina flopped a wrist. “You don’t wanna know. That’s an even longer story.”
“Well, Quint seems like a changed man to me,” Debbie Sue said.
Edwina’s jaw dropped and she gasped. “I’d believe a poker deck has five aces before I’d believe that.”
“Okay, Texas Slim. I’ll make a bet with you. If he’s not a changed man, I’ll kiss your butt and call you Shorty.”
The sleigh bells on the doorknob jangled, interrupting the conversation. With Allison being the last customer of the day, a walk-in at this hour wasn’t welcome. Edwina and Debbie Sue turned to look as Quint stepped into the salon.
“Well, if it’s not the hard-on king,” Edwina mumbled.
Debbie Sue shot her a murderous glare. “Come on in,” she said to Quint, “and lock the door behind you. We’re done for the day.”
“You know, darlin’, those are just the words I love to hear coming from a good-lookin’ woman’s mouth. ‘Lock the door behind you.’” He removed his hat and was moving in Debbie Sue’s direction when he stopped midstride. “Allison! Baby, I didn’t see you sitting there. Lord, even with that plastic apron around your shoulders, you look pretty as a picture. Just how do you manage that?”
Allison smiled weakly. Debbie Sue saw a pinkish hue creeping up her neck. Edwina made an exaggerated gasp.
“Did you bring us the stuff we need to get started?” Debbie Sue asked, eyeing the tan tooled leather satchel he carried under his arm.
Quint’s eyes went to Allison first, then to Debbie Sue and Edwina. “Can I talk to you in the back room?”
“Sure,” Debbie Sue said, and started for the storeroom.
“Darlin’, would you excuse us, please?” Quint said to Allison, lifting his Stetson.
Edwina walked to the storeroom doorway and pulled back the curtain for Quint to pass through. “Watch yourself, cowboy. I’ve got electric clippers here. Ever heard of a Brazil wax? You don’t want to experience an Edwina buzz.”
“Point taken, ma’am. You girls are in safe hands.”
Inside the storeroom, Quint spoke in a low tone. “Listen, Allison doesn’t know anything about my business here. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Why, Quint Matthews,” Edwina said with an exaggerated lift of her chin, “we don’t discuss our cases. We’re fuckin’ professionals. We’ve taken a hypocritic oath.”
“Hippocratic oath, Ed,” Debbie Sue said. “That’s the one doctors take. I don’t think it applies to us.”
Edwina flipped a hand. “Oh, yeah. Well, what ever. No real difference, to tell the truth. We’ve worked for some pretty sick people, lemme tell you.”
“Like I was trying to say,” Quint said with strong conviction, “I’d rather Allison didn’t know.”
“Oh, quit worrying,” Debbie Sue said. “We’re not gonna blab your secrets.”
“I want to know one thing,” Edwina said. “Just where did a skirt chaser like you meet somebody as nice as Allison?”
“The same place I met Monica. Online.”
“Good Lord, Quint,” Debbie Sue said, “didn’t you learn your lesson from that Monica?”
“Allison’s different. She’s stable. Grounded. Hasn’t expected anything from me. So far, that is.”
“And she won’t, either,” Edwina defended. “She’s too good for that. It’s too damn bad you didn’t follow through with giving up women before you got to her.”
“Look, you don’t think I meant that, I hope. Hell, I’m not gonna live like a monk. I’ve got needs. And urges. Anyway, we understand each other about keeping my business private, right? That’s all I wanted to say.” He turned to leave, but stopped and looked back over his shoulder. “Y’all coming?”
“We’ll be right behind you in a sec,” Edwina said. “I gotta get something first.”
Quint disappeared through the curtained doorway.
“What do you need, Ed?” Debbie Sue asked.
Edwina gave her a reptilian grin. “I just want to take advantage of an opportunity. I want to bend over and hear you call me Shorty.”
Debbie Sue gave her an eye roll.
Edwina’s expression grew serious. “You know we’ve got to protect Allison from him, don’t you?”
ALLISON HAD BEEN fidgeting in the styling chair, leafing unseeing through the pages of a Glamour magazine. Curiosity about what was going on in the storeroom was killing her.
Quint came back and she looked up, catching his gaze in the mirror. He intimidated her so, it seemed easier to talk to his reflection than to his face.
A sexy lopsided grin played across his face. “Hey, pretty thing, what time are we getting together to night?”
She could feel his breath on her lips. She had never experienced a man as presumptuous as Quint. Still, as much as his boldness frightened her, it excited her. “Oh, Quint, I wish I could. But this is a school night.”
“Not for you.” He gripped the arm of the styling chair and turned it slowly until she faced him. He braced his hands on the chair arms, caging her, then leaned in close, surrounding her with the fragrance of his heavenly cologne. She felt trapped beneath the heavy plastic salon apron.
“Has anybody ever told you you’ve got incredible eyes?” he said in a low seductive voice.
Good grief! How she wished she were worldly enough to handle him. She gulped. “Sometimes.”
“Can’t your mom watch Jill?”
“That’s not it. She doesn’t need watching. I just want to spend some time with her to night. Have supper together, help her with her homework or discuss school with her. Maybe I can go out with you another time?”
His lips brushed hers. “Another time, then. I’ll be counting on it.”
Just as she fought the urge to touch her lips with her fingertips, Edwina said from behind him, “It breaks my heart to interrupt you two, but, Allison, we need to do that haircut.”
Quint straightened and glared at Edwina.
Allison breathed a sigh of relief. Her insides were trembling. “Yes, I really do need the cut.”
“Yes, you do.” Edwina edged Quint aside with her elbow. “Excuse me, Mr. Matthews, I’ve got work to do.”
“Allison, I’ll be in touch later,” Quint said, and winked at her. He looked at Edwina. “Is Debbie Sue still in the back room?”
“She’s still back there and don’t forget what I said about the clippers.”
Quint chuckled as he started back toward the storeroom.
Debbie Sue looked up when he returned. She was sitting in the comfy chair she and Edwina had dragged in and tucked into a corner so they would have a place to take breaks and get off their feet. She had already been scanning the information Quint had brought and had seen enough to discern how clever this thief had been in deceiving him.
“Hey,” she said. “I thought you left. Listen, how’re we supposed to know what this Monica looks like. Don’t you have a picture of her?”
“The bank’s faxing one to me tomorrow. It’s one of those security-camera shots at an ATM machine. They said it was poor quality, but maybe it’s good enough to use.”
“That’ll help.” She tapped a finger on the sheaf of papers on her lap. “You know, we need to figure out a good trap to set for this girl.”
Quint pushed his hat back with his thumb and planted his hands at his belt. “A trap? I don’t get it. How do we trap her when we don’t even know if we’ve got her real name?” He sighed and hung his head. “Maybe this mess can’t be straightened out. Maybe I’m gonna have to learn to live with it.”
Seeing him down and dejected was almost more than Debbie Sue could bear. His cocky attitude was part of his persona. She got to her feet and patted his shoulder. “Now, now. You can’t just throw in the towel. Give Ed and me a little credit. You might be surprised what we can turn up.”
In truth, Debbie Sue herself would be surprised at what they might turn up, if anything. The investigation had scarcely begun, and already, rooting out someone who had committed fraud appeared to be a lot harder than spying on a cheating husband.
“Sorry,” Quint said, sinking to the chair Debbie Sue had vacated. “The past four days have been kind of strange. What kind of trap do you have in mind?”
Debbie Sue began to pace, thinking aloud. “I’m thinking Ed and I could join two or three of these online dating services. You can tell us the kind of profile you posted that hooked this witch. If she hasn’t retired she’ll be trolling for another sucker.” Debbie Sue grimaced at what she had just said and stopped and looked at him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“Hey, that’s okay. I was a sucker. Might as well say it.”
“So what do you think of that plan?”
“Not bad. There is one hitch. Thinking back, she told me once she only writes back to men who post a picture. I don’t know why it mattered to her. She obviously wasn’t in for the long haul, so why would a guy’s looks be important?”
“Hmm. Maybe she didn’t want to make a mistake and accidentally meet someone she already knew. Or maybe she wanted the whole package, good looks to go with a thick wallet.”
“Could be. But to make this scheme work, you’ll have to post a man’s picture.”
“I’ll figure it out. But right now I gotta get home. Buddy and I are going out for dinner. It’s our anniversary.”
He gave a sarcastic pfft and stood up. “Which wedding? The first or the second?”
Debbie Sue tilted her head and looked up at him, not liking the tone of his voice. “The first one, smart-ass.”
He didn’t grin at her sarcastic retort. His eyes held hers for a few seconds. “Too bad,” he said at last. “You know, it could have been our anniversary.”
She hesitated. When she had gone out with Quint before she remarried Buddy, he had never mentioned marriage. He had talked about her being his lover, his traveling companion, and his horse buyer, but never his wife. She smiled. “You wouldn’t have married me in a million years, Quint. I know that. Let’s just leave it at that, okay? What’s going on between us now is strictly professional.”
His sky-blue eyes drilled her as he lifted off his hat and reset it. “Fine. Suit yourself. But you don’t know everything.” He walked out of the storeroom.
Maybe not, Debbie Sue considered, but one thing she believed she did know was that Quint Matthews wasn’t the marrying kind. He was just irked because he’d lost a contest to Buddy.
But she couldn’t get into analyzing Quint’s personality now. She was going home to her sweet baby, the best-looking—and most loyal—man in Texas.
She pulled a box from the shelf to her right and rummaged through it. Soon she found what she was looking for—a disposable camera she and Ed had bought for Domestic Equalizers business. She intended to take it with her to night in case she wanted a picture of Buddy to remember their anniversary by. Nothing wrong with a gir
l wanting a picture of her husband to carry in her wallet or display in a frame. Nothing at all wrong with that.
She stuffed the camera into her purse and returned to the salon’s front room. The shades were pulled and Edwina was sweeping up. “I’m outta here, Ed.”
“Bye, doll, and happy anniversary. Tell that good-looking son of a gun you’re married to I’m still waiting for him to get me a pair of my very own handcuffs.”
Debbie Sue laughed. “I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten. They don’t use real handcuffs these days, you know. They’ve got those plastic things like you use to tie up garbage bags.”
“If you look at it one way,” Edwina said, “I guess it’s the same thing.”
On a laugh, Debbie Sue started for the door, but stopped. “Did Allison stick around and talk to Quint again?”
“Nah, she hightailed it out of here before he came back from the storeroom the second time. He makes her nervous. He makes me nervous, too. I gave Buddy my word that I wouldn’t leave you alone with that character and here I’ve broken my promise the first rattle out of the box.”
“I know you promised because you had to, Ed. When Buddy Overstreet wants you to do something, it’s hard to say no. But you don’t have to chaperone me and Quint. I’d never cheat on Buddy. Quint wouldn’t try anything anyway. His ego’s so fragile right now, he couldn’t take any more rejection.”
“Just the same, I’d hate to be standing here looking like an idiot if Buddy comes through that door and you’re in the back room with Quint. Good God Almighty, I don’t even want to think about the explosion.” She stopped her sweeping and leaned on the broom. “Now, tell me what kind of scheme you and Quint cooked up.”
Debbie Sue filled her in on the conversation and the plan.
“So we’re gonna stick some guy’s picture on the Internet? On a dating site on the Internet?”
“I think it’s a great idea, don’t you?”
“It might be. If we had a willing, good-looking guy who’d go along with it.”
