by Sharon Sala
Then he swung back around. “Get your clothes on and get the hell out, and don’t come back. I got my eyes on younger meat.”
Rachel was trembling, but there was a look in his eyes that scared her beyond the rape. She began grabbing her clothes, putting them on as fast as she could, desperate to get out before he silenced her for good.
She was dressed in all but her shoes when she saw him double up his fist. She picked them up and ran barefoot through the rain to her car. Her fingers were shaking so hard that she couldn’t get the key in the ignition, and all the while, she could see him from the corner of her eye, still standing in the doorway, watching.
When the key finally went in, she started the engine and accelerated so fast that she slung mud all the way to the porch and up onto the legs of T. J.’s jeans.
His eyes narrowed angrily. “Motherfucker,” he muttered, and went back inside, slamming and locking the door behind him.
Rachel drove until she was out of sight of the house, then pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, laid her head down on the steering wheel, and sobbed.
By the time she got home, she had regained her composure, thankful she was still alive.
The poker game was still in progress, because she recognized the cars in the parking lot. Since they would be playing in the library, she went in the back door, then to her bedroom, and locked the door. She scrubbed the blood out of her panties in the bathroom sink, then got in the shower and scrubbed her body until it was pink, washed the massage oil and the rain from her hair, and proceeded to put herself back together again.
By the time she was finished, she’d come to a conclusion. She’d gotten herself into that mess, and the only way to make sure it never happened again was to quit cheating. Bud wasn’t the best apple in the barrel, but he was hers, and so was his money. It was enough.
That night, she told Bud she didn’t think the Bissell house was right for them, then she called Hank Richards and told him the same thing. With that decision made, her foray into fucking outside the bonds of marriage was over.
* * *
Mike saw the lights come on in Lily’s house while he was in the kitchen peeling potatoes. Fine. She was home safe. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. He just didn’t want to be in her world anymore. His heart hurt, and his vision was blurry, but he kept peeling the potato and telling himself if he said it enough times to himself, it would surely become fact.
* * *
Lily, on the other hand, had the opposite wish. She’d been the center of Mike Dalton’s world and never knew it, and now that he’d cast her out, she felt lost. She wanted him back but didn’t know how to make it happen.
She had just stepped out of the shower when her phone rang. She answered absently, still caught up in the drama of her life.
“Hello.”
“Hey, honey, it’s me, Mama.”
Lily heard the voice and before she knew it, she was crying.
Grace felt helpless. She was too far away to comfort her baby’s broken heart.
“Talk to me, Lilybug. What’s wrong?”
Lily stifled a sob. “Mike loved me. I didn’t know it. Now he hates me, and I want him to love me again.”
Grace rolled her eyes. Her daughter had finally seen the light, but as usual, a day late and a dollar short.
“Then find a way, LilyAnn. If he matters that much to you, find a way. Don’t quit on him like you quit on life. He was there for eleven years for you. You owe him some time to get over whatever it was you did.”
“Well, that’s just it. I didn’t do anything.”
“You did something,” Grace said. “The whole time you were gone on your walk, he was uneasy, pacing the house, looking out the windows, waiting for you to come back. Right before you walked in, he was standing at the windows. Then all of a sudden he ran to the door, and whatever he saw or heard outside must have been the last straw. So think. And then fix it. I would dearly love for him to be my son-in-law, okay?”
“Okay,” Lily said. “I’m glad you called.”
“Me too,” Grace said. “Stay in touch.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you more, Lilybug.”
Lily disconnected, then went to the front door and opened it. If Mike had been standing in the doorway, he would have had a clear view of T. J. and the truck, and he would have seen her, but only her back, so what the hell had she been doing?
Then it hit her. Right before all that happened, she’d seen him watching her from the window like he was spying, and it had made her mad. After that, she’d heard the front door open. That’s when she turned her back to the house. She closed her eyes, remembering that she’d shifted her stance and put a hand on her hip. It had been a challenging stance for Lachlan, but from behind, it could have looked different to Mike. And since he was convinced she had another boyfriend, he had to assume that was the guy.
She groaned as she shut the door. She’d been all about making a change in her life, but if he’d been in love with her through Randy Joe and the eleven ensuing years without ever having his feelings reciprocated, seeing her pick yet another man over him would most likely have been his “last straw.”
What on earth had she done?
* * *
Ruby Dye had changed her hair color from Audacious Red to Chocolate Sin. The color was a warm, rich brown with auburn highlights and was the start of the conversation when Vesta and Vera got to work.
“Ooh, Sister! I love that,” Vesta said.
“Me too,” Vera said. “That color really makes your eyes pop.”
Vesta frowned at her twin. “Vera, you know I hate that phrase. Pop. Pop. Pop. ‘A pop of color.’ ‘Makes it pop.’ What the hell is that supposed to mean? Balloons pop. Popcorn pops. We drink pop. But color doesn’t pop.”
Vera frowned. “Well, for the love of God, Vesta. I was bragging on Sister’s hair, not begging for a slap-down.”
Vesta sighed. “You’re right, Vera. Sorry, Sister.”
Ruby was used to their banter and mostly ignored it.
At that point Mabel Jean came in sporting a new manicure. In an attempt to do some PR of her own, she’d painted a tiny Christmas icon on each of her fingernails and was wearing little red bell earrings that actually jingled when she moved.
“Now that’s cute,” Ruby said, pointing to the fingernails.
Mabel Jean beamed and tossed her head, which made the earrings jingle.
“Oh my God,” Vera cried. “If I had to hear that jingle in my ears all day, I’d be crazy by quitting time.”
“Ever since the doctor took you off the hormones, you’ve been crazy by quitting time anyway,” Vesta said.
Vera giggled. “It’s true. I don’t know whether to claw my eyes out or get new batteries for my vibrator.”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “TMI, TMI… Seriously, too much information.”
They all burst into laughter and the day began.
Chapter 13
LilyAnn’s Friday hair appointment with Ruby coincided with Rachel Goodhope’s appointment with Vesta. They walked in within moments of each other, then squared off and turned their backs as they hung up their coats, refusing to acknowledge the other one’s presence.
Rachel felt uneasy and guilty. She’d fostered the ill will that was between her and LilyAnn by her behavior. All she could do was behave better and hope she eventually lived it down. She gave LilyAnn a quick glance and then sighed. The woman wouldn’t even look at her.
Ruby noticed the tension between them and, without knowing the reason for it, remembered ignoring Patty June’s antagonism toward Bobbette Paulson and the chaos that had ensued. She decided the wiser thing to do was to separate the two women ASAP.
“Hi, LilyAnn. I’m ready for you. Come on back,” Ruby called out, and waved her to the shampoo station.
> Vesta moved to the second chair and waved at Rachel.
“Rachel Goodhope! Come on down.”
Everyone in the shop laughed at the Price Is Right shout-out.
Rachel smiled. “Do I have to guess the right price to win my hairdo?”
Vesta laughed as she put a cape around Rachel’s neck. “We haven’t changed prices here in over five years, so you get a pass.”
The comment set off a conversation about favorite daytime television shows, which LilyAnn immediately tuned out. She hadn’t watched daytime television in so long she had no idea of the programming. She also didn’t want anything to do with a conversation involving Rachel Goodhope and began counting ceiling tiles instead.
Rachel, on the other hand, saw daytime television on a daily basis because it was always playing in the background of her kitchen.
As Vesta began to wash Rachel’s hair, Rachel closed her eyes and, the minute she did, flashed on the expression on T. J. Lachlan’s face while he was raping her. It was so startling that she gasped, making Vesta think she’d hurt her.
“Oh honey, I’m sorry. Did I pull?”
Rachel’s fingers curled tightly on the arms of the chair as she made herself smile.
“No, no, it’s fine.”
“I’ll be more careful,” Vesta said.
Ruby didn’t know what was going on, but the tension between these two women was palpable. It wasn’t as if they’d ever been best friends, but they’d never behaved like this before. They hadn’t spoken or looked at each other since they sat down. And knowing Rachel’s propensity for flirting, Ruby couldn’t help but wonder what might have sparked this.
As soon as the women went to their hairstylists’ respective stations, the energy lightened, which confirmed Ruby’s suspicions even more. She glanced at the shuttered expression in LilyAnn’s eyes.
“Hey, honey, have you heard from your mama and Eddie since they left?”
Lily winced as Ruby’s comb caught on a tangle. “Yes. She called just the other night.”
Ruby smiled. “I would have liked to be a fly on the wall at your house Thanksgiving Day. I’ll bet Grace and Carol had some tall tales to tell about their good old days.”
Lily thought about the day and tried not to cry.
“It was something, all right,” she muttered.
Ruby frowned and asked a different but related question, trying to work her way around to what she really wanted to know, which was whether Mike managed to make LilyAnn jealous.
“How is Mike feeling these days?”
“The doctor released him to drive, which I’m sure you know because he’s driving all over town now.”
“That’s good,” Ruby said, and combed out some more tangles. “What are you guys doing for Christmas?”
“I have no idea what he’s doing. He’s not talking to me.”
Ruby frowned. What in the world? I suggested he make LilyAnn jealous, not get mad at her and clam up.
“That’s too bad. What happened?”
LilyAnn shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
Ruby had snooped enough. If she wanted to know more, she would have to ask Mike.
“Do you want to do anything different with your hairstyle?” Ruby asked.
LilyAnn looked at her face and frowned. “Just dry it. After that, I couldn’t care less.”
Ruby was worried. She didn’t want to see LilyAnn slip back into her old rut.
“You really don’t care?” Ruby asked.
Lily blinked back tears and tried not to cry. “I don’t care if you shave it all off.”
“Oh honey, what’s wrong?” Ruby whispered.
“I messed up,” she said.
“I’m sorry. Did your dream guy turn you down?”
Tears rolled down Lily’s face. “I can’t get rid of one I didn’t want, and I can’t get the one I ignored half my life to even talk to me anymore.”
“This calls for drastic measures,” Ruby said. “How attached are you to this hair hanging halfway down your back?”
“Not at all…at least not anymore.”
“No need to go bald, but I think we need to bring you into the present with your hairstyle. Do you trust me?”
“Surprise me,” Lily said, and closed her eyes.
Ruby grinned. She had wanted to do this for years. She put the blow-dryer down and picked up her scissors.
It didn’t take long for everyone in the shop to realize an event was in progress. LilyAnn Bronte had always had long blond hair. Who would she be without it?
Even Rachel became mesmerized by the lengths piling up on the floor beneath Ruby’s feet, and couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted this drastic change. Maybe it was part of the diet-makeover process LilyAnn was on. If it was, she should be pleased when she saw herself again.
Lily could feel the weight coming off her head, but she was too numb to care. When Ruby finally quit cutting, LilyAnn smelled styling gel and then Ruby shoved her fingers through LilyAnn’s hair and worked it in. When she finally turned on the blow-dryer, she finished the styling in half the time it normally took.
Ruby was giggling with delight.
The Conklin twins kept saying “How pretty, how pretty” over and over, and Mabel Jean was agreeing.
“Now you can look,” Ruby said, as she turned the chair back to the mirror.
Lily opened her eyes and was so shocked by the transformation that, for a second, she didn’t recognize her own face.
“Oh my Lord!” she whispered, fingering the side sweep of bangs and the shoulder-length hair Ruby had layered. “I look… I look…”
“Beautiful,” Ruby said, as she gave Lily’s shoulders a quick squeeze. “You need to hurry or you’ll be late getting back to work.”
“It’ll be okay,” Lily said and then impulsively pulled out her phone. “Take my picture. I want to send it to Mama.”
“I’ll do it,” Vesta said, as she put the phone on camera function and aimed and clicked. “Oooh, look at yourself, honey! The LilyAnn from your past is gone.”
“It’s about damn time,” Lily muttered. “What do I owe you?” she asked and, when Ruby told her, began writing out the check.
“Thank you so much,” she said, as she got up, then turned around and gave Ruby a quick hug. “You are a good friend, Sister. Thank you for everything.”
She sent the picture to her mother’s phone, then put on her coat, slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder, and took off out the door.
Rachel stifled the twinge of jealousy as she watched her go. She had too much penance to pay to start that crap again.
* * *
T. J. had just walked out of Richards’ Realty and was about to get in his truck when he saw a woman walking toward him down the street. The thought went through his mind that he’d never seen her before, and then all of a sudden he realized who it was. He was so stunned by the transformation that she was all the way past him before he realized he’d missed his chance to harass her.
Lily was so caught up in thinking about how she was going to make amends with Mike that she didn’t see Lachlan. But when she walked past the fitness center, she paused to wave through the window at Stewart. She saw the confusion, then recognition in his eyes and laughed.
When she got back to the pharmacy, she headed toward the door marked Employees Only to go put up her things. As she began to enter, Mr. Phillips actually called out for her to stop.
“It’s just me, Mr. Phillips,” Lily said.
He was still staring in disbelief as she went in to stow her things.
Mitchell gave her a big thumbs-up when he saw her, and every patron she checked out for the rest of the day had to comment. By the time she was ready to go home, she knew her new haircut was a hit.
Mike drove into his driveway at almost the same time L
ily pulled into hers. She knew he was there, but he’d rebuffed her so many times that she didn’t want to be hurt again. She got out of the car and went inside without breaking stride.
Mike saw the woman get out and for a few moments didn’t recognize her. Then when he did, he was so shocked he could do nothing but stare. The LilyAnn he’d known all his life—the one he’d fallen in love with—had disappeared, leaving another woman in her place.
Within moments of her disappearance, he heard T. J. Lachlan’s pickup coming down the street. Heartsick, he didn’t want to see how she greeted him—if she hugged him, if they kissed—and went into his house.
He heard Lachlan rack his pipes as he shut the door, and in spite of his determination not to look, he did it anyway.
Lachlan was sitting in his truck with the engine idling. Mike heard him rev it again, which made the pipes rattle, but still no LilyAnn. As the minutes passed, Lachlan didn’t move. He just kept gunning the engine. Mike was about to go run his ass out of the neighborhood for being a noise nuisance when he saw a police cruiser turn the corner and come down the street.
As the cop came closer, Lachlan put the truck in gear and drove away, with the cop car following right behind him. His eyes narrowed as he looked over at LilyAnn’s house.
What the hell was that all about? Had she called the police, or was it another neighbor who had done that?
He didn’t want to care, but he’d spent too many years worrying about her to quit cold turkey. Just because he didn’t love her anymore didn’t mean he wanted her in trouble.
* * *
LilyAnn waited at the window, peering through a crack in the curtains while her anxiety grew. She had called the police the moment she’d heard him, and when she finally saw the cruiser, she breathed a sigh of relief. Lachlan drove off with Lonnie Pittman following him.
She had no idea how Lachlan would view what she’d done, but she needed backup, and Mike was no longer available. Frustrated and just the least bit worried, she went to her room to change.
As she stripped off her clothes, she paused at the mirror to look at her body in a subjective manner and, as she stared, slowly came to a new decision.
