by Gail Sattler
The image of a perfect end to a long day faded as reality slapped him up the side of the head. “Barbecue chicken? On a pizza?” Just as he suspected, Kat had ordered something he didn’t like. He couldn’t imagine chicken on a pizza.
Kat appeared before he had a chance to complain and, being outnumbered, he didn’t even try. The ladies put a piece of pizza on each of three plates, and they prepared themselves to say a quick grace before eating. He’d never been the touchy-feely type, but Cindy automatically rested her hand in his. Her touch, albeit light, gave him a momentary charge that zapped the fatigue out of his body, at least for the duration of their meal. It also helped that chicken on a pizza wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.
He turned to Cindy as he reached for another piece. “What brings you here today? Shopping? Homework?”
“Today we’re just going to take Tippy for a wob…uh…a walk.”
Kat stopped chewing for a few seconds, glared at Cindy, and then shoveled another bite into her mouth.
Luke struggled not to laugh. “Have fun. It’s a full moon tonight, lots of light out there.”
Kat stared at him. “Aren’t you coming?”
Luke wiggled his toes and flexed his aching feet. “I hadn’t thought about it.”
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
“Good.” As the words left his mouth, he caught Cindy turning her head to look directly at him, so he met her gaze over the empty pizza box.
“Are you sure?” Cindy asked.
“I…” If he wore his comfortable black sneakers instead of the leather shoes he’d worn all day, it would probably be tolerable. As long as he didn’t go far. “Okay, I’ll go.”
Cindy smiled. “That’s wonderful. Tippy will be so happy.”
It wasn’t Tippy he wanted to make happy. “We might as well go now.”
They rose in unison and headed for the front door, but just as Kat opened it her cell phone rang. She listened for a few seconds then flipped it shut. “It’s Sasha. I forgot about a geography project we have to hand in tomorrow. I have to go. I’ll see you later. I’ll phone when I need a ride home.”
Before Luke could say anything, Kat stepped out the door and jogged down the street in the direction of Sasha’s house.
He turned and waggled his eyebrows at Cindy. “Looks like it’s just you and me.”
“That’s okay. Lock the door and let’s go.”
As they walked, Cindy nodded a greeting to Luke’s neighbor, who was setting up a tripod, apparently attempting to get pictures of the full moon.
She couldn’t help but wonder what Luke’s neighbors thought of her at Luke’s home nearly every evening. Mostly she was there to be with Kat, but yet…
She tried to tamp down the feelings of excitement; after all, nothing could happen. When the day came that she could fall in love, it wouldn’t be with a man like Luke. It would be with a man who had no entanglements, at a time when she could finally be free of her own.
And that wasn’t going to happen for a very, very long time.
She slowed her pace to let Luke catch up, after he’d stopped to allow Tippy to sniff something.
He was as good to the dog as he was to his niece; neither of them lacked for anything, especially love. Luke was a good man and smart, successful, and fun to be with.
Second thoughts ran through her mind. Maybe one day she would fall in love with a man just like Luke. But not Luke, because when that time finally came, some other lucky woman would have snapped him up.
As Tippy stopped to sniff another plant, Luke turned to her. “This is a good time to ask if you’re coming to my annual customer appreciation banquet next weekend. I know Brent went over to your place yesterday with some tickets, but he didn’t see you to make sure you were coming.”
“Thanks for asking, but I’m not your customer. You’re my customer.”
“Think of it as a thank-you for giving me priority service as often as you do. We invited everyone at your place.”
Cindy’s breath caught. “You mean you invited Annie and Zella, too?”
“Brent gave tickets to everyone in your shop, even the guys.”
“That means the one ticket under the appointment book was left there for me.”
“Yup.”
Cindy pictured the contents of her closet. The only things similar to a banquet she’d been to were informal lunches at the church. She didn’t have a thing to wear for an evening function. She didn’t own a dress or high-heeled shoes. She only owned one pair of pants that weren’t jeans, and they were capris that had a grass stain on the bottom that she couldn’t get off.
“Sorry. Formal banquets aren’t my thing.”
“It’s not formal. It’s just business casual.”
“In my business, I wear jeans and a T-shirt with coveralls, and don’t forget the steel-toed work boots.” A ring of sarcasm ripped through her, remembering Melissa’s comments from the shoe store.
Luke frowned. “Maybe not that casual, but I’d really like you to come.”
She tried to picture what it would be like, but the more she thought about it, dressing up and going to a dinner with Luke felt and sounded an awful lot like a date. She couldn’t get into the dating scene until she was out of her legal battles with Melissa, and Luke needed time without distractions to work things out with Kat
She gave him a polite smile. “I’ll think about it and let you know. How’s that?”
“That sounds good.”
Luke pressed one fist into the small of his back. “How would you like to turn around and go home? I had a long day, and I really didn’t want to go far.”
“Sure, that’s fine. I should go home. I think I need to get to bed early tonight.” Her throat had started feeling scratchy, and she was far more tired than she should have been. “We can make it a longer walk another time.”
Chapter 8
Cindy read the bottle one more time to make sure she was taking the right one for nighttime and downed the cold tablet with a glass of orange juice. She sniffled, blew her nose, and then stared at the ticket in front of her.
While part of her really wanted to go to the banquet and have fun—something she didn’t do enough—the smarter part of her knew she should stay home.
Not only was she too sick to party, she saw enough of Luke as a friend in Kat’s company. Spending even more time with him would become dangerous.
He tempted her enough in the shirt and slacks she saw him in every day. He was even tempting lying on his couch, fast asleep with his mouth hanging open and his dog curled up in his lap.
She didn’t want to think about how tempting he would look in a suit and tie. He’d be so easy to fall in love with. Cindy pressed one palm to her forehead. She had to have a fever. Otherwise she wouldn’t be thinking of Luke that way.
“You better not have drunk all the juice. What if someone else wants some?”
She turned her bleary eyes up to Melissa, the bane of her existence. “Don’t worry. I only had one glass. It’s not like it would break anyone’s arm to get another can of concentrate out of the freezer. Can’t you have any sympathy for me while I’m sick?”
Melissa made a noise that sounded almost like a snort. “You’re an adult. You can care for yourself. Or do you want me to do that, too? I do everything else for you.”
Cindy pushed herself to her feet. Her eyes burned and her head swam. “You only cook my meals and clean the house as your part of the addendum to Daddy’s will so you don’t have to get a job.” Seething, Cindy picked up the glass and turned to leave the room, but Melissa blocked her path.
“I came here to tell you to move that ugly truck of yours. Annie and Zella are almost ready to leave for the banquet, and it’s in the way.”
Cindy spun around and glared at Melissa. “That’s fine, because I’m going, too.” She had no idea what she was going to wear, but at this moment, even if she was the only woman wearing capris, she was going to do it in defianc
e of her stepmother. Maybe if she zipped into Walmart on the way she could get an inexpensive skirt and some half-decent shoes. Not dressy, but she was desperate. “One day my truck will be a classic; it’s a limited edition model.”
Melissa made an uppity harrumphing sound and rolled her eyes. “Whatever. That truck is so like you. All noise and no class.”
Cindy opened her mouth but no sound came out. She thought she’d become numb to Melissa’s insults, but she wasn’t.
“Annie and Zella are dressed to the nines; I’m sure one of them will attract a man tonight. I know they’ve set their sights on the two owners of that car rental place. A good match, I say.”
Cindy’s teeth clenched at the thought. Annie’s words that Luke was a hottie echoed through her head. She couldn’t let that happen. She stepped forward to reach for the banquet ticket on the table, but Melissa snatched it up first.
“You’ve been spending too much time with Luke,” Melissa said, waving the ticket in the air between them. “He should be spending his time with Annie.” She spun around, took two steps to the sink, turned on the water, hit the switch for the garbage disposal, and sent the ticket down.
The motor made a skip as it ground the paper into mash.
Cindy gasped then choked. “What have you done?” she sputtered.
“Mom?” A voice drifted from the kitchen doorway. Cindy turned to see Annie and Zella staring at their mother.
Melissa flicked her fingers in the air. “Never mind that stupid truck in the way. Take my car. The keys are on the table beside the door.”
Neither Annie nor Zella moved. They continued to stare at their mother.
With a sinking heart, Cindy eyed her competition.
The two of them looked good. Great, even. Today both of them had their hair in a swept-up style and wore calf-length semiformal dresses and feminine shoes. Both had on just the right amount of makeup to be eye catching.
Zella stared at the sink. “Why did—”
Melissa pointed to the front door. Her voice rose in pitch. “Go! Don’t be late! Hurry!”
The two of them scuttled back then turned and hustled to the door.
The front door slammed shut.
Melissa swiped her hands down her pants. “You can’t hold a candle to my daughters. Your breakfast will be ready at nine o’clock tomorrow so you can go to church, as usual.” Melissa turned her nose up in the air and stomped out of the room.
Cindy sank down in the chair. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t compare with Annie and Zella. Besides, it no longer mattered. Her ticket was gone.
A tear streamed down her cheek and she swiped it away.
The doorbell rang but Cindy didn’t move. It wouldn’t be for her. It never was. She was too ashamed and embarrassed to ever invite someone over to what was supposed to be her home.
Instead of going to the banquet, she considered clearing out the garage then moving in. All she needed to do was install a bathroom, and she could live there for free and not have to interact with her stepmother or stepsisters ever again. At least there she could have friends over. It would be a toss-up if Melissa would welcome the opportunity to get her out of the house or if she’d have a fit because it would mean putting all the garage junk into a ministorage. Or maybe if she moved into the garage, Melissa would feel she had ownership of the house, if not the business, and not contest the will.
“Yoo-hoo! Is anyone home? Cindy? Where are you?”
She turned to see Farrah, her godmother, striding toward her.
As soon as Farrah saw Cindy, she stopped. “Melissa stormed outside and left the door open, so I came in. Are you okay?”
Cindy sniffled. “I’m okay. I’m just calculating the square footage of the garage.”
Farrah glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Why aren’t you getting ready for Luke’s banquet?”
“I’m not going. Melissa destroyed my ticket.”
“What are you talking about?”
Cindy summarized Melissa’s actions then stared at the sink.
Farrah gently patted Cindy’s shoulder. “You can’t stay here with that…woman. Come with me.”
“What are you talking about?”
Farrah hushed her then pulled Cindy out the door, only giving her time to grab her purse before Farrah herded her into her car.
“Where are we going?”
“After a pit stop, we’re going to my house. Now be quiet and trust me.”
Cindy sat in silence, not daring to tell Farrah that she was speeding. When her godmother set her mind on something, there was no changing it. Ever.
Soon she noticed the route was familiar.
They were going to the shop.
Cindy opened her mouth to question Farrah, but one look silenced her.
When they pulled into the parking lot, Farrah turned to her. “Stay in the car. And duck.”
Farrah got out of the car and marched over to Like a Prince Car Rentals. Cindy raised her head just high enough to peek out. Farrah spoke to Brent, showed him a piece of paper, and then left with something Brent handed her.
After they left the parking lot, Cindy sat up in the seat. “Dare I ask?”
Farrah grinned. “I just got a ticket. You, my dear, are going to the banquet.”
“But I don’t have a dress.”
If possible, Farrah’s grin widened even more. “You may not, but I do. Now hang on. We’ve got some miles to make.”
Cindy coughed as they flew out of the business district and into the residential area where Farrah lived. “I don’t know if this is such a good idea. I can barely talk. I sound like one of those raspy movie heroines from the thirties.”
“That raspy sound is very sexy. Luke will love it. After all, he’s a guy.”
Cindy narrowed her eyes and glared at Farrah. “He’s not like that. He’s not just a guy. He’s—”
Farrah snickered then broke out into a full-bellied laugh as they stopped for a red light. “So it’s like that, is it? I was wondering when it would hit you. My dear, we are going to make you the belle of the ball. The best part is he’ll never know it’s you.” She snickered and patted her purse. “You’re going to knock your Prince Charming flat on his nice tight behind.”
“His what?”
“Like you haven’t noticed. Now be quiet and let me think.”
Cindy suspected Farrah had already done too much thinking, but she was in no position to argue. She remained silent the rest of the drive. At Farrah’s town house, Farrah guided her into the den to a dry cleaner’s protective plastic bag draped over the arm of the love seat.
“I’m going to give you such a thorough makeover, no one will recognize you.”
The thought was tempting but not realistic. But maybe, just maybe she could protect Luke from Annie’s and Zella’s clutches.
Cindy stood tall, sniffled, and rubbed her watery eyes. “I’ve never done a makeover before.”
She watched in silence as Farrah lifted the plastic to reveal a silky burgundy dress. It had a fitted waist, a V-neck, and a slit up the side, and it shimmered in the light in a way that was sure to attract attention. “I think it’s your size or maybe one size too big. But that’s better than one size too small.”
“Where did you get that?”
“Mary’s daughter wore it for Brad and Tina’s wedding. I was in the neighborhood so I picked it up from the dry cleaner for her.” She hunkered down and picked up a bag that had been on the floor beside it and reached in, pulling out a pair of matching shoes.
“How did you get…” Cindy’s voice trailed off as she put two and two together. And got five. “Wait. That’s a bridesmaid’s dress. That’s why there are matching shoes.”
Farrah nodded. “Yes. The dry cleaner did a lovely job on the shoes, too.”
Cindy picked up the shoes and looked inside. “These are a size too big for me. They’re also really high.”
“It’s a banquet. You’ll be sitting down the whole time. Don’t worry about
it.”
“I guess.” Cindy picked up the dress. “There’s a butt bow on this.”
“Yes. Brittany was gorgeous in it. You’ll be even more gorgeous.”
“I am not wearing a dress with a butt bow.”
“Why?”
Cindy waved both hands in the air above her head. “Because it has a butt bow!”
Farrah planted her fists on her hips. “For your information, this dress is very feminine and very attractive.”
“I would never wear a dress like that.”
“Which is exactly why you’re going to wear it tonight. I also plan to do your hair and makeup. I’ve got some temporary hair color that would look perfect with this dress. It washes out after one use, and no one would ever know. Also, your watery eyes just gave me the perfect idea. Do you still have your old glasses in your purse?”
“Of course I do. Just in case I lose a contact.”
“Take out the contacts and wear your glasses. You’ll be like Superman in reverse. It’s been so long since I’ve seen your real eye color, I barely remember what you really look like.”
Cindy grinned. When she’d gotten her contacts, the optical place was running a free promo on colored lenses. With her natural light-colored eyes, they’d convinced her to get the second pair of lenses that turned her blue-gray eyes into a honey brown. Later she’d lost one of her clear ones, changed to the colored ones, and hadn’t bothered to get the clear ones replaced.
She rubbed her hands with glee. She was going to the banquet, and when it was over, no one would know she’d been there.
Suddenly her joy dissolved. “But how do I get there and then home again? I don’t have my truck.”
“You shouldn’t be driving with all that cold medication you’ve taken. I’ll drop you off, and you just phone me when it’s time to come home.”
Cindy barely kept herself from dancing on the spot. “Let’s do this. I can hardly wait to see the look on Luke’s face when I get there.”
Chapter 9
Luke wiggled the knot of his tie for the fifteenth time and looked toward the door as it opened. His posture sagged every time a guest arrived. Cindy hadn’t arrived yet.
