Emporium and hurried along the sidewalk that bordered the town square, the noontime sun beating down on her shoulders. Tourists were everywhere today, having lunch at Rosie’s, picnicking in the gazebo, or just moving in and out of the shops along the square.
She passed Sweet Dreams bakery, Lone Star Gallery, and the Cordero Vineyards wine shop. When she reached Tasha’s Hair Boutique, she looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows and saw Tasha hard at work. She was tall and thin as a Popsicle stick, and she wore her hair dyed inky black and spiked it with handfuls of gel. Her wardrobe consisted of a bizarre mash-up of whatever she’d seen in Elle or Glamour that month. She was a graduate of Trendsetter Beauty School in Waco, and now she and her two stylists cut just about every head of hair in Rainbow Valley. She lived in the apartment above Shannon, but her funky fashion sense made her look totally out of place in the sedate 1950s fourplex.
Tasha looked over just in time to see Shannon walk by. She stopped what she was doing and pointed at her, then to her own hair. Emphatically. You need a haircut ASAP! Shannon shook her head and pointed to her watch. No time these days. I’ll call you!
Shannon rounded the corner and headed for Russell’s dental office, hoping the product in the plastic sack she held would do the trick. Cynthia said Russell was starting to get a little miffed about his newly acquired cat, and there wasn’t much Shannon wouldn’t do to make sure an adoption stuck.
When Shannon entered the waiting room, music wafted through the sound system, filling the waiting room with soft jazz. Issues of Architectural Digest, Southern Living, and Golf Illustrated lay fanned out on the coffee table. On Cynthia’s desk was a lamp with a beaded fringe shade, and her dark, pixie-cut hair shone in the warm light. Shannon doubted that particular lamp had been Russell’s choice. In fact, nothing on Cynthia’s desk could possibly have been Russell’s choice, but somehow it had survived anyway.
Cynthia put her finger to her lips, then motioned Shannon over. As she came around the desk, she saw a furry butterscotch-colored cat lying on the top of the copy machine, upside down with all four paws in the air, sound asleep.
“I have things to copy,” Cynthia whispered, “but I’ll wait until she finishes her nap.”
Shannon smiled. Cynthia hadn’t lived there long, but she’d already become a friend, and her love of animals was a big reason why.
“Okay,” Shannon whispered back, holding up the sack. “Here’s one more thing to try. If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what we’re going to—”
“Cynthia!”
All at once Jessie jerked her head up, flipped over, and came to attention. The two women looked at each other.
“Uh-oh,” Cynthia said, and rose from her desk. Shannon followed her down the hall. They walked into Russell’s office, where Shannon saw him on his knees behind the desk, peering under it.
“What’s the matter?” Cynthia said.
“She did it again.”
“She?”
“The cat! Right there under my desk!”
Cynthia peered beneath the desk. “Oh. Hairball.”
“Yes, hairball!”
Russell came to his feet, saw Shannon, and froze. “Oh. Shannon. I didn’t know you were here.”
Cynthia saw Jessie sitting near the door. She scooped her up, cradling her in one arm and scratching behind her ears with her other hand. “Shame on you! Mustn’t barf on Dr. Morgensen’s rug. You’re such a bad, bad kitty!”
But Jessie was more interested in Cynthia’s magic fingernails than she was the halfhearted admonition. She raised her chin to allow better access, cat body language for You’re wonderful. I love you. Do that some more.
Shannon handed the sack to Russell. “Here. Lola says a hairball inside a wooly mammoth wouldn’t stand a chance with this stuff.”
Russell immediately handed the sack to Cynthia. Cynthia raised an eyebrow in Russell’s direction, then turned to
She passed Sweet Dreams bakery, Lone Star Gallery, and the Cordero Vineyards wine shop. When she reached Tasha’s Hair Boutique, she looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows and saw Tasha hard at work. She was tall and thin as a Popsicle stick, and she wore her hair dyed inky black and spiked it with handfuls of gel. Her wardrobe consisted of a bizarre mash-up of whatever she’d seen in Elle or Glamour that month. She was a graduate of Trendsetter Beauty School in Waco, and now she and her two stylists cut just about every head of hair in Rainbow Valley. She lived in the apartment above Shannon, but her funky fashion sense made her look totally out of place in the sedate 1950s fourplex.
Tasha looked over just in time to see Shannon walk by. She stopped what she was doing and pointed at her, then to her own hair. Emphatically. You need a haircut ASAP! Shannon shook her head and pointed to her watch. No time these days. I’ll call you!
Shannon rounded the corner and headed for Russell’s dental office, hoping the product in the plastic sack she held would do the trick. Cynthia said Russell was starting to get a little miffed about his newly acquired cat, and there wasn’t much Shannon wouldn’t do to make sure an adoption stuck.
When Shannon entered the waiting room, music wafted through the sound system, filling the waiting room with soft jazz. Issues of Architectural Digest, Southern Living, and Golf Illustrated lay fanned out on the coffee table. On Cynthia’s desk was a lamp with a beaded fringe shade, and her dark, pixie-cut hair shone in the warm light. Shannon doubted that particular lamp had been Russell’s choice. In fact, nothing on Cynthia’s desk could possibly have been Russell’s choice, but somehow it had survived anyway.
Cynthia put her finger to her lips, then motioned Shannon over. As she came around the desk, she saw a furry butterscotch-colored cat lying on the top of the copy machine, upside down with all four paws in the air, sound asleep.
“I have things to copy,” Cynthia whispered, “but I’ll wait until she finishes her nap.”
Shannon smiled. Cynthia hadn’t lived there long, but she’d already become a friend, and her love of animals was a big reason why.
“Okay,” Shannon whispered back, holding up the sack. “Here’s one more thing to try. If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what we’re going to—”
“Cynthia!”
All at once Jessie jerked her head up, flipped over, and came to attention. The two women looked at each other.
“Uh-oh,” Cynthia said, and rose from her desk. Shannon followed her down the hall. They walked into Russell’s office, where Shannon saw him on his knees behind the desk, peering under it.
“What’s the matter?” Cynthia said.
“She did it again.”
“She?”
“The cat! Right there under my desk!”
Cynthia peered beneath the desk. “Oh. Hairball.”
“Yes, hairball!”
Russell came to his feet, saw Shannon, and froze. “Oh. Shannon. I didn’t know you were here.”
Cynthia saw Jessie sitting near the door. She scooped her up, cradling her in one arm and scratching behind her ears with her other hand. “Shame on you! Mustn’t barf on Dr. Morgensen’s rug. You’re such a bad, bad kitty!”
But Jessie was more interested in Cynthia’s magic fingernails than she was the halfhearted admonition. She raised her chin to allow better access, cat body language for You’re wonderful. I love you. Do that some more.
Shannon handed the sack to Russell. “Here. Lola says a hairball inside a wooly mammoth wouldn’t stand a chance with this stuff.”
Russell immediately handed the sack to Cynthia. Cynthia raised an eyebrow in Russell’s direction, then turned to
Similar Books
Mystery Of The Sea Horse
Lee Falk
The Coal War
Upton Sinclair
Come To Me
LaVerne Thompson
Breaking Point
Lesley Choyce
Wolf Point
Edward Falco
Fallowblade
Cecilia Dart-Thornton
Seduce
Missy Johnson
