Free 92 Pacific Boulevard by Debbie Macomber

completely bald. I love her, but I’m not willing to go that far.”
    “Her hair will grow back,” Rachel said, “but it might be a different color or texture.” Olivia had come in earlier that week and had what remained of her hair shaved off. She’d started her regimen of chemotherapy, and after the second session her hair had fallen out in clumps. Rachelhad cut it quite short before the chemo, so the change wasn’t as great as it might have been.
    “The way I see it,” Grace continued, “Olivia and I can let our hair grow back together—unless I like this style so much I don’t want to change.”
    Rachel unsnapped the cape and removed it.
    “I heard you and Bruce Peyton got married,” Grace said as she stood. “Right around Christmas, wasn’t it?”
    “Yes. We were crazy to have our wedding at that time of year but we didn’t want to wait.”
    “What about a honeymoon?”
    “We haven’t been able to plan it yet. We’ll take one later, probably around Valentine’s Day.” Which was when their wedding was originally scheduled to take place. “It’s just that with Bruce’s work schedule, Jolene’s schedule and mine, it’s hard to find a time that fits everyone.”
    Grace’s smile was warm. “Cliff and I ran into that problem, too. In the end we simply eloped, although I wouldn’t recommend it.” She shook her head. “Unfortunately we upset a lot of people, but afterward we had a huge party and everything worked out.”
    “Apparently we’ve done the same thing,” Rachel told her. The girls at the shop had felt hurt about being excluded. Everything had been so rushed. In retrospect, perhaps they should’ve waited until February, after all. But circumstances had prohibited that, since Rachel had given up her rental house, which had a new tenant. Bruce had been eager to marry her, and she’d felt the same way. They’d gone ahead despite her reservations, but even now Rachel wondered if they’d made the right decision.
    “These things tend to take care of themselves,” Grace said. “Cliff and I are happy and I can see you are, too, if the new-bride glow is anything to go by.”
    “We are.”
    “That’s wonderful.” Grace reached for her purse and paid for her haircut at the front counter. She also made another appointment for early March, about six weeks away.
    With a small broom, Rachel swept up the brown curls that circled the styling chair. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say she was happy. She was, gleefully so, but she also felt sexually frustrated. Bruce did, too, and it was fast putting a strain on their relationship.
    What Rachel hadn’t expected, or Bruce, either, was Jolene’s reaction to their marriage. Jolene, at thirteen, felt threatened by the upheaval in her life.
    Bruce’s daughter had been Rachel’s special friend for years. They’d started meeting after Stephanie Peyton’s tragic death in a car accident. Jolene had only been five at the time. She’d badly needed a woman in her life and had latched on to Rachel when she’d given the little girl a haircut.
    Rachel’s own mother had died when she was young and she’d been raised by an unmarried aunt. Because she understood what it was like to be a motherless child, Rachel had voluntarily stepped in. The two of them had quickly bonded.
    Jolene had often played the role of matchmaker between Rachel and Bruce. But obviously she’d never realized what would happen once Bruce and Rachel fell in love…
    Rachel’s marriage to Jolene’s father had changed the dynamic within the family. Jolene was too immature and vulnerable to accept that. She feared being excluded or losing her place in Bruce’s life. The girl had been demanding and unreasonable ever since the wedding.
    Rachel and Bruce rarely had a moment alone. Makinglove had become a challenge. Jolene had always been a light sleeper and the slightest noise woke her. Her timing was impeccable; three times in the past week alone, Jolene had inadvertently