Free A Cherry Cola Christmas by Ashton Lee

I was getting ready to go to the Kentucky Derby all the time!”
    There was more laughter from Terra and then another pregnant pause. “Well, I know the price of gas is through the roof and all, but I’d love it if you drove over so I could keep you as a client. Could you manage it? Ricky and I aren’t giving up our place here because of his job, so I’ll be commuting, too.”
    â€œSure, I’ll drive on over,” Maura Beth told her in a tone of resignation. “I can afford it now with the raises we’ve all gotten from the generous endowment my Cudd’n M’Dear left the library. And now that I know you aren’t going to be closing down permanently, I’m not so panicky. I have to admit, those rumors had me going for a while. By the way, are you still going to be calling it Cherico Tresses?”
    Terra’s chuckle had an ironic edge to it. “Almost. Miz Shirley says she’s gonna call it Cherico Tresses of Corinth, so people won’t be confused. Uh, well, you could’ve fooled me. But Miz Shirley said it has to do with name recognition and all. Well, it’s her business, so I have to stay out of it.”
    â€œForget about that. Just give me directions and I’ll be there.”
    â€œHey, I’ll even draw you up a map when you come for your appointment next week so you won’t get lost.”
    â€œSounds like a plan to me. Thanks for clearing everything up. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the best stylist ever.”
    After hanging up, Maura Beth brought Jeremy up to date on everything, sounding somewhat reassured. “I guess I can stand change if it’s not too drastic,” she concluded. “Just don’t throw too much at me at once.”
    Jeremy flashed a devilish grin as he fingered a few locks of her auburn hair like the attentive husband he was. “Hey, I learned how seriously you women take your hairstyles long before I was married to you. Mom wouldn’t think of leaving our house in Brentwood and going to her boutique down at Cool Springs without being properly coiffed and made up, and now I see it’s definitely not a generational thing. You always show up at the library looking hot.”
    â€œOh, yeah? Well, you men have it easy,” she told him, pretending he had said something out of line. But her quick smile gave her away. “You barely run a brush through your hair when you get up in the morning, you glance to the right and then to the left, and that’s it.”
    He inched a little closer and pointed to his crown. “Are you saying you like my cowlick?”
    They enjoyed a soft, lingering kiss; then she said, “That’s not the only thing I like about you.”
    The phone rang again, startling them both, and this time it was Maura Beth who answered with a simple, “Hello?”
    â€œHi, girl. I hope you weren’t asleep,” Periwinkle said at the other end, sniffling loudly as she spoke.
    â€œNo, we were up,” Maura Beth replied, eyeing the digital clock on the nightstand. “Is something wrong?” Alerted by the alarm in his wife’s voice, Jeremy immediately sat up with a frown.
    â€œI’m afraid so.” Periwinkle was clearly choking up now. “I’m . . . sorry. I have some terrible news, and if I sound strange . . . it’s because I’ve been cryin’ up a storm. It was all I could do to get myself together to call you.”
    A spurt of adrenaline coursed through Maura Beth’s veins. “For heaven’s sake, what is it?!”
    â€œIt’s Parker’s mother, Ardenia,” came the constricted reply. “She died tonight. When he got home from work, Parker found her on the sofa—just staring at the TV and stiff as a board. Of course, he’s in a state of shock, and I’m not much better. She was the sweetest little woman, once you got to know her.”
    â€œOh my God, what in the world