Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64419 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64419 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
I pulled the red dress off and tried on the other. This one was black and white and looked more like something you might wear to a job interview than a passionate reunion. Zipping it up, I could see why Gina had suggested it. It was certainly very flattering. I tried on the two skirt combinations next but ultimately went back to the little red dress. There was nothing like too much firepower when going into battle.
I put the dress back on and left the bedroom. Walking out into the living room, I found Porter and Gina sitting together on the couch. Gina stood up when I entered, gasping in appreciation. Porter’s eyes grew wide, and he nodded slowly, like a man who knew enough not to compliment another woman in front of his girlfriend.
“I called Lindsey, the owner of the Wood Rose Salon,” Gina announced. “The salon is closed, but Lindsey says you can come over to her house, and she’ll give you a trim and a blowout.”
I stared at my friend, shocked but happy. This was turning into a bigger event than I had planned. “I should just go over there?”
Gina smiled, excited. “Yeah, she’s expecting you.”
“Thanks!” I gave Gina a hug.
“Be careful,” Porter said, rising for his own hug.
“Always,” I responded.
I grabbed my jeans, shirt, and sneakers from the bedroom and took them out to my car. Gina lent me a pair of red pumps that matched the dress, and they beat a rhythm against the driveway. I had never been to Lindsey’s house before, so I used my phone’s GPS to guide me. I was surprised and delighted to find that she lived in a cabin not too far from my own. There were two cars and a truck in the driveway. Maybe they were having a party, or maybe they already had company.
Knocking on the door, I felt silly. Why should I disturb this woman at home when Linc wasn’t going to care or notice? The door swung open, and one of the town police officers, dressed casually in jeans and a well-worn shirt, answered.
“Aly?” he asked.
“Detective White?” I assumed.
“Jason,” he corrected me. “Come in. Lindsey’s expecting you.”
Their cabin was similar to mine, with a living area and a kitchen as soon as you walked in the door. Lindsey was sitting at the dinner table with a coffee mug in front of her. Another woman sat opposite her, also nursing a coffee. I had definitely seen the other woman around town and thought I remembered that she was some kind of child psychologist.
Lindsey stood up when I entered. She crossed the room and gave me a hug before I could stop her. Standing back to evaluate my dress, she nodded approvingly. “I used to have a dedicated styling room.”
“Office,” her husband corrected.
“Office,” Lindsey allowed. “But we turned that room into a bedroom for Mary Ellen.”
I nodded, assuming Mary Ellen was their daughter.
“So, we’ll have to do this outside,” Lindsey finished.
“Okay,” I agreed and followed Lindsey and her friend out to the porch.
“This is Macy,” Lindsey said, introducing her companion.
Macy offered me her hand. “Hi.”
“Do you have a cabin up here as well?” I asked.
“I do,” Macy said. “Right over the ridge.”
“My cabin is just down the road,” I said.
“You’ll have to come for a visit,” she said.
“She’s a friend of Porter’s,” Lindsey said.
Macy nodded. “You should come to one of our barbeques.”
“Yeah,” Lindsey agreed. “We had to bully Porter into showing up, but he’s a regular now.”
“I’ll ask him,” I promised.
The stylist had me sit on a wooden chair while she draped a nylon cover around my shoulders. There was an outlet on the porch, designed for Christmas lights and lawn mowers probably. She plugged her hairdryer in and went to work. I sat, feeling the heat and the exquisite comfort of gentle brush strokes. When she was done, Lindsey led me to her bathroom to look in the mirror.
A vision stared back at me. The red dress only looked sexier now that my styled hair fell softly around my face. I wanted to touch it, but I didn’t want to break the spell. Instead, I wiped a tear from my eye. This must have been what Linc felt when he described the whole town coming together to support him.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Go get him,” Lindsey said, giving me permission to continue my mission.
I raced back out the door, down the stairs, and into my car. Suddenly it seemed that Linc was too far away. If I didn’t find him soon, my window of opportunity would close. It was crazy, but in that moment, I was convinced that the future was slipping away. Maybe he wouldn’t stick around forever if I kept saying no. Maybe he would get tired and move on. I had to take a stand, pull out the big guns, and claim him for my own.