“Apply makeup? Oh yes,” Lucinda said. “It was basic training and boot camp in the Darling household. My mother taught me about makeup and proper comportment before I learned to talk, I swear.”
She added a shimmer of lip gloss and swiveled the chair to face the mirror. “There you go.”
“Oh, wow! Is that really me?” Marsha leaned closer to the mirror.
“Don’t you dare cry,” Lucinda said. “You’ll mess up all our hard work.”
“I won’t.” She blinked furiously, grinning the whole while.
Birdie had no sooner picked up a comb to deliver the finishing touches than the bell over the door announced a new customer. Smile on her face, she turned.
She went chalk-white, the comb dropping from her hand. Like a hot-air balloon, she simply collapsed into the chair beside her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked through colorless lips. “What do you want?”
Lucinda stared, first at her friend, then at the giant of a man who blocked the doorway.
“We need to talk.” His voice held a mix of hope and wariness.
“No.” Birdie shook her head.
Unsure of what to do, Lucinda looked at Chad, then Marsha. Both looked as confused as she felt. “Do you want me to get your father?” she asked.
Birdie shook her head, her eyes never leaving the face of the man. “We needed to talk a year ago, Zane.”
Sammy’s father. Oh boy!
“I know.” The tall man shrugged. “But I’m here now.”
“I can see that.” Wide-eyed, Birdie looked around the room, wet her lips. “If y’all will give us a minute.”
Without another word, she walked into the backroom, Zane following close behind.
Lucinda watched them disappear, her hands squeezing the back of the chair. Should she get help?
“That’s Sammy’s daddy,” Chad said.
Lucinda sank into the nearest chair. “I know. Uh-oh.”
“Uh-oh is right,” Chad said. “This should be interesting.”
The room grew as quiet as a church; they heard nothing. Not a sound. Chad, Lucinda and Marsha practically held their breath, exchanging worried glances.
“Do you think they’re okay?” Lucinda asked.
“I don’t know.” Chad wrung his hands. “I think if they’d killed each other, we’d have heard bodies hitting the floor.”
Lucinda rolled her eyes. “Now there’s a cheerful thought.”
“Oh my gosh! Do you think they might really have done that?” Marsha asked.
“No!” Chad and Lucinda said in unison. They looked at each other uneasily.
“Well, I’m going to take a peek.” Lucinda sneaked back to the doorway. And grinned.
Sammy’s mom and dad were so lip-locked. They hadn’t a clue the rest of the world even existed.
She tiptoed back to the front.
“Are you done for today?” she asked Chad.
“Yep.”
“Good. Come on, then. You too, Marsha. I don’t think we’re needed or wanted here.”
On their way out, she flipped off the lights and turned the sign on the door to CLOSED.
Chapter Nineteen
Thieves sneaking out in the night. That was exactly how the three of them felt. In the middle of the sidewalk, they caught each other’s eyes and actually giggled. Lucinda couldn’t remember when she’d last done that.
But they’d become conspirators. And it felt good. Maybe Birdie would get her delayed happy-ever-after. Lucinda sure hoped so.
“Zane is one big guy,” she said.
“Oh yeah,” Chad said. “He’s enough to make anybody’s heart pitter patter a little faster!” He fluttered his hand over his own heart.
Then he linked an arm through each of the girls’. “So, what are we going to do now? Marsha’s all gussied up, pretty as a picture. We can’t just go home.”
“No, sir, we sure can’t.” Lucinda winked at the other girl. “Because we’re not done yet. We still need new clothes!”
“Clothes?” Marsha bobbed up and down, taking Chad with her. “Oh my gosh, Lucinda, you’re too wonderful!” Breaking free of Chad, she threw her arms around Lucinda’s neck. “How can I ever thank you?”
“By taking Shorty by storm. Sweep him off his size-twenty feet.” Boy, she couldn’t remember ever feeling this good. Well, maybe the other night at Jake’s. Heat swept her cheeks at the thought.
“What’s wrong, honey? You look all flushed.”
Totally embarrassed, Lucinda shook her head. “Just the heat.”
“But it’s not that hot.”
“I’ll be fine.” She looked up, then down the street. “Hmmm.”