Pregnancy Countdown. Linda Wisdom Randall

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      Chapter Two

      “I really appreciate you fitting me in, Nora,” Lucie Donner said, settling back in the soft-cushioned salon chair.

      “You sounded so urgent on the phone I was afraid you were going to walk in here with purple hair.” Nora smiled at Ginna’s new sister-in-law.

      “After everything that’s gone on, that would be a plus,” Lucie laughed.

      “That’s right, you lost part of your house. What’s happening with that?” She ran a brush through Lucie’s hair then ran her fingers through the shoulder-length strands.

      “You haven’t lived until you come home and discover an airplane engine has dropped into your home office at ten o’clock in the morning,” she confided. “Talk about a shock.”

      “And?” she prodded.

      “And I realized that ordinarily I would have been sitting in there, except I had a parent-teacher conference with Nick’s teachers that morning. I’ve decided it’s time to make some changes. I sold the house.”

      “You’re moving? I thought it was being rebuilt for you after the accident.”

      “Accident is an understatement,” Lucie chuckled. “Almost half my house was flattened after that jet engine fell through the roof. I didn’t even want to consider going back there. I’d mentioned selling it to a neighbor and he wanted to buy it for his son and daughter-in-law and rebuild the house to his own specs. He offered me a great price and I took it. I’m hoping that moving to a new area will give Nick a new chance. I swear, it was getting to the point where I thought I’d have to seduce a judge just to keep my baby boy out of jail,” she said.

      “I thought he was doing much better.” Nora mentally cataloged highlight shades and which ones would do best for Lucie.

      “Oh, he is. I haven’t received a call from the school for almost three weeks. That’s pretty much a record for him. But I never drop my guard,” she chuckled, half turning. She froze. “Ohmigod!” She grasped Nora’s arm. “Is that who I think it is?”

      Nora smiled. She easily guessed which client Lucie was staring at. She pressed her hands on Lucie’s shoulders, keeping her turned to the mirror. “Yes, it is. Try not to drool.”

      “Drool would be the least of my problems. I once seriously thought about moving to Australia because of that man. Look at his smile!”

      Nora chuckled as the object of their conversation turned toward them, smiled and winked.

      “Now I can die happy,” Lucie sighed. “Right after you turn me into a blonde.”

      “And we want this because…?”

      Lucie’s smile dimmed. “We want this because I’ve come to realize life is much too short. Just the idea of having that engine come so close to wiping me out started me thinking about my priorities. I realized a majority of my outside contacts consist of being the helper mom at Nick’s school, chaperoning his class’s field trips, and being a voice over the phone when someone is booking a trip. Other than occasional recharge days here at the spa, I haven’t done much for myself. I don’t mean that I hate being known as Nick’s mother or Zach’s sister or even so-and-so’s travel agent. But, there are days when I’d like someone to think of me as Lucie, Wild Woman.”

      “Well, Wild Woman, you don’t have to be blond to change your life. Besides, going totally blond wouldn’t suit your coloring,” Nora explained. “What if we intensify your highlights? That won’t be as drastic.”

      Lucie stared in the mirror at her reflection. “Whatever you think best.”

      “Carte blanche. I love it.” Nora combed her fingers through the other woman’s hair. “Don’t worry. You’ll look great when I finish.”

      She brightened. “Maybe the new me will tempt the sexy Australian.”

      Nora chuckled. “Oh, honey, stand in line.”

      Two hours later, Lucie surveyed her new image. Shades of dark blond, gold and copper added more light to her hair. Nora had trimmed a few inches off the ends, giving her a more casual look.

      “I like it,” Lucie said. “Now to buy some new clothes to go with the new image.”

      “Are you sure Nick can handle having a sexy mom?” Nora teased.

      “If I can handle that sky-high IQ of his, he can handle this.” She quickly stroked dark coral lip gloss across her lips. “Yep, just what I needed.”

      “You’ll be beating the men off with a stick,” Nora predicted.

      Her face lit up. “You know, that wouldn’t be so bad.”

      After Lucie left, Nora glanced at the empty station that belonged to Ginna. She missed having her best friend there. Then she mentally reminded herself that Ginna knew her only too well. The last thing Nora wanted her friend to hear was that Nora had slept with her brother.

      Even if a tiny voice deep inside reminded her that sleep hadn’t been exactly high on their list that night.

      “HEY, buddy, Magnum called. He wants his shirt back!”

      Mark rolled his eyes at the reference to the famed television private detective operating out of Hawaii.

      “Ha, ha, very funny. I never heard that one before,” he said with perfect deadpan delivery. He opened his locker door and pulled out a navy blue polo shirt with the fire department’s insignia embroidered on the upper left-hand corner of the chest. He hung up his short-sleeved shirt on a hook inside the locker. He didn’t care what anyone else thought. The shirt with swaying palm trees and hula girls dancing under the trees across the white cotton fabric was one of his favorites. He tossed his well-worn khaki shorts into his locker after pulling out navy twill pants that finished his uniform, identifying him as a paramedic.

      “I hate to think where you find those shirts,” his older brother Jeff said as he also changed into his uniform. His locker door slammed shut with a metallic clang. “I worry about you, baby brother. I’m thinking in forty or fifty years you’re going to be one of those little old men with the knobby knees, eye-blinding plaid Bermuda shorts, black socks and sandals who’ll be chasing sweet young things.”

      “As to that horrifying little-old-man picture you drew, there’s no way I’d steal that pleasure from you, big brother. Don’t worry, Jeff, I’m leaving that up to you and Brian.” Mark clapped him on the back. “I can see it now. You two will be wearing shirts that match Abby’s and Gail’s dresses,” he said, referring to his brothers’ wives. You’ll all take cruises together and play shuffleboard and bingo. Maybe you two will even go wild playing a few hands of canasta. Lights out at nine,” he snickered. “You’ll be real party animals.”

      “Grandma would whomp you upside the head if СКАЧАТЬ