Chapter 7
SEVEN
ANABELLE
“I’ll have vanilla,” Lucas tells Sully, not even bothering to browse the myriad of selections she carries in her shop.
“Would you like any toppings on that, sir?” Sully has her long, jet-black hair twisted back into a bun.
“No.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “You come to Scoops, and all you order is plain vanilla?” I say incredulously.
Lucas turns to me, his expression serious. “What’s wrong with that?”
“What about praline pecan, black walnut, or rocky road?” I wave my hand in front of the display while Sully’s eyes sparkle in amusement as she looks between us, her scoop hovering over the container of vanilla like she’s not sure what to do.
“I don’t like nuts,” he explains.
“So would you like the vanilla then?” Sully asks.
“That is what I said.” He’s not exactly rude when he says it. Just matter-of-fact.
Now that I think about it, a basic bowl of vanilla does make sense for him. He’s a simple guy—in some ways. In others, he’s more of a layered ice cream cake. Mysterious until you cut into it to see what’s inside.
Lately, I’ve been wanting to solve that mystery. Which is foolish of me. I don’t have time for a man in my life, and the last man I should be pursuing is the one mentoring my son.
“Two scoops.” He points at Nolan and me and circles the air over us. “One check, please.”
“That’s not necessary,” I protest.
Aubrey is grinning ear to ear. She’d better wipe that smile right off her face. She’s in big trouble. Lucky for her, she’s already paid for her ice cream.
“Mom, just let him. You know money is tight,” Nolan says.
“Not that tight,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Then why did you say soccer camp is too expensive?”
Lucas’s gaze snaps to us, and his jaw tightens.
Wonderful. The last thing I need is for him to feel sorry for me.
I sigh and ruffle his hair. “We can’t do everything, buddy. But we’re doing fine, and that means I can pay for our ice cream.” I turn back to Sully, who is standing expectantly.
“What would you like?” Sully asks.
“I’ll get two scoops of the cookie dough in a cone. Nolan, tell her what you want.”
“I want a scoop of bubble gum, cake batter, and chocolate in a bowl.”
We’ve come here so many times, he already knows his favorites. When his dad left, I bribed him with ice cream a lot. Scoops got us through some rough moments in life. It helped that Sully was around to listen, too. She also gives good business advice.
Sully hands me my cone, and Nolan his overflowing bowl, and I step up to pay the bill. But before I can get my card from my purse, Lucas is handing her a hundred.
“Keep the change.”
Oh, that’s great. Just flash your money around like you’re taunting me.
Sully’s eyes light up. “This one’s a keeper.” She nods at me.
Why are all my friends determined to set me up with this guy?
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her,” Aubrey calls from the table where she’s seated herself, “but she won’t listen to me.”
Well, yeah. The guy’s a grump. Not exactly my type. But maybe I don’t know what my type is anymore.
As we settle around the table Aubrey chose, Lucas looks over at Nolan’s bowl of rainbow flavors and raises an eyebrow before focusing back on his own bowl of plain vanilla.
“Thank you for the ice cream, Lucas,” Nolan says.
“You’re welcome.” Lucas takes a bite of his ice cream.
Shame heats my cheeks. I’ve been so preoccupied with the fact that he didn’t let me pay that I never stopped to thank him for trying to be nice. “Good job minding your manners, Nolan.” I turn to Lucas, his gaze searing into mine. “It was very nice of you to pay for our ice cream. Thank you.”
“Ooh, girl. Did it hurt to say those words? You look like you’re in pain,” Aubrey says.
“Very funny,” I snap. “I actually meant them.”
“Don’t start getting soft on me, Anabelle,” Lucas growls.
Butterflies flutter in my chest at the way he says my name, all deep and husky.
I shut it down immediately. Maybe I’d better just focus on eating this ice cream cone that’s starting to drip.
I lick around the edges, where it’s turning to liquid.
I close my eyes and hold back a moan. Chocolate chip cookie dough is my all-time favorite, and I haven’t had it for a while.
I really need to do more nice things for myself.
I open my eyes and take another lick. Only Lucas is staring at me with heat in his eyes.
Oh, my. Did someone turn up the thermostat in here? For once—blessedly—Aubrey doesn’t notice the expression on Lucas’s face—she’s too absorbed in her gelato. How is this girl not paying attention? She’s usually watching everything like a hawk.
And now I can’t take my gaze from Lucas’s.
I walk into All Dolled Up, and my stress immediately dissolves from my shoulders.
Lauren’s salon is a dazzling place. Chic wallpaper with pink flowers hosts ornate gold-framed mirrors at each station, and a small chandelier hangs in the center of the room.
Everything is immaculate, and a few other clients are getting their hair done by various stylists.
A slender girl with a ballerina bun greets me at the counter. “Welcome to All Dolled Up. How can I help you?”
“I have an appointment with Lauren.”
She types into the computer and then stands. “Right this way.” She leads me to a chair in front of one of the mirrors. My blonde highlights have dulled and grown out, making me look more exhausted than I already am.
“Hey, girl!” Lauren says, emerging from a back room wearing black clothing that looks to be from a high-end designer. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a sleek, low bun with a center part.
I stand to hug her. “You look so good! You’re always so stylish.” Being married to a celebrity did have its perks, although, from the looks of this salon, she’s bringing in more than enough to have a decent wardrobe.
“So are you!” Lauren says. “I love that cute blouse you have on.”
“This?” I look down at the older pink polka-dotted shirt I’m wearing. “This is the shirt I wear to get my hair done. You know, in case it gets bleach on it?”
She nods. “It’s still cute.”
I grin at her. “I know I’ve told you this a million times, but I can’t believe how you’ve turned this place around. I remember coming here back when the wallpaper was from the eighties.”
“I know. My grandma put her heart and soul into this place, but she got too old to keep up with the renovations.”
“You had your life with Chase. You could have gone off to live in Hollywood if you’d wanted. Live the life of a musician’s wife.”
“I can still live that life here. And we do go to LA quite often. But I could never leave Maple Creek or this salon. It was my dream to get this salon profitable. And now that I’ve achieved that, I don’t plan on stepping away from it.”
“I would never want to leave Maple Creek either. I’ve lived here all my life. My parents and my brothers are here.” I don’t talk to my brothers often because our lives get so busy, but I see them at the occasional family dinner.
“Should we get started?” she asks.
“Yes.” I’ve already sent her about ten photos of what I’d like my hair to look like, so we can dive right into the job.
She turns me away from the mirror and starts clipping up sections of my hair.
I close my eyes, enjoying the feeling of someone combing through my hair.
As a single woman, I’ve noticed that I don’t get this kind of touch anymore.
Nolan isn’t cuddling with me at his age.
So, I’m pretty touch and attention deprived.
Sometimes I don’t notice it until I’m getting a person to touch me, like at a massage or a pedicure.
Or when Lucas touches me.
Where did that thought come from?
“How are your kids doing?” I ask Lauren.
“They just got a new nanny, so it’s been a bit of an adjustment for everyone. The last one got married and moved away.”
“That’s good for her, but not great that you lost your childcare,” I say.
Lauren had the financial means to stay home with her children, but she loves her career and wanted to build her business even though their family doesn’t need the money.
Chase is the lead singer in the mega-famous rock band, Remington Sound .
“It’s okay,” Lauren says as she mixes some chemicals in a bowl.
“The new nanny is great. But she’s still figuring everything out, like the kids’ routines and favorite foods.
” She grabs a foil and starts applying the lightener and developer mix to my hair.
Pretty soon, I’ll look like an alien with foils covering my entire head.
And I’m okay with that. With hair as naturally dark and thick as mine, it’s a big deal to get so much blonde put in.
But it’s worth it for the end result, and Lauren is very good at what she does.
She’s flown all over the country taking classes, so she’s always up to date on the latest trends and methods.
“I heard a rumor about you,” Lauren says, folding up the foil with my hair trapped inside.
Oh, I wonder what that could be. “What did you hear?”
“That you might be dating Lucas Hensley.” She pulls out another foil and places it behind another section of my hair so she can brush lightener on it.
I shift in my chair. My bottom is already getting sore, and I’ve just started sitting here. “People around here do love to talk.”
“Are you dating him?” Lauren cuts straight to the point.
“No, not at all. He’s Nolan’s soccer mentor. I can’t date him,” I explain.
“But there has to be some truth to it if everyone is saying it.” Lauren finishes brushing product onto my hair and then folds up the foil.
“Everyone?” That doesn’t sound good.
“I’ve had at least three clients this week bring it up.” Lauren reaches for another foil.
I groan. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. He’s a really big deal, and he’s been on ESPN a lot.” She places the foil behind my hair and starts brushing product on it.
“I had no idea.”
“Girl! How do you not know this?” Lauren folds up the foil, and it’s cold against my head.
“I don’t watch ESPN,” I say simply.
“Neither do I, but Chase does, and he knew exactly who Lucas was. Apparently, he used to play for the Atlanta Arsenal. Then he had a career-changing injury that took him out of the game for a year. After extensive physical therapy, he landed a position on the Forge here in Roanoke.”
“That explains the knee brace.”
“Rumor is, he’s only in Roanoke until he can get back to the Arsenal.”
“So, he’s only in Maple Creek temporarily.”
“If his plans work out, then yes.”
This fresh knowledge has me grateful that I didn’t allow myself to develop feelings for Lucas. And I was just starting to like him. But if we’d begun dating, he would have become another guy who planned to leave me.
And I can’t allow another man to abandon me.