Chapter 4
Cindy buzzed with nervous energy the next day as she cut hair, made conversation with clients, ran credit cards and booked follow-up appointments.
It was like any other day at the salon, but nothing about it felt normal as she counted the seemingly endless hours until she could go to the Beachcomber and tell Jace what she’d decided.
Would he go for the one-month trial period, or would he hold out for something more definite? If she proposed the trial, would that change the easy groove of the friendship they’d formed over the last couple of months?
God, she hoped not. Her conversations with him had become such a source of enjoyment for her, and she looked forward to the time she spent with him, even if she had to share him with his other customers. She loved how he always made his way back to her once he’d tended to everyone else.
What if being roommates changed everything and not for the better?
Ugh, she couldn’t bear that.
“Are you all right, Cindy?” Linda McCarthy asked after a long period of silence. “You seem distracted today.”
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. McCarthy.”
“I told you to call me Linda, and don’t be sorry.”
The comment resurrected a painful memory of her father backhanding her brother Josh for calling an adult by his first name, even after the man had told the Lawry kids to call him Tom.
“Thank you, Linda,” Cindy said, undone by the recollection she’d much sooner forget. But that was the general’s legacy. He was always there, lurking beneath the surface, ready to undercut any progress his children made in escaping him. “And I’m fine. Sorry to be quieter than usual.”
“Don’t you worry about that. You’re not here to entertain me.”
“Aren’t I, though? I was taught a good haircut comes with a dose of gossip, or it’s not a good haircut.”
Linda laughed. “I love that.”
“I learned everything I know about this business at a salon called Laverne’s. It was right out of Steel Magnolias. You’ve seen that movie, right?”
“Of course. It’s a classic, and I can picture your Laverne’s based on the reference.”
“It was such a great place, outside of Dallas. Everyone knew everyone, and there was no such thing as privacy of any kind.”
“Sounds like Gansett.”
“I guess it does,” Cindy said, laughing. “So, what’s the latest news on Gansett?”
“Well, let’s see. With the season ending, everyone’s looking forward to things slowing down, as it does every year in September.
We’re counting down to Big Mac’s nephew Riley’s wedding to Nikki Stokes in November, and the arrival of some more grandchildren this winter.
Our sons Grant and Evan are both expecting with their wives, Stephanie and Grace.
And then Adam and Abby are expecting quads in the spring. ”
“I was talking to Mallory about that. I can’t imagine four babies.”
“Abby couldn’t either until there they were—and after she was told she probably couldn’t have kids.”
“It’s a miracle.”
“She’s trying to see it that way, but they’ll have five little ones all at once, counting their son, Liam.”
“Wow.”
“We’ll be there to help, though.”
“She’s lucky to have family nearby.”
“For sure. We’ll also be working on the new spa at the hotel and the wedding venue at the old alpaca farm.”
“You’ve got a lot going on.”
“We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Talking about other people’s lives kept Cindy from obsessing about how many hours were left until she could see Jace.
Her mother was her last customer of the day, which allowed Cindy to relax a bit as she did color and a trim for her ageless mom. “I don’t know how you do it,” Cindy said.
“Do what?” Sarah asked.
“Look like you’re forty when you’re a little more than that.”
“A little more,” Sarah said, laughing. “Like twenty-five years more.”
“You’re wearing it well, Mama.”
“Thanks to your efforts with those foils.”
“Nah, it’s all you. Tip of the hat to your ageless mother, too.”
“She’s a pretty spectacular eighty-five-year-old.”
“Yes, she is. I guess good genes run in our family.”
“On my side of the family, that is,” Sarah said dryly.
“That goes without saying.”
Cindy’s youngest brother Jeff looked just like their father as a younger man. Julia had darker hair like he did, but the rest of them were blond like their mother, thankfully.
“You know what helps keep me young?”
“What’s that?”
“Happiness. Being with Charlie has been life changing. I had no idea such a thing was possible, even growing up with my wonderful parents. If I’d known better, maybe I would’ve made some changes sooner. I wish I had. I wasted so much time that could’ve been spent being happy.”
“I’m so glad you finally got there, Mom. No one in this world deserves it more than you do.”
“We all do. That’s what I’ve learned. Every single one of us deserves love and happiness. That’s all I want for you kids now that I have it. Three down, four to go.”
Cindy laughed. “No pressure, though.”
“None at all. It’ll happen when it’s meant to, like it did for Owen, Katie and Julia.”
“They definitely got lucky.”
“You will, too, sweetie. I know it. That big heart of yours is going to make some man very lucky.”
“We’ll see, I guess.”
“I hope you’re open to the idea of finding someone.”
“I am, but I’m holding out for something special. I see Julia with Deacon, and I think, ‘I want what they have.’”
“They’re adorable together.”
“He’s crazy about her.”
“And vice versa. That’s how it ought to be.”
“I love that she’s playing and singing again.”
“Oh Lord, me, too. She absolutely shines onstage.” Her mother’s smile faded ever so slightly.
“I hate what you all went through. I think about how I wish I had that time to do over, but if I did, I never would’ve married him or had you kids.
And that would’ve been tragic. You guys make all the hard times worth it. ”
“We all hate what you went through. At least we got a break from it when we came here in the summers.”
“I stayed far longer than I should have. I should’ve left him the minute Jeff moved to Florida with Gram and Pop. Your father kept promising things would be different. I should’ve known better by then.”
“Enough about him,” Cindy said. “Let’s talk about you and Charlie and happy things.”
Sarah’s expression immediately softened. “Charlie is a very happy thing for sure. If you’d asked me a few years ago if I’d ever remarry, I would’ve laughed. But when the right guy comes along…”
“He’s absolutely perfect.”
“I’m glad you think so, because I worried what you guys would think of him being an ex-con covered in tattoos with a chip a mile wide on his shoulder when I first met him.
I think all the time about what I would’ve missed if I hadn’t taken the chance to get to know him, even after he told me about his past.”
It occurred to Cindy that her mother would understand her dilemma with Jace better than anyone else ever could. After she blow-dried her mother’s hair into a smooth, stylish look, she stood back to admire her handiwork.
“I love it, sweetheart. But I always do.”
“You’re my best customer, and it’s my pleasure to have you in my chair.” Cindy had lived away from her family for years, so it was a treat to be able to cut their hair again, the way she had when they all lived at home and first discovered she had a talent for it.
Her mother handed her a credit card.
“Don’t be silly. No charge for you.”
“You will take this and charge me what you would anyone else, and I’ll tip you the way I would anyone else. I won’t hear of anything but that.”
Cindy rolled her eyes, took the card from her mother and charged her only for the color. “Happy now?”
“Very happy.” Sarah added a thirty-dollar tip and signed her new name, Sarah Grandchamp, to the receipt.
“Can you stay for a minute?” Cindy asked. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Of course. I have nowhere to be until later. Charlie and I are making dinner for Mom and Dad.” Cindy’s grandparents, Adele and Russ, lived in a cottage on the property Charlie had bought with the settlement money he’d received from the state for fourteen years of improper imprisonment.
Cindy turned the Open sign to Closed and locked the door before joining her mom in the reception area.
“Is everything all right?” Sarah asked with the old wary look Cindy had seen far too often growing up when nothing was ever all right.
“Yes, I’m fine, but I wanted to tell you I’ve sort of met someone. A man.”
“Oh, Cindy, really? Do tell!”
“He’s a lot like Charlie, and I only put that together when you were talking about what he shared with you when you first met him. Jace is an ex-con, a recovering addict and a very sweet man. In fact, he answered my ad for a roommate.”
“What did he do?” Sarah asked, her tone guarded now.
“He and his older brother robbed a convenience store when they needed money for drugs. His brother pulled a gun, the owner of the store shot him, and Jace stayed with his brother, who died right there in the store. He did six years in prison and got clean while he was in there. He’s here because his two little boys live here. Jackson and Kyle—”
“Chandler. Lisa’s boys.”
“Yes.”
“They’re doing so well with Seamus and Carolina.”
“He’s aware of that and is thankful to get to see them occasionally. He’s not trying to upset anything.”
“That’s a lot to take on, Cin.”
“I know. He said as much himself when he told me about it. But the thing is, I’ve already known him for a while.
I pop into the Beachcomber for dinner a few nights a week, and he’s the bartender there.
We’ve become friendly, and well… I like him.
I only found out his full story when he came to see the house last night. ”
“I give him points for being honest with you.”
“I do, too. He didn’t have to tell me what he did, but he said it wouldn’t be fair not to.”
“Charlie said something like that to me, too.”
“Charlie was in prison for something he didn’t do, though. Jace was there for something he did do.”
“Yes, that’s true, although he wasn’t the one who had the gun, and he could’ve possibly saved his own skin by taking off after his brother was shot but didn’t.”
“I thought the same thing and feared I was trying to justify it all in my mind to make it work because I like him so much.”
“It matters that he told you the truth and didn’t let you hear it from someone else.”
“I think I’m going to give him a chance as a roommate and friend.”
“The ultimate irony is that my ex-con husband is a million times the man my decorated military officer husband was.”
“Right?” The day Mark Lawry was sentenced to jail for abusing Sarah had been one of the best days of all their lives.
“It’s funny that before Charlie, I would’ve freaked out about you living with an ex-con and recovering addict. But being with Charlie has taught me so much about grace and compassion and that everyone struggles in one way or another.”
“That’s so true. When I look at Jace, I see a sweet, kind, caring, sexy man who makes me feel things. I have no idea if he feels the same way, but he tends to give me extra attention at the bar, even when I’m only drinking water.”
“I love that for you, sweetheart.”
“But then there’s this other part of me that worries about making a bad decision and bringing drama into my life.”
“I get that. I was the same way when I first started to realize Charlie was interested in me as more than a friend. I wanted nothing to do with him. I’d been there, done that, and there was no way I was going down that road again.”
“What changed?” Cindy asked.
“He kept showing up and was the same from one day to the next, no explosions of anger or temper tantrums when he didn’t get his way.
He was kind, loyal, funny, gruff, sexy… After a few months of seeing him every day and getting to know him, I could no longer think of a single reason to keep my distance from him—and that was the last thing I wanted to do anyway. ”
“I love that, Mom. It’s such a great story.”
Sarah shrugged. “It’s hard to trust new people when you come from what we do.”
“That’s exactly it.”
“If you like this man, if you trust him, then that’s what matters.”
Cindy leaned in to hug her mother. “Thank you for understanding.”
“I do. Better than anyone. I worried so much what you kids would say about me dating Charlie because of his past. I hoped you’d take the time to get to know him before you judged him.”
“He’s wonderful. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a father.”
“Oh honey, that’s a lovely thing to say. Do you mind if I tell him that?”
“Of course not. It’s true. We all feel that way.”
“I’ll always be sorry I didn’t choose a better man to father my children, but I’m forever thankful to your father for my seven marvelous kids.”
They hugged again at the door. “Love you, Mom.”
“Love you more, sweet girl. Keep me posted about your new friend.”
“I will.”
Cindy waved her off and then locked the door.
She swept up the hair and ran a Swiffer over the floor.
On Tuesdays, she also cleaned the mirrors and windows as well as the tiny bathroom in the back.
She could’ve saved those chores for the next day, but the work kept her from watching the clock and thinking too hard about seeing Jace.
Her heart thumped and her pulse raced when she thought of him.
In the back of her mind, she feared setting herself up for a huge disappointment by getting so carried away over him.
What if he was just doing his job and being nice to her because she was a customer?
Was it possible she’d read too much into their subtle flirtation?
Was it even flirtation or him just doing what he did with everyone?
As she scrubbed the bathroom floor, she drove herself crazy with those questions and others. She’d dated a lot when she was younger, but rarely allowed her interactions with men to go beyond the surface. It was safer there. If you didn’t let people in, they couldn’t hurt you.
The general had taught her that and many other lessons children should never have to learn from a parent.
But after years of therapy and working on herself, she refused to let the scars from the past ruin the present and future.
The Lawrys were survivors, not victims. They’d prevailed in the end.
Mark Lawry’s once-sterling reputation was in tatters, the worst kind of punishment for a man who cared more about his image than his own family.
Justice had been served, and she was determined to move forward without that dark cloud hanging over her life.
With the salon clean and fresh smelling, she tidied up the reception desk and shut down the computer that ran the appointment and billing systems. As she locked the door and began the short walk home, she was determined to remain positive no matter what became of her friendship with Jace.
If he wasn’t “the one” for her, someone else would be. She’d find him.
Eventually.