8. My Lucky Day

8

MY LUCKY DAY

" A ndi," Amanda said, rushing toward her on Friday morning. "I'm so glad to see you. How are you feeling?"

"Better," she said. "At least better than I was over the weekend and even Monday."

"Are you sure you should be working today?" Amanda asked. "We could have rescheduled it for you."

"I'm fine. I need to get out and do something," she said. "If I have to sit around watching stupid talk shows one more day I might lose my mind."

She thought it'd be fun. Yeah, not.

She'd never been someone to sit around doing nothing. She even went for a few walks but nothing in the woods where she might trip and fall again.

Andi was still so mad at herself for not paying attention. But she'd been taking in the beauty around her and getting in what she thought might be the last nice day of the fall.

Thoughts of her and her father hiking were recycling through her brain. She needed that reminder and bond with him again.

But she was worried about the terrain and turning an ankle and should have worn her hiking boots rather than sneakers. It's just,shedidn't think she was going to veer off the road and go on the trails and should have planned better.

Next time she would.

"I know that feeling," Amanda said. "Even when I'm home with Liam, there is only so much to do."

She found that funny. Amanda was a little mother to the girls in the salon. A beautiful salon at that. Much nicer than any place she'd ever worked before.

Yep, Drew was going to be an heir to billions at some point. He was worth more millions than she'd ever seen but then had to remind herself she hadn't thought she'd have over a million to her name either and did.

Not that anyone other than Jack knew those details.

Amanda didn't have to work a day in her life now and yet she was.

"You could do all sorts of things with your son," she said. "I heard this is a great age to be with them."

"It is," Amanda said. "But it's also an age he needs interaction with other kids. I know that. He's got cousins around the same age and we do play dates when we can work it out, but most of them put their kids in daycare part time too. It worked out for the best and they get to play there also. This gives me a few days a week to run my business and keep my hand in what I love to do."

"I was missing it and everyone here. I do like to talk."

"Though we know you hardly say much," Amanda said, winking. "Just like me, so I get it."

The thing about being a stylist was you talked but didn't say muchofsubstance. Listened and added to what your clients were saying but didn't share a lot of personal information.

She'd been like that long before her life had to be uprooted. It was just easier and better that way.

"I only have two appointments today so I'm taking it easy. One is a cut and then I've got a two-hour window before I've got a color. This way I can relax in between."

"How busy are you tomorrow?" Amanda asked.

"Three appointments tomorrow. Two colors and one cut. Then off Sunday and have three appointments on Monday. If after Monday I feel good, then I'll try to squeeze in more of those I had to cancel."

"I'm glad to know you aren't pushing it. I felt bad you were alone. I could have come to check on you and bring you food, but you were stubborn. Even though my family wasn't around before I met Drew, I had roommates that I was close with."

Andi knew that too. One of those roommates was married to Jarrett's brother Mac. The other was married to Hunter Bond. Funny that all three of them married Bonds, but from different branches.

She wondered how much Amanda might know of what happened.

Nah, there was no reason for anyone to know too much. At least she was hoping that.

"My cousin flew in from Tulsa once he got the call. He stayed until Monday morning. He would have stayed longer, but I pushed him out. Then I saw your brother-in-law and am scheduled to get my two teeth fixed next week."

"That's great. I'm glad Coy got you in so quickly. Though I'm sure it's going to be a hit to your wallet."

"I've got it put away for things like this."

"I'm glad," Amanda said. "Reallyglad. I brought in dessert today for your return."

She groaned. She loved dessert. Had a weakness for it. "Is it soft?"

"It is," Amanda said. "Bread pudding and it's still warm as I took it out of the oven right before I came. Chocolate bread pudding and I've got a peanut butter sauce to go on top of it."

Andi rubbed her hand across her belly. "Good thing I had a light breakfast andhavetime for some before my first client. You're the best."

"Yes, I am," Amanda said. "I had to make a double so that Drew could bring some into the office too.Otherwisehe whines and is moodier than Liam. And he would have brought that attitude to the office. Now he gets to go in and be the hero and tease his brother Bode with it."

She'd heard the stories of how Amanda baked for Drew and the office and Bode only got sweets from Amanda. That Bode's wife, Sam, wasn't much of a baker and said she didn't need to when he got it all from his mother or sister-in-law.

It was one thing she learned in the short time she'd been on the island.That mostin the Bond family were close with each other and it was something she'd never experienced much in her life.

She was lucky she didn't move much with her father and knew he'd done that to keep her life as stable as possible since her mother took off when she was younger.

But her father didn't have any siblings and his mother had passed when Andi was a kid. Then her grandfather when she was twenty. Her mother's family stopped communicating with her when her mother left.

She often wondered what her parents saw in each other because it seemed they never got along.

Later, she found out her mother had gotten pregnant and realized her father had tried to do the right thing, but in theendhe got burned. It was probably why he never tried again.

The same reason Jack was single. He'd had relationships too, but when her father was killed, Jack focused on doing the right thing for her, and he'd put his relationship with Sarah way down on his priority list and she'd left.

Andi didn't want that for him anymore, but there was no talking to him just like there hadn't been with her father.

All it did was make her think that she didn't want to be alone anymore.

Maybe that was why she said as much as she had to Jarrett on Monday. And had even let him in the house when she never would have done that before.

No, Jack didn't trust Jarrett, but she did. And she was going on how she felt.

Jarrett was being helpful. He was concerned. He saw something that made him want to protect her.

She wouldn't hold that against him.

Actually,it was what drew him to her and that was saying something.

Her father always wanted to protect her. Guess she missed that more than she realized too.

"Let's feed my belly and everyone else now," she said, but looked around and saw only one other stylist had come in. There were five of them in the salon. Five chairs and four were rentedoff ofAmanda.

The other two stylists would probably come in later this morning.

"Come on, Jen, time for dessert before lunch."

Jen was older and normally kept to herself unless spoken to. She was off to the side at her station getting it ready.

"It's about time," Jen said. "I've been smelling it for ten minutes before you got here."

"Sorry about that," Andi said. "I would have come in sooner if I'd known."

"We are just glad you're back," Jen said. "Feeling better, I heard."

"I am," she said. "And don't even need as much makeup to cover the shiner. It's more yellow than red and black."

"It's fine," Amanda said. "With the tape over your stitches, it's obvious something happened, but you've got your hair hanging in front of your face enough to cover it."

"Which I hate, but it's better than stares. I'll have to explain it to my clients today. They had these appointments before it happened."

Andi hated explaining anything, but the last thing she wanted was anyone to think she'd gotten beaten up.

The three of them ate their bread pudding and she was moaning over every bite. Oral orgasm went through her mind, but she wouldn't say those words. It'd make Amanda laugh though.

Guess it was the only orgasm she'd had in years and that could be why she was thinking along those lines.

Andi finished with her first appointment and was feeling good. She was off to the side relaxing and watching TV while she waited for her next appointment. She had about forty-five minutes at this point.

When the door opened, she thought it was for one of the other girls, but saw Jarrett Bond walk in.

The smile filled her face before she could stop it. Her thoughts were going back to the orgasms earlier. Maybe the knock on the head loosened her up to her old personality. Wouldn't that be nice to have a little reminder of Colleen?

"You don't have an appointment today," Amanda said to him.

Andi didn't know he came here. She'd never seen him before. She would have remembered.

"I know," he said. His head turned and he caught her sitting here. "Just thought I'd stop in and see if I could get a quick trim if you had time."

"I don't," Amanda said. She had a client in her chair right now that she was starting to lighten. "Not if you are in a hurry or busy. But maybe Andi can do it. I know you two know each other."

"I can," she said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Jarrett asked. "I don't want to bother or rush you if you're busy or resting."

"I'm good," she said. "Come over to my chair."

"Guess it was my lucky day," he said.

Or maybe it was hers...