Chapter 24

Iwas out of a job. I wasn't sure what my next move was going to be, but I didn't feel like I needed to pound the pavement just yet. I had called some of my regular clients to update them about what was going on, and I had a few house calls set up already. Instead of going into the salon the next morning, I met up with Ava and Macy for coffee.

There was a new bakery in town, owned by one of our clients' grandchildren. Ava and I accepted a free cinnamon bun each, after much arguing.

"I won't take no for an answer," the young proprietor said.

We thanked her, ordering coffee to go with the pastry, and picked a seat outside on the porch. It was early spring, so it was cold enough for jackets but warm enough to enjoy breakfast outdoors. I added a third cinnamon bun to our order for Macy, and the three of us ate more sugar than anyone was accustomed to eating for breakfast.

"This is so good!" Ava said around a mouthful of sugary heaven.

I agreed, licking my lips.

Macy cut into hers like a pro, finishing it off in record time. "How are you girls holding up?" she asked, wiping her fingers on a napkin.

I sipped coffee thoughtfully. "I'm okay. I've called a few clients, and I have a few cuts and colors set up."

"That's great," Macy enthused. "How awful was it yesterday?"

"It was pretty bad," I said.

"Yeah," Ava commiserated. "When the guys burst in the door, I thought for sure we were all going to jail."

"And when Katrina ran out the back window," I said, shaking my head.

"Yeah," Ava agreed. "Crazy."

"All this time, I knew something was wrong, but I kept thinking it couldn't be Katrina. I thought somehow we would find out that she was innocent or being coerced into helping the others." I sighed. "I just can't believe she would knowingly sell that stuff."

"Out of our hair salon!" Ava agreed.

Macy nodded, "I can't believe this all went down in such a small town. I mean, this is something you'd expect in Austin or Nashville, but not here."

Ava and I were silent. We had lived in Singer's Ridge all our lives, and we knew that even small towns had their dark sides.

"Have you told Ava?" Macy perked up.

"Oh." I turned to my best friend. "I'm pregnant."

"That's amazing!" Ava reached across the table to hug me. I laughed, trying to avoid sticky fingers in my hair. "When? How?"

"You see, when a man loves a woman," Macy began, teasing.

"Stop." Ava threw a balled-up napkin at her. "I meant when did you find out?"

"Two days ago," I said.

"Congratulations." Ava straightened in her chair. "What did Jason say?"

I winced. "I haven't actually told him yet."

Ava exhaled dramatically.

Macy pinched her mouth tight. "You have to tell him."

"I know," I said.

"Waiting is only going to make it harder," Macy explained. "Take it from me, I know."

I sighed again. "There's just so much going on. There's the salon, and now Jason's wife is in town."

"Who?" Ava asked.

"You know that woman…" I trailed off, something across the street catching my eye.

There was a laundromat and a bookstore facing the bakery. Two cars were parked in front of the laundromat, and as I watched, that same crazy lady from the grocery store snuck out of the laundromat and around one of the cars. I couldn't tell what she was doing, but it didn't look like either of the cars belonged to her.

"There she is." I pointed.

Both Ava and Macy looked.

"Oh yeah," Ava said. "I remember her."

"Oh crap." I pulled out my phone. The woman paced a drunken circle on the sidewalk and then popped back inside the laundromat. I dialed Jason, waiting an eternity before he picked up.

"Hey," he said warmly.

"Your wife is here," I cut him off. "I think she's following me."

"Where are you?" he demanded.

"I'm at Pax's Bakery."

"Don't move. Go inside. Stay where others can see you. I'll be right there." He hung up.

I put the phone back in my purse, my hands shaking.

"Are you okay?" Ava reached out to wrap a strong hand around my fragile one.

I nodded, feeling tears just behind my eyes. "She broke into our cabin and trashed the place."

"Oh my God, Lindsey," Macy gasped, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Is she dangerous?" Ava asked.

"I don't know," I said. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure the answer was ‘yes.'

It was only a few minutes before Jason arrived. "Where did you see her?" he asked, storming up the porch steps.

I pointed across the street at the laundry.

He kissed me on the top of my head. "Stay together," he told my friends before jumping down the stairs and racing across the street.

Together, we watched as Jason pierced the laundromat. The street was deceptively peaceful, and we wondered what was happening. For a moment, we sat in silence, until Jason reemerged, shaking his head. He came back to us, apologetic.

"She's not in there?" I asked.

"No, I didn't see anyone." He lingered at our table, wanting to say more, wanting to sit down.

I pointed to one of the other tables. "You can grab a chair."

He reached down to kiss me again. "I can't stay."

I nodded.

"Call me again if you see her." His eyes were worried.

"I'm fine," I assured him.

"Can you stay with her?" Jason asked Macy and Ava.

"Of course," Macy said.

"I'll try to get off early today, but I don't want you alone at the cabin."

"We'll be fine," I told him.

"We won't let her out of our sight," Ava promised.

Jason nodded, retreating back down the stairs. I watched him go with a mixture of pain and regret. It hadn't been the right time to drop my bombshell on him, but the way things were going, it didn't seem like there would be a good time. We finished our coffee, talking around the elephant in the room. Macy insisted on fantasizing about my baby shower.

"We could make goodie bags for everyone with all those cute little baby things inside," she said. "Like Baby Ruth candies and Junior Mints."

After coffee, I invited the girls back to the cabin and cooked grilled cheese for all of us. We sat in the living room and played Rummy for hours. I showed Ava my remaining wigs that had been hidden in the box in my closet and were therefore untouched. Macy went through my wardrobe, picking out things that she might like to borrow. Not everything had been destroyed, and I still had a number of presentable outfits.

"This would be perfect." Macy held up a blouse, checking herself out in the mirror. "You have such great taste in clothes."

"We're gonna have to get you some maternity threads," Ava said.

"We could go into Nashville," Macy suggested. "There's this great little maternity shop—nothing but the best."

"All I need are some jeans and I'll be set," I tried.

Macy shook her head. "Trust me. When you're out to here, you're going to want something that makes you feel beautiful." She indicated the width of a pregnant belly with one hand.

I laughed. It felt good to be surrounded by friends, even if they were here to ward off tragedy. Jason arrived home at five, just as he said he would. I thanked the girls for staying with me and promised that it would all blow over soon.

Ava kissed my cheek before leaving. "Take care of her," she commanded Jason.

He nodded.

Macy pulled me into a hug, whispering, "Tell him."

"I will," I promised.

They each got into their vehicles, and the small caravan rumbled down the hill, disappearing into the forest. Jason and I were alone with the ghosts of his crazy wife and our baby between us. We went back into the living room and sat down.

"I think I know where she's staying," he said. "I can serve her with divorce papers."

"What if she does something really stupid?" I asked, leaving the threat of violence unspoken.

Jason nodded in agreement. "She might. Our life together was pretty rocky, but I was in it for the long haul. I mean, I thought when you got married that was it, for better or for worse. When she left me, it was actually a weight off my shoulders." He sighed. "Then she turns up here and starts stalking the woman I'm in love with."

My heart froze. Had I just heard him right? Had he backed into admitting that he loved me? My voice betrayed my emotion when I asked the pointed question. "What did you say?"

I could feel his hesitancy at repeating the phrase, "The woman I'm in love with."

Bliss settled its warm body around my own, wiping all my fears away. "I love you, too," I said, feeling relief and power in equal doses. He did love me. He felt the same way about me that I felt about him. That first bridge had been crossed, and we arrived safely on the opposite side. Feeling suddenly tired, I laid my head down against his shoulder and drifted off to sleep.