Chapter 4

It was my first day back at work after a blissful vacation. I didn't go anywhere but spent the time relaxing and getting settled into my cabin. I clocked in and saw some of my regulars. They were all happy I had returned, some with horror stories about having to wait a full week to get their hair done.

Ava, my best work friend, clocked in at 11:00, and we spent the next three hours chatting over the heads of our clients.

"I can't believe you're renting a cabin," Ava said, drawing her comb through a lady's hair.

"It's wonderful," I said, spritzing my client with mist to tame flyaway curls.

"Aren't you scared?" Ava asked.

"Not at all."

"But what about bears?" Ava shuddered.

"It's perfectly safe," I assured her.

The door opened, and in walked Macy Ford, without her little ones.

"Hi, Macy," I said, "I'll be with you in a few minutes."

"Take your time." Macy chose a magazine and sat down in the waiting area.

I finished up with my client and turned her to face the mirror.

"Beautiful as always," the older woman said, gingerly touching her locks.

I helped her take the plastic bib off and climb out of the chair.

"I'll see you next month?" I asked as we moved toward the door.

"Wednesday at eleven," she said with a smile.

"Wednesday at eleven," I confirmed. I opened the door for her and gave her time to exit the shop. Once that was done, I turned my attention to Macy. "Thanks for coming in."

"Oh, I needed it." Macy set her magazine down. "You wouldn't believe what kind of gross things I've had in my hair."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Peanut butter. Yogurt. Applesauce." Macy laughed. "I desperately need a haircut."

"Well, hop on into the chair," I said.

She sat, and I swiveled her chair, so we were both facing the mirror. I ran my fingers through her hair, getting a feel for it. As an artist, it was almost like hair was my clay. I had to know what I was working with before I could shape it into something beautiful.

"Do you know what you want?" I asked.

Macy shrugged. "A little bit shorter than it is right now. Something low maintenance but still sexy."

I laughed. "I know just the cut."

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Ava pouted.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Ava, this is Macy Ford. She's new to Singer's Ridge."

"I've been here three, almost four years," Macy said.

"Girl, I've been here my whole life," Ava laughed. "You're new."

"Macy, this is Ava. We've been best friends since high school."

"Pleased to meet you," Macy said.

"And this—" Ava placed her hands on her client's shoulders. "—is Bella. She bakes the best cookies this side of Nashville."

"Go on," Bella said.

"I'd love to try some," Macy said.

"I'll bring some over," Bella replied. "You work in the doctor's building, don't you?"

Macy nodded. "I see clients in the doctor's building on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Mondays and Fridays, I do home visits."

"What kind of home visits?" I asked, running a brush through her hair.

"I do art therapy," Macy said. "I bring paints and crayons and modeling clay, and I help children work through their emotions. Sometimes parents are more comfortable in a professional setting, and sometimes it's easier for the families if I come to them. It lets me see what their daily life is like, and I can sometimes suggest things that might help them."

"Like what?" Ava asked.

"Like for example if there are no children's books in the house, I might suggest they go to the library. Or if the child doesn't have a dedicated space of their own, I might help them create a corner where they can go to calm down." Macy explained.

"Oh," I said.

"I just love art, and I love helping people," Macy said. "I really missed work while I was…" She trailed off, not sure she wanted to explain her entire adventure to three brand-new friends.

"I love what I do," I said, rotating Macy in her chair so I could lean her back toward the sink. "Just like how your art helps children, my art helps women feel good about themselves."

"Definitely," Macy agreed.

I turned on the water, placed a towel under Macy's neck, and worked shampoo through her long auburn hair. After rinsing the soap out, I patted her head with the towel, then reached for the scissors to begin the trim.

"I don't love what I do," Ava said abruptly.

Bella looked up.

"Oh, I mean, I love it," Ava corrected herself, "but it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life."

"What do you want to do?" Macy asked.

"I'd love to find the right man, get married, and settle down," Ava sighed.

I laughed. Ava had been searching for the right man ever since we had first met at fifteen years old.

"I found the right man," Macy said. "And it's absolutely wonderful. But I still like my job."

"I just want to be a stay-at-home mom," Ava sighed again, "with three beautiful children who will be named Henry, Betty, and Ryan."

Bella chuckled.

"You've got it really figured out," Macy said.

"You don't know the half of it," I teased. "She decided she was going to make it work with… who was the latest one?"

"Don't say it like that." Ava pushed my arm gently.

I turned my focus to Macy's hair, letting the subject drop.

"Bella, I'd love to get that cookie recipe from you," Macy said after a pause.

"Oh, I never share my recipe." Bella winked.

I finished up the trim and turned Macy around so she could check herself out in the mirror.

"I love it!" she exclaimed. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Anytime." I grinned.

My next customer was walking in the door, so I gave Macy a hug.

"We'll have to get together sometime," Macy said. "A girls' night out."

"Sounds fabulous," I said.

I worked the rest of the day, chatting with my customers, making everyone feel a little fresh and new. At the end of my shift, I clocked out, waved goodbye to Ava, and got in my car. The whole way home, I was thinking about how wonderful it would be to kick off my shoes and relax. There would be quiet, broken only by the sounds of nature. The air would be fresh, and I would be able to leave all my worries behind.

I pulled up to the cabin, turned off the car, and got out. It was still early, and there was plenty of light. I felt so much better than I had in town. I felt like I could stretch out and be myself, like no one was watching or judging. I had all the time in the world, so I took a moment just to study the trees before moving up the porch steps.

The rocking chair was a little closer to the door than I thought it had been. It looked almost like someone had pushed it aside to get to the end of the porch. Feeling a little uneasy, I opened the door and went inside. Something was off in there as well. My spider plant, the one I had lovingly placed on the edge of the island, was now sitting on a stool. One of the throw pillows I had bought in town had been flipped over, its cheerful pattern now hidden by the couch.

With a sinking feeling, I raced into my bedroom but found nothing amiss. Nothing had been stolen or broken, but I was sure someone had been inside. I called the landlord and waited impatiently while the phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered finally.

"Hi, this is Lindsey Parker," I identified myself. "I'm renting a cabin off of Miller Road."

"Yes?" he asked, as if bored already.

"Has someone been in my house?" I fought to keep the panic from my voice.

"Oh, yes," he suddenly remembered. "I showed it to a potential buyer."

My heart stopped. This was so much worse than an intruder. "What do you mean?" I choked out. "You said it was rent-to-own."

"The buyer has cash," the landlord said, not sugarcoating it.

"Well, I can make double payments," I sputtered.

There was silence on the other end of the line. "Let me get back to you," he said finally.

I hung up the phone and stared at it for a long moment, not sure what to do. My perfect dream of owning a home had vanished in a single sentence. I had been so sure that I was going to live here for the rest of my life. I had seen myself retired, sitting on the porch, sipping coffee. I had imagined curling up on the sofa to read a book on my days off, taking day-long hikes through the forest where I would pack a sandwich and return to the cabin exhausted by nightfall. My dream life had evaporated around me and disappeared into thin air.

I sat down on the sofa and cried.