Leaving Normal (3 page)

"You won't even know Austin's around. I promise."

Hearing the strain in her own voice, Natalie tried reverse reasoning. "But, Cassie, I've never met him—and I don't even know what he looks like—and besides, where would he stay?"

"With Dad. I'll e-mail you pictures of us together."

"With Greg?"

"Yeah. I already talked to him about it and he said it was fine." Natalie gritted her teeth. "Well…1 just wish…"

"Mom, Austin already bought his ticket."

"Oh."

There was a heavy silence on the phone. Natalie hated being so upset over this, especially since she knew Cassie had her own life now. Her daughter was an eighteen-year-old living independently away from home— albeit not completely financially independent. It was inevitable something like this would happen. She'd only hoped it would be later rather than sooner.

"I guess it'll be okay, Cassie."

"Thanks, Mom. I knew you'd be cool with it. I told

Dad you would."

Hanging up, Natalie rose to her feet, the thought of Greg and Cassie discussing her reaction not sitting well with her. It irked her and put a frown on her face. She hated to think that Greg would offer his home just to rattle her cage. He'd never been the malicious type—it took too much effort. But their divorce
had
been rather strained.

With a sigh, Natalie acknowledged there would be a slight damper on Christmas, but nothing she was going to dwell on. Cassie would be coming home and that's what mattered most.

Returning to the area by the cash register, Natalie finally remembered what it was she had to do.

As she focused on a row of toy soldiers painted with bright enamel colors, Natalie smiled, recalling the hours she'd put into her store these last few weeks. She forgot about Austin Mably. Even Greg and his doubts about her abilities to pull off a business venture were no longer a sticking point.

She was proving to herself—and to no one else— that she could do this. And, from all indications, everything she'd hoped Hat and Garden could be was coming to reality.

Romancing Home Depot

Sarah examined the blue, cordless Makita screw gun. Gripping the trigger, she squeezed, and the gun turned over in a fast whir of air power that startled her. "This thing has some kick to it."

Natalie and Sarah sat on the instruction risers at Home Depot for the Do-It-Herself Clinic. The topic was "You Can Organize Your Closet."

As the instructor talked, Natalie spoke beneath her breath. "I want to turn the closet underneath the stairs of Hat and Garden into a storage area."

"Sounds ambitious."

"Can you believe it?" Even Natalie was surprised at her willingness to tackle such a large project. "Two years ago I didn't know a lug nut from a bolt. Last week I had to figure out what kind of washer I needed for my sink faucet." She paused thoughtfully and spoke before she could stop herself. "It would almost be worth having a boyfriend to do all these things for me."

"Now you're talking."

'Talking crap," Natalie whispered. "I like my independence. Want to know what I did the other morning?"

"What?"

"I made myself a piece of toast in the nude."

Sarah slanted her a glance. "Why?"

"Because I could. When Cassie was living at home, God knows how many times she had girls sleep over and I had to look halfway presentable in the morning— no walking around in short-shorts with a wedgie. I rarely had the house to myself. The phone would ring and it was never for me."

"I could help you with that. Steve was telling me about this guy he works with who's single and—"

"I don't need my phone to ring that bad." Natalie mused aloud. "I wasn't sure I would, but I'm enjoying having an empty nest. I miss Cassie, but I don't miss all that went with a teenage girl. It's rather nice not to run out of hot water when I want to fill up the bathtub."

"Gee, what's that like? By the time the girls are out of the bathroom and Steve's finished a few loads of laundry, I'm lucky to have even a tepid shower."

"A hot bath is great. Especially with a glass of wine."

Natalie had enjoyed her bath last night, indulging herself with some Chardonnay. She'd lit all the candles surrounding her big tub, leaned her head back, closed her eyes and mulled over everything she still had to do for the grand opening. There'd been no giggling girls, no ringing phones, no stereo and TV blazing simultaneously. She'd had the entire peaceful moment all to herself.

Glorious. Bliss. Heaven.

It was fun being in her mid-forties without those daily parental responsibilities. She was settling in quite nicely, enjoying every second of her transformation.

Sarah set the screw gun on her lap and gazed directly into Natalie's eyes. "You really
are
happy, aren't you, Natalie?"

Natalie thought for a moment before answering.

These days she was content with her life, but there was no question she'd weathered a lot of changes. Small as they might be, she had some habits she wished she could break.

Sometimes she woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. And every time she woke, she was always back on her side of the bed. Each night, she was determined to sleep in the middle of the queen-size mattress—claim her middle ground, so to speak— but each morning she was right back on the right side, as if Greg were still sleeping on the left. It annoyed her that she was finding it hard to break this habit.

She wanted to break rules, try new things, start over. Have fun.

And that's what she planned on doing. Hat and Garden would be her outlet, her place to begin again.

"Yes," she responded with a smile. "I realty am happy."

She'd learned a lot about herself these past two years—but mostly that she was way more adaptable than she'd thought. Early on, refinancing the house and car in her name had been the least of her hurdles. Financial restructure had been easy compared to the mental restructure. Going from being married to single had been an adjustment. It was almost as if the carpet had been pulled out from under her. Even though the divorce had been her choice, she'd gotten used to the routines in her marriage.

Greg had done certain things—picked up the dry cleaning, carved a Thanksgiving turkey, handled the yard work and a variety of other labors of love. She hadn't realized how integral he'd been in her life until after he'd left it.

Now everything fell on her shoulders. And while she was up to the task, she'd let a few things slip.

Up until recently, she usually grabbed whatever was in the fridge and ate it front of the television. Now she made a point of cooking a real dinner and eating at the kitchen table with a linen place setting—making her evening meal something special, even if it was just for one person. She'd always made a habit of setting a nice table for the three of them, so why would she do any less for herself? She thought about it and didn't like the answer: She didn't think herself worth the trouble. How wrong she was. Now, more than ever, was a time to pamper herself, to take all the little pleasures life had to offer.

Taking her turn squeezing the screw gun's powerful trigger, Natalie then passed it to the woman beside her. "I'm going to have to buy one of these so I can get to work on that closet. Less than two weeks to go and I open Hat and Garden. I'm so excited. Now if only I'd stop having these damn night sweats. Do you remember how old Mom was when she went through the change?"

"I think I was out of high school," Sarah said.

"They say that however old your mother was, that's probably when you'll go through it. My periods have been whacked out lately—more so than usual."

"You've always had irregular periods."

"Don't I know it? I'll be so glad to give them up." An unpredictable monthly was the reason she'd had only one child. Looking back, getting pregnant almost seemed like a fluke.

She and Greg had tried for many years after Cassie to have a second baby, but Natalie had never been able to conceive. She hadn't wanted to endure the uncertain trials of fertility treatments, so they told themselves if it happened on its own, it happened. But it never did.

"I do remember Mom saying once she was finished with the change, she didn't have to shave her legs as often. Now,
that's
something to look forward to."

Natalie choked down a laugh.

Her younger sister was the queen of optimism, and the cheerleader for true love and romance. Sarah had been married for sixteen years to a wonderful man, and working as a Pampered Chef consultant made use of her bubbly personality.

Sarah's gaze left the instruction area and went to the aisles where the home-improvement store teemed with holiday customers. "Have you noticed how many men are in here?" Her careful perusal came to a grinding halt. "Oh. My. God… It's the May Hunk-of-the-Month."

"What are you talking about?" Natalie asked, her eyebrows lifting in confusion.

'The firefighter calendar! It's the guy for the month of May. Look at
him
."

Natalie followed her sister's gaze to the entrance of the electrical aisle and watched a man come forward.

There was only one way to describe him: larger than life.

His masculine presence domineered the shoppers walking past him. Well above average in height, broader in the shoulders than other men, he had clipped short black hair that framed a strong face. Standing somewhere around six foot four or five, he probably weighed in the two-hundred-and-forty-pound range—but every ounce was lean muscle; a solid chest, pumped biceps, a flat belly. Taper-leg jeans encased his thighs.

He wore a hooded, Kelly green sweatshirt with a front pouch pocket. Natalie recognized the IAFF logo— International Association of Firefighters—and the Maltese cross on the left corner of his chest. The words
Engine 13
were above it with
Lucky 13
below.

"He's gorgeous," her sister sighed.

"He's my neighbor."

Eyes wide open in disbelief, Sarah gazed sideways at her. "Mr. May is your neighbor? Since when?"

"Since about four months ago."

"How come I've never seen him?"

"How often do you come over, aside from Sunday-night dinners?"

"Obviously not often enough. We should move Thanksgiving from my house to yours."

"We should not," Natalie countered swiftly. "I'm doing Christmas."

The sisters stared as her neighbor smiled to one of the female clerks who had apparently asked him if he needed help. He had one of those boyish smiles, Natalie thought. Okay, so she had admired him…from afar. He was definitely good-looking. The best-looking man she'd ever seen. She'd only spoken to him a few times since he'd moved in with his wife and little girl.

"He's very married," Natalie caught herself talking aloud.

"Too bad for you."

"No, not too bad. He's clearly younger than me."

"Younger is better."

"Not when younger is in the thirties. I'm forty-three."

"You don't look forty-three."

"I do when I'm naked."

The corners of his mouth softened as he laughed at something the clerk said, then she pointed and he continued on. The clerk, like Natalie and her sister, hatched him retreat.