Point of Attraction (16 page)

“So are you?”

“What? Oh, Emmee, don’t go
there.”

“Okay. I just think you...”

The shop’s door opened with its ping.
Emmee jerked her head back to see. “Oh, oh.”

“What is it?” Georgie asked.

“Something I never thought I would
see,” Emmee murmured, eyes wide in awe.

Georgie leaned over to take a look and
her mouth began to drop open.

“Hi, Steven,” Brandy was saying as she
looked over at Georgie. When she made eye contact with Georgie,
Brandy quickly returned to the blow-dry she was working on. But
Georgie could see her stylist’s sight lift to look into the mirror
as Steven walked past her with a girl on his arm.

Well, this is a turn of events, Georgie
thought, and dried her hands.

“Hey, Mom,” Steven said, letting go of
the girl to kiss Georgie on the top of her head. His arm wrapped
about her shoulders to bring her to the forefront. “Mom, this is
Lucy McBradey.”

Lucy reached out a hand and Georgie
took it. “Hello.”

“Lucy,” Steven said, “My sister, Paula,
and I call this woman, Mom, but her name is Georgina. Most call her
Georgie though.”

“You can pick which ever one you like,”
Georgie told Lucy. “This is Emmee, who’s been with me the longest
and always on the verge of being fired for her insubordination, and
that over there is Brandy. Girls, this is Lucy.”

Both girls said, “Hi,” back, but it was
Emmee who added, “The Boss Lady’s harmless, Lucy. Just humor her
like we do and you’ll be fine.”

“See what I mean?” Georgie said, then
looked to Steven. “Okay, get in the chair. I’m ready. You too Lucy.
Have a seat. Any chair.”

As she cut Steven’s hair,
Georgie speculated; this explained the change in him that Paula and
she had questioned. Lucy was the last thing Georgie would have
guessed. Seems the
no-time-for-girls
guy had finally
stopped to take a breath, Georgie thought, and took a quick glance
at Lucy. She could certainly see why her son had stopped to smell
this flower. Lucy was a breath-taker, but in a very unassuming
way.

Through the years Georgie
had seen many women and girls, and there were those that
knew
they were beautiful
and used it. And there were those that had no clue just how
attractive they were or could be. Georgie saw nice clean skin
beneath what little make-up Lucy was wearing. Her soft brown hair,
sporting some well done highlights, was pulled up into a top knot
with a clip holding it together. Her clear brown eyes softened when
she smiled.

“So who all is going to be at this
soiree, of yours?” Steven asked.

“Actually it’s
your
little to-do, and
it’ll be the same old group, family.” Georgie smiled, but kept her
eyes on the hair as she kept cutting. “You’ll have to stop at the
store with me. There’s some extra things I need to get. Think we
can still barbecue under the patio? Free-up the kitchen for some
other stuff, and we’ll need the extra leaf for the
table.”

“Sure,” he said, “Not a
problem.”

“Where’s the Raggedy Ann doll?” Lucy
asked, glancing about. At Georgie’s quick look, Lucy explained.
“Steven told me all about her. I work in the Cancer Ward, and that
is such a great idea. The bonding during that traumatic time can’t
be stressed enough.”

Georgie kept cutting. So Lucy was in
the medical field. Very interesting, Georgie thought. “So you’re in
the cancer ward. Are you a nurse? Doctor?” she asked, hoping it
would stop her questions about Raggs.

“Actually I’m a nurse who’s working her
way through med-school to be a doctor, then medical research after
that.”

“Hooray for you!”

“Mom? Where is Raggs?”

Well, that took care of that, she
thought. This would be one secret she wouldn’t be able to keep from
the kids. She took the last snip in the cut, took a deep breath,
trying to figure out how to tell the tale and minimize it. But how
could she do that to Raggs? She used up time checking the cut with
her fingers.

“Boss Lady,” Emmee called from the
door, “We’re calling it a weekend. The OPEN sign’s off and all is
well. Nice meeting you, Lucy. You guys have a great
dinner.”

“Nice meeting you, Lucy.” Brandy
hurried behind Emmee. “I hope they find Raggs.”

Emmee bopped Brandy on the head. “You
have got such a big mouth.”

“What’d I say?” Brandy mumbled as they
both walked out the door.

“Mom?”

Georgie used the blow dryer to send
hair clippings caught on the drape and the nape to the floor. Once
that was done, they moved to the shampoo bowls so she could wash
his hair.

“Mom? Are you going to tell me?” Steven
asked as he sat back at her station.

She did her best to explain as she
towel dried his hair. “It happened Wednesday night. Someone came in
while the girls were here in the back and took Raggs.”

“Aw, Mom,” Steven said, running his
fingers through his hair, pushing it into place.

With a shrug, Georgie took off the
drape and he stood up.

“But you did call the cops,
right?”

“Yes. They sent someone out.” If Steven
noticed her hesitation, he gave no sign. “They’re looking into it,
you know, checking to see if anyone saw anything and if any other
businesses had a theft that night.”

She grabbed her coat, turned off the
lights, and patted her son’s arm. He was as tall as his dad; maybe
taller, as all sons should be. “But I have to accept the fact a
Raggedy Ann doll might not be a priority on their list. I just hope
whoever has her doesn’t... well... I hope they take care of her.”
She choked back the threatening tears as Steven hugged
her.

“We better get going,” he said, then
leaned over to pull Lucy into the hug.

~~0~~

Hearing the car in the gravel driveway
a second before headlights shone through the tall slender window
beside the table, Georgie said, “That sounds like Paula and
Ryan.”

“But it’s only six,” Steven said as he
dipped and turned the chicken in their favorite marinating
brine.

“I know.” Georgie smiled, feeling very
pleased with her children.

As Georgie wiped her hands, she noticed
Lucy touching her hair, looking down at her clothes and smoothing
out none existent wrinkles. Steven went to Lucy’s side and pulled
her to him to add his assurance.

“You’re fine,” Georgie told the young
woman and went out the kitchen door to activate the garage door
opener and greet her daughter.

As always, Paula and Ryan were loaded
down with extras: drinks, snacks and chips. Georgie took a paper
sack from Paula and whispered, “You were right about a change in
Steven.”

“Is it bad?”

Georgie burst into laughter, then
sobered. “No. At least I hope not. Hey, Ryan. Hope all is
well.”

“Always, Mrs. G.,” he said with a hug,
then followed her up the steps to the kitchen.

“Guys,” Steven started in immediately,
before any of them had a chance to unload their bags. “This is Lucy
McBradey. We’re a... a thing, sort’a.”

“A
thing? Sort’a
?” Lucy asked, eyes
blinking wide, mouth slightly opened in disbelief. Steven gave her
a quick peck on the cheek.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “A thing.” And
Georgie thought he was ready to burst.

The always-in-control Paula, now half
laughed, took Lucy’s hand, and patted it in sympathy as her face
became this overdone sad, sad frown. “Oh, you poor thing. How in
the world did my brother trap you?”

“I’m beginning to wonder that myself,”
Lucy said.

“Thanks, Sis. Love you
too,” Steven scolded, his eyebrow arching high. “Lucy, this is
Paula and her far, far
better half,
Ryan.”

They all said their hellos
as the sound of vehicles arriving made its way through the still
open garage and kitchen door. Georgie’s heart started to race as
she went to stand on the first step to watch them drive up and come
to a stop.
Don’t introduce him as your
friend
, Nick had suggested. Okay... so
what was she supposed to say?

Cassie and April’s BMW drove in with
Nick right behind them.

“That’s a motorcycle,” Paula said,
hands on Georgie’s shoulders, trying to see over her head. “Who do
you know on a motorcycle?”

“That would be Nick,” Georgie said, as
Nick drove directly into the garage with an ear piercing roar,
dismounted, and took off his helmet, but Georgie was searching for
another vehicle.

“Uncle Nick on a bike?”
Steven asked from the kitchen. “That’s not a
bike
. That’s a Harley.
Awesome.”

“Oh, Lord,” Paula said, “The Bad
Penny’s come home.”

The car Georgie was waiting for made
the circle and parked. With her pulse booming in her ears, Georgie
went down the steps and out the garage to meet Mason. She didn’t
need her coat.

“Who’s that?” Paula asked behind
her.

Chapter fourteen

As Georgie watched Mason
get out of his car, she wondered the same thing.
Who was this? And
how
does he fit in my life
?

“Hey, M&M,” Cassie called out, her
voice filled with mischief, and Georgie had the urge to flee from
the evening.

“Good to see you,” he answered back,
and slowed his stride so Cassie and April could walk beside him,
but his eyes were on her, and Georgie smiled back.

“April,” Cassie was saying, “this is
the infamous M&M you’ve heard me talk about. This is April, my
soul mate in life.”

“April,” Mason said, extending his
hand. “I shudder to think what she’s said about me.”

“All good,” April said, “Trust
me.”

Georgie slowed her step. There was no
hesitation in him, no facial change that she could see in the light
from the porch and garage. Until this moment, it never occurred to
her that Mason might not accept Cassie and April as a couple. It
appeared he had, but was it mere politeness? She hoped
not.

“Hi, guys,” Georgie said, almost
reaching for Mason, wanting physical contact with him, but rubbed
her arms instead.

“It’s cold out here, George,” Mason
said. “What are you doing without a coat?”

“Then let’s go inside,” she said,
making a quick turn before she did reach for him. Last night may
have been nothing more than a moment. Cassie did a double step to
catch up to her while Mason and April walked behind
them.

“This is nice,” Cassie whispered,
leaning into her.

“Cassie,” April warned,
“behave.”

Cassie waved that she heard, but
Georgie doubted Cassie would follow the request. It just wasn’t in
her friend to let such a moment pass. Cassie looped her arm around
Georgie’s as they made their way to the garage where Steven and
Ryan were looking over Nick’s motorcycle. As they entered, Nick
nodded at April, looked to Mason, but neither offered anything
more. Georgie wanted to ask them about Jeffrey, but bit her lip
instead.

“You know,” Steven was saying, “If Mom
had let me, I would have gotten one of these years ago.”

“Right,” Georgie said. “Blame it on
mean old Mommy. Let’s go inside so we can get all the intros done
in one sweep.” She took a pinch of Mason’s jacket and held him
back. When he leaned down to her, she whispered, “What happened at
Jeffrey’s?”

“Mom? You coming?”

“Yes, Steven,” she said, and motioned
Mason to go in. As they made their way up the two steps to the
kitchen she activated the switch to close the garage
door.

Once inside she stood beside Mason and
looked about the room. They were all suddenly strangers, waiting,
and she took a deep deep breath. “Okay,” she started out. “New
comers to our little family to-do this evening; this is Lucy
McBradey, Steven’s friend.”

“He said,
thing
,” Lucy said, her
brown eyes playful. “I was his
Thing
... ” Then motioned finger
quotation marks to underscore. “
Sort’a
.”

“Some clarity here,” Steven
rushed in to save himself. “I said
we.
We
were a thing. Big difference.” And gave
Lucy a firm squeeze.

Friendly chuckles fluttered over the
room and slowly ebbed. The moment had arrived, and Georgie
swallowed hard. “And this is Mason Montgomery. He’s in the writing
class with Cassie and me. Mason, this is my family; Paula, my
daughter and mother-to-be of my first grandchild, and her hubby,
Ryan Sheldon. My son, Steven, the doctor-to-be, and Lucy. Lucy,
this is Cassie and her April.”