50 Harbor Street - Debbie Macomber [39]
They chatted while Rachel expertly cut her hair, going a little shorter than Cecilia had originally requested. Her hair would just touch her shoulders. “Since you’re a first-time customer, can you tell me who referred you?” she asked, clipping away. “I like to thank the person who gave me the referral.”
“That might be difficult. My husband’s the one who suggested I make an appointment with you.”
“Really?” Rachel paused as if trying to recall which of her male customers was married to Cecilia.
“Apparently, my husband is a friend of a friend of yours,” Cecilia clarified. “I understand Ian and—I think Ian said his name’s Nate—are on the George Washington together.”
Excitement lit Rachel’s eyes. “Your husband’s in the Navy?”
Cecilia nodded.
“Did he have any news about Nate?” There was no disguising Rachel’s exhilaration now. “We write to each other, but the letters take so long, and I haven’t heard from him in over a week. Everything’s okay, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yes…. The last I heard, everything was going well.”
“Oh, good.” Rachel smiled in obvious relief. “I’ve only known Nate for a few months,” she said.
“She paid good money for him, too.” This comment came from the dark-haired, slightly overweight woman in the station next to Rachel’s.
“Teri,” Rachel said, scowling at her friend.
“You…paid for him?” Cecilia asked, intrigued.
“In a manner of speaking, yes…”
She was about to continue when Teri cut her off. “She bought him at the Dog and Bachelor Auction in July.” Having said that, the other beautician turned back to her customer.
“Rach was the only one of us who plunked down her hard-earned cash for a man,” the beautician across from Rachel said. “The guys were out of my price league.”
“Mine, too,” Teri added.
“For that matter, he was out of mine,” Rachel told her.
“Then why did you bid on him?” Cecilia asked curiously. She remembered reading an article about the auction in The Cedar Cove Chronicle. The piece had stated that the Dog and Bachelor Auction was by far the most successful fund-raising activity ever put on by the Animal Shelter. Cecilia thought it was certainly innovative.
“I can’t say exactly what appealed to me about Nate,” Rachel confessed. “He was one of the last bachelors available and not a single one of us girls had bought one yet.” She paused. “Although a girlfriend of mine did get a dog.”
“We all had high hopes for this event,” Teri said. “We went thinking this might be a good way to meet men.”
“And we wanted to support the shelter,” another girl chimed in. “We’re all big animal-lovers here.”
“It seems to be working out for Rach,” a young woman with spiked hair said.
“I don’t mind admitting it was the best money I’ve spent in ages,” Rachel agreed.
“Yeah?” Teri placed one hand on her hip. “Then why are you still dating Bruce Payton?”
“We aren’t dating,” Rachel insisted, lowering her voice. “We really aren’t,” she told Cecilia. “Bruce is a widower and we sort of keep each other company now and then.”
“Jolene wants you to be her mom.” Teri said this in a singsong voice as if she were forecasting trouble.
Rachel exhaled slowly. “I know, and that’s a problem.”
Confused, Cecilia glanced from one woman to the other. “Jolene is Bruce’s daughter?”
“Yes.” Rachel nodded. “She misses her mother. I try to do girl things with her. Bruce appreciates that, and Jolene and I have gotten to be close in the last couple of years.”
“But you’re interested in Nate?” Cecilia wanted to be clear on that.
“Very much.” Rachel didn’t bother to disguise her feelings for him.
“I gather he feels the same way about you,” Cecilia was happy to report. “Like I said, my husband suggested I get in touch with you.”
“That’s great.” Happiness radiated from her eyes.
“Um…does Nate know you’re seeing Bruce?”
“Yes—no, but Bruce and I aren’t actually seeing each other in the dating sense. We just do things together, mainly for the company. And for Jolene. There’s nothing romantic between us.” She hesitated