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“But it cuts you off,” her mom insisted. “You look better with a bit of skin showing.”
“What is this about?” Brynn had spent yesterday evening painting and trying to decide if she should stay or go. Somehow she hadn’t managed to make herself get on a plane. She was stuck, vacillating between wanting to stay here in Papillon and wanting to insulate herself from the heartache that would come when she saw Major again.
“You know the scene where my character goes to her friend’s birthday party?” Ally asked. “Well, we went for the fitting yesterday, and Mom doesn’t like what the costumer picked. She was like the worst stage mom ever and I was her precious six-year-old star.”
“You should never be in baggy sweats,” her mother complained. “You’ve worked far too hard on your body. I understand that you have to wear those khaki things most of the time, but it’s a party. You could wear some tight jeans and a nice top. Maybe some jewelry.”
Ally’s head dropped back. “My character would be more comfy in sweats. She’s not a tight-jeans girl. Have you seen what the deputies around here wear when they’re not in uniforms? It’s pretty much the uniform without the badge. I did not see Deputy Roxie walking around the fairgrounds in blingy designer jeans and a top that shows off her boobs. Did you have to deal with this?”
So many times. Her mom had very strong opinions on many, many things. “I don’t now.” The thought actually made her feel lighter. She didn’t have to listen to her mom plan things that weren’t hers to plan. She didn’t have to be her mom’s client. She could just be her daughter, and a daughter could leave. “So you guys figure it all out and let me know if you need anything. I’m going to take the day off and paint.”
She grabbed her coffee and started for the door, Duke trotting beside her. She heard the three of them start to argue about whether or not Ally’s character would wear high heels, which her mom pointed out did amazing things for Ally’s legs.
She was so out of that now.
Maybe she would paint this morning and then head to Guidry’s for lunch, though she would need to find a ride since the only Guber in town was now permanently attached to her sister.
She was calling it Guber now. She was also constantly on the lookout for criminally minded raccoons, and she’d started to really enjoy Wednesday yoga sessions.
She didn’t want to leave. Time would heal the wound, or at least make the pain less sharp.
She needed to get a car. Or a truck. Maybe a Jeep. There were a lot of places out here where a Jeep would be helpful. She wanted to get out and explore, but first she needed to learn a thing or two about how to navigate the bayou. Roxie had offered to show her around in a way that didn’t include writing tickets and patrolling. It might be time to take her up on her offer.
Friends. She was going to make friends who knew nothing about Hollywood, who liked her for who she was and not what she or her mom could do for them.
She rounded the corner and stopped.
There was a woman standing in front of her cabin. She was dressed for business in a sensible suit and kitten heels. Her brown hair was up in a bun on her head, and she knocked on the door. Something about the urgency of that knock made Brynn think she’d been there for a while.
“Hello. Is there something I can do for you?”
The woman whirled around, and her eyes widened. “I’m looking for Brynn . . . well, you. You’re that TV lady, right? I don’t watch much television. I prefer to enhance my mind with books. My name is Miranda Jossart, and I’m the best Realtor in town. I’m also the only Realtor in town, but that doesn’t mean I’m not good. Now, I’m here to show you the listings we picked. The deputy explained that you needed some place a little more permanent than this cabin. I told Seraphina the cabins were far too small. Anyway, when I told him there were fifteen homes and/or apartments that might work, he said he didn’t want to waste your time, so he went to check them all out yesterday and cut down on what you had to look at. I’ve got my car ready.”
She could talk fast. Way faster than Brynn could keep up. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
She held up a manilla folder. “I’ve got properties for you to look at. Four, to be precise. Like I said, there were several more but Major didn’t want to bother you with the ones that wouldn’t be suitable.”
