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Adelia chuckled low and shook her head. “Oh, no. Charles was my one and only love, and I’m okay with that. As soon as I see my grandchildren settled and happy, I’ll be all too pleased to join him in the hereafter. But I like to support the community, of course, so I’ll be buying a ticket and attending the event. What about you, dear?”
Pepper had donned her gloves and was about to start brushing on the glaze, but she paused. “No, ma’am. I’ll be attending with Ivy and Blake, but my paddle is staying firmly in my lap. I couldn’t afford to buy a date even if I wanted to.”
Adelia watched Pepper’s reflection in the mirror as she spoke. “There’s a pretty impressive list of bachelors,” she said, her tone baiting Pepper to bite. “Grant, for example, has volunteered. I hear he has a nice date planned.”
She wasn’t exactly sure where the older woman was going with this line of conversation. Did she actually want Pepper to bid on Grant? She couldn’t fathom why. If Pepper were in her shoes, she wouldn’t pick the poor hairdresser for her charismatic young grandson. Of course, with the rapid rotation of women through his life, she just might be desperate enough to see him settled down with anyone. Pepper just wasn’t the one.
“Don’t tell him I said this,” Adelia said as she turned to Pepper and spoke softly so no one else could hear her, “but I think he’d like you to be the one to bid on him.” Pepper started brushing on the glaze, focusing on her work and hoping the older woman would find a new
subject.
“Did you get that impression before or after I nearly blinded him Saturday night? All things considered, it may be for the best that I leave well enough alone.”
“I don’t think he blames you for that. He realizes it was a stupid thing to do, sneaking up on a single woman walking by herself at night.”
“Well, that’s good to know, but it doesn’t really make a difference. I’m certain that the high bid on Grant will be far higher than I could ever pay. Just the other day, I overheard some ladies talking about how handsome he is. I think the women in this town have been saving their pennies to get their chance with the bad boy and his Harley Davidson. Me? All my pennies are going into renovating my house.”
“You bought the old Watson house on Daisy Drive, didn’t you?”
Pepper nodded, relieved for the conversation to veer off the subject of the verboten Grant Chamberlain. “It was left to rot for so long, I have to virtually rebuild it one room at a time.”
“That’s a shame his children let it go downhill like that. Those little historic homes are so charming. They could’ve gotten more money for it if they’d cared for it.”
“They wouldn’t have gotten my money. It took everything I had to put a down payment on the house in the condition it was in.”
Applying the last of the glaze, Pepper slipped a plastic cap over Adelia’s hair. “I think a few minutes under the heater will process this glaze nicely and make it last longer. Then we’ll rinse it out and give you a trim.”
Adelia followed her into the corner where Pepper lowered the heater over her head and set the timer. She brought her a magazine and a bottle of water, then returned to tidy up her work space.
Sarah was just ringing up her client when she finished. She turned to Pepper and spoke softly so the dryer would disguise anything she said. “How’s that going?”
“Okay, I think. I’m curious as to why she’s really here, though.”
Sarah’s brow went up. “To get her hair done?”
Pepper shook her head. “I’m beginning to think that was just an excuse. She said her normal stylist had a medical emergency. Usually when that happens, someone else at the salon will pick up the appointment. I don’t know . . . it wouldn’t surprise me if she got my other appointment to cancel somehow, just so she could have the slot today.”
“What else could she possibly want?”
Pepper leaned in close to Sarah. “I think she’s trying to fix me up with Grant.”
At that, Sarah laughed and patted Pepper on the shoulder. “That means you’re in trouble. You might as well start shopping for a wedding dress.”
Pepper’s mouth dropped open in dismay. “Why on earth would I do that?”
“Because,” Sarah said with an ominous expression on her face. “Adelia Chamberlain always gets what she wants. And if she’s decided you and Grant would be perfect together, you will be.”
Chapter 5
After he finished his shift at the fire station, Grant swung by the dry cleaners to pick up his best black suit that he’d be needing for the bachelor auction Saturday night. He’d already made dinner reservations in Birmingham several weeks in advance and, purely being optimistic, a hotel reservation at the Wyndham.
As he walked in the door of the shop, he was greeted by the owner, Miss Winnie. Winifred Ingram had taken over the Laundromat and dry-cleaning store when her husband died the year before from stage four lung cancer. She had been a secretary at the middle school until his death, but seemed to be happy running the store now.
“Good evening, Grant,” she said with a smile. Winnie got up from her stool and reached for her television remote. “Sorry,” she admitted sheepishly. “We were so busy today with everyone getting ready for the auction and I’ve gotten behind on my soaps. Thank heavens for DVRs. I’ve got your suit ready.”
Grant waited at the counter while she disappeared into the back room. He glanced through the open archway into the side of the shop where the Laundromat was. Rows of gleaming white washers and dryers were lined up, with tables for folding and vending machines for soap and quarters. There were even a few old video games in the corner. He’d bought a washer and dryer when he moved into his loft, so he’d never had to use Miss Winnie’s place, but it looked like a pretty nice place to come if you had to.
“Here you go!” Winnie said cheerfully as she emerged from the back room. His black suit was draped in the plastic cover and she hung it on the tall hook beside the counter while she rung him up. “For the suit and that shirt, extra starch, that will be twenty even,” she said.
