“Then what’s going on?” Katie asked. She was sitting in her own seat, flipping through a magazine while awaiting her next client. “You seem different today.”
“I’m not different,” Rebecca said, wondering how everyone could tell that the world she was living in today wasn’t the one she’d been living in yesterday.
The buzzer squawked over the door, and Booker and his grandmother entered the salon.
“I’m here for my appointment,” Hatty announced as though she expected Rebecca to boot Mrs. Londonberry out of her seat.
Booker shot a not-so-covert glance at Katie, who whirled her chair around and immediately began rummaging through drawers.
Rebecca could feel the tension between them, but she was too preoccupied to focus on it. She’d forgotten that she was supposed to cut and perm Hatty’s hair today. Hatty normally had Erma do it, but Erma had been taking more and more time off. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” she said. “Go ahead and have a seat.”
As Hatty settled herself, Booker unzipped his jacket and sauntered over to Rebecca’s station. “How’d it go last night?”
Rebecca cleared her throat, looking around to see who might be listening. “Fine,” she muttered.
“That’s it?” he asked, grinning wickedly.
Mrs. Londonberry put down the magazine she’d been perusing and stared up at them. “What happened last night? Did I miss something?”
“Nothing happened,” Rebecca said, but Hatty must have had her hearing aid turned all the way up because she didn’t miss a beat when she shouted across the room. “Something must’ve happened. You never came home.”
Ashleigh rocked back on her knees. “Aha! Is Rebecca seeing someone new? Already?”
Rebecca didn’t want to admit to anything. She wanted to wait and see what happened with Josh before everyone starting talking about them. She could only imagine what her father and sisters…and Randy would have to say.
“Sure she’s seeing someone,” Granny belted out. “It’s that cute boy, Josh Hill. Booker told me he has a thing for her. He wants her bad—isn’t that what you said, Booker?”
Silence engulfed the salon.
“Thanks a lot,” Rebecca muttered to Booker.
“Josh Hill?” Mona repeated, sounding as surprised as though Granny had just said she was seeing Brad Pitt.
Booker shrugged, obviously trying to play off Granny’s blunder. “Sure, why not?”
“Why not?” Mrs. Londonberry cried. “Because he’s supposed to marry Barb and Gene’s daughter, Mary.”
“Didn’t you hear?” Ashleigh stood and began to gather up her boxes. “They broke up.”
“They broke up on account of Josh having a thing for Rebecca,” Granny said.
“But you and Josh have never gotten along,” Katie said, her eyes sliding toward Booker.
“Is it true, Rebecca?” Mona asked.
Rebecca shrugged. “Not really, no. I mean…Josh and I are…friends.”
“I don’t spend the night with my male friends,” Ashleigh said.
Closing her eyes, Rebecca felt a doomed sensation come over her. She’d never be able to stop the rumors that were going to fly all over town, never be able to reel in what had just gotten out. No one would believe Josh could want her. They’d laugh, and she’d look like a fool. Especially since she was no longer sure that what had happened last night had the meaning she’d thought it did. Her time with Josh seemed almost too perfect. “No one said I spent the night with him.”
“Then where were you last night?” Mona arched her brows at Rebecca while carrying her instruments to her station.
“She certainly wasn’t at my place,” Granny said with a cackle. “But that’s okay. If I were her, I would’ve stayed with Josh, too. He’s a looker!”
“I’ll admit he’s cute,” Ashleigh said. “But is he everything he’s cracked up to be?”
“He told me Buddy was in the market to breed a horse,” Katie said, seemingly to herself.
“I don’t think Barb’s going to be very happy about this,” Mrs. Londonberry chipped in. “She just told me yesterday that she expects Mary and Josh to get married this Christmas.”
Rebecca dropped her scissors on her rolling tray and sighed. She supposed there was little point in asking everyone to keep this quiet. Insisting on secrecy would only ensure that the news traveled faster.
“Is that why Josh came in here to get his hair cut?” Katie wanted to know.
“No,” Rebecca said. “You guys are making a big deal out of nothing. Mary told me he’s going back to her. So it’s not what you think.”
“Then what is it?” Mona asked.
Rebecca wished she had a good answer to that question. Josh had said he wanted their lovemaking to mean something. He’d treated her as though he cared about her and said some very flattering things. She just didn’t know how serious he was when he said them. And putting the whole town in an uproar couldn’t possibly help.
“We’re—” She grappled for some statement that might calm everyone down. But then the phone rang and she hurried across the salon to answer it, grateful for the unexpected reprieve.
“Hair And Now,” she said.
“Rebecca?”
“Hi, Laney.”
“It’s time.”
“For what?” she said, still preoccupied with the catastrophe at hand.
“For the baby.”
“Oh!” She stood straighter. “Right now?”
“Right now. Are you going to join us at the hospital?”
Rebecca glanced over at Mrs. Londonberry and Granny Hatfield, and considered the long list of appointments she had on the books. “Of course I’m coming,” she said. “Are you sure you’ll be able to make it all the way to Boise?”
“The contractions are still mild. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble.”
“Great. I’ll see you there.” Rebecca hung up. Then she begged Ashleigh to take whatever appointments she could and cancel any she couldn’t, told Booker she’d probably be home late, and escaped the salon.
But she knew her leaving wouldn’t stop the others from talking. And she hated the thought of what they might stir up in her absence.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE HOSPITAL ROOM WAS DARK and mostly quiet. There were the usual sounds of footsteps, hushed voices and equipment rolling down the hall, but they didn’t disturb a peace that, in the tired aftermath of such intense excitement, felt almost profound.