Feeding the Fire (6 page)

Pepper’s brow shot up in surprise. “She wants to get her hair done here?” As far as she knew, none of the Chamberlains had ever set foot in Curls before. Maddie went to Birmingham to the same salon her best friend Lydia Whittaker used. Neither of them cared for Pepper or Ivy, and the feeling was mutual, so coming to Curls was just like begging for Pepper to dish out some retribution for the years of hell they gave her in school. Adelia and Helen usually went to a salon in Gadsden and had since before Curls opened.

Sarah nodded. It must really be an emergency if she was willing to darken their doorstop. Miss Adelia was rarely even seen in town anymore. Pepper had been planning to take a late lunch to fill the time, but she wasn’t about to turn down anyone’s money, even Chamberlain money.

“If she can make it on short notice, she can have the slot.”

Sarah turned her back and returned to talking on the phone to Miss Adelia. A moment later, she nodded and gave Pepper a thumbs-up to confirm. Pepper returned to sweeping up the tiny bits of hair from the floor that her last haircut left behind. She had just intended to tidy up a little bit, but knowing that Adelia Chamberlain was coming into the shop sent her on a rare cleaning bender. She would be here in a half hour. Pepper’s station wasn’t exactly messy, but it could use some tidying up.

She wiped down her chair and tabletop, putting away combs and clips, and stowing her curling iron and hair dryer in their slots. She restocked her foils in case Adelia wanted highlights and set up a new cart with color-mixing bowls and brushes to have ready. Last, she hung a clean cape on the hook beside her station and put out a fresh stack of towels.

Once she was finished, she stowed the broom and grabbed her purse to run out for food. She didn’t notice Sarah watching her until she was about to leave. Sarah’s client was sitting under the hair dryer, so Pepper’s boss was standing by the front counter. Her arms were crossed over her chest, an amused grin on her face.

“What?” Pepper asked.

“I’ve never seen your station that tidy before.”

Pepper shrugged. “So?”

“So, I thought you didn’t care about the Chamberlains.”

“I don’t,” she argued. And she didn’t. Not really.

“But you’re doing your damnedest to impress one of them,” she noted.

Pepper sighed and shook her head. “There’s a difference between trying to impress someone and trying not to give them any more ammunition to fire at you. Half that family thinks I’m trash. I don’t want to have a messy work space that just reinforces that in her mind. Besides,” she added, “if she likes my work, maybe she’ll come back. I could use the money.”

Sarah nodded. “Okay,” she said, but there was a gleam of humor in her eyes. “You’d better hurry if you’re going to be back in time.”

“See you in a bit.” Pepper stepped out onto the street and headed straight for the Piggly Wiggly. There, she got a sandwich at the deli, a bag of Golden Flake chips, and a bottle of diet Sundrop. On the way back, she eyed the window display of Petal Pushers, Miss Francine’s shop. She couldn’t remember the last time she went in there.

She stuck her head inside and noticed the large, refrigerated case of grab-and-go bouquets. Why not? She snatched up a nice bundle of gerbera daisies in hot pink, red, orange, and yellow. They would look nice and cheerful on the counter in the salon.

“Nice choice,” Miss Francine said as she rung up the purchase. “Some bright flowers are always nice on a gloomy winter day.”

“Exactly,” Pepper agreed, handing over some money and slipping out of the store before Miss Francine could draw her into a long conversation.

Back at the salon, Sarah was busy with her client, so Pepper was able to slip into the back room to eat and find a vase for her flowers. By the time Miss Adelia strolled into the salon, Pepper had eaten, brushed her teeth, washed her hands, and proudly displayed the neon-hued bouquet on the front counter by the register and product display.

“It’s good to see you, Miss Adelia,” Pepper said as she greeted the older woman. The Chamberlains were Rosewood royalty, and Adelia Chamberlain was the family matriarch. She was a proud, poised woman who looked only a fraction of her age and not because she’d had work done. She had wrinkles, but not many, likely from avoiding the sun and using expensive creams for her skin. Her hair was a soft white and shoulder length, gathered at the nape of her neck in fat curls.

There wasn’t the slightest indication of frailty in her, even though Pepper’s best guess was that she was probably in her late seventies or early eighties. Her blue eyes were bright, surveying Pepper behind the square glasses that rode low on her sharp, aristocratic nose.

“Thank you for fitting me in today. My stylist had to cancel for a medical emergency and I wanted to get my hair done before the auction.”

Pepper smiled and held her arm out to guide Adelia back to her station. “I had a last-minute cancellation, so I guess it’s fate.” She helped the older woman stow her things and settle into the rotating chair. “What would you like to have done today?”

“My color is natural,” she began, “so my stylist normally does a clarifying shampoo and a glaze to maintain the color. That, and a trim, should do nicely.”

Pepper nodded. That was exactly what she was thinking. Miss Adelia had thick, beautiful white hair. White hair had the tendency to yellow from exposure to pollutants and buildup from hair products. “We’ve gotten in a wonderful platinum glaze that I think will be perfect. Does your stylist give you violet shampoo to use between visits?”

Adelia shook her head, watching Pepper’s reflection in the mirror as she ran her fingers through her hair. “No. What does that do?”

“It helps maintain the color by counteracting any yellow tones. Your color is beautiful, like pearls, but with the shampoo, you might be able to go a little longer between appointments. I’ll give you a sample to try and see if you like it.”

Adelia nodded. “Thank you.”

Pepper took the cape off the hook and swung it around her client’s body, snapping it closed at the back of her neck. “Okay, let’s take you back to do that clarifying shampoo, then I’ll apply the glaze.”

She tried to be as upbeat and friendly as she could be, but Pepper was a ball of nerves as she worked on the arguably most powerful and influential woman in town. Maybe even the county. It didn’t help that Miss Adelia wasn’t particularly chatty. Unlike Vera or Dotty, who prattled on the entire time, Adelia seemed comfortable in silence. Or perhaps, she was just lost in her thoughts. She seemed to be in a constant state of almost judging Pepper, somehow, appraising every move she made. It made Pepper double-think everything she did and it was just a silly shampoo job.

Once they returned to the chair, Pepper mixed up the platinum glaze to apply to Adelia’s hair. “You know, you’re not my first client to mention the auction today. It seems like everyone is getting spiffed up for it. Hopefully it will get a good turnout. Are you planning on bidding on someone special, Miss Adelia?”

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 Five

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.

Grant pulled out his wallet and handed over some bills. “Thanks, Miss Winnie. Are you going to come bid on me tomorrow night?” he asked with his charming smile.

“Oh you,” she chastised, a blush rising to her plump cheeks. She smoothed a hand over her mostly graying hair and shook her head. “I’m sure you could show an old lady like me a hell of a time, but I went to school with your daddy and that just doesn’t seem right.”

“You’re not an old lady,” Grant insisted, picking his suit up off the hook.

“I’m old enough to be your mama and that’s what counts. And while you’re the spitting image of Norman at your age, if that’s what I wanted, I would’ve taken my chances back when I still knew what to do with him. Now I’m just a middle-aged woman who smells like fabric softener.”

“It’s an alluring fragrance that reminds me of freshly washed towels.”

“You know just what to say to a girl,” Winnie laughed. “You have fun at the auction. I’m sure the lucky lady will be very pleased with her investment.”

“Will do. Have a good evening,” he said as he headed out the door.

As he left, the opening door nearly collided with Logan Anthony. Grant apologized and stepped aside so he could go in the shop, trying to avoid any sort of real interaction with him. He knew Logan was back in town, but he hadn’t run into him yet. And he definitely hadn’t had to speak to him since the pepper spray incident.

Logan started into the shop, then pulled back and let the door swing closed. “Grant?”

With a resigned sigh, Grant turned around to face Pepper’s brother. Several years younger, he never had any real, direct interactions with Logan. He was a year older than Blake, but back in school there was no love lost between them. “Hey there, Logan,” he said, trying not to sound like he was dreading the conversation. “Welcome back to Rosewood.” He thought about shifting his suit in his arms to shake Logan’s hand, but Logan didn’t make any moves to do the same, so he let it go.

“Thanks. Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure.” Since his past discussions with Blake always seemed to come to blows, Grant laid his suit across his left arm to leave his right free to defend or deliver a solid right hook.

Logan crossed his arms over his chest and looked around before his gaze settled on Grant. “I heard about what happened with Pepper.”

Grant straightened up in surprise, then immediately realized that her brother wasn’t talking about what happened at Halloween. If he did, they’d be fighting, not talking. “Are you referring to the pepper spray incident?”

Logan nodded. “Why were you following my sister home from the bar?”

Since the truth was that he was hoping to relive the past, he opted to answer his question with a question. “Is that what she told you I was doing?”

“No. She said you were returning her scarf.”

Grant nodded. “There you go.”

“You see, the problem I have with that story is that you had to be following her already to see her drop it unless she left it in the bar. Did she?”

“Nope.”

“You see where my concern comes in, then.” Logan looked him up and down, his sharp gaze assessing him the same way his father did. It pissed Grant off.

“I was concerned as well. That’s why I followed her. I thought if one of
my
sisters was walking home alone in the dark, just days after the peeper looked in her windows, I’d hope a good man would be willing to see her home safely. So that’s what I did.”

“What’s this about the peeper?” he asked, his brow drawing together in concern.

Apparently she hadn’t told her brother. She probably didn’t want her family hovering and he didn’t blame her. “About a week or so ago, not long after you moved back, I guess, she caught someone watching her through the kitchen window. She didn’t mention it to you?”

Logan’s jaw was so tight, his teeth were nearly grinding. “No, she didn’t.”

“She probably didn’t want you to worry. But you see, that’s why she was so jumpy that night. Why she pepper sprayed me. It wasn’t a big deal, just an accident.”

Her brother didn’t respond, he just glared at Grant thoughtfully.

“Well, it was good catching up, but I’d better get going.”

Logan nodded and reached for the door handle again. Grant was about to continue on down the sidewalk when he spoke again. “Grant?”

He turned back. “Yes?”

“The next time you think my sister’s well-being is in jeopardy, do me a favor and just call me instead. I’d really prefer that you just stay the hell away from my sister.”

Grant narrowed his gaze and squared off his shoulders. “I think I’ll let Pepper be the one to decide whether she wants me around.”

“I think shooting you in the eyes with pepper spray made that pretty clear. Leave my sister alone. I don’t want to have this discussion again.”

He wasn’t even going to acknowledge Logan’s decree. Pepper was a grown woman and did what she pleased. If he thought for a second that she’d pepper sprayed him on purpose, he’d certainly walk away. Instead, he threw up his hand in a dismissive wave. “It’s nice seeing you again, Logan,” he said before disappearing around the corner.

Grant forgave himself for white lies in the name of politeness.

Pepper hadn’t been there since it was completed, but the new high school gym looked great. As a thank-you to the committee that helped raise the money to rebuild it, the school had allowed them to hold the bachelor auction there. Meeting up with Ivy and Blake outside, the three went into the event together.

The committee had outdone themselves with the Valentine’s Day decorations. There was a big stage with a runway that extended into the audience. It was surrounded by round banquet tables draped in red and pink tablecloths. Each table had a centerpiece with pink, white, and red carnations in a fishbowl with red marbles in the bottom. Miss Francine had gotten her way. They didn’t get overpriced roses out of her for free.

The curtain beyond the stage had cardboard cutouts of classic Valentine’s shapes hung on it—cupids, hearts, and flying arrows of love.

Once they turned in their tickets, they were given programs and the ladies were handed numbered auction paddles shaped like hearts. “Oh,” Pepper said, trying to return the paddle, “I’m not bidding.”

Jeanette Kincaid just nodded and dismissed her. “That’s okay. You just keep it. We’re giving one to all the ladies. You never know when you might be . . . inspired.”

“I’m not—” Pepper began to complain, but Ivy tugged her aside.

“You don’t have to use it. Sit on it if it makes you feel better.”

Pepper frowned and followed Ivy and Blake inside. They selected a table close to the stage. “Why are we sitting right at the end of the runway? Are you hoping to bid on a handsome fella, Blake?”

He chuckled and pulled out a chair for Ivy to sit down. “Not exactly. I’m hoping just to harass my brothers when they come out. But, actually, Grant provided me with a short list of women he
cannot
be purchased by. If any of them have a winning bid, I’m to have Ivy bid and save him at any price.”

Pepper settled into her own seat with a laugh. “I didn’t realize Grant had standards.”

“Neither did I,” Blake said with a chuckle. “Would you ladies like a drink? The mayor went to a lot of trouble to get it cleared for Emmett to serve drinks at the event. I figure we should buy enough drinks to make it worth Emmett’s time. He did have to close Woody’s to do this.”

Normally at this sort of thing, alcohol, especially on school property, was a no-no. But when the commissioner was on the committee, strings got pulled. If they wanted the women in town loose enough to lay down serious money for the cause, alcohol was absolutely necessary. The menu was limited to wine, beer, and a special “love” martini.

“I’ll take a love martini,” Pepper said.

Ivy asked Blake for a white wine, then turned back to her. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll get drunk and do something stupid?”

“It will have to be straight moonshine for me to bid on anyone.”

Ivy laughed and flipped open her program. “They’ve got quite a list of gentlemen here tonight. You know, I’m happy to loan you some money if you would like to bid.”

Pepper snorted indelicately. “Um, no thanks. I appreciate the offer, but I make it a rule never to borrow money from friends. And if I’m going to borrow money from you of all people, it’s going to be for something important, like a kidney transplant, not for a hot date on a made-up, overcommercialized holiday.”

“Suit yourself,” Ivy said, returning to her program. “I didn’t know your brother was going to be a part of the auction.”

Neither did Pepper. “Mayor Gallagher must’ve gotten to him. From what I heard, no single man is safe.”

“I guess so.” A few more pages in, Ivy’s eyes got big. “Bert Swenson!” she declared, pointing out the older gentleman’s photograph. “That’s interesting.”

“Hmmm . . .” Pepper said thoughtfully. “That’s why Miss Vera is here tonight, I bet. She was threatening to bid on someone a week or so ago. She got a little flustered when your mother recommended she start dating Bert.”

“Well, she’s got competition.” A crowd of older women brushed past their table and sat a few feet away. Ivy watched them sit down. “That crowd had two divorcées and three widows. I doubt any of them are bold enough to bid on Simon.”

“This might be more interesting than I thought. Every one of those women was in the salon this week. They’re on the hunt. I’m anticipating a silver cat fight.”

“A what?” Blake asked as he approached the table carefully, gripping three drinks in two hands. He placed them on the table and took his own seat.

Pepper eyed her pink drink with the heart-shaped strawberry slice floating on the surface. “We’re putting our money on a senior rumble over Bert Swenson.”

“I don’t know,” he said, glancing around. “This place is packed, and Fred from the diner is on the auction block, too. Never underestimate a man who can cook.”

“Yeah, even your grandmother is here,” Pepper noted.

Blake’s eyes widened and he spun in his chair. Adelia Chamberlain was sitting two tables away with the mayor, the county commissioner, Reverend Yates, and their respective spouses.

“Rumor has it they got some celebrity to host the auction tonight,” Ivy said.

“I’m sitting next to a rock star and an NFL quarterback. Who could trump that?” Pepper asked.

The lights in the gymnasium started to dim and the master of ceremonies for the night—WVTM Channel 13 weather girl Allison Price—stepped out onstage to the sound of applause.

“Really?” Pepper said dryly. “That’s the best they could do?”

Ivy snickered, but any response was muffled by Allison as she began to speak.

“Good evening, everyone, I’m Allison Price from WVTM Birmingham. I hope all the ladies here tonight have brought their checkbooks and are ready to support the Rosewood Tornado Fund by having a wonderful Valentine’s Day with one of the bachelors we’re offering tonight. In your booklets, you’ll see a photograph and description of each bachelor, including the date they’re offering. Bert Swenson is offering a candlelight dinner for two at Whittaker’s restaurant and an evening cruise on Willow Lake in his boat. And Simon Chamberlain is offering a whole weekend in Chattanooga, including a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium and an overnight stay on the Delta Queen river boat hotel. There’s something for everyone, ladies, so let’s see how much we can raise for this great cause!”

Pepper giggled and leaned into Ivy. “A weekend trip with Simon?”