Chapter 33

Red walked her last patient to the door and checked her watch. As usual, her day was ending later than she’d planned.

Before leaving for Woodcrest to see what she could do about Sam’s dad, she took a final glimpse at her planner.

Oh, no. She’d completely forgotten her appointment at Curl Up & Dye. She and Junie were getting their nails done, and Junie was doing a trial run of her wedding hair and wanted Red’s opinion.

She sighed.

There was no getting around it. The wedding was mere days away.

She ought to call Sam, but she was already late. And frankly, she was still angry with him.

She pressed her fingertips into the nape of her aching neck. How long had she been holding herself tight as a drum?

Trying to reach between her shoulder blades by herself was useless. She propped her elbows on her desk and dropped her head into her hands. She felt pulled in all directions. Her patients, Sam, Junie… She felt compelled to solve all their problems.

Maybe she was a little too self-sacrificing.

She forced herself to breathe. At least she didn’t need an appointment at Woodcrest, thanks to her professional status. She would just have to get there when she could get there.

She got up, gathered her things, and rushed down the street to meet Junie.

Her aesthetician was waiting at the reception desk. “There you are.”

“Sorry I’m late. Is my friend Junie Hart here?”

“Is that the bride-to-be? She’s back with Steph. She should be out soon. Want to get started?”

Red’s hands were slathered in moisturizer and enclosed in plastic mitts when Jordan came over.

“And how is Dr. McDonald this evening?”

“Please, call me Red. Everyone else does. Last time I talked to Keval, you two were on your way to Portland. Did you have a good time?”

“A great time.”

“So…” Dare she ask? “Did he invite you to the wedding?”

“He did.”

Red felt her face light up. That was the best news she’d heard in a while. At least someone was happy. But how ironic. Now Keval had a date and she didn’t.

“But I had to say no.”

“Oh.” Her face fell again.

“I forgot. I already had a thing.”

Red’s lips pressed together. “I see.”

It seemed she and Keval were fated to go to that wedding together.

Junie came walking out from behind a partition, followed by her stylist.

“You like?” She struck a pose.

Junie’s jaw dropped.

Where was Junie’s braid? Her hair waved softly along her shoulders. And what was that on her face? Makeup?

“You look fantastic. Your skin…your eyes. That shadow makes them pop.”

Junie grinned while her stylist held an errant strand in place and shellacked it with enough spray to hold it until Junie’s first anniversary.

“Am I done?” Junie asked the stylist.

Having gotten permission, she plopped down next to Red.

“I’ll be right back. Need some fresh towels,” said the aesthetician.

“How was your day? How’s Sam?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know his dad’s at Woodcrest.”

“Manny told me. It’s so sad.”

“Well, it’s not working out. Sam has to find another place for him, and he asked me to help. The thing is, he only has until tomorrow, and I’m not sure what I can do in that short a time.”

“Sam could take him to his place.”

“He could, as a last resort. You’ve been in the old consortium. It’s not even conducive to Sam living there, let alone his elderly father. There’s only one bedroom, and no real living room.”

“What about his old house? The one in the country?”

Red sighed. “Sam is adamant that he can’t go back there.”

Junie nodded. “Manny said something about that, too. Something about how Sam wished he could burn it to the ground.”

Red frowned. “What did you say?”

“Not really,” she hastened to add. “It was right after his Dad’s accident with the fireplace. He was frustrated. You know how people talk. Especially guys. Especially former, so-called badasses.” She laughed to assuage Red’s look of concern.

The manicurist dashed back into her seat across from Junie and began removing her old polish.

Stuck with her fingers and toes being worked on for the next hour, Red had plenty of time to think.

And to worry.