by Sharon Sala
“What are the magic words?” Ruby whispered.
“I love you.”
“Oh, Peanut, I love you too. So much.”
“Good for me to know,” he said, and kissed the side of her neck. “Now we sleep.”
She closed her eyes, but the tears still found their way out. The last thing she remembered was the steady rise and fall of Peanut’s chest against her back and the warmth of his body.
When she woke, it was morning and she was alone. She threw back the covers and, as she was heading into the bathroom, smelled coffee brewing in the kitchen.
She dressed quickly, then paused in front of the mirror. The swelling in her lips was almost gone, but the stitches were still evident. The swelling was down in her eye, while the bruises on her face were turning brilliant shades of green and purple. She ran a brush through her hair and then looked down at her hands. A couple more days, and she’d be healed enough to get back to work. But was she willing to let the world see her like this?
Shrugging it off, she followed her nose to the kitchen and found Peanut frying bacon, barefoot, in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Her heart did a little flip. How could she not have noticed what a hunk he was all these years? But then she realized she hadn’t been ready to look.
“Good morning, Peanut,” she said.
He turned toward her with a smile.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Hey! The swelling is really going down in your face, especially your lips. Want to try a bite of solid food and see how that works?”
“Yes, if it’s bacon,” she said.
He leaned over and kissed her square on the mouth, but so gently that if she hadn’t gotten an up-close sniff of some wonderful aftershave cologne, she might not have known that he’d done it.
“Bacon is the boss, right? I knew you were the woman for me. Help yourself to bacon and coffee. As soon as I get these last pieces out of the pan, I’ll scramble some eggs.”
“Yum,” Ruby said, and rolled her eyes at the deliciousness of that first bite of bacon.
“Okay?” he asked. “Doesn’t hurt your mouth?”
“Not enough to make me stop eating,” she said, and poured herself a cup of coffee.
“The paper is on the table. Sit and relax while I finish up here.”
Ruby slid into a seat at the table, opened up the paper with one hand while she finished off the bacon with the other. She glanced through the pages without reading, saving all of that for later, and was about to set the paper aside when she noticed a story on the inside back page. She read it all the way through, frowning, then folded the paper back up and pushed it aside as Peanut carried their plates to the table.
“Looks so good. I can’t thank you enough for all of this,” Ruby said.
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” Peanut said. “Do you want to try any toast?”
“Not today,” she said. “I’ll see how this goes first.”
He began buttering a piece of toast for himself. “See anything interesting in the paper?” he asked.
She frowned. “I saw a story about child abuse buried on the inside of the last page. Why wasn’t that the lead headline? Physical and sexual abuse is an epidemic in this country.”
Peanut watched her take a bite of her eggs before he spoke.
“Maybe for the same reason you don’t want people to see you like this,” he said.
Ruby blinked, then swallowed her bite of eggs. She sat there for so long Peanut was afraid that he’d hurt her feelings, and just when he was about to apologize, she started talking.
“You’re right! You’re absolutely right! It’s shame. That’s why! Victims shame themselves subconsciously, while others shame them outright.”
She poked another bite of eggs in her mouth, but she was still frowning.
Peanut didn’t know for sure what to say, but something told him that what he’d said had just lit another fire under Ruby Dye.
“What are you going to do today?” Ruby asked.
“Oh, just stick around here with you.”
“Well, I think I’ll go shopping, and I don’t want you along for moral support.”
His mouth dropped. “But are you—”
She pointed her fork at him. “Yes.”
He grinned. “I am so going to love spending the rest of my life with you.”
“I would hope so,” she said, and then forked up another bite of eggs. “These are good, by the way. I’m a good cook too.”
“Ruby, I already know that. I’ve been eating at your house off and on for the last six months, remember?”
She grinned. “Poor Peanut. All those committee meetings,” she said, laughed, and then winced. “Ouch. Eating is good. Laughing still hurts.”
“Where are you going?” Peanut asked.
“I’m starting off at the shop. They always need supplies. I can run errands. And then I would love to meet you for lunch at Granny’s. That should take care of my first public outing, and I’m not going to shy away from the stares or the likely rude questions, but I will make people ashamed they asked if their questions are ugly.”
Peanut was watching the way her eyes flashed and her jaw set when she got angry. He couldn’t wait to see the expression on her face when they finally made love.
“Just let me know when it’s time to arrive at Granny’s, and I’ll be there.”
“Thank you for understanding,” she said.
“I will always ‘get you’ Ruby. You are my heart,” he said, and laid a hand over hers.
Ruby got up, slid into his lap long enough to hug him. “I love you. I’ve never said that to a man before.”
Peanut’s heart swelled. “Then thank you for trusting me enough to take a chance.”
“Easy peasy,” she said, and grinned. “Now finish your breakfast before it gets cold,” she ordered, and slid back into her chair.
“Yes, ma’am,” Peanut said, and dug into his food.
* * *
While Ruby woke up to a new kind of joy, Melissa Dean was waking up to the reality of her crossroads. She’d gone to bed last night feeling a little defeated.
And then she woke up.
Today was the day she took her first step on a new path. But she wasn’t going to take the old Melissa with her on this journey, and to get rid of her, she needed to pay a visit to the Curl Up and Dye.
It was just after eight a.m. when she sat down with her first cup of coffee and picked up her phone to Google the number, then called it. As she was listening to it ring, she wondered if she had called too early, but then someone answered the phone.
“Curl Up and Dye, Vera speaking.”
“Good morning, Vera. This is Melissa Dean.”
“Hi, honey. What can I do for you?”
“I need to be fixed. My hair’s a mess. I’m a mess. Can you help?”
Vera heard way more than the need for an appointment in Melissa’s voice.
“As it happens, Vesta’s nine o’clock just called to cancel. If you can get here by then, you’ve got the appointment.”
“Oh my gosh! That’s wonderful! I didn’t dream it would be this soon. Yes, yes, thank you. I’ll be there.”
“Good. See you soon,” Vera said, and hung up.
Melissa disconnected, then slapped the table with delight just as her toast popped up from the toaster. She jumped up to get it, buttered it, and gulped it down without tasting it, too anxious about the upcoming appointment.
She dressed quickly, then realized as she was about to leave that she hadn’t even looked at herself in a mirror, so she turned around and went back to her bathroom. She stared a moment, then jammed her finger against her own reflection.
“You are part of my past. I appreciate your participation, but you are about to be put to rest.”
Minutes lat
er, she was out the door.
* * *
Because of the cool day, Ruby chose jeans, a soft blue cable-knit sweater, and a little black leather jacket to go with her black leather half-boots.
She fixed her hair, still eyeing the strawberry blonde color, and wondered if she should think about changing that sometime in the future. She didn’t own enough makeup to cover the bruises, so she chose to let them shine. Adding some clear lip gloss to her mouth to keep the skin soft, she stood back to get a look at the entire outfit just as Peanut walked in.
“You look gorgeous,” he said.
She shook her head. “You always say the right thing at the right time.”
“I speak my truth,” he said.
Ruby turned back around to the mirror. “What do you think about this hair color?” she asked. “I know I change it a lot. Does that bother you? Is there a color you like better than another?”
Peanut walked up behind her. He stood a moment, towering over her, then reached over her shoulders and pulled her hair away from her face.
“That’s what I love. That face. You. You are the color of love to me, Ruby. I don’t care what you do to your hair.”
Ruby was suddenly in tears. “Oh, Peanut. You did it again. Thank you for waiting for me to find you.”
Peanut put his arms around her, his hands resting lightly on the tops of her breasts.
“Love you. Whatever you do today, you’ll do what you do best, which is make waves, pretty girl.”
Ruby was dabbing at tears. “Okay, I’m ready for you to take me home so I can get my car. The keys are in my purse. I don’t need to go inside.”
“I’m ready,” he said, and grabbed his jacket as he followed her out.
A few minutes later, he let her out at the curb, then watched her go straight to her car without a hitch in her step. As soon as her car started, he drove away.
Ruby buckled her seat belt and then adjusted the rearview mirror before she backed out of the drive and headed for her shop. It felt good to be in control of her life again.
* * *
Melissa walked into the salon, smiling as the little bell over the door signaled her arrival.
Vesta came hurrying up front.
“Melissa! So glad to see you,” Vesta said. “You can hang your jacket up there, and then follow me back.”
Melissa was already getting excited as she followed Vesta back to her station.
“Have a seat here, and let’s talk about what you’re wanting before we go to the shampoo station, okay?”
Melissa sat, eyeing all that was going on as Vesta put a cape over her clothes and snapped it at the neck.
Vera was blow-drying LilyAnn Dalton’s hair and listening to her talk about her husband, Mike, with such love in her voice it made Melissa ache, remembering that’s how she’d been about Andy.
Then Vesta took the ponytail holder out of Melissa’s hair, tossed it on the station, and began finger-combing Melissa’s hair to get a feel for the length and texture.
“So what are we doing today?” Vesta asked.
“We are changing me,” Melissa said. “Cut it, color it, and make me look younger than my forty-seven years because I’m gonna need a new job.”
The workroom momentarily went silent as that statement sank in.
“What happened?” Vesta cried.
“Fred let me go.”
“Oh my lord!” LilyAnn said. “Has he gone and lost his mind?”
Melissa shrugged. “Nephew needed a job, and Fred didn’t need two clerks.”
Vera rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, honey.”
Melissa shrugged. “I was sorry for myself last night. That was the end of one thing, but today is a beginning of another.”
“Do you have a hairstyle in mind?” Vesta asked.
“Just not this,” Melissa said. “Cut it to fit my face. Color it to fit my complexion.”
And on that, Ruby walked in the back door.
“Good morning, ladies. A little chilly out today. Hello, LilyAnn. How’s that hunky husband of yours? Why, Melissa Dean, it’s good to see you. Are we cutting, coloring, or both?”
There was a brief moment of shocked silence, and then LilyAnn took a deep breath.
“I am so glad to see you upright and talking,” she said, and started to cry.
“No crying allowed,” Ruby said. “I’m alive.”
Melissa held out a hand and Ruby clasped it, revealing the healing cuts and spreading bruises on her hands.
“Just want you to know that you are my new favorite super-heroine. Kicked ass and saved yourself, I hear. I need tips on saving myself. I got fired yesterday, so keep me informed if you hear of any local jobs. Not in the mood to drive out of town to work.”
And just like that, the shock passed and everyone went back to work, talking over each other, laughing or shrieking in dismay, whatever the story demanded.
Ruby let the energy of their voices flow through her, helping to heal her wounded spirit. She sat in the chair at her station, watching Vesta shampoo Melissa’s hair, then eyeing the chin-length bob she began to cut. When Ruby saw the hair color Melissa had chosen, she gave her a thumbs-up.
“That dark brown is going to look gorgeous with your big, green eyes.”
“It’s my natural hair color,” Melissa said.
Ruby heard the excitement in her voice.
“Change is good,” she said, then stood up. “Girls, are there any errands that need running? How are we on toilet paper and paper towels? Do you need anything? I’m here to work.”
Vesta grinned. “Good for you. We do need toilet paper, but when do we not? Mabel Jean isn’t coming in until afternoon, but we’re completely out of paper towels for her. You can check the till. We might need change.”
Vera turned off the dryer long enough to be heard. “I meant to bring some sodas for the client refrigerator and forgot.”
Ruby waved an okay and ran up to the front to check the till. She pulled out a hundred dollars in twenties, then came back with a lift in her step.
“I’ve got you covered,” she said. “I’ll be back soon. Ladies, if you’re gone before I return, enjoy your hairdos.”
“Thank you, Ruby!” said LilyAnn.
Ruby waved and walked out the back door as abruptly as she had entered.
The twins looked at each other, then grinned.
“I don’t know what happened, but she’s done a one-eighty from the woman who was in here before,” Vesta said.
Vera shrugged.
“Ruby is just finding her spirit again. Now, Melissa, let’s get this color on and see what mischief we can stir up for you.”
Chapter 7
Ruby drove to the Piggly Wiggly first and grabbed a shopping cart as she entered the store. She went straight for the paper towel aisle, tossed in a couple of rolls, then moved to the toilet paper display. Doing these tasks felt so normal that she’d almost forgotten her appearance until she heard someone gasp. She had a moment of panic and then set her jaw as she turned around.
Precious Peters was standing a few feet away with a look of horror on her face.
Ruby sighed. And here we go.
“Morning, Precious. How are things at the travel agency?”
“Oh my God, Ruby. Your face.”
Ruby waved her hand as if it were nothing. “Black eyes and three stitches in my lip? You should see the other guy.”
Precious blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“That means my kidnapper looks worse,” Ruby said. “Have you had many trips to book this winter?”
Precious couldn’t focus enough to follow the change of subject. “Uh… I…”
“Really?” Ruby said. “I would have thought there would be more. Well, gotta hustle. Don’t want to be late meeting Peanut for lunch. Later.”
She tossed in some toilet paper, and then headed for the soda aisle. Of all the people to see next, they were the three women she’d banned from her beauty shop for maligning Mercy Dane before Mercy and Lon Pittman were married. The fact that they’d finally made amends to Mercy and were back on the reservation books at Ruby’s salon was beside the point. They were perennial busybodies.
She saw the shock on their faces and braced herself and went for the old “best defense is a good offense.”
“Hi, Betina. Molly, I see your roots. You need to make an appointment to get your color done. Angel…have you been cutting your own bangs again?”
Molly grabbed at the top of her head as Angel covered her forehead with her hands. Betina just stared.
“You look…”
“Careful what you say to me. I’m not feeling kindly toward idiots today. Never saw so many shocked looks over a pair of black eyes in my life.”
Betina paled, trying to imagine the pain of getting stitches in her lip, then sighed and hugged Ruby.
“Really glad to see you. We all prayed.”
“Then I thank you, because I needed all the help I could get to stay alive.”
Angel started crying. “I’m sorry he hurt you,” she sobbed.
Ruby grinned. “You’re not half as sorry as he is.”
Molly gasped. “What do you mean?”
“I have three little stitches in my lower lip. I quit counting how many they put in him.”
“You did that…to him?”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “Well, yes. Wouldn’t you try to save your own life? Listen, I need to hurry. The girls at the shop are waiting for me, so I should finish my errands.” Then she pointed at Molly and Angel. “I’ll be back to work in a few days. Make an appointment.”
“Yes, we will,” they echoed.
Ruby pushed past them to the end of the aisle where the six-packs of sodas were shelved and picked up three different brands, then headed to checkout. The lines were long and people were staring, so she lifted her chin and went to the self-checkout. By the time she got the purchases inside her car, it was five minutes to eleven—just enough time to go through the drive-through at the bank for change.