Page 30 of Love's Cure

Whitney gave the newcomers her menu and Nick’s and placed an order for a chicken Caesar salad and white wine. The others soon followed with their requests, leaving Crystal to place the last order. After working with food all day, she was picky about her choices. She chose a veggie pizza and a coke.

“Drinks are coming right up,” said Deanna, who fluttered her eyelashes at Dirk.

After Deanna left, Brooks teased Dirk. “Deanna is available, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Dirk grinned. “I got that impression.” He glanced at Crystal. “How about you? Are you dating anyone special?”

Crystal didn’t dare look at Emmett as she shook her head.

“With your hair, you two would look colorful together,” said Diana to her brother.

As the others at the table chuckled, Crystal told herself maybe it was time to change her hair. First, she wanted to visit GG.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly for Crystal, even though observing Diana and Emmett chat quietly together cut her with regret. But then, she realized Diana was someone Emmett’s mother would approve of, not someone like her.

After eating and chatting for a while, Crystal rose. “I have to get up early. See you all tomorrow.”

“I’ll set something up at the spa. Maybe tomorrow,” said Whitney getting a nod from Nick. Even though he had time off from work, his job entailed other obligations such as town meetings and community outreach. That meant working out time commitments together.

“Sounds doable,” said Crystal, waving goodbye.

Back at her apartment, she studied herself in the mirror and realized it was time to take a giant step forward. She’d always had a voluptuous figure, and that, combined with blond hair, made her appear too much like her mother. She needed to present to the world the successful woman she was, and not be judged by something as superficial as hair color.

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The next morning afterthe early rush, Crystal plated some of the molasses cookies GG loved and headed out to The Woodlands to see her. Diminutive in size, GG’s spirit more than made up for it. Those light-blue eyes of hers missed nothing, and where there was a monetary need, GG was all too happy to step in. Few families in Lilac Lake hadn’t received such kindness. Crystal and her sister would always be grateful to her.

When she pulled in front of the one-story, brown wooden structure, Crystal thought of GG’s help in making sure that Aaron and Brad Collister’s construction company received a chance to bid on the project. They’d won, getting their fledging business off to a successful start. They’d worked on the renovation of the Lilac Lake Inn and were now busy developing housing at the end of Lilac Lake.

When she went inside, she saw JoEllen Daniels, and though she said hello, she quickly moved by her and down the hallway to GG’s room. Conversations with JoEllen were always unsettling because of the way the woman loved to put others down.

Crystal knocked on the door and opened it a crack.

GG was sitting on the couch reading. She looked up. “Crystal, dear, it’s lovely to see you. And I see you brought treats.”

“One of your favorites—molasses cookies,” she said, carrying the plate of them over to her.

Giving her a broad smile, GG removed the foil and took one cookie, then two. “Thank you.”

“Can I bring you something to drink with them?” Crystal asked.

“Be a dear and pour me some lemonade. There’s a pitcher of it in the refrigerator. Help yourself to some.”

Crystal went to the kitchen.

“I’ve got something I want to talk over with you,” GG called to her.

Crystal reacted to the warmth in GG’s voice. “Me, too. That’s why I’m here. And to say hello.”

She carried the lemonade over to GG, handed her a glass, and held onto the other as she took a seat on a nearby chair and faced her.

“You go first,” said GG, before taking another bite of cookie.

“It’s about me and my hair. It’s time for a change. Last night, Dirk McArthur and his sister, Diana, joined our group at Jake’s. He’s going to be Dr. Robinson’s partner in the dental office, and Diana is here because of Emmett. She went to prep school with his cousin and has always had a crush on him.”

GG focused her gaze on Crystal. “Go on.”

“At one point, Diana said Dirk and I would be good together because of our hair colors. Hearing that comment was the final straw about being judged because of my hair. That got me thinking about changing to my natural blond to be better judged for who I am. Between Emmett’s mother judging me for my purple and then Diana, I’ve decided it’s time for me to learn to be comfortable with who I am. You alone know why I changed my hair color to begin with.”

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