Page 94 of Breaking Emily's Rules
“This will give her an excuse to come out. You two can visit.”
He’d like to see his mother again. He’d dropped in on her rarely over the years when he could, but it had been a long time.
“She better come out soon or I’ll miss her. I’m expecting orders.”
Winston had lumbered back into the kitchen, and sat on Stone’s foot.
“Do you know when that will be?”
“Any day now.”
“We’ll make the most of the time we have left before you take off.”
“It’s been too long since we were all together.”
Their odd custody arrangement hadn’t been the brightest idea either of his parents had ever had, but something told him, like most people, they’d done the best they could. They’d also loved each other at one time, presumably.
He understood now love wasn’t ever easy. Sometimes loving someone was the very thing that hurt them. Because he’d been unable to stay away from Emily, he’d done the last thing he wanted to do.
CHAPTER24
Molly
Luanne Hinckle wasa regular at The Hair-Em, but Molly didn’t usually attend to her. It generally wasn’t a good idea to work on Grammy’s friends, but when Luanne showed up for a walk-in on Thursday, Molly was the only attendant available.
“I want periwinkle red,” Luanne said, touching her short white curls. “I want to look just like Ann-Margret. Can you do that, sweetie?”
“Sure thing. Let me mix it up.”
About thirty minutes later, Molly checked the color. As close to Ann-Margret as any mere mortal could attempt.
“Let’s get you shampooed.” Molly walked Luanne over to the bowl bassinet and ran the water until it was warm. The worst part of this job had to be the shampoos. She often wished people would walk in with wet hair and just let her do the cutting and styling. That was her real talent.
It certainly wasn’t entertaining her daughter, as the past few times she’d been to visit Sierra, she’d cried every time Dylan walked out of the room. Dylan, for his part, was about as warm to Molly as a Frosty Freeze shake. But, as Grammy and Emily reminded her often, Molly had to be patient.
“Honey, any chance Emily’s done working on herself yet and might go out with my grandson The Doctor?” Luanne asked, eyes closed as the water ran through her hair.
Molly tried not to snicker at the way Luanne talked about her grandson The Doctor like it was some kind of new invention everyone should try at least once. Emily was working on herself, all right—working on achieving multiple orgasms if the spring in her step and the pink in her cheeks were any indication. And the man responsible for those orgasms was someone who looked like he could be the spokesperson for them.
For the first time since Molly could remember, it would seem Emily was having a whole lot more fun that Molly. That was okay. For now.
“I don’t think so, but you’d have to ask her.”
“I will next time I see her. But she’s missed the last few genealogical meetings. It’s been an ugly thing. Julia took over the computer searches now, too. It feels like a dictatorship. Honestly.”
“Uh-huh.” Molly concentrated on massaging Luanne’s scalp. This was always a good time to work out some of her tension.
“Ouch. Not so hard, dear. And how’s that little baby girl of yours?”
Just like that, Molly eased up on her scalp. Her baby girl. She had a smile that made Molly go a little weak.
“She’s so smart. She talks a lot. I’m actually starting to understand some of it, too.”
“Baby talk. Only Mommy and Daddy understand it.”
“And Grandma,” Conchita added from the shampoo sink next to Molly’s.
Speaking of which, she had to get Sierra over to visit Grammy sometime soon. Both she and Emily wanted to spend more time with Sierra. So far Molly hadn’t left the house with her, not even to take her to the park. Dylan and his rules.
