Stephen had liked it long, preferably pulled back in a sleek Town & Country ponytail. She had humored him, of course, as she had with most things, but now as she stared at this throwback version of herself, it was as if time had folded in on itself, returning her to the woman she had been before blundering into Stephen with an armload of posters. But that woman had been gritty and independent—a survivor. Was there any trace of her left?

SEVEN

The sound of canned mariachi music greeted Christy-Lynn as she stepped into the lobby of Taco Loco. She wasn’t sure why she came in. She wasn’t really hungry, but she wasn’t ready to go back to her room at the inn either. And it would appear she wasn’t the only one taking advantage of the unseasonably warm evening. The place was jammed, with every table full and several large parties waiting to be seated.

The hostess, a frazzled woman with a headful of blue-black hair, was doing her best to greet guests and manage the wait list. Christy-Lynn had just managed to catch her eye when she heard someone calling her name. After a quick scan of the tables, she saw Missy near the back of the restaurant, waving frantically.

“Oh, my Lord! It is you!” she gushed when Christy-Lynn had finally made her way over. “I wasn’t sure at first. Look at your hair! Did you know you were going to do that when you left this morning?”

Christy-Lynn tucked the freshly cropped strands behind her ears, suddenly self-conscious. It was like part of her was missing. “I didn’t. I was on my way to grab some lunch when I saw the salon and thought, Why not?”

“Well, I just love it. It’s fun and really sexy. Don’t you think, Dar? Oh, sorry, I almost forgot. This is Dar Setters. She runs the new age shop on Bond Street. Crystals, candles, that sort of thing. Hey, why don’t you eat with us? We just sat down.”

Christy-Lynn smiled awkwardly at the blonde seated across from Missy. “Thanks, but I don’t want to crash your dinner. I just put my name on the list.”

Dar smiled. She was pale and petite, almost ethereal, her head of silver-blonde hair framing her small face like a halo of moonlight. “Don’t be silly. Missy was just telling me about you. I’m sorry to hear about your husband.”

Christy-Lynn wasn’t sure she liked being the topic of conversation but forced a smile. “Thank you. It’s awfully nice of you to include me.”

“Don’t be silly,” Missy said, pulling out the chair next to her. “We’re not going to sit here and let you eat by yourself. You need to be with friends. Besides, it’s margarita night!” Missy’s gaze strayed briefly as a waiter in snug-fitting black slacks moved past with a tray balanced on one shoulder. “The scenery’s not bad either.”

Dar sighed and snapped her fingers. “Focus, Missy.”

Missy whipped her head around, feigning innocence. “What?”

“I thought you said you’d sworn off men.”

“There’s nothing wrong with looking, honey. Especially when looking’s all you’ve got time for. Not that anyone’s likely to look back. Guys aren’t lining up to date a woman with my particular combination of baggage, and certainly not one with Jamba Juice on her jeans. Speaking of which, where did Marco get to? It’s time for another margarita.”

Christy-Lynn stole a look at Missy. She was totally gorgeous, outgoing, and appeared to have herself together, a combination that made it hard to believe every man in Sweetwater wasn’t jumping through hoops to get her attention. But then, she knew better than most that the face a person chose to show the world wasn’t always the real one. Everyone had a story. Not everyone wanted to share.

Missy’s attention was still on Marco. She watched until he had disappeared through the swinging kitchen door, then turned to Christy-Lynn with a grin. “He’s fun to look at, but I’m pretty sure he’s spoken for. Janice over at Bristow’s said he was in the other day and bought a pair of ruby earrings, and she’s pretty sure they weren’t for his mother.”

“Poor Missy.” Dar sighed. “Foiled in love again.”

“Love?” Missy’s eyes went wide. “Good grief! Who said anything about love? Like I said, he’s nice to look at, but I’ve got two little boys at home, which is all the testosterone I need in my life at the moment.” She feigned a shudder as she turned to Christy-Lynn. “I bought the whole love and marriage T-shirt a few years back but wound up returning it for a full refund, if you know what I mean.”

“Defective merchandise?”

Missy wrinkled her nose. “Something like that.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m happy. Mostly. Even if it does feel like my hair’s on fire most of the time.”

It was the mostly that caught Christy-Lynn’s attention, but she thought it best not to ask. She’d be gone in a few days, and she had her own baggage to carry. “How old are your sons?”

“Six and eight. Nathan and Christian. Both monsters and both adorable.”

Divorced, a businesswoman, and a single mom. Christy-Lynn was impressed. “How do you do it? Run an inn and raise two little boys on your own?”

“Oh, I have help. My parents live close, and I have a great sitter. She’s with them now. I feel bad sometimes, leaving them after working all day, but sometimes it feels like all I do is take care of other people. If I didn’t get out once in a while, I seriously think I’d lose my mind. Oh, look, Marco’s back.” She grinned up at him, all but purring. “That for me, sugar?”