saw the two of you at dinner,” he continued. “You looked…cozy.”
“We’re, ah, friends,” she began.
“I’m not surprised. Him being who he is. The rest of us don’t really stand a chance.”
There was something about the way he spoke, as if her falling for Josh was inevitable.
“It’s not because he’s famous,” she said sharply. “Josh is a really nice guy. He cares about people. He’s a lot more than his reputation.”
Robert’s mouth twisted. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”
“It’s true.”
“Right. I still think you’re great, Charity. When he dumps you, if you want, we can try again.”
He walked out of the room. She stared after him, her mouth hanging open.
She didn’t know which of Robert’s assumptions stunned her more. The belief that Josh would dump her—not an “if” statement, but a when. Or the assumption that the only reason she wasn’t going out with Robert was because she’d been blinded by Josh’s brilliance.
She’d already made her decision about Robert before she got involved with Josh. She’d done her best to prefer Robert.
“Pinhead,” she muttered. “Stupid, egocentric pinhead.”
Funny how Josh had all the flash, but Robert turned out to be the man lacking in substance.
Yet as she left the conference room, she found herself wondering if she was blinded by Josh. She was her mother’s daughter, after all, and Sandra had always been interested in handsome, superficial men.
Charity told herself she knew what she was doing. That Josh was more than he seemed. Still, it would be up to her to make sure she really was falling for the man rather than the persona.
“WE HAVEN’T SEEN YOU here in a long time,” Bella said as she combed Josh’s hair.
“Uh huh,” he said, ignoring the not-so-subtle complaint inherent in her words.
“Your last haircut was terrible.”
He smiled. “You say that every time.”
Bella, a middle-aged woman with beautiful eyes and a will of iron, glared at him in the mirror. “I suppose she says the same thing when you go to her.”
“I’m not going to discuss that with you.”
Bella snorted. “You know I’m better.”
“Are those new earrings?” he asked. “They’re pretty.”
She fingered the gold hoops at her ears. “You’re trying to distract me.”
“Yes, and you’re going to pretend I’ve succeeded.”
Her mouth twitched, as if she were trying not to smile.
Bella Gionni and her sister Julia were the two best hair stylists in town. Unfortunately, they’d been involved in a running feud for the past twenty-five years. They had competing shops on opposite sides of town. To pick one over the other was to get involved in the fight. The problem was no one but the sisters knew the cause of the argument.
The surest way to keep the peace, and the one Josh had chosen, was to alternate his business. Each of them complained about his time with the other.
Not going to either of them would be easier, he knew, but that wasn’t an option. He owed the sisters. While he’d had most of his college paid for by scholarships, there hadn’t been quite enough to cover everything. The town had come through with funding for both him and Ethan. He happened to know that Marsha had contributed the most, but the second-largest donors had been the Gionni sisters.
“I heard you’re dating Charity,” Bella said as she began to cut his hair.
He winced. “I’m not going to talk about that.”
“Of course you are. She’s nice. I heard she’s thinking of getting highlights.” She smiled. “They’re for you, I think. I know when a woman wants to look pretty for a man.” She winked.
He shifted uncomfortably in the padded chair. “Charity and I are, um, dating.”
“More than dating, eh? I hear things, Joshua. What the ladies say.”
He so didn’t want to be having this conversation with a woman nearly old enough to be his mother. “There’s a lot of talk. Most of it is just that.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Bella continued cutting. “It’s been a long time since you went on a date.”
“A couple of years,” he admitted.
“Then it’s time to get back on the horse.”
Just the visual that Josh needed.
PIA WALKED INTO CHARITY’S office and flopped down on a seat. “Have a minute?” she asked.
“Sure.” Charity studied her friend’s sad expression. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Crystal. The last round of chemo didn’t do anything. They’ve run out of treatment options.” Pia sucked in a breath and seemed to fight tears. “She’s deciding if she wants to stay home or go into a facility. Hospice care,” she added. “She said the doctor gave her two months. Maybe three.”
Charity swallowed. “I’m sorry. How awful.” She didn’t know Crystal very well, but felt badly for all she’d gone through.
“It’s been horrible. We’d really hoped that last round of chemo would do something. Anything. She’s gotten so weak. I don’t think she can be at home by herself. And she says she likes the idea of a hospice. She says they’re actually really nice places.”
“Is it in town?” Charity asked.
“Uh-huh. I’ll get to go see her and stuff, but I don’t want her to die.” Pia wiped the tears off her cheek. “I hate this. There’s nothing I can do to make a difference. I’m taking her cat, which is the only thing I can think of to do.”
“People worry about their pets. Taking her cat will be a big help.”
“I’m not really a pet person,” Pia admitted. “I don’t know anything about cats. Crystal says he’s quiet and clean. I guess I’ll get a book or something. It’s just so unfair.”
Charity nodded. There didn’t seem to be any words.
“She’s already lost her husband,” Pia continued. “All she ever wanted was to get married and be a mom. Now that’s never going to happen. And I know she’s worried about those embryos. There’s no way she’s going to donate them to research, but they can’t stay frozen forever. Can you imagine being
