It’s no problem. The shelf can wait. You sleep. And eat. And shower.”
“Thanks, um…Merry. I’ll come over later.” He pushed through the door and nearly stumbled over a thick envelope that must have been slipped through the old mail slot that no one used anymore. When he spotted his lawyer’s name printed across the top, Shane picked it up and set it on a table to open later. He didn’t need to think about that bullshit right now. The only thing worse would be trying to navigate a conversation with his mother. He couldn’t think coherently about even the simplest thing, such as being polite to an acquaintance.
He turned, meaning to apologize to Merry before he closed the door, but she was gone, the only evidence she’d been there the sound of Grace’s door clicking shut.
“Shit.” He’d go over to Grace’s as soon as he’d showered tonight. But first… He locked the door, shucked off his boots, forgot about lunch and headed for bed to collapse.
CHAPTER TWO
GRACE FROZE IN THE ACT of sliding a perfect smudge of black liner across her lash line and aimed a hot glare in Merry’s direction. “What do you mean Shane’s coming over?”
Merry stared in wonder. “How do you do that?” she asked for the hundredth time since she’d met her best friend. “I don’t get it. When I put eyeliner on, I look like a five-year-old playing dress up. Or an eighty-year-old alcoholic trying to recapture her glory days.”
“Close your eyes.” Grace scooted Merry around and swiped the pencil quickly over her lids. “There. I’ve shown you a million times. Now tell me why Shane’s coming over.”
When she opened her eyes, Merry sighed at the sight that greeted her. Her plain brown irises now looked large and whiskey-colored. At least she was living with Grace right now. She could use her friend like a personal makeup artist whenever she wanted. Of course, that didn’t change the fact that Merry’s liner would be smudged and smeared within an hour. Her body rejected any transplants of prettiness.
“I need a carpenter,” she said as she fluttered her lashes at herself. Then she looked from Grace’s hair—gorgeous, choppy and recently brightened with chunks of Crayola red color—to her own. Plain brown and slightly dented from the ponytail she’d worn that morning. God.
“So?” Grace asked.
“Shane’s a carpenter. I’m hoping he’ll give me the Stud Farm discount.”
“The Stud Farm discount,” Grace muttered. “I don’t like the sound of that at all. I think I should hang around.”
“Thanks, Mom, but I promise not to get into your vodka stash.”
“I’ll call Cole and tell him to pick me up later.”
“You will not. First of all, Cole’s going to die when he sees that red in your hair. And by die, I mean he’s going to jump on you like a cowboy riding a stubborn bronco.”
“Nice.”
“Secondly, what’s your problem with Shane?”
Grace shrugged and leaned forward to finish her makeup. “I don’t know. He’s slick. Too removed. I can’t read him.”
“I think he’s nice.”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m hanging around. You think everyone is nice.”
“I do not,” Merry denied. “And even if I did, you have nothing to worry about. He didn’t even remember who I was. I doubt he’s currently concocting a plan to seduce me and steal my virginity as a trophy.”
Grace snorted. “What virginity?”
“The one I regrew after two years of celibacy.”
“A good sex toy should take care of that.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Merry groaned. “I’m pitiful.”
“No, you’re not. You’re safe and picky which is exactly how I want you to be.”
“I’m not picky. I’m just not on the radar. Anyone’s radar. I’m the government’s top-secret stealth snatch project.”
Grace burst into an uncharacteristically hearty laugh. Merry just stuck her tongue out and flounced out of the bathroom.
“I’m serious about Shane,” Grace said, following her to the living room. She pulled on a pair of black boots that would have looked clunky and mannish on Merry, but somehow looked both tough and adorable on Grace. “Watch out for him. He can be charming.” She drew the word out like it was a smear. “And take off that eyeliner. You look too cute.”
“You can scrub this liner off my cold, dead body. Actually that won’t be necessary, because it’ll melt off within the hour.”
“Use that primer I gave you.”
“Sure,” Merry said, instead of telling her friend that she’d tried the primer and somehow she couldn’t get it blended right and ended up looking like she was wearing sparkly white goggles.
“Don’t get charmed,” Grace warned, pointing a finger at Merry’s chest. “I’m serious. I don’t want to have to murder my boyfriend’s best friend. Okay?”
A knock interrupted their conversation. Merry went out to say hello to Cole, but for a moment he was overwhelmingly distracted by Grace’s hair.
“Hi, Merry,” he said, his gaze locked on his girlfriend with an intensity no man had ever had for Merry.
“Hi, Cole. Grace’s hair looks great, huh?”
“Hell, yeah, it does.” Grace kicked him, and for a moment his gaze only got more intense. Then he blinked and visibly shook it off. His easy smile appeared and he turned to Merry. “How’s the ghost town, darlin’?” he asked, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “I still don’t like you out there on your own.”
“I studied all the wildlife guides you gave me. If a rattlesnake comes near, I can identify it in less than two seconds, I swear.”
He winked. “Good.”
“You know, you two are actually worse than having parents. My mom was never this overprotective.”
Cole patted her arm. “I’ve never had a little sister.”
“I’m not your sister! Jeez. Now go show your girlfriend how much you like the new red hair. I’ll see you later.”
Cole dragged his woman out the door, but Grace leaned back in for one last warning. “Watch out for that guy.”
“I promise it won’t be a problem!” she huffed.
It never was. Men were always disappointingly respectful of her. She locked the door behind Grace and then wandered back to the bathroom to put on some lip gloss and brush out her hair. Thanks to Grace’s professional skills with the eye makeup, Merry looked almost nice. And the Oscar the Grouch T-shirt really set off her complexion.
Just
