Page 75 of No Place Like Home
“She’s at work,” Darlene added as she opened the car door.
“Perfect. Then she can’t run.” I was frantic as I climbed behind the wheel. The short drive to Shear Perfection never felt so long.
Chapter 33
Rowan
Ipulled in front of Shear Perfection, slammed the gear shift to park and ran inside. “Summer?” I called as soon as I flew through the door. “Summer?” Dammit. She better be here. My heart beat frantically as I searched the salon.
Diane and Kaye stopped the work on their customers and Kaye said, “Rowan, she went to grab something to eat. What’s wrong?”
“I thought you were leaving for your interview,” Diane added.
I paced the salon. Damn, I’d been doing a lot of that today. “I’m not going. I need to talk to Summer.”
Kaye put her hand on my arm. “Calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”
Kaye was my mom’s oldest friend and was always calm in the midst of chaos. I guess she had to be, with a first husband like hers and a son as high-strung and energetic as Lance had always been.
I forced myself to stay calm. “I just found out something and couldn’t go to Texas. Not without talking to her.”
Kaye raised a brow. “Mrs. Ledbetter, do you mind if I take a minute before giving you your manicure? I’ve got to talk to Rowan.”
“Of course not,” Mrs. Ledbetter said. “Rowan dear, calm down. Summer’s not going anywhere.”
I gave Mrs. Ledbetter a smile, nodded to her and Diane, as I followed Kaye into the kitchen.
“Okay, Rowan, what did you find out and from whom?” Kaye asked.
I leaned heavily on the counter, my hands rested behind me. “Bryson and I got in a fight, and Darlene—”
“Bryson and you what?” My mother came in at that time.
I guess itwasafter four. She had finished work, and this was where she always ended up. “Mom, nothing happened. Darlene stopped us—”
“Damn, you two boys.” My mother had her hands on her hips and was ready to give me the riot act. “I thought one day you’d grow out of your inability to get along—”
“T,” Kaye interrupted her rampage. “Now isn’t the time.”
“Yeah, Mom. Now isn’t the time.”
“Boy, you may be almost a foot taller than me but I’m still your momma and I can—”
“Enough,” Kaye snapped her fingers in front of my mother’s face. “T, I need to talk with Rowan—in private. You can yell and go all momma-not-nice-person later.” My mom opened her mouth to say something, but Kaye shook her head and wagged her finger. “Uh-uh. Not now. I’m talking to him.” She eyed my mother and their gazes froze on each other.
My mom threw her hands up in the air. “Fine. Whatever.” She turned to me and put her finger in the air. “We aren’t done here. You, me, and Bryson are going to have a talk.” She started to walk out ofthe kitchen then turned around abruptly. “Aren’t you supposed to be heading for an interview?”
“I was. But something came up. Texas can wait.”
She narrowed her gaze at me then turned her head slowly to Kaye.
Kaye raised her brows and cocked her head to the side.
Mom pursed her lips hard, turned, and stormed from the room.
We both watched her retreat in silence for a bit then Kaye said, “You and Bryson better be ready for her wrath later.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure she’ll have lots to say, but things are fine between us now. It was about Summer, anyway.”
