“J.T. sent it to me too,” Del added.
“Well, that was fast.” Freakin’ Stella must have shared the photo when she’d had Rena’s phone. “I gave him a haircut. Didn’t it turn out great?”
“I’ll say.” Del grinned. “He looks pretty chummy with his arm around you.”
“Oh stop.” Rena’s cheeks felt hot. “It was a haircut. That’s all.”
“From an artistic perspective, I’d have to agree that you did a great job. The camera loves him.” J.T. grimaced. “But don’t tell him I said that.”
“Ditto,” Del agreed. “I like that he and I don’t get along. It’s the natural order of things.”
Rena had had a long day. She still didn’t know how she felt about Axel giving Cara the brush-off. Good and bad, because now she felt like he thought they had a thing going. Which they didn’t, not yet, really. But she wanted to, and that bothered her. She liked him a lot. Maybe more than he liked her? Did he just want her for sex? And if so, would that be a bad thing? She wanted to try him on for size, for sure. But did she want more than that? She—
“Oh my God.” Del groaned. “Her brain is doing that squirrelly thing where it runs and runs and never stops. Like a hamster on the wheel. J.T., smack her on the head so it stops.”
Rena shot her cousinsthe look,and they cracked up laughing.
“Sorry.” J.T. pulled her in for a hug. “Del made me come over to give you shit. You’re a great stylist, honey. Seriously, Axel looked amazing in the picture. I guarantee you’re going to have a ton of clients coming your way because of it.”
“Thanks, J.T.” Such pleasure from a simple compliment.
“Yeah, you’re amazing,” Del agreed. “And speaking of which, I need you to cut Colin next week if you can. He’s getting so hairy he’s scary.”
“My little guy? Sure.” Rena loved him. She glanced at Del’s belly and felt a sudden yearning. Heck, she’d turned thirty-three not so long ago. When would she need to stop dreaming about having babies? Granted, women had them in their forties and later, but the risk for health problems went up as a woman aged. Oh no, what if she didn’t find anyone in time and her eggs shriveled up and fell off her ovary tree?
“What’s that look?” Del asked, leaning in.
Rena repeated what she’d been thinking.
J.T. ran a hand down his face.
Del tried to bite back a grin.
“It’s not funny,” Rena snapped, feeling emotional and tired. She tried to laugh with her cousin at the absurdity of an ovary tree then broke down in tears.
“Hey now.” J.T. looked at his sister and back at Rena, worried. “We were just teasing you.”
“I know. I just… I want to get married, have babies, be in love. I know more about romance than both of you put together!” She waved at the bookcases lining the living room, shelves filled with books about love from A to Z. “Why am I still single?” For some reason she wanted to lash out at Axel of all people.
“I shouldn’t go out with him anymore,” she mumbled to herself. “I don’t have time to waste.”
“What?” Del frowned. “Are you talking to us?”
“To herself, I think.” J.T. sighed and picked Rena up as if she weighed nothing. He cuddled with her on the couch, the way he always did to make her feel better. “Rena, your time is coming. Now quit thinking so hard. Love comes when you least expect it. Hell, if Del could get lucky, you sure as hell can.”
“Thanks a lot.” Del shot him a sour look. “But he’s right. Don’t look for it and I swear Cupid will knock you sideways.”
“But I can’t stop myself from looking. I try to forget I want a boyfriend, a lover, a friend who’ll put me first. But that desire for love is always there. You guys don’t understand. I… Heck. I should stop messing around with Axel and get serious about finding a guy. I’ll be thirty-four this April! God!” She rose from J.T.’s lap. “Sorry. I’m super tired. It’s been a stressful day. You guys go home and tell Mike, Colin, and Hope hi from me. I’m going to bed early.” She left them before she broke down in stupid tears again.
After a visit to the bathroom, she cried even harder and felt cramps set in.Of courseshe had to be overly emotional, on her period, and still single.
After settling into bed, she was surprised to drift right into sleep.
But damned if she didn’t dream about an endless walk around Green Lake with a mute Axel. And in it, she aged into an old crone step by step while nearby, trees dropped green, baby-like leaves that withered and crumbled to dust, swept away by the wind.
Five
Axel stared at the front door of Rena’s townhome, not sure if he’d made the right call by showing up unannounced. After the haircut Monday, he’d thought they were on track for a date tonight, but she’d called yesterday to cancel. “You’re nice, Axel, but we’d never work as a couple. Thanks. I hope you understand,” she’d said and hung up before he could respond.
