She blushed furiously, ducking her head. “Um…she got a few other services.”
“Like what? Did she have you personally hand-trim every hair on her body?”
Katie leaned across the counter, keeping her voice low. “She dyed her hair. White roots,” she cringed. “She was doing a pretty good job of hiding it with some touch-up.”
Perfect. So now I was paying not only for lunch, but also for her very expensive hair job. Why couldn’t she just age gracefully like everyone else?
“If you want, I can call Sawyer and see if he can cover it,” she offered.
“No, it’s done. I’ll talk to him later, but thank you.”
“Next time, I’ll call you first.”
Normally, I didn’t appreciate town interference, but on this occasion, I would take it. Maybe it would save me an extra couple of hundred dollars.
“Ready?” I asked as we headed for the door.
“Yes, I’m starving! Sawyer keeps telling me he’ll run to the store, but he hasn’t yet. There’s literally nothing to eat.”
“I just went shopping a few days ago.”
“Right, but that would mean I would have to make something. I’m not a very good cook.”
Of course she wasn’t. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing we’re going to the diner.”
She placed a hand on my arm, trying to hide the disgusted look marring her face. “The diner?”
“Yes.”
“But…isn’t there anyplace nicer to eat?”
“Well, since I just spent two hundred fifty-seven dollars on your hair, I’m afraid that’s all I can afford right now.”
I smiled brightly at her and got in my car. She would eat diner food or she could starve. I didn’t really care either way.
“And the tomatoes were so small,”she continued complaining as soon as we got in the car after eating. “I didn’t realize that when I ordered a salad, I would only get three tomatoes.”
“Well, they know now that you weren’t satisfied.”
“And that dressing was lumpy.”
I sighed, not knowing what to say to her.
Maybe I could drop her off at the mountain rescue and leave her for Sawyer to take care of the rest of the day. Would that be so awful? Or better yet, I could take her to the humane society. They could stick her in the back, cleaning up after the animals. She’d smell like shit when she came home, but at least she would be someone else’s problem.
“Oh my God! Could this woman walk any slower?” She rolled down the window and leaned out. “Hey, lady! Get a?—”
I grabbed her arm and dragged her back into the car, hitting the button to roll up the window before she could berate Mrs. Abernathy.
“You don’t have to yell at her. She’s an old woman.”
“Maybe she shouldn’t be walking around at all. I mean, she could get injured like that.”
I was pleasantly surprised to hear her say something so thoughtful, even if the delivery beforehand was rude.
“I don’t think she has anyone to help her out.”
“They really shouldn’t let old people out,” she sighed.
