Riva paused from stuffing a box into the trash compactor. “So you’ve noticed that too?”
Windy laughed. “How could you not?”
Riva shoved the second box into the compactor, then closed it and turned it on. It growled and crunched.
“Plus, she told me yesterday that she was fond of him,” Windy admitted. “And you saw how much she fixed herself up the last two nights. That’s not like her.”
“It’s kind of sweet to see her smitten like this.”
“Yes, she does seem a bit smitten, huh?” Windy gazed out the window, then lowered her voice. “I just hope she doesn’t get hurt.”
“By Marcus?”
“Well, she’s putting herself out there. But if he doesn’t feel the same ... well, it could be tough.” Windy rinsed another plate, then looked at Riva. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but Laurel was not too happy when you and Marcus left in his pickup this morning.”
Riva winced. “I was a little worried about that.”
“I’m not mentioning it to trouble you, Riva. I mean, really, it’s between Laurel and Marcus. But I thought you should have a little heads-up.”
“Heads-up?” Riva knew what she meant but was surprised that Windy felt the need to say it.
“Well, you know that if you’re not careful, well, you could be stepping into a romantic triangle.”
“Oh, that’s impossible.” Riva rinsed her hands. “I have no interestin a romantic anything. And certainly not a triangle. No worries there.”
Windy looked relieved. “Okay. Good to know. Enough said.” She sighed, then gazed out the window again. “It’s so pretty out there this time of evening. And even though you have no interest in a romantic anything, your yard feels rather romantic.”
Standing behind Windy, Riva peered out at her backyard. With the candle still glowing on the picnic table and fresh plants happily tucked in here and there, it was magical and altogether lovely in the dusky light. If a person was in the mood for romance—and again, she was not—her own backyard wouldn’t be such a bad place to start.
Chapter10
To Riva’s relief, Kitty Brinson wasn’t as chatty as Laurel had described. As they had coffee in the library, Riva decided she liked the woman. She was a little quirky perhaps, and her platinum hair, hot pink lips, and short skirt were outside of Riva’s personal comfort zone, but the woman seemed sincere.
“I want to be totally forthcoming,” Kitty said finally. “I’ve had bad luck with men. So much so that I’ve sworn them off. But I have one hanger-onner. My ex seems to think he’s going to get me back. I gave up my apartment because he kept showing up there. I sort of felt he was stalking me, so I started staying in my salon. I park my car at a friend’s house, and she drops me at work. It seems kind of silly, but I feel safe there.” She sighed. “And my finances are a bit of a mess, but rest assured I can afford what you quoted for that room.”
Riva felt a tinge of concern. “Is your ex, uh, dangerous?”
“Oh, I don’t think he’s dangerous. Just obnoxious. And I’ll have my friend drive me up here as well so my car won’t be visible, just in case. In fact, your house isn’t far from my salon. I could walk back and forth in good weather.” Kitty’s eyes got misty. “I have been feeling like I’m such a mess. I’m actually a pretty goodbusinesswoman and have a good reputation as a hairdresser. It’s just that I’m a terrible judge of character with men.”
“You remind me of my roommate Shayla during my first semester in college,” Riva told her. “Like you, she was blond and pretty. Men were always attracted to her, but they always turned out to be the wrong guys. And she never could quite figure it out. One night, she was in tears, and I suppose I was fed up, so I told her she was a jerk magnet.”
“A jerk magnet?” Kitty looked amused.
Riva shrugged. “It was probably not a nice thing to say, but it felt true at the time. Shayla’s appearance was kind of like Farrah Fawcett, who was a big deal at the time, and men seemed drawn to her like moths to a flame. But they tended to be superficial and only interested in a good time and some arm candy.”
“I get that.” Kitty rolled her eyes. “So what happened to Shayla?”
“She dropped out of college and married a jerk.” Riva grimaced. “Well, he was a jerk at the time, and the marriage didn’t last a year. But maybe the guy grew up. I’m hoping Shayla figured it all out. I lost track of her.” Riva stood to get a book from a shelf. “Have you ever read Jane Austen?”
“I’ve never been much of a reader,” Kitty confessed.
“Well, this Jane Austen book—Pride and Prejudice—has a character that reminds me of you. She’s a secondary character, a younger sister of the protagonist of the story, but she’s sort of a nineteenth-century jerk magnet.” Riva studied Kitty. “I’ll tell you what, if you promise to read this and then talk to me about it, I will rent you a room.”
“Really?” Kitty’s turquoise eyes got big.
“Absolutely.” Riva smiled, handing her the book. “Maybe the book can help you improve your discernment about men.”
“I’d like that. Good grief, you’d think I’d have figured it out by now, but I keep falling back into it.” Kitty ran her hand over the cover. “Thank you.”
