Truly Madly Yours

Delaney unpacked what she considered her business clothes and hung them in her closet. She bought a few groceries, a clear plastic shower curtain with big red hearts on it, and two braided rugs for the worn patches on the kitchen floor.

Now all she needed was a phone and a few new locks.

Three days after she opened for business, she had her phone, but she was still waiting for those locks. She was waiting for the stampede of customers, too.

Delaney sat her first customer in the salon chair and took the towel from her head. “Are you sure you want finger waves, Mrs. Van Damme? She hadnt done finger waves since beauty school. Not only had it been four years, but a whole head of finger waves was a pain in the backside.

“Yep. Just like I always get em. Last time I went to that shop around the corner, she said, referring to Helens Hair Hut. “But she didnt do a very good job. She made it look like I had worms laying on my head. I havent had a decent hairdo since Gloria passed on.

Delaney shrugged out of her short vinyl jacket, then shoved her arms through a green smock. The smock covered her raspberry Lycra shirt and vinyl skirt, leaving her knees and shi

But she was desperate. No one wanted to pay more than ten dollars for anything. In the three days shed been open, Mrs. Van Damme was the only person who hadnt taken one look at her prices and turned and run out. Of course, the woman could barely walk.

“If you do a good wave, Ill recommend you to my friends, but they wont pay more than I do.

Oh goody, she thought, a whole year of frugal old ladies. A whole year of tight roller curls and back combing. “Do you part your hair on the right, Mrs. Van Damme?

“On the left. And since you have your fingers in my hair, you can call me Wa

“How long have you worn your hair this way, Wa

“Oh, for about forty years. Every since my late husband told me I looked like Mae West.

Delaney seriously doubted Wa

“Nope. I like to stick with what works.

Delaney snipped off the tip of the bottle, then applied the lotion to the right side of the womans head and began to shape the waves with her fingers and comb. It took her several tries to get the first ridge perfect so that she could move on to the second and third. While she worked, Wa

“My good friend Dortha Miles lives in one of those retirement villages in Boise. She really likes it. Foods good she says. Ive thought about moving to one of those villages myself. Ever since my husband, Leroy, passed on last year. She paused to slip her bony hand from beneath the cape and scratch her nose.

“Howd your husband die? Delaney asked as she formed a ridge with her comb.

“Fell off the roof and landed on his head. I dont know how many times I told that old fool not to climb up there. But he never listened to me, and look where he is now. He just had to get up there and fiddle with that TV ante

The mental picture that flashed through Delaneys head was frightening, and she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. The conversation moved from Wa

Delaney was getting sick of that question. “I havent found the right man yet.

“I have a grandson, Ro

“No, thanks.

“Hmm. Do you live alone?

“Yes, I do, Delaney answered as she finished the last ridge. “I live right upstairs.

“Up there? Wa

“Yep.

“How come, when your mamma has such a nice place?

There were a million reasons. Shed hardly spoken to her mother since shed moved out, and she couldnt say she was all that upset about it. “I like living alone, she answered and formed a row of tiny curls across the womans forehead.

“Well, you just watch out for those crazy Basque Allegrezza boys next door. I dated a sheepherder once. They have mighty fu

Delaney bit her cheek again. Before shed opened the shop, ru

When Delaney was finished, Mrs. Van Damme was still old and wrinkled and looked nothing like Mae West. “What do you think? she asked and handed the woman an oval mirror.

“Hmm. Turn me.

Delaney turned the chair so Wa

“Looks good, but Im going to take off fifty cents for those little curls in the front. I never said Id pay for extra curls.

Delaney frowned and removed the neck strip and silver plastic cape.

“You give a senior citizen discount dont you? Helen isnt as good as you, but she gives a discount to seniors.

At this rate, she was going to be out of business in no time. As soon as Mrs. Van Damme left, Delaney locked up and put away her green smock. She reached for her vinyl jacket and headed out the back. Just as she stepped outside and turned to shut the door behind her, a dusty black Jeep rolled to a stop in the slot reserved for Allegrezza Construction. She looked over her shoulder and almost dropped her keys.

Nick cut the Jeeps engine and stuck his head out the window. “Hey, wild thing, where you headed dressed like a hooker?

Slowly she turned and shoved her arms into her jacket. “I am not dressed like a hooker.

As he got out of the four-wheel drive, he looked her over. His gaze started at her boots and worked upward. A lazy smile curved his lips. “Looks like somebody had a real good time wrapping you up in electrical tape.

She pulled her hair from the back of her collar and subjected him to the same scrutiny hed just given her. His hair was slicked back in a ponytail, and the arms had been hacked out of his blue work shirt. His jeans were worn almost white in places and his boots were dusty. “Did you get that tattoo in prison? she asked, pointing to the wreath of thorns circling his bare biceps.