Once and Again - By Lauren Dane Page 0,19

smoking a cigarette. As her mother clearly hadn’t, Lily felt less than comfortable telling her sister to put it out. At the same time, one of the things Lily had just gotten under control was not only her own asthma but Chris’s.

“Hey, Nancy. Didn’t expect to see you here.” Keep it civil and brief. Over the years, Lily knew the best way to deal with her sister was to not let herself be goaded into a fight over nothing.

“I bet. I was just telling Mom that if you lived with me you’d have to do a lot more for your rent.”

But being civil didn’t mean she’d line up to be abused either. “Oh, bless your heart, hon. Guess it’s a good thing I’m here and not in your tiny little studio in Atlanta.” She smiled calmly. “By the way, please don’t smoke in the house. Chris’s asthma is just barely under control again.”

“I was saying the same thing.” Pamela looked to Lily and for the first time, she saw relief there.

“You should have said.” Nancy stabbed it out and turned her gaze back to Lily.

Before she could drag Lily into another verbal round of hurt your sister, Lily pulled her bag up on her shoulder, standing tall. “It was nice to see you, Nancy. Mom, I dropped off the stuff for the jumble sale. Merline says she’d sure love to see you on Saturday afternoons again.”

Pamela brightened a little. Lily wanted to see it more. Wanted her mother to get back to her activities and friends.

“I should call her.”

“You should. I know they’d love to have you helping over there. Caroline Cutler can’t find her behind with both hands.”

Pamela’s laugh was knowing and sadly rusty. It made it worth having to deal with Nancy just to get that response.

But Nancy didn’t want to let go of a chance to fight. “Rushing off so soon? Busy life of leisure you’ve got here?”

“Chris has an after-school thing with his tutor.” She pointedly ignored her sister. “But I’ll pick him up at four thirty from there.”

“Thank you, honey.”

“If you’re gone when I return, have a safe trip home.”

“I’m spending the night. Wish I’d thought of cleaning out the apartment over the garage. Must be pretty cozy up there.”

But that would have taken work. Effort. Never would have happened as her sister was a total loser, which went hand-in-hand with lazy.

“It sure is. Thanks for asking.” Her smile was forced, she knew, but she brushed a kiss over her mother’s cheek.

She escaped quickly, almost feeling bad for leaving their mother with Nancy. But not that bad. Anyway, she had an appointment at Tate’s salon to have Anne cut her hair, and she wasn’t going to miss that to hang out and trade insults with her sister.

“Hey, ladies. And you too, Beth,” Lily called out as she entered the salon.

Beth hooted a laugh and tossed a curler at her, which she caught handily. “Nancy’s in my mother’s living room. I need some prettifying to take my mind off that.”

Anne waved her to the shampoo station. “Come on then. I’ll massage your scalp with the pretty-smelling stuff and cut your hair. I’ve been telling Tate we should serve wine, I think this is one of those perfect examples why.”

She let her muscles relax, breathing out slowly. “I’m dumb to let her get to me.”

“Girl, Nancy wouldn’t be happy if Jesus hisself came down and handed her a five-dollar bill.” Beth sniffed and Lily laughed.

Anne draped her clothing to protect her from the water and excess hair and had Lily lean back. “Close your eyes and tell us about it.”

The shop was empty at the moment so Beth and Tate were standing nearby, listening.

The water was the perfect temperature. The scent of the shampoo was sort of tropical and lifted her spirits. “I think I love you, Anne Murphy.”

Anne laughed.

She filled them in on that day’s business with her sister.

“Why is she that way? I don’t get it. You’re not, and you had the same parents and the same upbringing.” Anne helped her up and to the chair where she towel dried Lily’s hair and began to section it off to cut.

“I don’t know. She’s always been this way. Closest to our father, so that probably explains most of it. But she’s never happy. Given the opportunity to smile or frown, she’ll frown. She will always choose to be casually vicious because I think it’s the only way she knows how to be.”

“You had a good stylist