LITMIR.BIZ

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water bottle, then set it down slowly and deliberately. Her gaze drifted to the shop window. “I went for a swim last night and the current brought interesting news.”

      “Let me guess. Mom’s coming.”

      Jet nodded. “Judging from the sound-wave strength and pattern, I’d say to expect her in about two days.”

      Mother was the last person Lily wanted to see right now.

      “Maybe she wants to check on you. Make sure everything’s okay with the pregnancy,” Lily said hopefully.

      “Nah. It’s you she’s concerned with.”

      Lily swept up snippets of Opal’s hair on the floor, aware of Jet’s scrutiny. Damn, she didn’t want maternal pressure to leave the bayou for good and “resume her rightful position as the best siren of the sea”—words her mother eschewed with increasing regularity. Mom had gone from baffled to miffed to frustrated over the past few visits.

      A few minutes of silence descended before Jet spoke up. “You okay?”

      “Nothing I can’t handle. She’ll just pester me to take my rightful place with other merfolk.”

      Jet regarded her, eyes direct, brows knitted and chin down. A fierce look that Lily knew masked concern. “Not such a bad idea. Especially with this Twyla business.”

      “Twyla still bothering you?”

      Lily jumped at Opal’s voice and cast a furtive look at Jet, wondering how much Opal had overheard. She patted the seat for Opal to sit down. “Maybe.”

      She stirred the color and developer together and brushed streaks of color on Opal’s hair. The bright colors should perk up the rather plain face with its scattering of freckles and a slight scar that spread across one cheek. “This is a temporary dye,” she explained. “You can try out the effect and see how you like it.”

      Jet persisted with her questioning. “What does maybe mean? Either she is or isn’t bugging you.”

      “I got several hang-up calls last night. They never spoke. After the third one, I turned off my ringer.” The scissors trembled slightly in Lily’s hands as she trimmed a few uneven locks of Opal’s hair. “When I checked this morning there were seven missed calls and no voice-mail messages.”

      “Ouch!” Opal swiped the side of her neck and stared at a blood splash on her fingers.

      “I am so sorry.” Lily grabbed a towel and wiped the nick. “That’s never happened before.” Geez, how embarrassing.

      “No problem, I’ll live,” Opal assured her.

      Jet cut in, still focused on the phone calls. “Did you call back the number on the screen?”

      “Of course. But I got a recording saying the number was no longer in service. Must have used a throwaway phone.”

      Opal circled her index finger around her right temple. “Somebody’s cra-zee.”

      “Say the word and I’ll have Landry talk to Twyla,” Jet said.

      “No need to drag him into it.” Lily didn’t want her brother-in-law knowing her business.

      A collective mewling of cats turned their attention to the shop front. More than half a dozen felines in various colors and sizes perched along the window ledge, motionless and unblinking except for licking their mouths. As if they observed a delectable treat fit for a feast.

      Jet frowned. “We ought to bring Rebel to chase them away.”

      “Dog’s so ugly he wouldn’t even have to bite or bark to scare them,” Lily said drily, returning to the familiar routine of coloring and styling hair.

      The three settled into a comfortable silence as Jet continued crunching numbers and Opal observed Lily at work.

      A loud rap on the front window scared off their cat stalkers. A husky guy wearing a camouflage shirt waved and motioned for someone to open the locked door.

      “Who’s that?” Opal asked.

      Lily unfastened her apron with a sigh. “Gary.”

      “Thought you broke it off with him,” Jet said.

      “I did.”

      Jet scowled at Gary and motioned him to go away.

      Gary rapped harder on the glass. “Open up,” he yelled. “I need to talk to you, Lily.”

      People passing by on the street stopped and stared.

      “He’s making a scene,” Opal noted, tapping her lips.

      Jet stalked to the front door in brisk strides. “I’ll get rid of him.”

      “No. Let him in before he breaks the glass,” Lily said. She picked up a pink chiffon scarf from the counter and knotted it at her throat, hiding the faint line of scars where gill slits aligned both sides of her neck. She didn’t bother with it around Nash because he’d seen the marks when they were children and she’d made up a story about an accident. And she hadn’t bother to cover it up around Opal. Seeing as she had her own scar to deal with, they figured she wouldn’t ask prying questions.

      “You sure?” Jet hesitated, hand on the doorknob.

      Lily touched her scarf in a silent reminder.

      Jet turned up her collar, covering the gills that were also three inches in length on either side of the neck, extending from the top of the collarbone to her windpipe.

      At Lily’s nod, Jet unlocked the door. The smell of whiskey preceded Gary as he staggered straight to Lily.

      “Whatever I done wrong before, Lily, I’m sorry.” His eyes were weepy and red-rimmed, yet also held an odd glimmer of hope.

      “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Lily said, sweeping up her station. “I wasn’t feeling it anymore.”

      “But why? I must have done something.”

      She almost winced at the pleading note in his voice. Best to cut him off quickly.

      “I promise whatever it was, it’ll never happen again.” He stumbled closer and drew his face next to hers, trying to kiss her cheek.

      Lily stepped back, eyes watering from the whiskey fumes on his breath. She hated these kinds of scenes.

      He straightened, took off his baseball cap and began twisting it between his hands. “I couldn’t believe it when I got your message. Thanks for giving me a second chance.”

      “Message? I didn’t send you any message.” Her sympathy vanished. Stupid drunk. What a lame pretext to make a play at her again. “For the last time, Gary, I’m not interested anymore. Let’s leave it at that.”

      He flushed. “I can’t believe this. I thought you wanted to get back together but you’re so...” he waved a hand in the air “...so cold-acting.”

      Lily shrugged. “Move on. I have.”

      Gary rocked unsteadily on his heels, as if she had struck him. “But...I broke up with Wanda to see you.”

      Jet stepped in front of him. “You heard her. Time to move on.” She laid a hand on his arm and pulled him forward.

      “I’m not going anywhere.” Gary jerked his arm back and glared at Lily. “Not until she explains why she’s playing games.”

      Lily crossed her arms. “I’m not playing and I don’t like your game.” Despite the show of bravado, Lily’s stomach fluttered. Had someone—Twyla—set this up to cause trouble?

      Opal stood and placed a hand on Gary’s arm, trying to ease the confrontation. “This is obviously not working out. Maybe you and Wanda can get back together.”

      “But I want Lily,” he insisted like a two-year-old

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