6 Rainier Drive Read Online Free PDF Page B

to…
    â€œRachel? Teri?” Maryellen couldn’t have been more surprised—and delighted. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œWe are on a mission of mercy,” Rachel declared. She set a white take-out bag on the coffee table in front of Maryellen, then reached for her hand.Shaking her head, Rachel gave a disparaging sigh. “Just look at those nails,” she muttered.
    â€œAnd I was thinking you could do with a haircut,” Teri said cheerfully. “And since we were coming, we decided to bring lunch for all of us.”
    Maryellen felt like laughing and crying at the same time. “How did you know I’ve been longing for some TLC?” she whispered, endeavoring not to weep.
    â€œA little birdie told us,” Rachel said, grinning. She walked into the kitchen and collected three plates.
    â€œThis place is beautiful,” Teri said. Hands on her ample hips, she glanced around. “Rachel said Jon did most of the work himself. Mighty talented husband you’ve got there, my friend.”
    Maryellen had to agree. She liked both women immensely; Rachel had done her nails for years, while Teri had only recently started cutting Maryellen’s hair. Teri had a flair for the outrageous and was genuinely entertaining. More than that, she was a kindhearted and compassionate person—as her visit today proved.
    Over the years, Maryellen had gotten to know them both pretty well, and at one time had tried to set Teri up with Jon. Now she was astonished that she’d ever thought of such a thing. Teri and Jon were completely unsuited, but Maryellen hadn’t even considered that. She’d been fighting her own attractionto him and had managed to convince herself that if he turned his attention elsewhere, he’d forget about her and vice versa. However, Jon was interested only in her.
    â€œWe brought you teriyaki chicken with rice and veggies,” Rachel said as she pulled containers from the white sack.
    Maryellen’s appetite had been almost nonexistent for weeks. Jon had to coax her to eat at every meal. But all at once she was ravenous.
    â€œThat sounds fabulous.”
    â€œGood.” Rachel handed her a filled plate and a pair of chopsticks.
    Maryellen sat cross-legged on the sofa while her two friends arranged ottomans on the other side of the coffee table. The three of them dug into their lunch as Teri explained that it was from a new take-out place on the outskirts of Cedar Cove. They all proclaimed the food to be delicious and worth getting again. Teri had been considerate enough to leave a menu with Maryellen. “For when you guys just want to order in.”
    â€œI think I should cut your hair short,” Teri said next. “Really short. You’ve got better things to do than fuss with your hair.”
    Maryellen smiled. It was all she could do to get it combed every day. “Jon won’t like that.”
    â€œHey, he isn’t the one who has to wash it and brush it,” Teri said. “He’ll get used to it.”
    Maryellen could imagine how he’d react. The last time she’d had more than a trim was soon after Katie’s birth. Until then, Maryellen had worn her dark hair long and straight, reaching the middle of her back, much as it did now. Jon had never actually said he didn’t like her new style, but she could sense that he’d been disappointed. He often told her how much he loved her long, glossy hair, how beautiful he found it.
    â€œOkay, what do you mean by short? ” Maryellen asked.
    Teri’s dark eyes twinkled. “Wait and see.”
    â€œI hope you realize I can’t afford this,” she felt obliged to remind her friends.
    â€œThat’s not your concern,” Rachel was quick to tell her. “It’s all been taken care of.”
    â€œAnd,” Teri added, “included in the fee was a more-than-generous tip.”
    â€œWho did this?” Maryellen asked,