The Curl Up and Dye Read Online Free PDF

Center. Her stomach was in knots. Once upon a time she’d been good at trying new things. It was time to get back in the habit.
    She pushed the door inward and then headed for the counter and the man behind the desk.
    He looked up, smiling.
    “Hello there, LilyAnn. It’s good to see you.”
    “Hello, Stewart. Can I pay for a visit at a time without becoming a member?”
    “You can pay for a month at a time. Would that work for you?”
    She nodded. It would take way more than a month for what she intended to do.
    “Yes, that would be fine.”
    She wrote out the check, then followed him to the women’s locker room. He gave her a locker key and told her he’d wait for her outside while she stowed her gear. Then she grabbed her iPod and locker key and followed him back into the gym area.
    Stewart paused. “So what did you have in mind? Do you just want to tone up, or is this part of a new diet regime?”
    “I want to lose weight and decided to begin with some exercise during my lunch break,” she said softly.
    Stewart nodded. “Okay, then I would recommend starting on the treadmill. I noticed you didn’t bring a change of clothes, so I’m assuming you plan to go back to work afterward?”
    She nodded. “But I can bring a change of clothes next time.”
    “Whatever works for you. If you’ll step up on this treadmill, I’ll show you how it works. You can increase or decrease speed and incline to suit yourself, but I recommend we start with a slower speed. You can amp up after you’ve been at this a while, okay?”
    “Okay.”
    She watched as he explained how to work it. After he walked away, she dropped the iPod in her pocket, put the earbuds in her ears, and hit Play. The music began as she started the treadmill, but it felt like much more had just happened. She’d just taken a huge step back into public life.
    At first she felt awkward and anxious on the treadmill, like she was going to either walk off the front of it or roll off the back. It took her a few minutes to get the hang of the pace and then she found a rhythm. The music was moving her spirit, and her feet were moving the blood in her body faster than it had pumped in years. Before she knew it, thirty minutes had come and gone and she wasn’t nearly as tired as she’d expected to be.
    There were people coming and going the entire time she’d been on the treadmill, and to her relief, not a one of them paid her any attention. She was intent on maintaining her pace as the iPod shifted to another download. But when she heard the first notes, her heart dropped. It had been ages since she’d listened to her playlist, and she had completely forgotten the song was there. Before she knew it, tears were running down her face, but she kept on walking, trying to outrun the pain.
    ***
    Mike had been busy with errands all morning. By the time he was finished, it was almost 12:30. He came in the back door, dumping supplies as he went, then washed up before going into the gym area.
    The last thing he would have expected was to see LilyAnn on one of his treadmills, but the moment he saw her, a surge of excitement swept through him.
    This is great! She was serious when she said she wanted to change.
    He didn’t know whether to ignore her and leave her in the zone or walk by and at least acknowledge her presence. Her chin was tilted slightly toward her chest and he could see the earbuds, which meant she was listening to her iPod. His instinct was to not bother her—until he saw the tears. He was halfway across the room before he realized he’d taken a step. Without saying a word, he walked up right beside the treadmill and pulled the earbuds out of her ears.
    LilyAnn flinched. Mike! Where had he come from? When he put the earbuds in his ears, she groaned.
    Mike wasn’t surprised that it was country, because that was her favorite music genre, but the moment he heard Alan Jackson’s voice and the words to the song, his heart dropped.
    Damn it to hell.
    He looked