Sarah's eyebrows rose thoughtfully. "Probably not. Remember when Mom sold your hair to the lady next door so she could make a fall out of it?"
"I totally remember that. It's a little creepy now to think about it."
"You always grew such pretty, long hair, then you chopped it off each summer so you didn't have to mess with it after a day at the lake."
"I know. I can't believe I did that."
Natalie adjusted the plates of hors d'oeuvres, even though the trays and bowls of gourmet goodies were already nicely aligned and presented.
She had nothing more to do. Right now she was very organized, but she needed to keep busy or else she'd spill the news to her sister that she'd invited Tony over, too.
She'd thought about telling Sarah beforehand, then opted against it. Better to have Sarah's attention focused on Iris than on Tony. Sarah would know soon enough when Tony showed up. There was no point in making a big deal about it prematurely.
Tony should be here within the next thirty minutes.
Everyone's arrival time pretty much centered around three o'clock. Everyone, that is, except for Cassie. Natalie frowned, trying not to dwell on that disappointment.
The doorbell rang and Sarah was halfway to it before Natalie could take a step.
"I'll get it," Sarah said, swinging the door open. "Dad! Hi. And you have to be Ms. Come in."
Glad her dad had extended the invitation to Iris, Natalie ran her hands down her apron, checked the oven clock to make sure she wouldn't be late putting the rolls in, then went to greet her dad and his friend.
Iris was very pretty. Her glossy hair was swept into a soft style. She was dressed in a nice pair of slacks and a light sweater that complemented her skin tone. She was tall, statuesque, with a wonderful smile on her lovely face. Her smile was charming, engaging and it reminded Natalie of someone else's.
That thought came from nowhere and Natalie quickly discounted it.
Ridiculous.
Fred wore a sports coat and slacks, his hand on the small of Iris's back as he ushered her inside the wide foyer and then into the kitchen area. He was visibly nervous, made evident by the way he kept a smile plastered on his mouth, those dentures of his looking a little too predominant.
Natalie warmed up to Iris immediately, liking the lavender smell of her perfume; very fragrant and sweet.
"This is my youngest, Sarah," her dad said, making the introduction. "And this is my oldest, Natalie."
"Hello," Iris said, but her demeanor was distracted as she glanced at Fred. Then she broke into a smile, dis-belief alight in her brown eyes. "I'm sorry, but my mind is still elsewhere. I just told Fred about an amazing coincidence when we pulled into the neighborhood and parked in front of your house."
Sarah, her usual vivacious self, asked, "What coincidence?"
With her pulse spinning, Natalie didn't have to wait for Iris to say it; she had a strong hunch she knew already. That smile had tipped her off.
"My son, Tony, lives across the street." Iris smiled a Tony-smile, still looking incredulous. "He told me he was seeing one of his neighbors. Knowing my son, she's young and pretty and blond. So, Natalie, do tell me where she lives and maybe I'll pop over there to get a good look at her."
Her words were spoken harmlessly. Of course, she'd conclude her son was dating a young and beautiful woman.
If Tony hadn't been coming over any minute, maybe Natalie would have played along. But she wasn't in the mood, and failed to see the ironic humor in any of this. In fact, her heart sank.
And while Natalie was nice and blond—albeit courtesy of the beauty parlor—she was not younger, nor very perky or anything else that described a thirty-something woman who probably had fake boobs.
The tension of the moment wove itself between Sarah and Natalie, and Sarah, bless her, spoke up. "Well, now, Iris, that is a coincidence, and you will be so glad to know my sister is the neighbor. She's pretty and I think she fits your description perfectly."
Fred Miller stared between Iris and Natalie, his jaw slackening. "Is that true, Natalie?"
Suddenly needing to check on the ham, Natalie ig-nored the question and opened the oven door. A wave of heat slapped her face, burning and leaving an imprint of…what? Embarrassment?
Why in the world would she be embarrassed by seeing Tony Cruz?
Because it defied convention, went against stereotype.
Hot firefighters dated hot women. It was a given.
She, on the other hand, was a former PTA president, a mother of a college-age daughter and a divorcee who had had two years to find Mr. Right and had, instead, found Mr. May who'd set her heartbeat racing out of control.
Natalie closed the oven door, turned and faced the group. "Well, it is a coincidence, isn't it? Tony and I are friends."
Iris's eyes softened. "Oh, I didn't mean to sound as if I… Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't disapprove of you. It's just that, I was assuming that he would have… Oh, my."
Oh, my was right.
At that moment, the doorbell rang again. Silhouetted behind the etched glass was Greg and his girlfriend.
Wonderful.
Natalie didn't think he'd actually show up even though he'd called the other day to confirm the time. He had this annoying habit of saying one thing and doing something else entirely.
Leave it to her ex-husband to follow through on this particular day, of all days.
With a slight sigh of annoyance Natalie opened the front door. "Hi, Greg," she said almost bluntly. She had to remind herself to breathe correctly. She'd never met his girlfriend and, after everything that had happened in the last few minutes, she had no inclination to do so
