Point of Attraction by Margaret Van Der Wolf Page A

whispered. “And please,
I reeeeally want to know why she’s worth thousands ?”
    “Because I said so, and because I was
being ignored until I mentioned the M word.”
    “The M word?”
    “ Money ,” she whispered, then raised
her voice. “This way, Officer Montgomery. The girls were back here
at the shampoo bowls, while Raggs normally sits up
here.”
    As they walked to the
front, Georgie held her hands out to the girls and customers. “Yes,
I was robbed. No, it was not money. I wished they had taken the money. I
would just charge you all more and get it back that
way.”
    They laughed and someone even said, “No
doubt.”
    “But they took Raggs,” Georgie said,
and she heard a hushed gasp.
    “What? Someone took my girl?” a male
voice said, and Georgie turned.
    And there he stood; Hawaiian shirt and
cargo short pants. In autumn.
    “Nick! When did you...”
    “Flew in late yesterday.”
    “Nick if you took her...” But in truth,
Georgie was hoping he’d laugh, say he was sorry, and hand over
Raggs. But he did neither.
    “Oh, Georgie Girl,” he said, his arms
wrapping around her, then slid a caring hand over her hair, which
he knew she hated, and she swatted away the offending
appendage.
    “Raggs is my girl,” he added, with a
finger beneath her chin, tipping it up so she could do nothing else
but look into in his playful brown eyes. “But I wouldn’t kidnap
her.”
    “And you would be?” Mason
asked.
    “Me? Why, I’m the love of my Georgie
Girl’s life. I’m... I’m...” he muttered while making a rolling
motion with his hand, over acting the search for another
word.
    A subtle laughter rumbled through the
shop.
    “Nick, please,” Georgie
begged.
    “Georgie Girl and I bonded when she
gave me a bloody nose in kindergarten...”
    Georgie held up her hand and fought her
way free of his arms. “Nick, not the kindergarten story,
please.”
    “Okay. Delete that. The moment I saw
that moving van drive up at the house next door, and saw this brown
haired girl,” he said, giving her hair a quick tug, “with those
hazel eyes, come out of the car behind the van? I knew it was
trouble.”
    Georgie swatted off his hand and
shrugged out of his hold to go behind her desk. She sat on its tall
stool and dropped her head on her arms on the appointment
book.
    “Georgina?” a soft voice came through
Nick’s never ending tirade. “Are you ready for me?”
    Georgie’s head snapped up. She took a
quick look at her book and jumped from the stool. “Mrs. Stewart! Oh
jeez, I’m so sorry. Please, go on back. I’ll be right there. I just
have to finish this here.”
    As Mrs. Stewart went by Nick, she
stopped and, though she was shorter, looked up at him eye to eye.
“Nicholas Underwood, you are still a little... what is it you call
him, Georgina? Oh yes. You are still a little shit.”
    “Yes, Ma’am. I am.”
    “I don’t know how Georgina has put up
with you all these years.”
    “Nor do I, Mrs. Stewart.”
    As the retired schoolteacher spoke, her
hands worked the handle of her walking stick, giving the impression
she was considering using it as a club. “Now, tell the Officer what
he wants to know so Georgina can get on with my perm, and let me
tell you... if my perm comes out bad, not even Georgina will save
you.”
    “Yes, Ma’am.”
    Before Mrs. Stewart started to the back
of the shop, she turned to Mason. “And you make certain you earn
your pay and find Raggs. Georgina’s lost enough in her
life.”
    “That I will do,” Mason answered with
the tip of his finger to the brim of his hat.
    Georgie swallowed back the rising
emotion, and cleared her throat. She’d forgotten it was Mrs.
Stewart who sent for the pattern of Raggedy Ann for her mother, and
it was Mrs. Stewart who shopped for the dress material and just the
right color of yarn for Raggs’ hair.
    “Raggs sat here,” Georgie told
Mason.
    As she watched, Mason stood at the
door, looked to the back of the shop, then slowly moved