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  Blush, a Bride and a Body

  A Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mystery

  Cindy Bell

  Copyright © 2013 Cindy Bell

  All rights reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and locations portrayed in this book and the names herein are fictitious. Any similarity to or identification with the locations, names, characters or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

  All trademarks and brands referred to in this book are for illustrative purposes only, are the property of their respective owners and not affiliated with this publication in any way. Any trademarks are being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not authorized by, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter One

  Bekki watched the various shades of rose mingle together into a rainbow as she swirled the blush brush through the semi-liquid semi-powder blush. She tapped the brush twice to make sure she had the excess powder removed, and then turned to smile at the woman seated before her. Ms. Blanchard was a well known woman in their town. She had lived there for many years, and though she kept mostly to herself, she always had her makeup done by Bekki for special occasions.

  “So, what are you up to today?” Bekki asked casually as she stroked the brush lightly just above Ms. Blanchard's high cheekbones. She had classic English bone structure, and Bekki always focused on brightening her eyes, as age had caused some dark circles to appear beneath her crystal blue eyes. It was quiet in the salon that morning, Bekki always found applying makeup to be a very intimate experience between women. Ms. Blanchard was trusting her to enhance her natural beauty, and Bekki was allowed into her personal space in a way that she would allow very few people.

  “Oh, I just have a meeting with the big wigs at the bank,” Ms. Blanchard murmured, careful not to move her cheeks too much. “They're always wanting to discuss my finances, as if they're not earning enough interest from me already.”

  Bekki smiled at that and touched up Ms. Blanchard's blush lightly. She had used a slightly darker shade than usual, because Ms. Blanchard's skin was quite pale. She was in her late seventies and Bekki could remember doing her makeup when Bekki was in her teens and worked at the salon. Ms. Blanchard had always asked for her specifically when she came to Bekki's mother's salon. When Bekki moved away to New York City, Sammy had taken over the role of applying Ms. Blanchard's makeup, but she was off that day. At least she was off from the salon. She was actually hard at work with Bekki's mother, Marie, as they sorted through finalizing the order from the caterer, and the table settings.

  “So, when is the wedding again?” Ms. Blanchard asked, drawing Bekki's attention from the rhythmic motion she had fallen into of sweeping and stroking the blush to make sure there was nothing loose and that it was blended well with Ms. Blanchard's skin. At the mention of the wedding Bekki dropped the blush brush. Luckily she caught it in mid-air and they both laughed.

  “Saturday, so just a few days to go,” Bekki replied dismissively, but she couldn't hide the excitement that crept up at the edges of her voice.

  “Well, it's about time,” Ms. Blanchard laughed and shook her head. “You know the ladies and I have been taking bets on when it would finally happen.”

  “Really?” Bekki asked with a laugh and set the blush brush down as she studied Ms. Blanchard's makeup to make sure it was correct. Her life had been fodder for town gossip ever since she was a little girl, as before her, her mother had owned the salon. Bekki had grown up with most of the women in the town feeling as if they were extended family. “Well, I'm glad that it is going to,” she admitted. It had taken her a little time to warm up to the idea of making another commitment after the way her plans had turned out with another man she had planned to marry.

  “You should be,” Ms. Blanchard stated rather gruffly, drawing Bekki's attention once more. “That copper is a real tasty treat.”

  “Uh, thank you,” Bekki laughed again and finally spun Ms. Blanchard around to face the mirror. “I think so, too,” she confessed. Detective Nick Malonie was the best thing that had ever happened to her, in her opinion.

  “He's a good man, too,” Ms. Blanchard added as she tilted her head to the side so that Bekki could touch up a few spots on her cheeks. “It can't all be about looks you know,” Ms. Blanchard sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. “There was a day when I didn't have to use an ounce of makeup. Take that as a lesson Bekki, beauty fades, but the people you care about never do. That Nick is a good quality man, and that's not easy to come by,” she added in a knowing tone.

  “Oh, I know it,” Bekki admitted as her mind flitted back and forth between her last relationship, and her current one with Nick.

  It amazed her that Nick could be so different from the man she had almost committed her entire life to. When Trevor had broken her heart by cheating on her, and then insisting that he had never been interested in marriage or a future with her, Bekki had thought her life was over. But as it turned out, her life had just been beginning.

  Bekki had returned home to find some sense of stability, and to heal the wounds that Trevor had left behind, only to discover that the real love of her life, was waiting for her. Nick, who she had fallen for in high school when they were both just kids, weathered a tumultuous battle to gain her trust before she was finally able to admit her true feelings for him. Now, she could only wonder why she had ever fought so hard in the first place. Nick was exactly the man she had hoped to spend the rest of her life with, someone who would always love her, someone whom she respected, and someone who only had her best interests at heart. It didn't hurt that she was madly in love with him in return!

  Bekki sighed as her mind drifted off again. She was very eager for the wedding, but she wasn't terribly interested in the details. When it came to hair and makeup Bekki had a passion for illuminating the hidden beauty in the fine lines of a woman's face, and the way a good hairstyle could transform a person's look. But when it came to tablecloths, dinner plates, and hors d'oeuvres, she was at a loss. Luckily her mother, Marie, and Sammy were all too happy to take over that aspect of the planning for her.

  To Bekki there were only two aspects of the wedding that she wanted complete say in. Her dress and the rings. She had been planning what she would have engraved on the rings ever since Nick had proposed. She was quite eager to see his reaction when he saw what she had engraved on them. The rings themselves were simple bands, nothing too extravagant, but quality gold. She was looking forward to the moment when she would get to proudly wear hers. For her dress she wanted something simple, but exquisite. Because of her New York City connections she was able to choose one from her favorite designer at a big discount. It was being altered to fit her measurements so no one else had seen it just yet. She was certain that the faint golden accents of the dress would match perfectly with the gold bands she and Nick had chosen for wedding rings.

  “Now, I've never been married myself,” Ms. Blanchard continued, drawing Bekki out of her daydreams. “But I can tell you this much, Bekki. If you've found the love of your life, do everyt
hing you can to hold onto him. If he can be your best friend, and your lover, then you've hit the lottery,” she smiled a little and patted Bekki's hand softly. “I know you don't need my advice, but I am just so pleased that you've found someone who makes you so happy.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Blanchard,” Bekki replied warmly, her eyes glistening with a hint of moisture. “And your advice means everything to me. You know that this whole town, and especially you and the other ladies that I grew up with in the salon, have always been a huge part of my life. And to tell you the truth, I didn't find my happiness until I moved back here.”

  Ms. Blanchard smiled at that. Bekki leaned down beside the woman and stared into her reflection in the mirror.

  “And some beauty may fade, Ms. Blanchard, but yours never will,” she assured her with a warm smile. Ms. Blanchard scoffed, but she was smiling.

  “Give that a moment or two to settle, and we'll do one last check before you're on your way,” Bekki said as she handed her a magazine to look over. As she was walking to the reception desk to check the time of her next appointment, her cell phone rang. She answered it quickly as she stepped into the reception area.

  “Hello?” she paused a moment, expecting to hear her mother's voice. Instead she heard the clinking of glasses.

  “Mama?” Bekki asked as she heard a lot of noise in the background.

  “Oh Bekki, you would not believe how cute these little cupcakes in wine glasses are,” her mother, Marie, sighed into the phone.

  “Mama,” Bekki laughed a little and shook her head. “Remember we're keeping things simple.”

  “And you remember, you're my only daughter,” Marie replied affectionately. “I couldn't be luckier to have you, and I can't possibly let you get married without every single thing being special.”

  Bekki couldn't resist a grin at her mother's words. She was certain that what had started out as a heartbreaking return home for her, had come full circle into the most wonderful time of her life. Having the chance to be close to her parents again, to reconnect with her best friend, Sammy, and to rekindle a romance with Nick had been exactly what she needed in her life. Despite the fact that she was so happy though, and so very grateful, she couldn't ignore the nagging sensation she had deep within her. She was frightened that something was going to go wrong. She hadn't confided in anyone about this. She assumed it was normal pre-wedding jitters. She wasn't afraid of marrying Nick, but she was afraid of something happening that would prevent her from being able to.

  “All right Mama, at least Sammy is with you to keep you grounded,” Bekki grinned at that, although she doubted that was the case.

  “They have tiny little sandwiches,” Sammy called out into the phone so that Bekki could hear. Bekki couldn't help but laugh.

  “As long as you guys are having fun,” she said with a smile. “But I don't want too much fuss.”

  “Don't worry,” her mother assured her. “Everything will be perfect.” As Bekki hung up the phone, she realized that everything already was.

  ***

  When Bekki closed up the salon that night she was mentally ticking off the rooms she still needed to pack. She had been trying to get her house packed up as she planned to move in with Nick after the wedding. She didn't have very far to go considering that he was practically next door, but she was finding it hard to get herself organized. At work everything was always very organized. Everything had a place, and she had a routine for opening and closing.

  But when she got home and was faced with all of the boxes she had yet to pack, she found herself overwhelmed. She had hoped to have just about everything packed by the weekend before so that she wouldn't have to rush, but that hadn't happened. Now, the wedding was less than a week away and she still had packing to do. She hurried to her car and waved to Angela who was shutting down the small café in her bakery for the night.

  Angela waved back. “Don't forget about tomorrow!” she called out. Bekki and Sammy planned to sample some wedding cakes and make a final decision on one. Originally, Nick was supposed to join her but his caseload had tripled since he was taking time off for the honeymoon, so he wasn't getting much free time to participate in the planning.

  “We'll be there!” Bekki promised as she ducked into her car. She headed to her house hoping to get there as quickly as possible. She had some serious catching up to do. When she arrived she found those same empty boxes staring at her, as if asking her whether she planned on ever using them.

  “That's it,” she said firmly. “The kitchen is getting packed up tonight.”

  She pulled her long, dark hair back into a tight ponytail, rolled up her sleeves, picked up a box, and then marched right into the kitchen. There was already a stack of newspapers on her counter waiting to be used to wrap up the glass items. She had picked those up two weeks ago, and there they had sat ever since. Bekki picked up a piece of the newspaper and snatched a plate, and began wrapping it up. After she put the plate in the box, she decided she needed some music. She walked out into the living room to turn on her radio. But in order to get to the radio she had to walk past a box that was filled with linens that was waiting to be taped up. She picked up the tape gun that was laying nearby and tried to seal the top of the box. But when she did the roller got stuck half way through. She tried to cut the tape with the blade at the end, but it wouldn't slice.

  “Seriously?” she frowned and tugged at the tape trying to free it entirely from the box so that she could start over. As she tugged and yanked at the tape gun with clenched teeth and narrowed eyes, she found herself getting more and more frustrated. She was so focused on her battle with the tape that she didn't hear the front door open.

  “Here, let me help you with that,” Nick offered as he stepped inside the living room.

  “I've got, I've got it,” Bekki growled and tugged at the tape dispenser, hoping that she could get it free on her own. She did, as she was giving her hardest tug, and the sudden release of the tension sent her stumbling back right into Nick's arms. “Oops, sorry,” she laughed as she looked up at him. The stubble of his cheek grazed across her cheek bone as he smiled against the curve of her chin.

  “I don't mind at all,” he murmured and kissed her softly on the cheek.

  “Mm,” she sighed and rested her head back against his broad shoulders as she admired his green eyes, which were dancing with amusement. “I'm almost finished packing,” she promised and looked up at him innocently.

  “Really?” he asked as he glanced around the living room which was still fully decorated. The only indication that Bekki was packing anything was an assortment of empty boxes waiting to be filled. “Because I could give you a hand,” he added as he quirked a brow at the boxes and then looked back at her. “I know all of this has been rough on you, packing and the wedding and me loaded up with cases.”

  “I can do it,” she promised and patted his chest lightly as she stepped out of his arms. “I've just been so busy with the salon, and the wedding plans, it's been hard for me to keep up.”

  “Hey,” he said as he grasped her wrist and tugged her gently back into his arms. “I don't want you stressing over this,” he warned her sternly as he met her eyes. “Nothing about this should be stressful,” he added as he studied her affectionately.

  “Oh honey, you're not the bride,” Bekki laughed and then smiled sweetly at him. “Don't worry, I am enjoying every moment.”

  “I hope so,” he murmured. “I have to admit,” he blushed a little as he looked away. “I've never been so excited about anything in my life.”

  Bekki could have swooned from the tender honesty of his words, but she didn't want to embarrass him.

  “Me neither,” she admitted and wrapped her arms around him for a warm hug. “I can't believe it's right around the corner!” she squealed and hung her arms around his neck playfully. “Should we practice?”

  “Practice what?” he asked a little confused, but enjoying her affection.

  “Well, it might be a little em
barrassing,” she lowered her voice slightly, “if you try to carry me over the threshold, and happen to drop me.”

  “Oh, I won't drop you,” he narrowed his eyes slightly with determination.

  “Are you sure?” she asked innocently and batted her long, dark lashes at him. “I mean, you sound a little over-confident.”

  “I'm the perfect degree of confident,” he said with certainty, his expression quite serious.

  “Hmm,” Bekki tilted her head slightly to the side so that she could look directly up into his eyes. “I don't know. Men before you have tried and failed, I personally don't think you should risk it without some practice.”

  “Practice might not be such a bad idea,” he admitted before he leaned his lips down to hers and kissed her softly. Bekki melted into the kiss. The warmth of it was so distracting that she had nearly forgotten her teasing, until she was abruptly swept right up off the floor.

  “Let's practice,” he said swiftly. He carried her towards her bedroom.

  “So far so good,” she giggled and tightened her grasp around his neck as if she was nervous. “Just watch out for that step up,” she pointed out the step before the bedroom.

  “Oh, I'm very familiar with that step,” he said warmly and navigated the step with ease.

  “Okay, but don't go too fast,” Bekki said playfully. “I think your arms are starting to shake.”

  “Well, if you would stop wriggling around,” he grunted teasingly and held her tighter. “Here we go,” he said and carried her with ease through the bedroom door.

  “Pretty good, pretty good,” she smiled. “I'm impressed.”

  “Well, that's nothing,” he said and stole another kiss before tossing her towards the bed.

  “Oh, but watch out for that box…” Bekki cried out, but it was too late. She landed hard on the bed and the box of clothes she had neatly folded up and packed away bounced right off the other side.