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Right now, it was blond and straight, giving even more prudence to the Paris resemblance. She typically only changed the color when life circumstances changed, but her life had been uncommonly stable since she’d started the Love Doctor bit, and consequently, she’d been a blond for over half a year.
    As if following Babette’s thoughts, Granny Gert chimed in. “Do you realize you haven’t changed your hair in ages? You really are settling down. In fact, maybe it’s about time you considered finding a nice man and settling down that way too. Or maybe calling up an old flame and doing a little match-mending for yourself.”
    Babette hadn’t confided that she’d been thinking about that very thing. She’d thought about it a lot last month, in fact, when Clarise told her that Jeff and Kitty hadn’t tied the knot after all. She’d made it as far as picking up the phone and dialing his number, but when the answering machine picked up, she simply hung up. Besides, if he still thought about her and wanted to talk to her, then he would’ve called her.
    He hadn’t. And since then, she’d kept herself busy with her business and with trying to pay off bills. She rarely ever thought about him.
    But she was thinking about him now, and all because Granny Gert had said the “s” word.
    Settling.
Unfortunately, the word had dual connotations. She
wanted
to settle, to be committed and all of that. It’d worked out pretty well on the job front so far. But with a man, another “s” word seemed to go hand in hand with settling. Or make that two “s” words. Smothering and stifling.
    “I know that look,” Granny Gert said. “What’s his name? Or would I get it right if I guessed?”
    “No one.” Sure, she’d momentarily envisioned Jeff, waves of sandy hair teasing a tan face, and a sexy smirk that made her insides quiver, but it wasn’t because she was thinking about him in
that
way. Not in a settling down and sticking together forever way. She was just thinking about him because he’d been the only guy she dated who didn’t want to smother her, stifle her. Jeff had understood the impulsiveness that had her switching jobs, hairstyles, degrees. And he
hadn’t
tried to get her to commit to their relationship long-term. She’d liked that. Really.
    When Granny looked suspicious, Babette added, “Seriously. I haven’t even been out on a date since I started the Love Doctor business, haven’t been looking and haven’t got anybody in mind.” She winced. She did have someone on her mind, but that wasn’t necessarily the same thing as someone “in mind.”
    “Well, it’s high time you started looking. And while you’re looking, you can locate Rowdy too. I’m not sure whether I could get the nerve to call him up, or anything like that, but if I find out how he spends his days and all, I could manage to bump into him sometime.”
    “Accidentally, of course.”
    “Naturally,” Granny agreed, dumping the noodles in a silver colander in the sink. “Oh, by the way, I bought some golf shoes today.”
    Babette squinted toward the kitchen. “Golf shoes?”
    “I used to golf with Henry, you know,” Gert said, as though she hadn’t swapped subjects from finding Rowdy Slidell to purchasing golf shoes in record time. “Or rather, I used to ride in the cart when he golfed, but I believe I’m going to take it up and give it a go.”
    “O-kay,” Babette said slowly. “Does Rowdy Slidell play golf or something?”
    Her grandmother shook her head. “Heavens, how would I know? I’ve only seen him at reunions.”
    “Do you even know where to go? I mean, is there a golf course near here? I know about the one at Inverness, but isn’t that one for more,”—Babette hesitated, not sure how to continue.
    “Advanced golfers?” Granny supplied, then nodded. “Yes, it’s definitely not a place for beginners, but that isn’t where I’m going. I’m thinking about going back to the course at Mirror Lakes. It’s near