Blue Clouds Read Online Free

been entirely wrong. She needed this escape. She needed new scenery so she could put her head together again. And she needed a job.
    Wryly contemplating her nearly empty savings account, Pippa left the stall, washed off the theater makeup, applied cover-up to the bruises, and examined the results in the mirror. Cosmetics barely hid the green and purple over her cheekbones, but she liked the effect of the henna on her mousy brown hair, and the way the reddish glint enhanced the green of her eyes. And she definitely approved of the sassy short cut. Running her fingers through the layered thickness, she plumped it out nicely without need of a comb. Even if she had lost everything, knowing she looked better than she ever had cheered her considerably.
    To make her escape without Billy knowing where she’d gone, she’d left everything behind, all her clothes, her house, everything. She’d left keys with friends, but they didn’t dare go near the house or Billy would know she’d talked to them.
    She’d arranged for a friend at the clothes drive to take a box of her clothes before she’d left so no one would report to Billy that she was packing up and moving out. The box would arrive at the Greyhound station eventually. She hadn’t wanted to give anyone Mary Margaret’s address—not until she was sure she was safe.
    Until she had an address, she had only what she carried in her shoulder bag. Her wallet was severely depleted after buying the bus and plane tickets. She’d used cash, not credit cards, in hopes of curtailing any trace Billy might put on her. Right now, the only positive thought she could summon was her improved appearance.
    Taking a deep breath, Pippa plunged into the heavy people traffic on the concourse. She’d told Mary Margaret to meet her at baggage claim. She had no baggage, but she needed the brief walk to become herself again. Billy wasn’t that good a detective. He couldn’t find her once she walked out of the airport in California. No one would connect the plump older woman on the plane with the slim young woman walking out now. She was free.
    She had thought about running to Mitchell or Barbara, but Billy would have checked with her brother and sister first thing. So she’d called and told them she was taking an extended vacation and that she would keep in touch.
    Then Pippa had taken out Mary Margaret’s last letter and carried it like an Olympic torch to the airport, where she’d made her phone calls so Billy couldn’t trace them. Despite all of Mary Margaret’s problems, she’d sounded excited about Pippa’s visit. The other calls left her a trifle uncertain, but she could face only one ordeal at a time.
    Meg’s beaming face finally appeared through the crowd, and Pippa shouted in the genuine relief of homecoming.
    â€œPippa Cochran! I can’t believe it! I just can’t believe it! Look at you! My word, you’re stunning. You look like a fashion model. And look at me, a frumpy old housewife. Oh, my, it’s so good to see you. Where are your bags? George has the car parked outside and security will run him off any minute.”
    Meg’s maternal plumpness enveloped Pippa in a welcoming hug. Tears of joy sprang to Pippa’s eyes as she returned the hug. Except for a few extra pounds, Meg hadn’t changed from the exuberant, loving teenager Pippa remembered.
    â€œWhen was the last time you saw a five-foot-five fashion model with chipmunk cheeks?” Pippa scoffed. “You’ve been reading too many romances again.” Stepping back, she held Meg by the shoulders and surveyed the changes made in the last twelve years. “Having kids agrees with you. You don’t look a day older than when I saw you last.”
    Meg blushed and grinned. “Thank you for the lie. You’re going to be good for me, kid. Things have been a little dismal at home of late. We need a Pollyanna to remind us