Page 25 of Sheltered
“I’ve got you covered, man. You do what you need to do to help Hanna rebuild here, and I’ll do what I can to try to find some answers as to who is responsible,” I promised.
“Thanks, Blaze.”
I shook my head. “Don’t mention it.”
After spending another half an hour with Leo and Hanna at the tiny home resort and seeing just how horribly the fire impacted not only the tiny home but Hanna as well, I wound up leaving and got myself back to the office.
And throughout the day, all I could think about was that I hoped I’d never find myself in the same position as Leo. Seeing Harlow the way I had this past weekend, and talking with her this morning, she’d been so carefree, fun, and happy. It would kill me to see her as devastated as Hanna had been.
It was on that thought I realized Harlow was going to be much more than just a passing fling.
SEVEN
Harlow
It was just as I was adding a dime-sized amount of argan oil to my client’s dried and styled hair when I heard my phone chime, indicating I’d received a text message.
That simple sound was all it took for my heart to pound harder, because I was relatively certain I knew who it was. I’d sent a text to Blaze not long after I’d gotten into the salon this morning, and it was likely he had just sent his reply.
Once I’d finished distributing the oil in my client’s hair, I brought my hands to the back of her neck and unsnapped the cape. “Alright, Angela, you’re all set,” I declared as I removed the cape from over the front of her body.
Angela stood from the chair, inspected her hair in the mirror, and replied, “I feel like a new woman. Thank you so much, Harlow.”
I smiled at her, happy I could make the new mom feel good about herself again. “You’re welcome. I hope this gave you that break you needed to return home to your new baby and your family feeling refreshed.”
“It absolutely did,” she assured me.
As we made our way over to my reception desk, I asked, “Do you want to schedule another appointment now, so you don’t have to remember to call in a few months, or would you prefer to wait?”
She thought for a moment. I should probably schedule now. If I need to call you to schedule when it’s time for me to come in, I’m afraid I might not ever see you again.”
I laughed as I flipped through my appointment book and promised, “This is all temporary. You aren’t the first new mom I’ve had in my chair. There always seems to be a consensus among them, too. You all will do everything necessary for your babies and your families, but when it comes to doing things to take care of yourself, you push it to the back burner. I think it’s smart to schedule now. I’ll call you with a reminder a few days before, and if we need to reschedule, it’ll be easier for you that way.”
“That’s so true, and I think this is the best option. Okay, so what do you have available?”
I took the next few minutes to finish up with Angela, getting her appointment scheduled and allowing her to pay for the haircut she had today.
The minute she reached the door, and we’d said goodbye to one another, I lifted my phone in my hand and checked the display.
A smile spread across my face. There was a one-word text from the guy who’d been on my mind constantly for days now.
Blaze
Feather.
I immediately reacted and tapped out a response.
Harlow
I thought you were going to be stumped with that one for a while! I’m determined to find one you can’t answer.
Blaze
I’ll look forward to the day that happens.
It was Wednesday now, and ever since Blaze insisted on Monday morning that I continue to reach out to him throughout the day, I sort of hadn’t stopped. Since I knew he was busy working, might enjoy a brief distraction from his work, and confirmed he enjoyed riddles, I’d started sending ones to him that I had struggled to answer and thought would be challenging for him.
I still hadn’t stumped him.