Summer Secrets - Barbara Freethy [12]
"That we had nothing to say. That there was no story."
"Did he believe you?"
"I don't know. He seems very persistent. I just wanted to warn you not to talk to him if he comes around. Don't let yourself get taken in."
The way you usually do.
Caroline could hear the unspoken words as clearly as if Kate had said them out loud. "As if I would,' she said, once again feeling defensive. "Ashley is the one you should warn. She's so nervous all the time. There's no telling what she'd say."
"I left her a message to call me, but if you see her first, let her know."
"I will." Caroline paused, wishing there was something else to say. When had it become so difficult to talk to Kate? They'd once been close. Kate had been her idol, her big sister, the one who told incredible stories, made her laugh, made her feel safe when the world outside got too scary. But things had changed. There was too much they couldn't talk about. It was easier to speak of nothing than worry about crossing a line that wasn't supposed to be crossed.
Caroline hung up the phone and walked back to her station. "Sisters," she murmured, meeting Peggy's gaze in the mirror.
Peggy nodded. "You love 'em and you hate 'em."
"Exactly. I have another client, so why don't you move into this seat, and I'll put the hot lights on you.We'll see if we can't speed this process up a bit. Caroline moved Peggy to the station next to hers. She adjusted the octopus-style lights and said, "Let me know if it gets too hot."
"I love your color," Peggy said.
"You do? I did some experimenting." Caroline glanced at her reflection. Her hair was dark blond with brown streaks that were emphasized by a short, spiky cut and a lot of mousse.
"You look hip," Peggy said wistfully. "I haven't been hip in a while."
"Kate thinks I should go back to my natural color."
"Which is what?"
"I don't remember," Caroline said with a laugh.
"Caroline, your client is here," the receptionist, Erica Connors, interrupted, tipping her head toward the man leafing through a magazine in the waiting area. "A hunk," Erica mouthed silently.
Caroline had to admit the guy was exceptionally good-looking, not in a pretty-boy sense, but in a mountain-climbing, ocean-racing kind of way. When he stood up, she saw that he was well over six feet tall, and as he walked toward her she got the full benefit of his sexy smile.
"Caroline?" he asked.
"Yes."
"I need a haircut."
"You've come to the right place." She motioned him toward the chair Peggy had just vacated. "Can I get you a cold drink or some coffee?"
"No, thanks." He sat down in her chair, and she looked at him in the mirror. His face was well-defined, with a square forehead, a strong jaw, intelligent eyes, and thick, black lashes that were wasted on a man.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"Uh, what?"
"About my hair? How short should I go?"
His hair, right. She was supposed to be concentrating on his hair, which actually was fairly spectacular -- dark brown, thick, naturally curly she suspected as she ran her fingers through the strands. It was already well styled. In fact, it didn't look like it needed much more than a trim, if that.
"A quarter inch," she said, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "Unless you had something else in mind? A buzz cut perhaps." She laughed at his wary expression. "Just kidding. I had you worried there for a second, didn't I?"
"For a second."
"Shampoo first?"
"If you want to just wet it down, that's fine."
"Whatever you like." She pulled out a plastic cover-up to protect his clothes and used the spray bottle to wet down his hair. "So, where are you from? You've got a touch of the South in your voice."
"Good ear. Texas."
"You're a long way from home. Are you here for the races?"
"As a matter of fact, I am. What about you? Are you a native?"
"I was born here." She ran a comb through his hair and picked up her scissors.
"Have you lived anywhere else?" he asked.