Sturdy & Dirty (Good With His Hands: Season 2)

Chapter One

Holly

I swept the last bit of hair into the overflowing dustpan just as the front door bell jangled on the rusty knob.

“Hey Kimmy,” my sister called from the corner booth where she was finishing up a lengthy dye job. “Come on in.”

Kimmie McBane smiled the kind of smile that told the world she was loving life. I wouldn’t mind a bit of whatever did that for her. But I had a feeling it had something to do with that pretty ring on her finger, and her newly married status.

“Morning, ladies. How’s life in the mortuary?”

Kimmie was my sister’s friend and a year or two younger than me. But I’d known her as many years as Ivy had, and was in on all the inside jokes. The mortuary referred to the current state of our shared salon.

Flat white tiles—of which too many were broken. Pinstriped wallpaper that was peeling at the corners. Windows that only took up the top third of the wall. Questionable lighting that made it difficult to get coloring right.

Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful to have a building to run my business out of while our brand new salon was being built. But it was certainly not helping make our clientele feel welcome. And if it wasn’t for people like Kimmie who were confident in our skills and kept coming back… we might not have made it through this transition.

You haven’t made it yet , a little voice inside reminded, but I swatted it away.

No time to doubt things now.

Trust the process.

It was the same thing I told customers in the middle of a color processing.

We were on the homestretch. I just had to be patient. When the new building was finished, me and Ivy and Bloom Babes Salon & Shavery would flourish like we were meant to.

I set my broom aside and tuned back in to Ivy and Kimmie’s conversation.

“You mind if Holly takes you today? I’m not quite finished with this.”

Ivy was working on a new client, brought to us by word of mouth. So it was more important than ever to get it right.

And from the looks of things, that red was going to need another round of toner.

“Sure!” Kimmie said, taking a seat in my chair while I grabbed a cape.

“What will we be doing for you today, Kimmie?” I watched her brow furrow in the reflection of the mirror.

“I don’t know exactly. I need something… fresh. For summer.”

“We talking cut, color, or both?”

“Hmm, maybe just a cut this time. Something shorter, but don’t make me look like a turtle.”

I couldn’t help a laugh, because I was sure I knew what she was talking about. Some faces and head shapes weren’t meant for short bobs.

“Don’t worry. I have the perfect thing for you.”

“I trust you, Holly.”

It was true.

She’d trusted me to do her hair and makeup for her wedding, and a summer haircut was far less important than that.

“Konner tells me they’re getting close to finishing your build,” she said as I pumped the pedal to lift her chair.

Konner, Kimmie’s husband, owned the construction company we’d hired to build our new salon.

“I bet you’re just dying to get moved. Not that this place doesn’t have its own charm.”

I snorted. “If by charm you mean mildew in the ceiling tiles and pieces of the floor that crunch, then yeah… I’m sure not gonna miss it.”

“What,” she teased, “not even these pinstriped walls? Or how about the brass faucets? I know you’ll miss those.”

I shook my head. “Not even a little.”

Ivy chuckled from the corner.

The “mortuary” was a fitting nickname because it felt like a place for dead things instead of the vision me and my sister had dreamed up. We wanted our salon to speak of vibrance and life. Colors instead of drab. A place that was blooming rather than wilting to the past.

You’ll have it. Soon . Be patient.

But patience was not a virtue I possessed, and the wait felt like it would never be over.

But… I did have my builder’s wife right here in my chair. What better time to dig for information.

“How close did he say they were exactly?”

“Oh, you know he never gives me dates or anything. So, I’m not sure. But I can tell you this: he’s brought in a new guy to do the brick and rock work you wanted out front, and I think it’s going to be gorgeous.”

“Oh, yeah?”

This was fabulous news.

We wanted a sleek little water piece out front to welcome our guests. Something modern and elegant. I envisioned it teeming with plant life that represented our mood. Flowers in the summer and bustling greenery for the colder months. A centerpiece that shifted and changed, but somehow stayed the same.

Growth and beauty.

It was our cornerstone theme.

And we wanted anything to feel possible from the moment our clients stepped foot inside. Setting the tone beforehand, seemed a no-brainer.

“Wait. Is it who I think it is?” Ivy called from the sink where she was rinsing our new client’s hair. “Are we talking about the same brick guy? Austin, from the gym?”

Kimmie grinned, her eyes finding my sister’s in the mirror.

“That’s him. Konner says he’s one of the best.”

Ivy whistled low. “I bet he is. I bet he’s real good at a lot of things.” Her muttered suggestive tone had me glancing her direction.

My sister was a single Pringle just like me, but it wasn't like her to be so obvious with her desires.

Then again, she’d changed a lot since joining the Chub Club at the local gym that Kimmie’s brother owned. The biggest shift being her confidence. And for that, I was beyond grateful.

The club was a group for larger people who wanted to focus on getting healthy while being good to themselves along the way. It was about whole-self acceptance, and loving the body they were in, no matter what society thought.

But the sweetest part was how many of them had also found love.

Like Kimmie. Who was married to one hunk of a man who adored the hell outta her.

I wished the same for my sister one day.

And… maybe for myself too.

I’d sworn off of love after finally getting over a hellish relationship with the only guy I’d ever been with.

Rex.

The name I once lived for made me want to vomit now. And until recently, I had zero inclination to try at another relationship.

It was a silent, giant of a man who held the door open for me at the gym that changed my mind.

Or… well.

Who might change my mind.

Only time would tell. And I wasn’t in a hurry to test him.

I only knew that if —and it was a biiiig if—I ever fell for someone again, it would be a kind man. One who held doors for strangers. One who ducked his head all chivalrous, like he was in the presence of a lady.

One who looked sturdy enough to fight dragons, yet gentle enough to know how to treat a woman right.

A delicious shiver ran down my spine to settle in the pit of my stomach.

Good men totally did it for me.

Probably a result of being with a shitty one for so long.

Rex never held a door open for anyone but himself.

“Tell me more about this brick guy,” I pushed, hoping my sister would continue spilling the tea.

“Oh, he’s not my type.” She gave an easy wave of her hand before continuing. “But he is terribly sweet. The gentlemanly type. A real good one, Holly. You’d love him.”

I tossed her a skeptical look.

“If he’s so good why don’t you?”

She avoided my gaze as she worked.

“I… I don’t know.” What was she not saying? “He’s a chunk .”

“Ivy,” I snapped, and her eyes grew wide. It wasn’t like her to judge based on size.

“What? Oh, it’s not meant to be derogatory. In fact, it’s a compliment.”

“How so?”

She grinned widely, and I knew that particular look. She only had it when she thought she was being clever.

And she was sometimes.

After all, it was her idea to call our place Bloom Babes since we both had plant names. Though it was mine to add Shavery to the mix to include our male clientele.

She was clever. I was industrious.

And it took both kinds to run this business.

“Okay, see. It’s like this… he’s a chubby hunk. Chubby plus hunk equals CHUNK. He’s a Chunk. Get it?”

“Oh, I like it,” our new client murmured. She was a quiet one. Low chat. But I thought I caught her name. Ruby, was it?

Ivy grinned. “Yeah, see? Because trust me, you can definitely still be hunky even if you carry a little extra chub. If you saw those guys at the gym…” She fanned herself dramatically and I couldn’t help laughing.

Kimmie nodded. “I agree. And I’m still working on Brooks to make the name official, but he’s a tough nut to crack.”

Ivy raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? Your brother doesn’t like the name I came up with for the masculine segment of Chub Club?”

“Keep in mind, he thought the original was pretty crazy too until… well, let’s just say he saw the benefits.”

They shared a nod of agreement.

“Okay, but none of this explains why you’re not interested in hot Mr. Brick Mason,” I cut in.

And again, Ivy avoided my gaze.

“If I’m not mistaken…” Kimmie’s voice held a teasing edge. “Your sister has her eye on a different Chunk. Raven hair instead of ginger?”

I blinked as I watched Ivy’s eyes go wide before quickly focusing back on her task.

“What can I say,” she muttered. “I’ve always preferred the dark mysterious ones, while Holly’s got a thing for gingers.”

Wait.

My fingers froze on Kimmie’s hair.

Ginger.

Gentlemanly type.

At the gym during Chub Club hour… when I was usually leaving.

Could this be my burley door-holder that I’ve had my eye on? I felt a grin slide up my face at the possibility.

Looked like it was about time for a visit to the job site. I needed to look in on things after all. It was the responsible thing to do.

And it was as good a time as ever to see if my sister was right about Mr. Hot Brick Guy.

Austin.

Last name to be determined.