14. Andy
ANDY
“Alright. You just have to process, and then we’ll get you rinsed and toned before starting the cut.” I’ve just finished putting foils in my walk-in client’s hair when my phone emits a series of beeps that means someone or someones are blowing up the group chats.
This is going to be hilarious or terrible with very little in between.
“Sounds good.” Elowyn goes back to reading the magazine in her lap. During our chat when she first got in the chair, she mentioned being here for work at the resort. A business venture of some sort.
I slide off my apron and set it aside before grabbing my phone and heading to the back. When I swipe the screen, multiple messages pop up from a new group chat with all of Jedd’s brothers, but without Jedd.
Oh shit. I stare at the message indicator for a long time before blowing out a breath.
Time to face the music.
Finch: Annnnnnnndy. Is this bullshit true? Are you marrying Jedd? What the hell are you marrying my numbskull brother for?
Rhett: Yeah, you should marry me. At least I let you cut my hair.
Of course they would take what amounts to fraud and run with it like it’s a joke.
The relief almost takes me out at the knees.
Duke: She cuts all of our hair asshole. By that reasoning she could technically marry Dad.
Rhett: I’d call her Mommy. ??
Oh. Gross. No. That is definitely not my kink. That message deserves retaliation. Maybe some beard glitter in his stocking for Christmas. I bet I could get Piper to guilt him into using it.
But reading on, I see that Finch and Duke have me covered.
Finch: Oh shiiiiiit son.
Duke: Don’t make me pull Jedd in here.
I snort at that. What’s he gonna do in a text thread except issue death threats to his brothers for teasing me?
Rhett: Pfft. I could take him. And she *doesn’t* cut Jedd’s hair … the pussy. It was ONE time. You’d think he’d be over it by now. She’s never done wrong by my scalp. *kissing heart eyes emoji*
Boone: Did you really agree to marry our dumbass brother at the county courthouse? Didn’t want to make him work for it even a little bit? He could do with you making him work for it a little bit.
Harlan: Baby sis, you know we’ve got your back. If you need anything for Piper or you, we’ve got you covered. Also, maybe don’t get married at the courthouse that Judge Hamilton works at, that would look a little suspicious if you ran into him the day of.
Harlan’s message hits me right in the heart and tears well at the bottom of my lashes. Leave it to him to welcome me to the family and give me criminal advice at the same time. I know that I’m considered family—but Har calling me baby sis hits me right in the feels.
Duke: It’s really weird when our brother—the sheriff of Everette—gives advice on how to break the law more efficiently.
The smile slides off my face. I’ve roped the town sheriff into my problems, and Harlan is a rule follower.
Oh god. What am I even doing?
Harlan: Shut the fuck up, Duke.
Finch: Yeah, Duke, shut the fuck up. We give shit to Jedd, never to Andy or at her expense.
I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have included you in this craziness.
Harlan: And just how were you guys planning on keeping this from us? You know we can sniff out a lie a mile away through a torrential downpour.
Rhett Calhoun removed Duke Calhoun from the chat.
I sigh. These dweebs. They’re the best and the worst.
I know Duke didn’t mean anything by it, that he was just trying to crack a joke along with his brothers that didn’t land.
Rhett: ???? There, all taken care of. Seriously though, we’ve got you and Piper’s back.
Me: I really fucking love you guys. In case I didn’t tell you today.
Rhett: So is that a no on the mommy?
*Andy has left the chat.*
The timer on the dryer finishes, and I grab the load of towels from it, folding them while thinking about the conversation.
Well, I guess that went as well as it could have. Harlan being on our side and helping us pull this off is the most shocking. The Calhoun boys are well aware of the trouble the two of us get into—but Duke was right. Harlan is technically breaking the law now too.
Guilt settles in the pit of my stomach at the notion that I’m roping my loved ones into this nonsense.
It’s not fair for them to be dragged into my bullshit. Yet if I said that to them, they’d just tell me to stop being an idiot.
I pinch my lip between my teeth as I think about how effortlessly Jedd offered to handle his family. I should have been there with him explaining. Instead, I sent him off to the firing squad on his own.
Based off the texts, they seem to have taken it well. But I still feel bad that Jedd had to handle it on his own.
But I was seriously flustered after he kissed the brains out of my skull. It honestly shocked me when he broke the kiss and I didn’t find gray matter littering the couch and carpet in my living room.
My heart jumps remembering his mouth on mine. It wasn’t even that salacious of a kiss. He was a complete gentleman, but I’ve wanted Jedd to kiss me since my hormones made their presence known in seventh grade. Having him actually do it …
The fantasy has nothing on the reality. Liquid heat pools in my abdomen at the memory of how he held me in place by the side of my neck while his lips mapped mine.
“What are you daydreaming about?” Jenner’s sudden question pulls me out of memory lane, and I squeak and jump in shock.
“Jesus Christ, Jenner. Make some damn noise when you sneak up on me would you?”
His eyebrows climb his forehead, and he glances pointedly down at the chains attached to the biker boots he’s sporting today. Deliberately, he jingles one and the clink clink of it against the leather is damning.
If I wasn’t so in my head, I would have heard him coming, but once again, Jedd snuck in and everything else ceased to be.
“I know that look. You’re mooning over Jedidiah again, aren’t you?”
I roll my eyes and start to lie before thinking better of it.
“Actually. There’s something I need to tell you.” Might as well get this out of the way. I check the timer on my phone. I have about fifteen minutes until I need to rinse my client, so this has to be fast.
“Jedd and I are getting married tomorrow. Maybe. If Piper’s okay with it,” I say in a rush—like ripping a Band-Aid off.
Please don’t ask me too many questions.
Jenner’s clippers clatter to the countertop. He twists slowly, his face shocked. “Run that by me again?”
“Jedd asked me to marry him, I said yes, if Piper was okay with it. We’re going down to the courthouse tomorrow after I talk to her.”
I smother the immediate apprehension that bubbles to the surface at the thought of Piper. I don’t think she’s going to have a problem with Jedd and me being together, but I also don’t know how she’s going to react to so many changes.
Oh god. What is this going to do to her when it’s all over and Jedd and I divorce.
No.
Don’t borrow trouble, Andy. You can cross that bridge when you get to it.
His hands come up in a slow down gesture. “Back up, what in the what now?”
Jenner’s been my business partner for a long time and my friend even longer. I can’t lie to him.
He’s kept bigger secrets for me, so a little criminal perjury and fraud is nothing.
The words spew out of me before I can think too hard as I bring him up to speed on everything that’s happened over the last week.
Jenner’s mouth drops open and a long silence passes.
He blinks multiple times before asking, “Wait, so this is like a marriage of convenience?”
I shrug, shimmy and bobble my head in uncertainty. “I guess. He brought up marrying me and all the reasons he thinks it’s a good idea, and then I told him that it was a terrible idea, but he was persuasive, and now I’m getting married to him and cosigning the loan for his expansion.”
I sound like a crazy person. Like I’ve completely lost my mind going along with this insanity.
Jenner’s expression goes flat. “He’s using you to expand the shop?”
I wave a hand. “No. Not at all.” He opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.
“He didn’t bring it up. I did. If he’s going to marry me so I have a better chance of getting Piper, then the least I can do is help him fix his shop.
Plus his shop being closed can’t look good in the custody case, ya know? ”
I thought more about that last night. Mr. Rupert already asked me to send over my tax statements for the last five years to show that I’m financially able to take Piper on, and I realized that Jedd’s going to have to prove that he is as well, if we go ahead with this marriage.
Which means getting the shop reopened as soon as possible.
What that timeline looks like, I have no idea, but I plan to bring it up to him later. The topic is on the never-ending mental to-do list in my mind.
Just one more thing to manage.
Jenner blows out a breath. “Ok. I mean. Shit, I was definitely not expecting you to drop that bomb on me when I came back here to clean my clippers.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you should know.”
He scratches his chin. “No, I get it, I would have been mad if you didn’t tell me. But are you sure this is what you want to do. You’ve …”
“Loved him forever?” I smile sadly. “I know.” Jenner is the only person that I’ve told about harboring feelings for my best friend.
The secret came out when we got a little too tipsy on champagne after hosting a brunch to celebrate opening the salon.
He’s been ride or die with keeping the secret ever since.
“Are you going to be okay?” He’s nice enough to not say when it ends . Because it’s going to end.
It’s not like Jedd is going to realize that he loves me and suggest that we stay together—or even married, so it has to end. Right?
“I’ll be fine. You know me. Heart locked behind an impenetrable wall.”
Jenner steps forward and pulls me into a hug. His hand rubs my back as I fight back emotion clogging my throat.
Yeah, I don’t believe me either, Jenn.
Maisie: What the hell am I looking at?
*screenshot of text message from Harlan*