Chapter 11
Vienna
Hair Confessions & A Wedding Invitation
“Hi, there. I have a five o’clock appointment with Laney.”
The receptionist clicks around on the computer and then smiles. “Perfect. You’re all checked in. Take a seat and Laney will come get you when she’s ready.”
“Thank you.” I take a seat in one of the olive green chairs in the waiting area of Blossom Beauty, scouring the salon and taking in all of the details while I wait—olive green chairs at each station gleaming in the small amount of sunlight coming through the tall front windows, white walls that make the space bright and open, black-framed mirrors hung in front of each stylist’s station, and smooth gray floors pulling it all together.
Past the stations on both sides of the room are three separate spaces—one for nail technicians, one for massage services, and one for facials and skin care.
This place really is a full-service salon and strikingly beautiful.
I bet business is great too, with the number of tourists that come through this town.
“Vienna?” Laney’s voice pulls me from my observations.
Standing from my chair, I close the distance between us. “Hey there.”
“I was wondering if this appointment was with you or someone else with the same name,” she says with a laugh.
“Well, the name isn’t too common, but you never know, I guess.”
“True. Either way, it’s great to see you again.” She waves for me to follow her to her station. I hang my purse on a hook on the wall by the mirror and take a seat in the chair as she drapes a towel and black cape securely around my neck. “Are you sure you want to trust me with your hair?”
“Should I not?”
Laney winks. “On the contrary, I’m very good at what I do. I just thought after our little run-in at the winery, you might want to steer clear of me.”
“Oh. That. Actually, seeing you there just reminded me that it’s been too long since I’ve had my hair done. And I remembered from Career Day that you own this place, so really, I was grateful.”
She blows out a breath dramatically. “Phew. Good. So, what are we doing with your hair today?” Her fingers comb through it as our eyes meet in the mirror.
“Well, I know I need a trim. But I was wondering what you think about the color… I kind of wanted it to be a bit lighter, but I’m not sure.”
She lifts a few strands up to the light. “You definitely have some growth. We could touch up your roots and add a few more strands of blonde and light brown in here to give you some depth.”
“That sounds great. I trust you.”
She laughs. “Most people have nerves about someone new touching their hair.”
“Well, you’re the expert, so I know I’m better off in your hands than my own. Box dye and I have never met and don’t plan to.”
“Smart choice. Let me mix up your color and then I’ll be back.”
“Okay.”
Laney is gone for about five minutes before she comes back over with two bowls and brushes.
Setting them on her rolling tray, she pumps the lever on the chair, raising me up, and then stretches on a pair of latex gloves.
“So, now that you’ve been in Blossom Peak for a few weeks, what do you think about it? ”
“Honestly, I thought little towns like this only existed in the movies or books. It’s really special, and so beautiful. The cherry blossom trees especially.”
Laney starts parting my hair into sections, separating it with clips. “You’re lucky you’re here right now when they’re just starting to bloom. One morning, the buds are barely there, and the next day, everywhere you look is pink.”
“I love it. The weather hasn’t been too bad either, which I appreciate. And the wine from your family’s winery is amazing.”
“Glad you enjoyed it. There’s plenty more if you need it.” She winks. “So tell me more about where you’re from?”
Part of me tenses up at the thought of talking too much about my past, but I don’t feel like I have to worry about Laney. Besides, Washington, D.C., is a massive city. “Um, I was living in D.C. before this”
“Wow. That’s definitely a different vibe than Blossom Peak.”
“I wanted to try something new… Moving on from things that no longer served me.”
Our eyes meet in the mirror. “I love that. It takes guts to make a change. Trust me, I know,” she says with a laugh.
“Speaking from experience?”
“If you had moved here last summer, the version of me you would have met was clinging to anger and resentment out of comfort. It took Fletcher coming back and not letting me run from him to finally let go of the past and embrace change.” Her eyes practically have hearts in them as she talks about her fiancé.
“I’ve discovered so much about life since I finally relented to what I always knew. ”
“Which was?”
“That the heart knows more than the mind ever will.”
Her words strike a chord within me. Sighing, I say, “I guess I’m just finally starting to learn that lesson.”
“It takes some people longer than others. Like my brother, for instance,” she says with a lilt to her voice, but nerves race through me at the mention of Rhonan. Honestly, though, I’m surprised it’s taken this long for him to be brought up. “He’s the king of holding on to the past.”
“I can see that, I guess.” Lord knows the man has been through loss with his mom, and then Ellis’s mom. You can’t exactly blame him for having a chip on his shoulder after that.
“Has he been a decent neighbor at least? Between his scowls and grunts?”
I chuckle. “He’s very good at those things, that’s for sure. But he’s actually turned out to be the best neighbor I’ve ever had.”
“Oh? Do tell.” Laney begins painting the color onto chunks of my hair while meeting my eyes in the mirror.
“You haven’t heard?”
“Heard what?”
“About my showerhead falling off the wall and your brother running over to my house because he heard my screams and thought I was being attacked?”
Laney freezes as her lips spread into a grin. “You’re joking…”
“Trust me, I wish I were, especially because I was completely naked.”
She bites her bottom lip to hide her smile. “What did he do?”
“Turned off the main water line and offered to let me finish my shower at his house.”
Laney’s eyes widen at that.
“What?”
“I, uh…” Stumbling, she focuses back on her task, but now I’m curious about her reaction. “Nothing. So, did you take him up on that?”
“I mean, I kind of had to. I ended up having ice cream with him and Ellis that night too. That little girl is very persuasive.”
“Oh, I know. My niece gets her way around here, trust me. There are plenty of adults in her life that have fallen victim to that smile and pout.”
“She’s such a sweetheart, though. And my puppy loves her. She asks to play with him all the time.”
“And Rhonan lets her?”
“Yeah. Is that surprising?”
Laney shrugs. “Honestly, he’s not one to make friends.”
I laugh. “Well, he made it clear we aren’t friends. But apparently, he’s forgotten all about that because he and Elliot fixed my shower the day after mine broke, and I’m supposed to paint rocks with Ellis sometime this week.” Sighing, I mutter under my breath, “Confusing man.”
Laney shakes her head in disbelief. “Wow.”
I arch a brow at her. “Why do I get the feeling there’s something more you want to say?”
“There is. I just…”
I hold a hand up. “It’s fine. You don’t have to.”
She shakes her head. “No. I think it’s important that you know.
” Inhaling deeply, she continues. “My brother is pretty closed off, which makes the fact that he’s voluntarily helping you and letting you spend time with Ellis sort of…
hopeful?” She lifts her shoulders as hope blossoms in my chest, even though I know that it shouldn’t for multiple reasons.
“I’m just saying, he doesn’t do stuff like that for just anyone. ”
“Oh.”
“I love my brother, but I also know that sometimes he needs to be pushed a bit to see things clearly.”
“What do you mean?”
Our eyes meet in the mirror. “I heard about the night you met.”
My pulse spikes. “I see.”
“Yeah. And I’m sure you had your reasons for walking away, but my brother was definitely in a mood after that.”
“I’ve apologized, but I honestly never thought I’d see him again. He just…took me by surprise.”
She holds up a hand to stop me. “Trust me, I get it. I hid from my feelings for Fletcher for years and wasted so much time when deep down, I knew what I wanted.”
But do you even know what you want, Vienna? And does that involve Rhonan? Or should you just lay low like you planned when you moved here?
Laney taps her chin in thought while my mind is spiraling. “You know, I just remembered that we have room for another guest at the wedding,” she says, a knowing smirk on her lips. “So perhaps you’d like a free meal and booze on June 1st?”
“Wait. You’re inviting me to your wedding?” I practically shriek, but then glance around the salon to make sure I wasn’t too loud.
She laughs. “I mean, you are my brother’s neighbor and my niece’s teacher. You’re practically family now.”
Shaking my head, I reply, “That’s so sweet, Laney, but you don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t, but I want to. And while I’m thinking about it, do you like yoga by any chance?” she asks rapidly, throwing me off kilter.
“Uh, I do actually.”
“Perfect. We’re having a yoga night at the winery in two weeks. You should come. And invite my brother.”
“Oh, we’ve already had a discussion about yoga. He’s not too fond of the exercise.”
Laney bounces her eyebrows up and down. “Oh, I’m aware. But I have a feeling that if he knows you’ll be there, he might be more likely to participate.”
“Should I be scared that you want me to manipulate him into this?” The question is meant to be a joke, but part of me is a bit concerned.
Laney grins. “No. I mean no harm. Honestly, I just want you to feel welcome here. The fact that you have a thing going on with my brother just makes it more fun.”
“There’s no ‘thing,’ Laney. We agreed to just be neighborly.”
“That’s perfect. Neighbors can be friends too.”
Oh, God. I should never have said anything about Rhonan to Laney. What if she goes and tells him that I was talking about him. Or…
Laney taps the brush on the edge of one of the bowls. “Hey, I’ve got to go mix up a bit more color. Your hair is soaking it up. I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Okay.” My eyes trail her as she walks away, but I’m still nervous about our conversation. I don’t have much time to stew on it, though, because my phone vibrates in my purse. I lean forward to pull it out, and when I do, my stomach drops.
A number I recognize flashes on the screen, like a car accident I can’t seem to turn my gaze from even though I should.
I don’t press ignore. I just let it ring until finally the phone screen tells me I have a missed call.
I’m frozen for a moment until my rational brain kicks in again, and that’s when I turn to my settings and make sure that my location is turned off.
You’re safe, Vienna. You’re fine.
No one knows you’re here.
Let’s just hope it stays that way.
***
“Vienna! I’m so surprised to see you out here tonight!” Harriet Thompson kisses both of my cheeks before releasing me from her grasp. Her makeup is caked on so thick that it looks like frosting. Although, after I saw myself in the mirror tonight, I shouldn’t really judge.
Forcing a smile, I say, “Well, I couldn’t hide away forever.” Even though I seriously want to, I think to myself.
A cold hand grasps my waist, making my entire body tense up.
“This woman could never hide from me,” Cole interjects from my right, plastering on the smile I’ve cursed myself for falling for in the first place.
His grip on me tightens as he continues.
“In fact, I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot more of her from now on. ”
Harriet nods in my direction. “Well, that would be lovely.”
“She told me she wants to get more involved in the foundations now, so that when we have children, she’ll feel okay stepping away knowing she’s contributed to my career in some capacity.”
Harriet reaches for my hand as the skin around her eyes crinkles. “We can always use more help with the foundations.”
Clenching my teeth together, my smile mirrors Cole’s. “Just…glad I can be of use.”
When Harriet releases me, another woman calls for her across the ballroom. “I’ve got to run, but I’ll be in touch this week so we can start collaborating.”
“Sounds great.”
Cole waits for Harriet to get far enough away before the entire tone in his voice changes. “I told you to stay near me.”
I straighten my spine while keeping my perfected smile intact. “She came up to me. What was I supposed to do? Run away from her and across the room to you?”
He lifts his scotch to his lips, taking a sip. “You knew that the whole point of you being here was to show everyone that—”
“I know. Appearances are everything,” I finish for him, echoing the same sentence that he’s used so many times in our relationship to get me to see his perspective that I’ve lost count.
The problem is, the past few months have given me some perspective of my own. Too bad that it took my best friend dying for me to finally see reason.
“Exactly. So, like I said, stay close. I’d hate to have to go looking for you again.”
“And what if I don’t?” I challenge, peering up at him.
His dark brown eyes bore into mine. “Just know that I’ll always find you, Vienna. You’re mine and always will be.”