Chapter 16 #2
My day gets even brighter when I get to work on Paige’s dog, Betty Lou.
But my thoughts are in a daze as I trim Betty’s nails, clean her ears, and even brush her teeth because it’s hard not to dwell on the negative reviews I’ve gotten.
I always try to do my best at work. And though I understand Agatha’s hesitation to come back and work with me, I wish she could see how seriously I’ve been taking my business after that failure last year.
I even dropped out of the Miss Meadow pageant to focus on it, which I’d done every year until then. And I was twenty-six, so it was my last opportunity to compete before I aged out, but I gave it up, anyway.
When Paige comes to get Betty Lou, I’m still ruminating on my business when I realize I forgot to put Betty’s complimentary bow on.
Maybe I can still catch them.
I rush out of the salon, ignoring Bash’s questioning gaze as I make for the exit. “I’ll be right back. Stay with the dogs,” I call behind me.
Paige is just loading Betty Lou into her car when I reach her.
“Wait!”
Paige spins around. She’s so graceful as she does it, like she’s demonstrating a ballet move. “What’s wrong?”
I hold out a pink bow, panting. “I forgot to put this on Betty’s collar. I’m sorry.”
She takes it, grinning. “No problem. Thanks.”
“I can’t believe I forgot,” I continue. “My mind has just been all over the place, with the rent getting raised and whatnot.”
Paige’s brows draw together in concern. She tucks a strand of her short, chocolate-brown hair behind her ear. “Your rent got raised?”
I nod. I probably shouldn’t be telling her this because it’s unprofessional, and that’s the last thing I need to be labeled. But I really like her, and I’ve felt so comfortable around Paige since meeting her at the pageant last year, when I came to pass on the crown I won the year before.
“What can you do?” Paige asks. She looks so genuinely worried for me, it makes me love her even more. “Can Agatha come back?”
I sigh. “Trust me. I’ve practically begged her. But my rating is too low to tempt her.”
“Ah.” Paige nods and taps her chin. She stares at the sky for a moment before her expression brightens. “A low rating might not tempt her…but what about a small-business feature from The Meadow Bee ?”
I frown. “What? But Elena Ferrera only features the best small businesses in town.”
She grins. “Exactly.”
“I would never get featured,” I tell her. “Not with a three-star rating.”
Paige waves away my worries. “You wouldn’t, unless you happened to know the best friend of Elena herself. And you’re looking right at her.”
My mouth falls open. Though I know of Elena, I haven’t interacted with her much because we have different friends and haven’t had a chance to cross paths often.
I didn’t even know Paige until last year for the same reason, so I had no idea Elena was her best friend.
“You…” My voice comes out wobbly. “You would do that for me?”
“Of course.” She scrunches her nose like it’s no big deal, causing the sea of freckles on her nose to ripple. “I mean, I’ll definitely talk to Elena. I don’t know if there will be strings she has to pull, but it’s worth a shot.”
I wrap her in a giant hug. “You’re the best!”
She laughs. “Anything for you.”
I watch her drive away before heading back into the salon. Though I know there’s a possibility Elena won’t cover my business, it means so much to me that Paige is willing to try to help me.
Bash cocks his head at me when I return. “Everything good?”
“Better than good.” I fill him in on my conversation with Paige.
When I finish, he crosses his arms, and a smirk graces his lips. “Do you see what I mean now about you succeeding at everything you do? It’s becoming annoying at this point.”
I roll my eyes. “Well, it hasn’t happened yet. There’s still a chance it won’t.”
“It will. Trust me.”
I shrug. “We’ll see.”
As the workday progresses, the only thing that distracts me from my excitement about Elena is when I catch sight of Bash staring at me more than once.
It’s not subtle. His gaze is like a magnet, pulling at me even when I’m trying to focus.
Each time my eyes shift in his direction, his head doesn’t turn away like I expect.
Instead, he holds my gaze for a beat longer than necessary, making my face burn hotter than a campfire before he turns back to the dog he’s working on.
When I try to calm a new, angry schnauzer in the tub, the dog twists and jerks, soaking the front of my shirt with soapy water.
I almost give up before Bash comes up next to me.
“Need some help?” Without waiting for an answer, his strong arms brush mine as he takes charge, holding the dog still with ease so I can finish washing him.
“There, now. You’re alright” he murmurs to the dog.
But his deep voice is so close to my ear, butterflies swarm my stomach.
Our hands touch as he passes me a towel, and when he leaves me with the dog, it’s hard to focus again. It makes me wonder what work will be like when I’m forced to replace him.
A lot less distracting, that’s for sure.
But with Bash, the workdays always pass faster than usual, and today is no exception. Still, by the end of it, I’m just as exhausted as always.
“Don’t forget,” I say as we’re locking up, “we’re closed all next week.”
Bash smirks. “How could I forget about Autumn retreat? You underestimate me.”
I laugh. Though closing my shop for a week makes me nervous, I agreed to go before my finances took a nosedive.
And I’m trying to have faith that God has a plan and will provide if it’s His will for me to keep my place open.
“I just can’t believe it’s time already,” I say.
“I feel like hardly any time has passed since I first offered you the job.”
“I tend to have that effect on people.”
I roll my eyes. “By the way, I got our cabin assignments from Hayden. I’m rooming with Hadley, and you got paired up with Logan.”
His answering grin is blinding. “Logan? Logan Henry?”
“The one and only.”
His jaw flexes. “I really need to get my car fixed. I know it’s been hanging in there, but I don’t know if it can handle the trip this time.”
I wince. “Yeah, that’s true. I can drive us both, if you want.”
“Are you sure? I might convince you to do something crazy and spontaneous before we get to camp.”
I laugh. “Trust me. You’re not that convincing.”
He arches a brow, amusement lighting up his eyes. “That’s what you think.”