Mistletoe Daddy

by Deb Kastner

  As she curled her hair into soft waves, she thought about what she was going to do next. All of her plans since the moment she’d returned to Serendipity had revolved around remodeling the beauty salon and planning for her grand opening.

  But if the salon failed, then what was next for her and her son?

  She hated to have to think about letting Nicole and Lauren go so soon after hiring them. What a disappointment that would be. But if she didn’t have the work for them, she wouldn’t have money to pay them, and for their sakes, it would be better for them to pursue their careers elsewhere. They deserved more than the measly tips they would receive in a town too small to really warrant a salon and spa.

  She was convinced now more than ever that Nick had been right all along.

  She met her own gaze in the mirror. “That’s enough of that negative thinking,” she admonished her reflection. “Chin up, smile on your face. Even if it’s just a few loyal friends, they still deserve your best efforts.”

  She’d been through what she’d thought were impossible circumstances before, when she’d discovered she was pregnant and Derrick had abandoned her. She’d survived, and she would walk through fire to the other side this time, as well.

  In any event, she had the birth of her precious baby to look forward to. She couldn’t wait to meet her son and hold him in her arms.

  And it wasn’t as if she would starve. She was one of the blessed ones, and she thanked God for it. She had family, and they wouldn’t let her down. Alexis and Griff would support her for as long as she needed to get back on her presently pregnancy-swollen feet.

  And rise, she would—although she would be doing two months of Alexis’s laundry in addition to her own. Her soon-to-be new arrival would create even more laundry for her.

  The thought made her chuckle.

  “See?” she told the mirror. “There’s humor to be found in any situation if you look hard enough, no matter how grim it might appear on the outside.”

  Her chuckle turned into full-blown laughter. She wasn’t usually in the habit of speaking out loud to herself in the mirror.

  She pulled her hair back and tied it up with a soft lavender-colored ribbon.

  There, then. She’d done her best. There was no use putting off the inevitable.

  She drove down Main Street on her way to the salon. Serendipity wasn’t a busy town in general, but today it was even quieter than usual. Quite vacant, actually, especially for a Saturday. Even the three old men in the bib overalls who were usually a firm fixture on their rocking chairs in front of Emerson’s Hardware were noticeably absent.

  It figured. She wouldn’t even be able to use her status as a local oddity to draw in foot traffic today.

  She pulled her car around to the back alley where the shopkeepers tended to park. Nick’s truck was already behind the salon but there was no sign of him.

  Not surprisingly, the back door was unlocked. Nick was sitting in one of the styling chairs. His head was back, his eyes closed, and his hands were clasped across his muscular chest. His black cowboy hat was tipped low over his brow and his breath was coming slow and even, as if he was napping.

  He looked completely relaxed. If he wasn’t asleep then he was close to it.

  It figured. Well, she was glad someone wasn’t stressed out about the way this day was going to play out.

  “Didn’t get enough sleep last night?” she remarked wryly.

  He tipped his hat back with his fingers and grinned broadly, his blue eyes clear and sparkling.

  “On the contrary,” he said. “I slept like a baby, and then I was up with the dawn, well rested and raring to go. I was feeling antsy, so I decided to come on by the shop early. I rearranged the stock room and labeled all the shelves so it will be easier for you to find specific products when you need them. Alphabetical order. That seemed to be the most logical way to go.”

  “You did what?”

  He held up his hands as if to stave off the dressing down he’d clearly realized she was just about to give him.

  “Before you start squawking, at least take a look at it. If you don’t like how I’ve stocked everything I’ll rearrange things however you want.”

  “The stock room is the least of my concerns,” she said, looking around the salon. She tossed a glance over her shoulder. “And I don’t squawk.”

  “We did good, didn’t we?” He came up behind her, near enough to touch her. She could feel his breath fanning her cheek, but he kept his arms at his sides.

  It was good. She was proud of how the remodel had turned out, with its relaxing lavender-painted walls and glistening gray-tiled floor. Soft instrumental music piped through the room, adding to the feeling of—

  Tranquility.

  “Where did all the flowers come from?” she asked, just now noticing the vibrant bouquets of fresh flowers in vases at every styling station.

  “Oh, that’s nothing. I thought the scent of fresh flowers would make the salon distinctly—I mean, well—” He stammered to a halt and lifted his hat, threading his fingers through his thick hair.

  “Distinctly—?” she probed.

  “Your, uh, perfume reminds me of spring flowers,” he blurted out. “I wanted Tranquility to smell like you.”

  Her eyes widened and warmth bloomed in her heart. That had to have been the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her, bar none. She didn’t even know what to say.

  “That was...very thoughtful of you.”

  He’d gone to all the trouble of buying fresh flowers because they reminded him of her? It was nearly an hour’s drive to a floral shop, which was the only place a man could get so many bouquets at once.

  She would almost have thought he was rooting for the grand opening to be a success, if she hadn’t heard words from his own mouth to the contrary.

  Nothing made any sense right now.

  Nick glanced at his watch. “Only half an hour to go. Are you getting excited?”

  “I’m not sure it’s hitting me yet,” she said honestly. “It doesn’t feel real.”

  She was counting the minutes, but not the way Nick was probably imagining.

  Nicole and Lauren arrived, bubbling over with excitement and chattering up a storm. It was bad enough that Viv was anticipating her own crash and burn without bringing the girls into it. That was the real shame.

  “Oh, to have the energy of youth,” she murmured, stretching and rubbing the small of her back. “I feel like I’m over the mountain.”

  Nick burst into hearty laughter. “You’re hardly over the hill, Viv.”

  “Well, I feel like it right now.”

  Nick’s gaze narrowed on her, assessing her. “You’re still carrying too much weight on your shoulders. I told you that you should rest more.”

  She crinkled her nose at him. Resting more was simply not in her vocabulary. Not now.

  “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re stubborn?” Nick asked rhetorically.

  She shrugged. “It might have been mentioned once or twice over the years.”

  “Well, I, for one, admire that trait in a woman.”

  What? That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. She’d thought he was gearing up to insult her.

  He made a sweeping motion with his arm. “It takes real guts and determination to take an old, run-down shop and turn it into this. It’s incredible.”

  “Yeah, Viv, it looks amazing,” Nicole said.

  “Beautiful,” Lauren agreed.

  Nicole was scheduled to work the mani/pedis while Lauren was doing facials. Today, Vivian was supposed to be the one doing haircuts and perms on the clientele.

  Supposed to be being the key words.

  “It doesn’t matter how nice it looks without guests around to enjoy it.”

  “Then I
guess it’s time to let your new customers see what all this fuss is about.” Nick walked to the front window and grasped the edges of the butcher paper.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, glancing backward and flashing Vivian a toothy grin.

  Despite knowing there was probably hardly anyone outside and no reason to hope for better, Viv inhaled deeply and held the air in her lungs. A sense of giddy anticipation filled her chest.

  “Drumroll please.” He ripped off the paper in one smooth motion. “And...Tranquility is officially open for business. Vivian, will you do the honor of flipping the sign on the door from Closed to Open?”

  She let out her breath in an audible whoosh.

  Instead of the three or four people she had expected, Main Street was packed, lining both sides of the street for as far as Viv could see. Some of the ladies from the altar guild at church had set up a table and were selling baked goods. It looked like a party.

  Her party.

  “What?” she breathed, her heart welling at this unexpected outpouring of love, kindness and support from her friends and neighbors. It looked as if the whole town had turned out for the grand opening.

  Nick chuckled. “I doubt if you’re going to be able to cram all these guests into one day. I’d hazard a guess and say you’ve probably got a good month of work ahead of you, and that doesn’t count repeat customers, of which I’m sure you’ll have plenty. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are thoroughly booked when you get back from your maternity leave.”

  Vivian could hardly believe what she was seeing, but Nick was right. Tears of happiness and gratitude poured down her cheeks.

  “I can hardly believe my eyes!” With a squeal of delight, she launched herself into Nick’s arms and hugged him tightly. He laughed and swung her around.

  She could have kissed the man. In fact, she might just.

  “Surprised, darlin’?”

  Surprised didn’t even begin to cover it. Alexis, Jo and Alice each had a clipboard and were making their way through the crowds of the people she’d spoken to as she’d canvassed all the neighborhoods. She even spotted Eddie Emerson, joking around with a group of his friends.

  Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that so many people would turn out to support her, to make Tranquility a success.

  The expression on Nick’s face was one of sheer pleasure and appreciation. He was relishing the moment as much as she was. When their gazes met, she could see pride there, too. But she was confused. Hadn’t Nick been against her plans? She’d heard him tell Delia not to come to the grand opening. Delia apparently hadn’t listened to him, because she and her husband, Zach, were hanging out at the front of the line, chatting with some friends.

  Nothing made sense anymore.

  “I suppose we’d better get busy,” Nick said.

  “We?” It sounded as if he was taking mutual ownership in Tranquility. She supposed in many ways the small shop was as much his as it was hers. The majority of the remodeling had been done by his hands. But she couldn’t even fathom the change that had come over him. Did he really want the salon to be a success, after all?

  “That’s right,” Nick affirmed. “I’m going to be running the cash register today—oh, and manning the phone. I imagine it will be ringing off the hook before long. That way you three lovely ladies can focus on beautifying Serendipity.”

  Vivian was certain she was gaping, especially when Nick flashed her another one of his heart-stopping grins.

  In one smooth move, he tossed his hat on the hat rack in the front corner and opened the door. The first folks in line were clamoring to get in. Jo and Alice barked out orders like a couple of kindergarten teachers rounding up children after recess.

  Vivian expected Nick to step away from the door once he had opened it. He’d said he was going to man the cash register and the phone.

  Instead, he was blocking the entrance completely, his large, muscular frame filling the doorway.

  Leaning a shoulder against the door frame, he raised his brows as if he was waiting for something.

  “Nick?” she asked, once again confused by his actions.

  “Where do you want me?”

  Was this a trick question?

  “Behind the cash register?”

  “Well, sure, I’m going to man the register for you for most of the day. But not yet. I’m going to be the first one in line to get—” His throat clogged and he had to stop and clear it. “I’m going...” he said again, in a steadier voice “...to get a haircut.”

  Vivian gasped. The girls giggled. Nick lowered his brow and marched determinedly to the nearest styling chair and sat down with a little more force than was strictly necessary, sending the chair spinning.

  Could it be that she was not going to have to do two months of Alexis’s laundry, after all? She wanted to crow in exaltation.

  His fingers were clenched to the arms of the styling chair and his jaw was taut with strain. If Vivian didn’t already know better, she would have thought the man was getting ready for a dental procedure, staring up at a novocaine syringe and a whirring drill.

  Maybe a little nitrous oxide would help take the edge off the poor man’s agony, for he was clearly in excruciating pain.

  The very thought of having to use laughing gas to get Nick through a haircut sent her into a spasm of giggles. She covered her face to mask her amusement.

  “That’s a sight we won’t see too often,” Jo said, entering the salon and tossing her fully filled-out clipboard onto the front desk next to the register. She was wearing one of the homemade T-shirts she was known for. This one proclaimed It’s a GRAND Day!

  “I’ll say,” Vivian agreed.

  “Maybe we should take a picture of him and frame it so we can hang it on the wall at the café.”

  That nearly sent Vivian into another fit of laughter. She was seriously struggling to regain her composure, but she couldn’t help an occasional little snort from escaping her lips.

  Nick cleared his throat—loudly.

  “If you ladies are finished having fun at my expense, I would appreciate getting this over with. I would like my hair cut now, please. I’m sure the people waiting in line behind me are anxious to have their turn to be tortured.”

  Vivian wrapped a cape around Nick and laid her hands on his shoulders. “Would you like me to give you a shampoo and conditioning treatment? It’s free with a haircut today.”

  She literally felt him cringe.

  “Okay, then,” she said, knowing better than to push for too much. Reaching for the spray bottle, she misted his hair with water. “What would you like done today? A little off the top?”

  It took him a moment to answer. “I have no idea. Whatever. Just please don’t cut my ears off.”

  “I think I can promise that won’t happen,” she said with a laugh. “Do you want a shave, as well?”

  He frowned and tilted his chin from side to side, examining his reflection. “I guess.”

  She picked up her comb and shears and met his gaze in the mirror. “You know this doesn’t hurt, right?”

  He huffed and crossed his arms underneath the cape. “Speak for yourself.”

  She combed through Nick’s thick hair and pulled the first section between her fingers. Her shears were posed for the first snip, but something stopped her.

  Here she was, one clip away from having two months of laundry done for her—so why was she hesitating?

  Nick seemed willing—if grudgingly so. But even though he was making no move to get away, she knew he’d probably rather be pretty much anywhere else in the world right now. Yet he was here, making the sacrifice.

  The town gossip mill would definitely be ruminating over this day for a long time to come—which Vivian knew was the whole point. The transformation of Nick McKenna was nothing
to take lightly.

  And when everyone saw the way her styling techniques made a new man of him, a man who could step off the pages of a fashion magazine, the line outside her door would never cease.

  Her business would be an overwhelming success.

  One snip and she’d be on her way.

  * * *

  Nick desperately tried to look as if none of this bothered him, but given the fact that all of the women in the room were laughing at him, he figured he’d pretty much failed at his attempt to remain cool and collected.

  This was silly. It was just hair. And it wasn’t as if he never visited the barbershop—just maybe not as often as other guys did.

  What he didn’t like was getting all frou-froued up with most of the town watching like he was some kind of sideshow act. Who knew how many people were gawking at him from outside the store window?

  Which was the whole point, but that felt irrelevant at the moment. He was trying to make a spectacle of himself, get everyone’s attention so he could prove Vivian’s talent was worth her weight in gold.

  What better way than to let her turn him from a beast into—ugh. What was she going to turn him into? He didn’t even want to think about it.

  Maybe it would be less painful if he just closed his eyes.

  Vivian ran her fingers through his hair. He couldn’t hear the snip of scissors, and yet he imagined lengths of it were floating down to cover the shining gray-tiled floor.

  Viv was unusually quiet, though. Whenever he visited the barbershop, he’d always found it almost obnoxiously loud, full of men shouting and laughing and jibbing each other.

  He supposed he’d thought a beauty salon would be even noisier, given that women liked to gab so much.

  But it was strangely silent in the room. Was it supposed to be this way? Maybe the spa would live up to its name, after all.

  Curious, he opened his eyes. Vivian’s gaze wasn’t on his hair. She was staring at his reflection in the mirror, her comb and shears still poised for action.