by Debbie Mason
“Honey, you look like you’ve been rode hard and put up wet,” Betty Jean said in a thick Texan drawl. The older woman was Skye’s stepmother, and she was currently sitting in the stylist chair beside Nell, wearing a lavender cape. Chloe preferred Betty Jean’s comment to Nell’s assessing silence. From under one of the dryers came a snort of laughter. Chloe cringed when she realized who was behind the contemptuous sound. The voluptuous bottle-blonde was none other than Brandi, a woman who’d made Chloe’s high-school years miserable.
Ty tightened his grip on Chloe’s hand, pulling her toward the two shiny black sinks at the back of the salon. There was no way Chloe was going to get through this with her pride intact unless she faked it. Thank goodness she was a pro at faking.
She pulled her shoulders back, mentally imagining herself looking fabulous, and smiled at Brandi, adding a friendly wave. Then she turned to Easton’s great-aunt. “Nell, that color really is divine on you.” Patting Betty Jean’s shoulder as she walked by, Chloe said, “You have the most adorable sayings. And let me tell you, I could have used a man today. I blew two tires on my car and had to change them myself. Talk about a stressful day. Look at my manicure.” She wiggled her fingers, then caught the squinty-eyed stares of the older women in the mirrors across from the last two stylist chairs. “Oh, hello, Ellen and Ella, don’t you look marvelous.” They were the biggest gossips in town, and Nell McBride’s best friends.
Ella, the one with the white streak in the front of her long, dark hair, pursed her lips. “It’s Stella and Evelyn.”
“Of course it is.” Chloe smiled while inwardly sighing. She passed a woman with her dark hair in a beehive and recognized another mean girl from high school. “Hello, Holly. You’re doing a lovely job on that pedicure. Keep up the good work.”
Ty took her by the shoulders and pressed her into the chair in front of the sink as his concerned gaze roamed her face. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“Really bad,” she whispered back.
“Once I finish up with everyone, you can tell Uncle Ty all about it. But right now, I think you need a little pampering. Lie back,” he said, then gently untangled her hair from the ponytail holder. Ty responded to Nell’s grumbling with, “Cool your jets, Nellie. I’ll be with you in five. Holly, blow-dry Evelyn for me, please.”
Twenty minutes later, Ty had made good on his promise. He’d given Chloe’s scalp a relaxing massage while he washed her hair. And then he’d applied a soothing treatment to her skin, draping a cool, moist towel over her face. One of his assistants was currently giving her a manicure, while Holly gave her a pedicure.
Chloe relaxed in the chair, feeling more like herself. Until she heard a deep, familiar ticked-off voice say, “Where is she?”
Chapter Twelve
Where’s Chloe, Ty?” Easton repeated his question when the stylist didn’t respond the first time. Easton had met the Hansons on his way into town. They’d told him they’d dropped Chloe off on Main Street, so he figured it was a safe bet that she was here. And he wouldn’t be surprised if she was the reason he’d seemingly inherited Bessie and the chickens.
Ty continued to ignore him, turning the blow-dryer to high as he rolled Betty Jean’s blond hair around a brush. Easton supposed he shouldn’t be surprised the other man was protecting Chloe; they were friends. But since the stylist had been friends with Cat first, Easton had to wonder if Chloe had confessed what she’d done. The other women in the shop had no compunction about giving her up. His aunt and her best friends, Evelyn and Stella, pointed to the back of the shop.
“What’s going on, Easton? You look upset,” Nell said with a tinge of excited curiosity in her voice.
When Cat first showed him the picture Chloe had sent Grayson, Easton had been both shocked and furious. But then he realized the only way she could have taken it is if she’d been there, and not out for lunch with her mother. Which meant she’d also heard his conversation with Cat. So his anger had subsided…a bit. He imagined she’d felt hurt and betrayed. In her shoes, he would have felt the same.
But right now, seeing her sitting without a care in the world, being pampered after she’d basically destroyed her sister, his anger was back in full force. And he wasn’t only furious with her, he was disappointed. Cat was right. Chloe hadn’t changed. She was a spoiled princess who didn’t care who she hurt. Not that he planned on sharing that with his aunt.
“Nothing’s going on, Aunt Nell. I just need to talk to Chloe,” he said, keeping his voice even.
As he headed for the back of the salon, he heard the older women whispering. Obviously they’d figured out something was going on, and they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
Ty snagged Easton by the arm as he went to walk by. Shooting a nervous glance in Chloe’s direction, then back to the older women settling into the purple chairs, Ty whispered, “If you want to talk to her, you can use my office. But don’t upset her. She’s had a difficult day.”
Easton made an unsympathetic sound in his throat. “You might want to ask your friend Cat how her day is going, thanks to Chloe.”
Ty grimaced. “What did she do?”
“I’ll let her tell you,” Easton said and continued walking toward the sinks. “Hey, Holly, do you and your friend mind giving me a minute with Chloe?”
“No problem, Easton,” Holly said, getting up from her stool. “Lottie.” She angled her chin at the other woman, who glanced at him then nodded, releasing Chloe’s hand.
“Holly, Lottie, if you don’t mind, I’d rather you finish now. I can talk to Easton later,” Chloe said, her voice muffled under the towel.
The two women glanced from Chloe to him and skedaddled. Easton lifted the towel from her face, tossing it into the sink. “You’ll talk to me now.”
She blinked up at him, then crossed her arms over the purple cape. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“Too bad, I have something to say to you. And if you don’t want our conversation broadcast all over Christmas within the next ten minutes, you’ll come with me now.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, she gracefully got up from the chair and walked on the heels of her bare feet to the closed door beside the sinks. He followed her, blowing out an exasperated breath when she glanced back at him with an arched eyebrow. As he reached past her to hold the door open, she lifted her nose in the air, tossed her long, damp hair over her shoulder, and hobbled inside the small office.
Shutting the door, Easton leaned against it and waited for her to get settled in the chair. She shifted and wiggled, rested her hands on the armrest and admired her red-painted nails, then bent to adjust the pink spongy thing between her toes. “Chloe,” he snapped.
Her head jerked up, and she settled back in the chair with a snotty look on her face. “What is it, Easton?”
“You know damn well what I want to talk to you about, and don’t pretend that you don’t.”
She blew on her nails, glancing at him through her lashes. “Actually, I don’t.”
He gritted his teeth. “Yes, you do. You were at the cabin when Cat and I were there.”
“Would that be the cabin you plan to tear down? The one I spent thousands of dollars renovating for you?”
“Look, Chloe, I didn’t mean for you to find out that way. I’m sorry. And I plan to pay you back.”
“That’s right, you’re not broke, are you? Your medical expenses didn’t tap you out. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t write to the VA after all. Too bad you didn’t lie only to me, you lied to your fellow vets as well.”
Easton was tired of being put on the defensive. None of this was his fault. “I wouldn’t have had to if you hadn’t hired them to avoid doing a couple of chores.”
“How dare you! That’s not the only reason I did it. You were living in a shack, and…and I wanted to make it nice for you.” She rubbed her chest. “All along it was just a game to you. You and my sister must have had a good laugh at my expense.”
He searched her face,
looking for signs of a panic attack. Rubbing her chest indicated she might be having one, but other than that he couldn’t tell. There was part of him that felt guilty for upsetting her, playing her, but then the memory of what she’d done alleviated some of his guilt. It was her plan to break up Grayson and Cat that had set everything in motion. “Is that why you sent the picture to Grayson, Chloe? To get back at me and Cat?”
“No. Grayson had a right to know what was going on between you and my sister. Or are you going to deny that, too?”
“Because of the poem you sent, Grayson packed up and left the ranch this morning. Your sister was understandably upset.”
“Is that what you plan to tell Grayson? That you were making out with his fiancée because she was…upset?” She laughed, and not in amusement. “Please, the man is smarter than that. You better come up with something else.”
He weighed the consequences of telling her the truth. For Cat’s sake, it was best if he took the blame for the kiss. “It wasn’t what it looked like. I’m not in love with Cat, and she’s not in love with me.” He pushed off the door and closed the short distance between them, wrapping his hands around the armrests of the chair. “Do you actually think after that kiss we shared, after making plans to spend the night in your bed, I’d be making out with your sister a few hours later?”
“I heard everything. Kissing me, and…it was all part of the plan. The only reason I was with you was because of my sister. It was always Cat for you, Easton. I don’t know why I thought it would be different now.”
“You’re wrong. What your sister and I had was a long time ago. We were just kids. But you and I…We could have had something, Chloe. I thought you’d changed, but you haven’t.” He straightened, angry at himself for getting sucked into her act. “Do yourself a favor, do everyone a favor, and go back to LA.”
* * *
Chloe stared after Easton, repeating his words in her head. He’d thought they had something—not him and her sister. So what was she doing sitting here with her mouth hanging open? She lurched from the chair, grabbing the slowly closing door. She flung it open. “Easton, wait!” she called out.
He turned, and as she took in the hard line of his beard-shadowed jaw, and the anger in his piercing blue eyes, she remembered what he’d said next. It seemed she’d been waiting her whole life for Easton to see her as someone he could love. And her snap decision, made in the heat of anger and hurt, had ruined any chance she might have had with him.
Behind him, Brandi, Holly, Nell, and the other women were watching their exchange with bated breath. Chloe willed him not to say anything. She may not escape with her heart intact, but at least she’d have her dignity. She was almost certain Grayson wouldn’t say anything and neither would her sister. And with Estelle on her way to LA…
When the door to the salon opened, Chloe’s hope of escaping with her dignity intact faded. Her manager and mother pushed their way inside. “Where is she?” Liz demanded.
Ty’s clients gave Chloe up in two seconds flat, pointing to where she stood at the back of the salon. There was only one way Chloe knew to save herself. Pressing the back of her hand to her forehead, her gaze darting left and right to ensure she wouldn’t hurt herself, she let her body go limp and slowly crumpled to the floor.
Her mother, Estelle, and Ty cried out in alarm, and Chloe heard the sounds of running feet. She hoped Easton reached her first. It would give her the opportunity to apologize, to make things right. She released a quiet moan, then silently counted to ten before fluttering her fake lashes. As she slowly opened her eyes, she was disappointed to find Easton wasn’t crouched at her side.
Ty, Estelle, and her mother hovered over her while the other women looked on. “Chloe, darling, are you all right?”
Chloe raised her head to search the salon and saw Easton walk past the front window. “No, Mommsy, I think it’s my heart.”
* * *
Chloe sat in the stylist chair, avoiding Ty’s eyes in the mirror. Within ten minutes of her fake-faint, he’d cleared and closed the salon. Her mother, of course, was the last to leave. If Cat hadn’t finally responded to Liz’s texts, she’d probably still be here lecturing Chloe. Her mother’s sympathy didn’t last as long as Chloe had hoped. Ty was as unhappy with her as her mother was.
“Really, my boy. I don’t understand why you’re upset with Chloe,” Estelle said from the stylist chair beside hers. “Someone had to warn my grandson that his fiancée was no better than Cora in The Postman Always Rings Twice.”
Her manager was being overly dramatic. “Easton isn’t a drifter, Estelle. And they’re not trying to murder Grayson.” She studied her nails. “I wish I’d never taken the picture.”
“Why ever not? The whole point of your plan was to save them from making a mistake. You’ve done that in spades, my dear.” Estelle reached over and patted her hand.
Yes, she had, and ruined her love life as well as her sister’s. Chloe was done with plotting and scheming. She glanced at Ty in the mirror. He was being uncharacteristically quiet.
Holding her gaze, he tapped the end of his black comb to his lips, then said, “Estelle, it’s been an emotional day for you.” He dug keys from his pocket and handed them to the older woman. “Why don’t you take Fluffy and have a nap at my apartment? It’s three doors down above the Sugar Plum Bakery. The purple door.”
Anxious to leave town, Chloe quickly interjected, “It’s probably best if we head for the airport after you blow-dry my hair, Ty.”
“No, you’re not leaving until you make things right with your sister. And…” He reached around her to pluck a paper off the vanity. “…You have to attend the fashion show for my grand opening. Your fans will be disappointed if you don’t.”
She glanced at the glossy flyer with her picture front and center and thought of Mrs. Hanson. Her family might not want her here, but Ty was right, she did have fans in the area. And more importantly, Ty would suffer the consequences if she canceled. “All right, I’ll stay.”
“Excellent, so will I. I didn’t want to leave without seeing Grayson.” Estelle smoothed her elegant chignon from her face. “Fluffy and I are more than happy to be in the fashion show if you think it would boost attendance, my boy.”
“Thanks for the offer, Estelle, but…” Chloe swiveled slightly in the chair, reaching back to lightly kick his shin. She didn’t want him to hurt Estelle’s feelings. Ty pursed his lips at Chloe then said, “That would be marvelous. I have another ad going in the Chronicle; I’m sure there’s time to have you included.”
Estelle beamed. “I’ll have to let Fred and Ted know.”
Maybe Chloe should have kept her mouth closed. From Nell’s death-stare as she left the salon, she was already on the older woman’s hit list. No doubt she’d blame Chloe for Estelle staying in town. Chloe dug in her purse for her cell phone. “I’ll call the lodge and rebook our rooms.”
Ty confiscated her phone. “No, you’re both staying with me. That way I can keep an eye on you two.” He helped Estelle out of the chair and walked her to the door. Once he’d sent the older woman and Fluffy on their way, hanging out the door to make sure they got there okay, Ty locked it and lowered the blinds. “All right, now you’re going to tell me everything from the very beginning. And when I say beginning, I mean back to high school when the rivalry for Easton’s affections began.” He sat in the chair, swiveling to face her.
“There was no rivalry for his… I guess there was, but it was only in my head. I never stood a chance against Cat.”
“Maybe back in the day, but not anymore.”
She frowned. “How can you say that?”
He shrugged. “I may have been listening at the door. But only because I was worried about you.” He got up and patted her head. “I’ll grab us a bottle of wine.” He jogged to his office, calling over his shoulder, “Do you want some cheese and crackers?”
She didn’t think she could eat, but Ty obviously wanted to make it a thing, so she said,
“Yes, please.”
He returned and handed her a mug. “I only have those little plastic wineglasses.” Placing a paper plate loaded down with cheese and crackers on the workstation, he unscrewed the cap and filled her mug to the brim. Once he poured himself a cup, he settled into the chair. “All right, out with it, and no holding back.”
Ty punctuated her retelling of her high-school years with You what? You didn’t! OMG, he was your first! OMG, you must have died when he said that! When she reached graduation day, she held out her mug. Ty refilled both his and hers.
“Okay, now tell me what’s happened since you arrived in Christmas for the engagement party. And don’t leave out a single thing.”
Chloe nibbled on a piece of cheese, wishing she could skip over the plan to break up Cat and Grayson. But Ty already knew about it. So after she swallowed a mouthful of wine, a very large mouthful, she launched into the second half of her story.
This time, Ty’s interruptions consisted of Diva, you are just the sweetest! I think I might cry! When she told him about the kiss she shared with Easton, some dramatic fanning ensued, followed by pleading for more explicit details. Once he calmed down, she told him about Easton diagnosing her panic disorder. Aw, you poor thing, and all along we thought you were just a drama queen. As she went on to relay today’s events, she reached for the bottle of wine. They polished it off, and Chloe told Ty about the conversation she’d overheard between Cat and Easton. She showed him the picture on her phone. And then Ty made Chloe repeat her conversation with Easton in his office in case he’d missed something.
“That settles it. You’re not leaving until you’ve made up with your sister…and Easton.” He pointed the empty wine bottle at her. “He’s your one, Diva.”
“I thought he was my one in high school, Ty. And look how that turned out. And then I thought Lord Darby was, and after him, Grayson, so I don’t really trust my one radar.”
