Shifting and Bewitching (Enchanted Shores Book 1)

by Carrie de Croix

  I started snipping in the back. "Your hair isn't in bad shape at all." Actually his hair was in great shape.

  "I didn't think it would be."

  "Admit it. You've been getting secret haircuts," I said. "Why didn't you tell your mom?"

  "I didn't want to explain why I don’t want short hair like the other men in my family."

  "Why don't you?"

  "Because I don't want the lifestyle that goes with it. It would kill me to be in an office all day, every day for the rest of my life. I might as well be in prison." He got that hard look on his face again.

  I had to agree. "Why don't you just tell them?"

  "This way is easier." He shrugged.

  "But you're hiding who you are from the people who love you the most."

  "Who are you to talk? You're pretending to be my brother's fiancée."

  "Because you asked me to! And only to help your mom."

  "Well, I'm helping them to not worry about my future."

  "I think they'd accept you."

  "Based on your one day of knowing them."

  I shrugged. "Sometimes an outsider can see things that are invisible to a family. Especially someone like me, who never had a family." Oops. I hadn't intended for that to slip out.

  "Where is your family, Sadie?"

  Might as well tell him. "I don't have one. I was abandoned—or lost—when I was four."

  "I'm so sorry."

  "Then I went into foster care."

  "I'm so sorry."

  "Would you stop saying that? It wasn't so bad. I had a wonderful foster mother, and it made me who I am today." This is what everyone said, and it was true.

  But it was also true that I had missed out on a lot. I didn't know who I was or where I came from.

  "Is she still around?" Jake asked. "Your foster mother?"

  "She died last year. Gwen. She was almost ninety."

  "You've built a good life."

  I shrugged. I'm glad it seemed that way to him. "I'm trying," I said with a smile.

  A comfortable silence fell between us as I finished his haircut.

  "All done. One quarter inch, just like you said." I took the towel off his shoulders. They were the kind of shoulders a girl could lean on.

  "Already?"

  "There wasn't much to do, honestly. When did you have your last haircut? A week ago?"

  He nodded, letting a grin slip.

  "Let me guess, you tell your mom you don't have time to get your hair cut so she won't give you a hard time about your long hair? Meanwhile, you get haircuts like a civilized person."

  "It barely touches the top of my jacket collar!"

  "Well, now it doesn't touch at all. But just by a sliver. I know my clients."

  He looked at me in the mirror and we caught eyes. I felt heat rise up my chest and warm my cheeks. I lost my train of thought.

  "Oh, wait. Final touch." I pulled out a bottle of styling gel. "So your mom knows I actually did something." I squirted a dollop in my palm and ran my fingers through his hair one last time. He thanked me and left. Time to go back to pretending to be his brother's fiancée. A ping of pain surprised me.

  If I had to pretend to be marrying someone, I'd much rather it was Jake.

  Chapter 10

  Sadie

  The next morning, I got a call from Regina before I'd even had time to make coffee. Where had she gotten my number? She insisted I stop by the hospital for lunch.

  "It will do my heart good to have a sweet visitor. Bring your kitten too, will you, dear? Also I want to thank you for Jake's haircut. He hasn't looked this good since he was a little boy and I was still in charge of him."

  Of course I said yes.

  But how would I be able to sit through an entire lunch with Regina and not spill the beans about who I really was? Or was not?

  On the way to work, Pudgie and I stopped at the town hall to ask the clerk for an extension on my tax bill. Town hall was located in a square two-story building constructed with butter-colored bricks. It was so lovely that tourist often got married on the steps.

  The clerk's office was upstairs, behind a balcony with a balustrade that overlooked the lobby. I ducked in, expecting to see the friendly face of Gwen's old chum, Frannie, who had been the town clerk for decades.

  She wasn't there.

  "Where's Frannie?" I asked the tall, thin man sitting at Frannie's desk.

  "Retired," he said.

  "I didn't realize." I introduced myself and told him what I wanted.

  "Pleased to meet you," he said. "I've only started here this week, but I can tell you that the town doesn't authorize extensions anymore. If you miss the deadline, the interest rates jack up and the town starts proceedings for putting a lien on the house. After a suitable period of time, the house is seized."

  "Okay," I said quietly. I felt the blood drain from my head as I left his office. Seized? Where would I live?

  I just had to win the hairdo-off.

  From the balcony, I saw Mrs. G bustling into town hall and heading down the corridor toward the courts. I went to say hello but by the time I got downstairs, she was nowhere to be found.

  She sure could move fast for a senior citizen.

  I left town hall and headed to the Shaggy Puppy. It was open for business as usual. Hannah had one client in her chair and another waiting for her turn, both little girls about four years old and wearing bright pink dresses.

  Hannah's face was drawn and pale.

  "You okay?" I asked.

  "Didn't sleep so well last night," she said. "I keep thinking about Marcy."

  "I know." I gave Hannah a hug. "Me too."

  I had an hour before my first appointment and decided to get some flowers for Hannah. She needed cheering up. I could also go to the Hair Atelier to sign papers.

  I went into the break room to look for a vase. We used to have several in a cabinet over the mini-fridge. I opened it and stood on my tiptoes to see what was up there. I couldn't quite see, so I pulled over a chair and climbed up.

  Two vases. I took the prettiest, which unfortunately was also the dirtiest, and carried it to a hair-washing sink to rinse off. I streamed water into the vase, swirled it around and then dumped the dirty water into the sink. I heard a clink and saw a piece of metal emerge from the dirt as the water drained. What was that?

  I picked up the small dark thing and rinsed it under the tap. It was a key, made of brass. It looked old. Could it be for the filing cabinet?

  I slipped it in my pocket. I'd try the key later, when I was alone.

  "Going to run some errands," I told Hannah, setting the vase on my station. She just nodded.

  I walked down the boulevard toward the Hair Atelier. Would Daphne be there today? Was she still angry?

  I hoped I could sign the agreement and get out quickly. Since the hairdo-off was tonight, I also wanted to check out the salon.

  As soon as I walked into the Hair Atelier, I was hit with a scent that hadn't been there yesterday. It was almost cloyingly sweet and noxious, overpowering the typical salon scents of peroxides and nail polish and dyes.

  Was anything else different? I glanced around. Ambient music pumped from speakers that were suspended on the ceiling. Layers of silver sequins, gold-tone paint, and mirrors covered everything that wasn't painted bright white. Besides the odd smell, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but there was something about this new scent that made me feel anxious. I didn't know why.

  Ray saw me and waved me over.

  "Is your printer working?" I asked. "I need to sign something, right?"

  He handed me a folder with a printed form clipped on top. "Just sign here and here." He pointed to two lines that had been highlighted as he handed me a pen.

  "Thanks. I'll need to read it, " I said, moving to the sofas.

  "It's just the usual disclaimers," Ray said. "You know: Blah, blah. I promise not to sue you no matter what fresh hell you put me through. Blah, blah, blah."

  I laughed. Ray was st
arting to grow on me. "I'll just read it quickly," I said.

  I sat on a sofa, keeping Pudgie in my hoodie pocket. I always went through the fine print of legal agreements, even when I didn't understand the language. If something obvious was going to jump out at me, I wanted to know about it.

  The Hair Atelier was almost the complete opposite from the Shaggy Puppy. It was busy, but also cool and soothing. There were five stylists working: Eddie, Daphne, and three others I didn't know. Except for Eddie, who wore an old T-shirt, everyone was thin and well-dressed.

  And me? Not so thin. Not so stylish. I couldn't quite imagine working here every day.

  There seemed to be a dress code. Except for the brightly colored dye in their hair, every stylist was wearing black or white from head to toe. Everyone had on skinny jeans or a sheath dress, or both. The women's shoes were either platforms or ballet flats and the men all wore black sneakers. Eddie has on the most casual outfit: A T-shirt with a dragon design, baggy black jeans, and beat-up sneakers.

  In the middle of the salon, Daphne was cutting the hair of a young man with blond curls. They were deep in conversation. I was glad she hadn't seen me.

  I had made it through the first page of the agreement when Daphne dropped onto the sofa next to me.

  "What are you doing here?" she demanded. She leaned over to look at the paper. "God, no. You're not doing the hairdo-off. No way."

  I sighed. "Everyone wants me to do it. Don't ask me why."

  "I don't want you to do it." Daphne yanked the agreement from me and ripped it in half. "There. Don't do it."

  She was still angry. I got that. But this was going too far. I tried to speak calmly even though my blood was pounding in my ears. "I'm sorry that you and Nate broke up. But that had absolutely nothing to do with me."

  "Call me crazy, but I find that hard to believe. You're engaged to him just one week later?"

  I'd promised Jake that I wouldn’t say anything. But it was hard. Although her nasty attitude did make it a little easier. "Maybe talk with Nate about it when he wakes up."

  "Right. Except for the coma thing, I'd be happy to talk things over with Nate."

  "Or ask Eddie. He introduced Nate to me yesterday."

  "He already told me that!" she snapped.

  I stood up. "I can't help you. And right now I don't even want to help you."

  Without a word, Ray walked over and handed me a replacement agreement. He raised an eyebrow. I followed him and leaned against his desk, turning again to the second page.

  Daphne stormed back to her client.

  I had to do this. I needed that five thousand dollars.

  Also, the Hair Atelier was the only other salon in Enchanted Shores and cutting hair was the only thing I knew how to do. If the Shaggy Puppy went under, I'd have to work here or move out of town. Obviously I couldn't work with Daphne when she was furious with me, but once Jake and I told everyone the truth, maybe she'd be okay.

  Eddie joined me at the reception desk. As he came over, I realized that he was the one wearing the cloying scent. Actually, it smelled like bug spray. How could he stand it?

  "Princess Sadie," Eddie said, patting my back. "Sorry about Daphne's outburst. I hope that won't keep you away from our little contest."

  "I don't blame her for being upset," I said, shrugging. I did blame her for being a shrew.

  "Why don't you show up early tonight? We can spend some time getting you used to the tools and the setup."

  "Okay, that sounds like a great idea." He was being nice. So was Ray. Maybe I would be able to work here after all. "What time?"

  "Five-thirty," he said and pointed to the agreement. "Did you sign?"

  "No." I glanced back to it. But with his scent so close to me, everything on the page blurred. I had to get out of there. Maybe I just needed lunch.

  I signed the agreement. It was probably okay. Who reads fine print, anyway?

  I handed it to Ray. "I have to go."

  Eddie smiled. "Perfect," he said. "See you at five-thirty."

  As soon as I got back outside, I took a few deep breaths and felt my head clear.

  Before walking back to the Shaggy Puppy, I detoured into the hills behind Enchanted Shores. A field of wildflowers was a five-minute walk away, and I wanted to pick bouquets. I could get one for Hannah, one for Regina, and even one for Nate. As I hiked up the trail, my worries melted away. Nature had that effect on me.

  I loved the green peaks that surrounded Enchanted Shores. I'd spent my childhood exploring these hills and knew where to find ancient trees and caves and hidden glens. There was always some new place to discover.

  Today the field was overflowing with daisies and coneflowers. I kept an eye on Pudgie, but let him trounce around and explore. A hummingbird with a brightly iridescent chest kept me company while I picked flowers for three bouquets. Bees buzzed around me, gathering pollen.

  When I had enough flowers, I set them on a large, flat rock. I lay down on the grass to feel the cool ground beneath me. The sky was clear and blue. A gentle breeze caressed my bare arms. I breathed in deeply and sighed out, feeling a little drowsy.

  I rolled over and picked a piece of grass to tickle Pudgie. He pounced at me. I felt the breeze shift and Pudgie hissed and then spit into the forest.

  A sudden chill rushed up my spine.

  I wasn't alone.

  I picked up the flowers and ducked into the tall grass, holding Pudgie to keep him quiet. "Shhh," I whispered. "You are the meowiest kitten I've ever known, Pudgie."

  He just meowed even more, so I ran as fast as I could back to town, all the way to the Shaggy Puppy.

  I slammed the door, breathless, then immediately felt ridiculous. Hannah glanced over at me and raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"

  I nodded. Surely no one had been there. My imagination was starting to get to me. I shook it off and brought a bouquet to Hannah. "Got you some flowers."

  "Are those for me?" Hannah smiled as I got the vase and slid the flowers in it. I set it at her station. I lay the other bouquets on my station. "You're such a dear!"

  "Any sign of Mr. G?" He wasn't expected for another ten minutes, but he didn't always have the best grasp of time.

  Hannah rolled a shoulder to point toward the back of the salon. Mr. G was waiting by the sinks for his hair wash. His tufts of white hair stood at attention around his head. He was a thin man but still strong and vital for his eighty-odd years. His only problem was that he was increasingly forgetful.

  "Hello, Mr. G! You're early!" I said as I headed back to him. Whenever he escaped from the old folks' center he came across the street to see me.

  Mr. G squealed with delight. He had already changed into a blue salon robe. "Sadie! There you are. I just need a trim over the ears. Got a hot date tonight!" Oddly, Mr. G always remembered who I was, even when he forgot his own wife.

  He rushed out of the shampoo station and across the shop to greet me. I met him halfway. "How about we wash your hair first?" I asked.

  I led him back to the sinks. He sat down and we were getting settled when Mrs. G arrived and took her husband by the arm. "You know you need to wait for me to come over here, Mr. G. You're too early."

  "Aren't you a beautiful young thing," he said, flirting with his wife of sixty years. "I have a date tonight or I'd be asking you out right now, I assure you!"

  "It's okay, Mrs. G," I said. "I can do his hair now."

  "Well, if you're sure!" She looked around. "Where's your kitten? I can keep him company if you'd like. Also, drop him off before your hairdo-off. I'll be his babysitter."

  "He's right here."

  Pudgie mewed like crazy as I pulled him out of my pocket and handed him to her. By the time I had finished Mr. G's haircut, though, he was placidly sleeping on Mrs. G's lap, ready to go with me to the hospital.

  Chapter 11

  Sadie

  "Wildflowers! My favorite!" Regina sat on top of her hospital bed, fully dressed and wearing pink lipstick. "How did you know?"

/>   "Lucky guess?" I set Pudgie on the bed, and Regina began petting him.

  Theo gave me a bear hug. "Good to see you!"

  "How are you? How is Nate?"

  Pudgie curled into a little ball and accepted Regina's attention.

  "Oh, dear! I'm fine. I told everyone yesterday. But who believes an old woman?"

  "I'm very glad to hear it." I arranged the flowers on the shelf next to all her other bouquets. She was obviously well-loved. There were roses and peonies and mixed bouquets as well as several greeting cards and a tiny stuffed bear.

  "Oh, no, dear," she said. "Bring those wildflowers closer." She patted the table next to her bed.

  I did as she asked and then held up the second bouquet. "These are for Nate." I put Nate's flowers near the door. I'd take them over to him a bit later.

  "What a sweet girl you are!" Regina added.

  "So thoughtful!" Theo said, nodding.

  A little buffet table with cold cuts was set up by the window. "Help yourself, dear," Regina said. "We already got our meals."

  "Thank you so much," I said, quickly putting together a plate and grabbing a soda. I didn't want to overstay my welcome or tire them out. "This looks delicious."

  "Nate is still asleep. But Dr. Rex isn't worried. He thinks Nate is just tired."

  "Tired? What would make a healthy man so tired that he falls asleep for days on end?" I frowned as I took a bite of my sandwich. I loved sandwiches, the perfect portable meals.

  "Well, you know, dear. All those marathons."

  They assumed I knew the intimate details of their son's life, which was weird, considering he was practically a stranger to me. Jake had asked me to play along, though, and so that is what I intended to do.

  "And the weird diets," Theo added. "Why any son of mine would subsist on flax and almond butter when the markets are full of salmon and honey cakes is beyond me!"

  I took another big bite of my sandwich. The cheese and mustard were incredible.

  "He's told you about the bear thing, of course," Regina said.