by Clare Revell
“Never use them. We went to the one Stacey always goes to. She raved on and on about her and said she was fantastic. Yeah, right. That’s why I’m anti-hairdressers, at the moment.”
“Tell you what, come by my salon on the High Street and...”
Holly scowled. There was only one salon on the High Street. “You own ‘Ahead of Hair’?” She could tell by the expression on his face that he did. “Who do you think did my hair in the first place? It’s not cut even straight.”
“What was the name of the girl who did it?”
“Sandra.”
He twisted his finger at her in a twirling motion. “Turn around and let me see it again.”
Pulling out the scrunchie, Holly let her hair down and showed him. There was silence for a moment, and then she tied it back up and looked at him.
Kyle pushed his fingers through his hair. “Hmmm, she’s normally OK. All I can do is apologize. If you come in tomorrow, I’ll do it for you. Free, of course.”
She nodded. “OK. Thank you. As I’m not working, I can do that. What time?”
“About ten thirty?”
“Sure.”
There was silence as they drank the cocoa and watched the tree lights twinkle.
“That tree is so pretty,” Kyle said. “Have you seen the big one in the park yet?”
“No, I haven’t. That’s where I was going on Sunday. Christmas is my favourite time of the year, right up there with Easter. Not because of the presents, but because of what it means. God became man to save His people. No one ever loved me like that before.”
Draining his cocoa, Kyle put his cup down and shifted in his seat. He fixed his intent eyes on her. “How long have you been a Christian?”
When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “Stacey told me you were. I saw you in church on Sunday.”
“A while. Though right now, I tend to go out of habit...”
She broke off. Did I just say that out loud? The shock on his face told her she had, and she gazed down at her cup, her face burning.
****
Kyle slid his fingers under her chin, raising her face to his. “Holly? You just sat there and told me how much God loved you and yet you turned your back on Him. Why?”
“He turned His back on me first. I cried out for help and got no answer.”
“You know that’s not true. God knows everything you do. Matthew twenty-eight says Jesus is with us always, not just on the good days.”
Holly shrugged and tried to look away. “Not with me. Never with me.”
Kyle didn’t let go. He’d promised himself not to push her, but this was too important to just let slide unchallenged. He looked at her, noting the intensity and beauty of her eyes and how the colour of her hair offset them wonderfully. He lowered his hand, his fingers still feeling the echo of her skin on them. There was a time and a place to notice things like that and this was not it. Lord, keep my mind focused here. Help me to help her. “Talk to me.”
Holly shifted in her seat. “Stuff happens and one thing leads to another and...”
He took a deep breath. “I can’t imagine anything taking me away from God, Holly.”
She shrugged. “You’re not me. The doctors told me to keep my normal routine going, and normal was working six days and church on Sundays. Though for a long time I couldn’t leave the house on my own or after dark.”
Kyle knew what she was talking about, but wasn’t about to let her know that, so he asked the obvious question. “What happened?”
She shook her head. “I don’t like to talk about it. I did enough of that with the shrink, and it didn’t make one iota of difference.”
“But if it’s keeping you from God, then maybe you should talk about it. I can understand you not wanting to talk to me, I mean, I hardly know you, but maybe Pastor Jack—”
Holly cut him off, her voice trembling with emotion. “No. Him least of all, I can’t tell a Pastor this. I mean, he knows some, but the rest? It’s too personal, too...He’d condemn me, as well.”
“As well? Who else blames you?”
“I blame myself.”
“Why? Was whatever this thing was your fault?”
“It must have been. I was somewhere I shouldn’t have been and God let it happen, so I deserved it.”
He looked at her, longing to tell her the truth, but knowing now wasn’t the time. “You can’t blame God for what happened. Bad things happen to all of us, not just you. I lost someone I cared about, but I’m not mad at Him. Yes I asked why, but He has a reason and I have to trust Him. Even if I never will understand.”
She pulled out the scrunchie and redid her hair. “Who was she?”
He caught his breath. “I never said it was a she.”
“At the wedding I overheard you talking to someone about Jayne and I assumed... Sorry.”
“It’s all right.” Kyle set his jaw, fighting the grief filling him and lining his face. He struggled to keep the tears out of his eyes. “Jayne was my girlfriend. You’d have liked her. She was lovely. We’d been going out for about eight weeks. She died a few months ago.”
“I’m sorry. Do you miss her?” Holly shook her head. “Sorry, again. Stupid question.”
He half smiled, reigning in his emotions. “Moving on isn’t easy, but I’ve done it.” Well, almost done it. There is still the odd moment, like now, when things get too much.
“I...it’s not so easy for me. I can’t see any good in what happened.”
“That doesn’t mean that God can’t.”
Holly’s hands clenched into fists. “Maybe, but I doubt it. No one can bring any good out of this. Trust me on that one.”
“No maybe about it. He lets bad things happen, but He always works them for good.”
“Even when it seems like it isn’t?”
“Especially then. But you know, no matter what happens, shutting God out only makes the problem worse, not better. You have to let Him back into your life, Holly. Only then can you move forwards and put your life back together. Like it says in Psalm thirty-seven. ‘I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.’ I’m not saying it’ll be a cinch, I know from experience it isn’t, but it’s far easier than dealing with it alone like you are now.”
Holly looked down at her hands, not saying anything.
He looked at his watch, twice. Four hours had passed since she let him in. “I should go and let you get some rest. You’re only just out of hospital and I’ve kept you chatting for hours.”
Holly looked at the clock. “I hadn’t realized it was so late.”
“Nor had I.” Kyle looked at her. “Holly, can I pray for you before I leave?”
Her eyes widened. “What? Now?”
He nodded. “Yeah, now.”
****
Holly hesitated for a moment, her mind racing. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she prayed properly. Other than emergency telegram prayers, it would have been before the assault. She’d prayed then, during those few terrifying moments when she was fighting for her life, and got no answer. Either that, or the answer was no. She took a deep breath. What harm could it do? “OK.”
It felt weird as Kyle prayed. No one had ever prayed for her like that before, except maybe Pastor Jack when she was in the hospital after the attack. It was weird, but in a nice way, not a creepy way. If she were honest, she missed the closeness she got from prayer and the feeling that Someone loved her no matter what.
Finishing, Kyle smiled at her. “I’ll let you get some rest.” He stood up. “I’ll see you in the morning at ten thirty. Don’t forget.”
“I won’t.”
She saw Kyle out and was relieved he didn’t try to hug her as he left. She locked up and headed up the stairs. Was there some good in this? If so, what? Maybe Kyle was right.
Closing her eyes, she dropped to her knees by the bed and prayed, unburdening herself to the only One she could. If she was going to get her life back, then Kyle was right. She nee
ded to start right back at the beginning with the basics. As she prayed, she realized that God had answered her prayers during the attack. He had saved her life by causing his hand to brush against the alarm setting it off. The Lord had saved her for a reason, and she was ready for Him to show her what that reason was.
A sense of peace flooded her, leaving her feeling safer than she had for months. God loved her, she was safe in His arms, whatever may come her way.
Season for Miracles
6
Dot on ten thirty the following morning, Holly pushed open the door of the salon. The same Christmas music played over the speakers, and the tree in the corner looked as tired and neglected as it had on Saturday. It had been there since the middle of November, so that wasn’t surprising.
The girl at the desk sat with an intent look on her face as she manicured her nails. Holly stood there for a good three minutes before the girl looked up and acknowledged her presence.
From the glare she gave Holly, it was evident her nails were far more important than the job Kyle was paying her to do. “Name.” There was a good deal of irritation in her voice.
“Holly Carmichael.”
The girl ran her finger down the book and then looked on the computer. “Not here. You must have the wrong day.”
“Ten thirty, and I’m seeing Kyle Stevens.”
“Mr. Stevens sees no one without an appointment and then only his regulars. And you ain’t one of them.” She jerked her head towards the exit. “The door’s that way.”
Holly stood there in shock. “I’m sorry?”
“Should think so an’ all. Now if you don’t mind leaving, I’m busy.” She turned her attention back to her nails.
“Diana, that’s enough. How dare you talk to clients that way?” The stern voice cut like a knife through butter. The girl blushed bright crimson and dropped the nail file on to the desk. Kyle didn’t let up. “Miss Carmichael’s appointment is not in the book or on the computer because I neglected to put it in. In future, before you insult the clients, have the courtesy to check with me first. Collect your things and go home. You can finish your nails on your own time, not mine. We’ll discuss that and your attitude first thing tomorrow morning.”
“But...”
He cut off her blustering with a glare. “Go while you still have a job to come back to.” He watched her scuttle off with her tail between her legs, and then turned those piercing eyes on Holly. “I’m sorry, Holly. All I seem to do is apologize to you. May I take your coat?”
She hadn’t seen this side of him before and it surprised her. Was he always this protective of his clientele, or was she reading more into this than there was? But then he was owner of several salons and he wouldn’t have risen this far by letting the staff do or say what they liked. She handed her coat to him. “Thank you. How are you this morning?”
He hung up her coat and smiled. “I’m good. How are you?”
“I’m fine.” She followed him to the chair in front of the mirror and sat down. She wasn’t sure what to expect and was rather apprehensive.
Kyle ran expert fingers through her hair, muttering to himself under his breath. After a few minutes he looked up. “Well—”
She didn’t like the way his brow creased and cut him off. “Is it that bad?”
He shook his head. “Nothing a good cut, wash and blow dry won’t fix. Do you trust me?”
Holly held his gaze for a long moment then inclined her head a tiny bit. “OK, but no hairspray.”
His smile lit his eyes. “I promise no hairspray. Come with me and we’ll wash it first.”
Having Kyle wash her hair was unlike anything Holly had experienced before. His fingertips alternated between light and firm, massaging just the right places until her scalp tingled. He took her back to the chair by the mirror and handed her a pile of magazines. He winked and smiled. “Not quite Tels Merrick.”
She smiled back. “I’m really enjoying the book. Will you tell Orion his apology is accepted? And tell him his note makes a fantastic book mark.”
Kyle’s smile widened. “Sure. Be right back.”
She nodded and flipped through one of the magazines. He was soon back and pressed a mug of coffee into her hand. She smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I made it myself.” He lowered his voice. “Just don’t tell anyone, I don’t want to ruin my reputation.”
“What reputation is that?”
Kyle lowered his voice some more. “My ogre image. It keeps the staff on their toes.”
“You don’t look like an ogre. You’re not green enough.”
“Bet Diana would say otherwise, right now.”
“Probably.” Holly smiled and sipped the coffee. “It’s good.”
His scissors flew at lightning speed and the sound of his voice was intoxicating. “You look so much better this morning. How did you sleep?”
“Slept like a log and yeah, I feel better.” She studied his reflection. “I should thank you for last night.”
“I didn’t do much.”
“I beg to differ.”
Kyle’s silver laugh rippled though him. “Please, there’s no need to beg.”
Holly smiled at him. “OK, no begging. But you did help, far more than you could ever know.”
He caught her eye, the scissors pausing, her hair trapped between his fingers. Holly couldn’t move even if she wanted, but at that moment she didn’t want to, held captive by the eyes in the mirror searching hers. Kyle’s voice was low and husky. “Holly, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
She smiled. “I still don’t have all the answers. Maybe I never will, but it doesn’t matter now because God loves me. I always knew that, but I’d blocked it out. And He did answer my prayers, just not the way I wanted or expected Him too.”
His smile grew and he put down the scissors. For a moment she thought he was going to hug her, and wasn’t sure if she was relieved or not when he didn’t. “That’s great, Holly. Really great.” He paused, his fingers flicking though her hair. “OK, how’s that?”
Amazement flooded her as she saw her reflection. Her hair was shorter than it had been in years. “How much did you take off?”
“Around six inches in total. I had to layer it. You know you really should get it cut every six weeks or so to get rid of the spit ends.”
Spit ends?
“My hair has spit ends, huh?” Her eyes twinkled at him. “That sounds disgusting.”
He chuckled. “You know what I mean.”
Holly nodded. “Is there a word for a spoken typo?”
Kyle pulled out the dryer. “If not we can make one up. How does skopo sound? Or skypo?”
“Skypo sounds good.”
He began to blow dry her hair, not using a brush as she did, but his finger tips. The difference it made was incredible.
“Wow,” Holly whispered as he put down the dryer. “That’s just amazing. Thank you, so much.”
He smiled and his hands rested on her shoulders, his gaze pulling her in and swallowing her whole. “You’re welcome.”
With effort, she dragged her gaze from his and stared at her reflection, easing out from his grip. She turned her head slightly to see the sides, while Kyle held up another mirror for her to see the back view. “So, what would I have owed you for this?”
He told her and grinned as her jaw dropped in shock. She was in the wrong line of work.
“Of course, if one of the girls does it, then it’s a little bit cheaper.” He leaned over, his finger pushing her mouth closed. “Shall I book you in again for six weeks time?”
She hesitated.
“Penny for them.”
“Hmm?”
“Your thoughts.”
“Oh, they’re not worth it.”
“Holly….”
She took a deep breath. “At those prices I’ll need to work an extra ten hours a week. I can think of a dozen more important things to spend the money on rather than my hair, which ends up
greasy and sweaty at the end of every day, sometimes even before lunch.”
Kyle grinned. “I can understand that, but the beauty of this style, is it doesn’t take much looking after. It just needs a trim every so often.”
“OK, I’ll save up and book an appointment for sometime in February.”
He nodded and went and got her coat. “Then I shall look forward to seeing you.”
He held the coat, she slid into it and said bye before heading out into the snowy streets. Her neck was cold without her hair across it, and she felt lighter. She glanced back to see Kyle turn from the door and go back to work. She’d just spent an hour in the company of a man, having him touch her hair, and she’d not panicked at all. She was even considering doing it again.
Thank you, Lord. The first step on a long road, but I did it with Your help.
****
Kyle sat in the lounge that evening, his mind full of Holly. There had been a subtle shift in his feelings. When that had happened? More to the point, why? He’d known her a grand total of four days. Four days. That wasn’t enough time to fall in love, especially when he wasn’t ready to.
He glanced over at Orion who was sleeping by the fire. “And you didn’t help endear her to me.” He told his sleeping friend. “You could have killed her and then she’d never have spoken to me again. Actually, I’m surprised she even gave me the time of day. We both really messed that one up, didn’t we?”
Orion sighed in his sleep, and Kyle shook his head. He’d got the dog from the dogs’ home for company after Jayne died. “You’re a great conversationalist, you know that.”
He looked down at the photo in his hand. Jayne leaned against him, his arms around her waist. Her smile lit the picture in the same way her smile had lit the room whenever she was in it. She was everything Holly didn’t seem to be. Self assured, outgoing, fun. His fingers traced her image, remembering how she’d begun as a stranger renting his spare room. Despite her best efforts, he’d insisted on separate rooms, his fledgling faith not allowing him any other option. Her things were still in her room. Boxed up, but still there.
Maybe it was time to move on.
