Book Boyfriends Wanted 14: His Curvy Stranger

I waved to my last client of the day and pocketed the extra-large tip she gave me. It was nice to feel appreciated. Especially by a woman who was not all that friendly to me when I moved to town nine months ago.

Small-town living was supposed to be fun and easy with people who looked out for each other and welcomed you in. Unless you were the other woman in a marriage that blew up on your arrival.

Some people were willing to listen to my side of things. Others… not so much.

“Where’s Debby?” a voice said from behind me.

I hadn’t even heard the door open. I spun, the broom in my hand like a weapon to fend off the woman standing just inside the salon. Her pursed lips and seventies feathered hairstyle were bad enough, but the way she clutched her purse like she expected me to steal it and the daggers that shot from her eyes when she cast her glance through me made my spine stiffen and my eyes water.

Not that I’d let her see that.

“Debby’s already gone for the day. She must not have realized you had an appointment,” I said, pouring on the sweetness and adding a forced smile that probably showed too many teeth and definitely hurt my jaw.

Madeline huffed like it was a personal aggression that Debby wasn’t there. “I don’t have an appointment, but I have an event tonight. I thought she’d be here. I’ve been a customer most of my life, and if I can’t count on her to be available when I need her, why am I so loyal?”

I pressed my lips together before a nasty retort spilled out. Loyalty didn’t mean complete control of another person’s schedule, but clearly Madeline didn’t agree with that. “I would be happy to help you.”

The sneer started with her back going ramrod straight. She turned to face me, meeting my gaze for the first time since she walked in. Her brown eyes widened for half a second before they narrowed and assessed me.

My jeans were comfortable and fashionable, and my top hugged my ample curves in a way I thought was flattering when I chose it. My hair was tied up in a ponytail that hung between my shoulder blades, out of my way and off my neck for long days on my feet in a shop that was far too warm for me and all my curves.

I thought I looked good when I walked out the door that morning. But the disdainful, dismissive look in Madeline’s eyes said I was frumpy at best and disgusting to a woman like her.

Feathered hair aside, of course.

“No. I’d rather not have you get your hands on me. Might infect my marriage like you did poor Valentina’s.”

And there it was. The truth of my life since relocating to MacKellar Cove. I was a homewrecker. And Madeline was one of the many who had zero intention of ever letting me forget it.

The desire to defend my actions burned inside me, but she was a client. My boss’s client. It didn’t matter that there wasn’t another salon around for thirty miles, Madeline was the type of person who would poison the town, and Debby, against me and make my life an even worse living hell.

“I’d be happy to schedule an appointment for you with Debby,” I said, shoving down the pain and reaching deep for kindness.

“I already have an appointment scheduled for next week.” Madeline huffed her way to the door and shoved it wide open, not bothering with another word. She slid her sunglasses into place and hiked her handbag up onto her shoulder, then held her head up high and sauntered off.

I was not going to cry.

I was not going to cry.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, walking to the door and flipping the lock before anyone else came in.

Dammit.

Every time Madeline came in, she made comments about me. Quietly, and only to Debby, but she still made them. I wasn’t sure if she thought she was quiet enough that I couldn’t hear her or if she knew I could, but it never mattered. I knew what she thought of me, and I knew my boss did little to defend me. Even though Debby heard the whole story.

I needed to get out of my head and stop worrying about what these people thought of me. I had met some pretty great people since I moved to MacKellar Cove, including Valentina. I wasn’t sure I’d say we were friends, but we didn’t hate each other. I carried a truckload of guilt for sleeping with her husband, but even though I never knew he was married. I never even suspected he was.

Which only added more guilt and shame, but it was the truth.

A ding brought my attention to my phone instead of the spiral I was sliding down like a kid on a playground. I shook my head and half expected a social media notification or something equally mundane, but this made me smile.

My heart fluttered. Damn. Actually fluttered. It had been almost three months since we started chatting. At first, I was not willing to talk to another man. Being the other woman was painful. Not just finding out I was his side-piece, but ending a relationship I thought was going somewhere. I uprooted my entire existence. I moved to a new town. I changed jobs and left behind friends and planned a future with a man who had no intention of being with me long term.

And I had to choke down all that pain because I wasn’t his wife. I was the woman he cheated with. She’d been married to him for decades, so her pain and heartbreak took priority over mine.

I didn’t resent her for it. I resented him. He was the one who screwed us both, and screwed us both over. He was the one to blame for everything, even though I shouldered most of the blame. He skipped town as soon as I showed up. Never reached out. Never spoke to me again. Divorced Valentina and pretended I didn’t exist.

Not that I wanted contact with him. Nope. Cheating was a clean, sharp line for me. A line he made me cross. I hated him for it, almost as much as I hated myself.

Trying again was hard. I didn’t trust myself anymore. I didn’t trust men, either, but before Dawson the cheater, I trusted myself. I thought I had good instincts about people. After, I knew that wasn’t the case.

Which was why it took me so long to agree to meet HandyNotHandsy. His name made me laugh, and the understanding that he respected women made me think maybe he could be trusted. Maybe not. Maybe it was a ploy. But dammit, I wanted him to be a good guy.

I debated saying more, but I hit send and closed the app. Getting to know the details about another person happened over time. Warning him no one in town liked me would only put the brakes on whatever things could be before they even got started.

It was time to move on. To let go of my mistake and forgive myself.

Or at least to try.

I finished cleaning the salon and went out the back door. Light snow was drifting to the ground, accumulating in small mounds a few inches deep. I was grateful I’d driven that morning. February usually meant lots of snow, but the last few days had been surprisingly mild. I only lived a few minutes from the salon, but walking home in a foot of snow that fell during my workday was not fun.

Ask me how I knew.

I grabbed my handbag from the seat beside me and headed inside, ready for my sweats and a large glass of wine. I yanked open the heavy door to my building and stepped inside just as a gust of wind caught the door and flung it open. I grabbed it, tugging against the wind to close the door, sighing when it slammed shut.

“Rough out there?”

I spun and found my first friend in town. Sofia Frank was the maintenance manager for the building I lived in. She was sweet and welcoming and had become a good friend since I got to MacKellar Cove.

“All of a sudden, it seems to be.”

“Yay for me,” Sofia said, changing places with me in the hall as she walked toward the door I just fought to get inside. “I have to grab a flapper for the toilet in four-b, but do you want to grab dinner tonight?”

I adored Sofia, but there were days when I really wanted to be alone. I’d never known another person to understand that the way she did, which only made us better friends. “I think I need a night alone. Madeline came in right as I was about to close looking for Debby.”

“Who was already gone since it’s Thursday and Debby leaves early on Thursdays.”

“Yep, but Madeline didn’t care. I offered to help, but—”

“She made you feel like crap,” Sofia finished for me.

I sighed and nodded. Sofia had lived in MacKellar Cove long enough to understand the inner workings of the town. She helped me navigate it all, including warning me about some of the women I’d meet working at the salon.

When I signed my contract with Debby to rent the chair for a year, it came with a client list from the previous stylist. Theresa retired a few months before I arrived, and her former clients were being mostly handled by the three part-time stylists at Teased by Debby. A few of them had been absorbed onto Debby and Chelsea’s, the other full-time stylist, client list, but most were squeezed in when they could get appointments. When I started, those clients were directed toward me.

Not all of them were thrilled with the option. Sofia helped me to ease the tensions with them and make sure they knew I wasn’t in town to steal everyone’s husband. Or anyone’s.

“I’m sorry, Haley. Shit. I thought this would all be over by now.”

I shook my head. “It’ll never be over for some people. But there’s nothing I can do about that. I’m just going to enjoy a very large glass of wine and watch a movie that makes me believe love exists before my date tomorrow night.”

“Date? What? You didn’t tell me that!” Her grin was as big as mine.

“I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but we’ve been talking for a while. He seems nice.”

“Okay, then lunch Saturday? You can tell me all about your date.”

I nodded. “Sounds good. It’s my one Saturday off this month.”

“I’m on call, but I’m always on call. I—” Her phone vibrated and sang, drawing her attention. “Hang on. I need to answer this.” She tapped the screen to answer the call. “This is Sofia.”

I heard the frantic voice from where I stood. The person on the other end of the line definitely needed help, and needed it now.

“I’ll be right there,” Sofia said. “Give me ten minutes, maybe less.”

More frantic shouting had Sofia checking her watch and shaking her head. “I understand. But if you’ve turned off the water, it’ll be okay. I am not ignoring what you need, but I’m—”

She closed her eyes as the shouting ramped up.

I tapped Sofia’s shoulder. She lifted her gaze to me and raised her eyebrows. “I can pick up what you need from the hardware store if it’ll help.”

She tilted her head like she thought I was joking. She pulled the phone away from her ear and tapped the mute button before asking, “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Just text me what you need. Whatever that is sounds urgent.”

She groaned. “Mrs. Watson’s dishwasher leaked all over her kitchen. And the cycle never finished, so it’s still full of dirty water and dishes.”

I wrinkled my nose. “That sounds like a mess.”

“Yeah, it is.” She held up a finger and tapped to unmute the phone. “I’ll be right there, Mrs. Watson. I’m heading your way right now.”

Whatever the reply was didn’t reach my ears, but Sofia hung up.

“Are you sure you don’t mind? The store is closing in ten minutes. I only need the flapper, but the toilet in four-b has been leaking for a week, so I promised Mr. Maxwell I’d fix it first thing in the morning.”

“I got it. Not a problem. I’ll leave the bag on your door so you have it for the morning.”

Sofia blew me a kiss and hurried toward the stairs. “Thank you. I owe you. Lunch Saturday is on me.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

She shook her head. “And you don’t have to help me out, but you are. Thank you, Haley. So much. I’ll see you Saturday. I hope your night gets better.”

“Thank you, Sofia. You, too!”

Her mirthless laughter followed her up the stairs.

I’d never been to Al’s Hardware before, but I knew where it was. I’d driven by it a few times, but living in an apartment and having zero maintenance skills meant I didn’t do anything even remotely requiring a trip to a hardware store.

I parked on the street out front and hurried to the door, getting there just as the guy inside was getting ready to flip the open sign to closed.

“Wait, please. I only need one thing. I promise I’ll be quick. I know exactly where to go.”

The guy raised one dirty blond eyebrow and gave me a look that said he definitely did not believe me.

“Okay, fine. I have no idea where to go. But I really do need only one thing.”

“Is this one of those ‘I only need one thing, but it’s really a collection of things that’s going to mean I’m open an hour later than I planned?’

The smile he gave me softened the words, even though the words were delivered in a teasing tone. A deep, rich, smooth, teasing tone that had all my long-neglected parts quivering.

Going without sex for months was definitely not good for me.

“Well, I’m happy to take my time if you’re looking for an excuse to keep me here that long.”

He chuckled, his hand coming up to rub his beard. The scratchy sound vibrated along my nerves and sent more shivers through me.

I hadn’t been so drawn to a man since the day I met Dawson. I was a sucker for a man who was funny and sweet with a side of sexy thrown in. Dawson capitalized on the sweet when he changed my flat tire, then added sexy with his bulging muscles and asking me out for a drink.

This guy was funny. Charming and sexy and so very tempting.

“I think I’d be a fool if I passed up a chance to spend more time with a beautiful woman. Especially one who knows how to talk her way into the store as I’m about to close up for the night.” He stepped back to let me into the store, the door closing softly behind us.

I grinned, looking up at him from under my lashes in a way I knew was tempting and sexy. “I wonder what else I could talk you into.”

“What exactly did you have in mind?”

I shrugged. No man had hit on me since I moved to town. Sure, the men I knew were either clients, married to clients, or in committed relationships with the women I’d started to call my friends, but still. This man in front of me was like water in a desert. He probably wasn’t real, but I was willing to use my last bit of energy to throw myself his way.

“One night,” I said, willing myself to hold on to the boldness I felt slipping through my fingers like sand. “No names. No future plans. Just one night.”

He crossed his thick arms and leaned back against the counter, eyeing me. His gaze trailed down my body, snagging and skipping before returning to meet mine.

He arched an eyebrow. “One night?”

I nodded.

“Why no names?”

“We don’t know each other. We clearly don’t travel in the same circles. I’m not looking for anything serious.”

“Why don’t we know each other?”

I shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“Are you involved with someone? Married or engaged?” His gaze went to my bare left hand.

“No. I’ve never been either, and I don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend. You?”

“Same.”

“So?”

He studied me for another long moment. “Any other conditions?”

I thought about his question, then nodded. “Two. One, you sell me a flapper for a toilet, whatever that is.”

He chuckled. “I can do that. And the second?”

“We go to your place. I’ll be gone by morning.”

He eased away from the counter and uncrossed his arms. He extended one hand to me, waiting until I slid my hand against his before he said, “Deal.”