“Well, they are beautiful. I should give her a call and say thank you.” I decide, pulling the appointment book toward me so I can retrieve her number. Scanning through the pages, I finally come across it and then reach for the salon phone to dial her number. Putting the phone to my ear, I listen to it ring three times before a woman answers.

  “Duesaw residence. How can I help you?”

  “Is Mrs. Ethel available?”

  “Yes?” she replies, and I wait for her to say more then realize if I do, I’ll likely wait a year. Knowing it’s Mrs. Ethel, I continue on, forgoing normal phone etiquette. “It’s Kim. I just wanted to call and say thank you. I got the flowers and they are beautiful.”

  “Of course they’re beautiful. They cost me fifty dollars,” she mutters, right before I hear a loud click.

  Frowning, I pull the phone from my ear, look at it, and then put it back to my ear. “Hello?” I call, but get nothing. Taking the phone from my ear once again, I stare at it in disbelief.

  “What did she say?” Frankie asks, and I look from him to Ellie and back again.

  “She said of course I like them, because they cost her fifty dollars, and then she hung up on me,” I respond, feeling my lips tip up as Frankie and Ellie both start to laugh. “I’m thinking you might be wrong about her adoring me,” I add, and Frankie cackles harder as Ellie doubles over, snorting in amusement when she does.

  “I don’t know about that,” Ellie says, wiping away the tears in her eyes. “The one time I had to do her hair when you were out of town, she gave me a twenty-five cent tip after complaining I was doing it all wrong, which I didn’t. She looked exactly the same way you make her look.”

  “She’s very set in her ways.” I smile, smelling the flowers again, not being able to help myself.

  “You could say that.” Frankie smiles at me then his eyes turn serious. “I know this isn’t exactly the best time to talk to you girls about this, but I’ve been putting off this conversation for a few weeks now and Alex is starting to fret.”

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, watching him go to flip over the “Open” sign and lock the door.

  “Come have a seat.” He sits on the purple couch in front of the window, and Ellie and I look at each other before going over to take a seat across from him. Folding my hands in my lap, I wait to see what he will say while my stomach fills with worry.

  When I moved to town, Frankie took a chance on me and gave me a job. I didn’t have much hands-on experience before I started, but he didn’t care. He hired me anyway and, with his help and guidance, I’ve gotten really good at what I do. I don’t know what I will do if he tells me that he’s getting rid of the salon, or worse, getting rid of me.

  “I know both of you have a lot going on,” he starts, looking at Ellie and I both softly, making me worry even more. “Alex and I are moving to Florida.”

  “What?” Ellie and I ask at the same time.

  “This hasn’t been an easy decision for us to make, but Alex’s mom is getting older and needs us closer, so we have decided to put the shop up for sale,” he says, and my chest starts to get tight with anxiety as my hands ball into fists. “Before we do that, we wanted to offer it to one or both of you for a little off the asking price. I know this is unexpected, so you have a little time to think about it before you give me your answer. But I hope you both really think about saying yes.” He smiles at us, and his face softens. “You girls have worked your asses off for this salon. The clients love you, and I know if you two do decide that you want to buy it, you could do some amazing things with this place.”

  “You would really sell it to us for less?” I ask, wondering exactly how much it costs to own a salon. I’ve always had it in the back of my head that one day I would open my own shop, but I figured that would happen in a few years, not now.

  “For you two?” He looks between both of us. “Absolutely. You girls have made me so proud. You are both amazing young women. This place has been my baby for ten years, and there is no one I trust it with more than the two of you.”

  “That would… God, that would be amazing,” Ellie whispers, reaching over to take my hand, and I wrap my fingers around hers. “I mean, we will have to talk about it, of course, and see what you’re asking. But it would be amazing!”

  “What about you?” Frankie asks me softly, and Ellie’s fingers squeeze mine.

  “Like Ellie said, we need to talk about it, but if we can get things worked out, I think you know we would both be honored to have this place.”

  “That’s what I was hoping.” He smiles. “I’ll have the real-estate broker come in and talk to you two so that you know exactly what the details are before we move forward. But everything can stay unless you feel like you don’t want some of the stuff, and then I’ll have those things moved out, sell them, and take that off the list price I give you.”

  “Kimellie Salon,” Ellie says, and I turn to her and raise a brow. “Just testing it out.” She smiles, and I return it while rolling my eyes at her.

  “All right, Alex will be happy I’ve finally talked to you.” Frankie smiles as he stands. “Now, let’s get this bitch cleaned up. I need a drink.”

  “On it.” I stand with Ellie, and we go to the back and finish getting things cleaned up while talking quietly about the prospect of the shop being ours. I can’t help but be a little more than excited over the idea, and I can’t wait to tell Sage about it. I just hope it all works out.

  “WHAT DO YOU think?” I ask Sage when the phone in my hand goes quiet. I just told him about Frankie’s offer to Ellie and me, but he’s been quiet, and I don’t know him well enough to understand what that means.

  “I think you should do it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, baby,” he replies gently, and my stomach melts at the endearment. He doesn’t call me baby all the time, but when he does, it always has an effect on me. “You and Ellie know how to run the shop. You’ve done it in the past when Frankie’s been out of town. I’m sure there’ll be a lot to learn, but with the two of you together, I have no doubt you’ll figure it out and make it a success.”

  “I hope so. The idea of owning a business freaks me out a little, but I’m also very excited to see what will happen.”

  “Don’t focus on the freaking out part,” he says, and I hear the smile in his voice.

  “I’ll try.” I grin, watching the night sky twinkle above me.

  “What are you doing tomorrow?” he asks, and I hold the phone a little tighter in my hand, wishing he were close instead of all the way in Kentucky. I didn’t think I would miss him as much as I do, but after spending so many days with him, I miss him a lot—maybe even too much.

  The only good thing to come out of him being so far away is we’ve gotten to know each other a little more, since every night before I fall asleep, I give him a call and we talk. Or I talk, and he breaks in every once in a while to add something about himself or something he did when he was younger that fits in with whatever I’m blabbering on about.

  “Kimberly?”

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s all good. I thought you fell asleep,” he tells me quietly as I roll to my side and get more comfortable in my bed.

  “No, just thinking,” I murmur. “Tomorrow, I have work in the morning then…” I pull in a breath. “Ashlyn’s called again, so I think I’m going to visit with her for a little while after that.”

  “Are you ready for that?” he asks, sounding concerned, and my eyes close. Knowing Kelly’s killer is behind bars has helped me feel more at peace but I still need to hear what took place firsthand from Ashlyn. I need to learn what happened so I can hopefully let it all go.

  “I…” I pause when I realize I’m going to say I will be okay, instead of being honest. “I don’t know, but I want to know what happened.”

  “I get that,” he mutters, and I hear a car door slam on his end of the phone.

  “Are you still working?”

  “Yeah, I have to stop in at the bondsman before I can head back to the hotel for the night.”

  “I’m guessing you still haven’t found the guy yet?” I prompt while covering my mouth so he doesn’t hear me yawning, since the last time I yawned with him on the phone he ended our call, telling me that I needed to get some rest.

  “Not yet, but I’m close. His people are on edge and tired of me knocking on their doors looking for him. Eventually, one of them is gonna give him up. Me being around is taking money out of their pockets, since they can’t go on selling dope or bitches while I’m watching them.”

  “I hope you get him soon. I miss you,” I confess, ignoring the part about the drugs and bitches, since it’s liable to freak me out. The phone goes quiet except for the sound of his breathing, and I wonder why I didn’t just keep my mouth closed. “I—”

  “Don’t make plans for tomorrow night,” he growls, cutting me off before I can finish whatever it was I was going to say.

  “What?”

  “You just gave me the incentive to get this done.”

  “Oh,” I breathe as warmth fills my body from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

  “Get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Night, Sage,” I get out, right before the phone goes dead. Placing my cell on the bedside table, I don’t fall asleep right away. I lie here for a long time looking at the night sky while thinking about Sage Mayson.

  WALKING INTO THE shop the next morning with a cup of hot tea in my hand, I give Ellie and Jax a smile when I see them standing at the front desk.

  “Hey, guys,” I say, then feel my eyes widen when Jax comes forward, grabbing me up in a hug that squeezes the breath right out of me. Hearing Ellie laugh, I hug him back awkwardly while trying to keep hold of my purse and tea without damaging us both.

  “Been worried about you,” he states, letting me go, and I give him what I hope is a reassuring smile.

  “I’m okay, or getting to where I will be okay,” I state, and he nods at me then moves back over to stand close to Ellie, wrapping his arm around her waist.

  “I told Jax last night about Frankie’s offer. He thinks we should go for it. Well… that is, if you want to?” she urges, suddenly sounding nervous.

  “I do,” I reply, setting my purse and tea on the counter. “I talked to Sage about it a little, and he agrees we should figure out how to move forward.”

  “You talked to Sage?” Jax questions, sounding surprised, and I look at him and find his eyes studying me closely.

  “Yeah.”

  “He never calls anyone when he’s working.”

  “Oh,” I mutter, wondering what it means that he’s called me every night since he’s been gone, and he’s also sent texts checking in during the day.

  “I told you he claimed her,” Ellie says dryly, and I turn my eyes to her and narrow them. “What? He did.” She shrugs, smiling.

  “Anyway.” I roll my eyes at her, and her smile turns into a knowing grin. “I guess we just need to wait and talk to the agent to see exactly what Frankie is asking. Then we need to figure out how to do this, how to get financing and all that. And I know there are some things we’ve said we would change about this place if given the chance, so now that it’s a real possibility, we need to figure out what of those things are a priority and how much it will all cost.”

  “I’m so excited,” Ellie whispers, and I see a wide smile on her face that I know mirrors my own. Feeling guilt instantly wash over me for being as happy as I am, I drop my eyes from hers as my muscles start to get tight.

  “Kim?”

  “Yeah?” I answer, keeping my eyes down, but that still doesn’t stop me from hearing the concern in her voice.

  “You okay?”

  “Totally,” I lie, trying to shake off the sudden sadness that has settled over me. I know I’m alive and I have a life to live, but shouldn’t I feel something more than I’ve been feeling? Shouldn’t I be in bed crying my eyes out over my sister?

  “Have you talked to anyone?” Jax asks, and I pick up my cup of tea and hold it between my suddenly cold hands as I look at him.

  “About what?” I question, and he tips his head to the side.

  “About Kelly?”

  “I’ve talked to my parents, Chris, and Sage,” I fib, and he shakes his head like that answer disappoints him in some way.

  “Would you be willing to talk to someone else?” he inquires, and I frown.

  “Do you mean a shrink?”

  “Not necessarily a shrink, but someone who has experience dealing with this kind of thing.”

  “I don’t need help. I’m fine. I promise. It’s just a lot, and I really don’t know how I should be feeling,” I confess, setting the cup down with my hands still clasped around it.

  “Feel whatever you want to feel. Whether it’s happiness or sadness, there is not a right way to deal with grief,” Ellie interjects quietly before reaching over to take my hands from my cup of tea and hold them between us. “I know you may feel guilty at times over the fact your life is moving forward when your sister’s has come to an abrupt end, and that’s okay. But you are still alive.” She squeezes my hands. “You are still moving on. Your life didn’t end when hers did.”

  “Thank you.” I blink away the tears that have gathered in my eyes. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear those words until this exact moment, but I did need them.

  “Ashlyn would really like to talk to you. She’s been worried and thinks you’re avoiding her,” Jax says, and I can see that almost losing Ashlyn, who is not only his sister but also his close friend, has affected him more than even he has let on.

  “I know, and I haven’t been avoiding her,” I lie. I have been avoiding her. When I found out Ashlyn got away from the man who killed Kelly, I was thankful. Then, over the next twenty-four hours, I went through a range of emotions that left me off-balance. I would never want my friend dead, but knowing my sister was gone and Ashlyn survived made it hard to understand. And all the emotions I was feeling overwhelmed me with guilt. So much guilt that I couldn’t talk to Ashlyn, not until I got my head sorted out. “I’m going to go see her after work,” I say, and Jax relaxes while Ellie lets out an audible breath.

  “Good,” Jax states, and I pick up my bag.

  “We should get set up. We need to open in just a few minutes,” I say to Ellie, and she turns to look at the clock behind her then her eyes widen.

  “Shit,” she mutters before leaning up to peck Jax on the lips. “You need to go. I gotta get to work.”

  “You know just how to kill a man’s ego.” He smiles at her, and she smacks his shoulder then pushes him toward the door and out with one more kiss. Laughing at them, I head to the back of the salon, where I get stuff set up before worrying the entire day away about what will happen when I see Ashlyn.

  Chapter 7

  Kim

  PARKING NEAR THE large fountain in the driveway at Dillon and Ashlyn’s house, I shut down my car, slip off my seatbelt, and open the door, grabbing the bouquet of flowers I got her from the passenger seat. Getting out, I push the door closed with my hip and head around the hood of my car and up the large front steps toward the double front doors. I’ve never been to this house, but before Ashlyn and Dillon were a thing, Ashlyn would complain about how obnoxious Dillon’s place was. So it’s pretty damn funny, seeing how it’s now the place she calls home.

  Pressing the doorbell, I wait for someone to answer then put my face to the glass on the side of the door to see if anyone is moving around inside. Ashlyn told me that she and Dillon would be hanging out at home most of the day and to just show up when I got off work, so I did. Now I’m wondering if I should’ve sent a text or called to make sure they’d be around. Hearing the door being unlocked, I pull myself from the glass, wondering how I didn’t spot anyone, and then smile at Dillon when I see it’s him.

  “Hey,” he greets with a warm smile as he opens the door. “Ash has been waiting on pins and needles for you to get here.”

  “I should have called to tell her that I was going to be a little longer than I thought. The shop was busy all day,” I say quietly as I step into the house.

  “It’s all right,” he assures as he closes the door and guides me through a large foyer with two sets of stairs that lead to the second level and down a hallway. “She’ll be back in a second. She ran up to see if she could find her damn cat. He’s been in hiding all day.” We step into a large room that has bookshelves lining the walls and a fireplace in the middle of the room, with a comfy looking couch and two chairs surrounding it. “Do you want something to drink?”

  “Water would be good,” I reply as I spot Ashlyn standing in the doorway with her ugly, angry-looking cat hissing in her arms. Staring at me, her eyes fill with tears, and I hear Dillon curse right before she disappears behind his large frame as he wraps his arms around her. Watching the hairless cat drop to the floor and run out of sight, I stand here not sure what to do with myself. I’ve been friends with Ashlyn for a long time now, and I’ve never felt awkward around her before, but suddenly, it feels like she’s a stranger.

  “I’m okay,” I hear her say, and it takes a second, but Dillon lets her go only to take hold of her face between his hands.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah,” she replies with a nod, and he leans down, pressing a kiss to her forehead before letting her go and turning to look at me.

  “I’ll get you some water.”

  “Thanks,” I say as he turns to leave. Looking at Ashlyn, I hold the flowers out awkwardly toward her. “These—”

  I don’t have a chance to finish my sentence. Before I can do little more than open my arms to prepare myself, she rushes across the room, engulfing me in a hug that takes me back a step.

  “I’m so sorry, Kim, so, so sorry,” she whispers, and tears instantly fill my eyes as her words rush through me, leaving me off-balance once more.