Crank tilted his head and gave me a soft smile. “She’s not quite my girl, Kinley. At least not yet.”
My eyes flew open as he disappeared through the doorway and closed the door behind him.
“Sorry about that,” Kinley said. “I just assumed the two of you were together by the way he looked at you. Though, if you ask me, Crank’s a real catch. You could do a hell of a lot worse.”
I didn’t respond, too lost in my thoughts of what being with Crank might look like and what it might mean. I’d sworn off bikers. Though their confidence and swagger were appealing, it wasn’t enough to draw my attention away from all the red flags. As tempted as I was to lean into Crank’s strength and trust him to protect me, I couldn’t let myself rely on a man like him again. I’d made that mistake once, and it had almost cost me everything.
Kinley set up a mirror on the table. It was just big enough for me to see my entire face from the neck up. Dark purple bruises covered one cheek and part of my forehead. My hair looked even worse than I’d imagined. Sparse chunks stuck up all over my scalp, making me look like a partially plucked chicken.
My eyes welled with tears, but I refused to let them fall.
“Are you okay, hon?” Kinley set a hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah,” I rasped. It was just hair and a few superficial bruises. I’d been through worse. The hair would grow back, and the bruises would fade.
“They didn’t leave me a whole lot to work with, but I’ve got some ideas. You’re going to be okay.” Her eyes met mine in the reflection of the mirror. “You know that, right? Men think they can make us cower, but they underestimate us. You’ve got a fire inside you they’ll never be about to put out. I can see it in your eyes.”
She held my gaze for a long moment while I wiped the unshed tears away. Nodding, I bit down on my lip.
“I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but it’s also okay to accept help along the way.” She reached for a comb and a pair of scissors. “Especially from the people who care about you.”
Like Crank. She didn’t come right out and say it, but I heard the implication in her tone.
“I’ll think about it.” That was the best I could do for now.
“Well, let’s get started. By the time I get done, you’re going to look like a million bucks.”
I closed my eyes while she snipped at what remained of my hair. Her fingers flew, and I tried not to cringe every time the scissors closed. At least she wasn’t using the clippers. I wasn’t sure my frazzled nerves would be able to handle that.
Several minutes after she started, the scissors clattered onto the table. “All done. I hope you like it.”
Slowly, I opened my eyes. She’d trimmed what little remained of my hair into a somewhat stylish pixie cut. The sides were almost shaved, but she’d left some longer bits on top.
“Wow. I almost look normal.” My pulse pounded as I turned my head to check out every angle. “Thank you.”
“You look gorgeous, and that color is amazing. Your hair feels healthy, so it shouldn’t take any time at all for it to growout.” Kinley wiped off her scissors and started packing away her things.
“What do I owe you?”
“Don’t be silly. This one’s on the house. Us girls need to look out for each other, don’t we?” Her lips spread into a wide grin. “Just come see me when you need a trim, and we’ll call it even. How’s that sound?”
The walls of my chest squeezed together. I wouldn’t be able to go see her if I was living in Oklahoma. “Are you sure I can’t give you something for your time?”
“Absolutely positive.” She leaned down so our heads were side by side. “Just take care of yourself, Poppy. Okay?”
I’d never gotten used to the kindness of strangers in Mustang Mountain. From Ruby offering me a job and finding me a place to stay to Crank looking out for me to Addy at the library setting books aside that she thought I might like… this town was special. Was I really willing to walk away from it all?
Kinley opened the door, and Crank stood on the other side. I turned in my chair to face him. His eyes softened at the edges and filled with warmth.
“You look beautiful, Poppy.” He took a cautious step toward me. “How are you feeling?”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Much better. Who would have thought a haircut could make such a difference?”
Kinley blew me a kiss. “Promise me we’ll get together soon? When you’re feeling up to it, you can join me and some of the other gals for girls’ night.”
I was too tired to think of an excuse, so I just nodded.
“Thanks, Kinley.” Crank held out his hand to shake hers, but she pulled him into a hug instead. Before I had a chance to catch my breath, she was gone.
