She was very proud of her first decision as his dating consultant because Connor’s smooth cheeks revealed a strong, classic, V-shaped chin.
Brad kept some length on the sides of Connor’s hair, and slightly more length on top. What began to emerge was exactly the hairstyle effect she’d envisioned—tousled and casual, yet neat enough to enhance Connor’s gift-from-God bone structure.
Shay and Brad carried on a conversation while Connor regarded himself in the mirror with a bemused expression. He held his body with stillness and patience.
She’d always liked Connor Bryant. In fact, she dared anyone not to like him. He was relaxed and genuine, the sort of person who lowered your blood pressure. Shay’s decisive personality gelled with his thoughtful one, making the vibe between them effortless.
They’d spent years in art classes together when they were growing up. During that season, she’d appreciated having him as a friend but hadn’t experienced any teen girl bolts of attraction. Then he’d gone away to school and quite a bit of time had passed. When she’d finally seen him again, she’d realized with a startled clang that Connor Bryant had grown into himself. He was more assured. Taller. Mature. Handsome.
In the years since, their interactions had—for her, anyway—been undergirded with a subtle buzz of possibility. However, she’d given that possibility no room to grow. She’d been with Nate for years. And now, Connor was into Molly.
Brad stepped back, signaling that his work was done.
Shay met Connor’s eyes in the mirror. “What do you think?” she asked.
“I like it.”
“You’re so good-looking!”
“Nah. Brad’s an excellent barber.”
Humble Connor clearly did not grasp the magnitude of his appeal. She waved an arm from his head to his toes. “You’re an extraordinarily good-looking man. Isn’t he, Brad?”
“Extraordinarily,” Brad answered wryly.
When Connor didn’t reply, she gave him a belligerent expression that said,Speak!
“Thank you,” he said. And then, “How much do I owe you?” to Brad.
Once the bill and tip had been paid, they made their way to the giant fir tree erected in the center of the town square. Shay noticed with smug satisfaction that numerous women shot Connor double-takes or surreptitious glances.
The parade now complete, The Vine Church choir sangO Christmas Treefrom a small stage. Spectators formed a dense ring around the tree. She and Connor found a vantage point behind a family with enough kids to fill a minivan.
“You mentioned earlier that you haven’t dated a lot lately,” she said. In fact, now that she thought about it, she couldn’t recall him having a girlfriend at all since his return to Misty River. “Any particular reason?”
“My heart wasn’t in it.”
“Why?”
“I guess because I’ve liked Molly for a while now. Everyone else seems like a runner-up.”
Earlier, Shay had called Molly a lucky girl. She’d meant it. Connor would make an excellent boyfriend. “I’m feeling more and more invested in the task of preparing you to date Molly. What should we tackle next?”
“My wardrobe?”
“Yes! I could meet you Wednesday afternoon.”
“Done.”
The mayor came on stage. After making a few remarks, she began the countdown to the lighting of the tree. “Ten, nine...” The voices of the crowd joined in. “Five, four.” Louder. “One!”
Thousands of lights flashed on, illuminating the tree. Icicle lights. Tiny red lights. White twinkle lights. The crystal star on top glinted. Red-and-white-checked ribbon accented some of the boughs. Others held old-fashioned wooden ornaments or clusters of the same fruit-and-nuts combo that decorated the downtown greenery.
The crowd released a collective, “Ahhhh,” of wonder. The high school band played “Jingle Bells.”
“Shay?”
She turned her chin to him in answer and discovered that he was already looking at her. Light from the tree bathed the clean angles and contours of his face.
