“Let’s wait until Kimber’s ready. I think she should get the first turn. I’m sure there’s a princess rule about it in Bree’s secret book,” Chrissaid.
His shoulders drooped. “Okay.”
Crap. Now he’d made Kaden sad. Maybe there was a kitten around he could kick. “But I’ll tell you what. We’ll use one of the longer cutting lengths so you have enough hair to cut patterns in. How aboutthat?”
Kaden’s little legs kicked out and he bounced in the seat. “Okay.”
Denise and Kimber arrived holding hands and joined them around the table. Jase found a stool for the kids to stand on so they could reach the top of his head. Bree wrapped an old towel around his neck and shoulders. He couldn’t see her, but Denise’s presence was as heavy as a physical touch at hisback.
He flinched at the sharp pop when the clippers turned on and closed his eyes when Kimber took the firstpass.
The feather-light brush of falling hair touched his cheek and Kimber giggled behindhim.
“Can I do another one?” sheasked.
“Go for it,” Jase said. “Just leave some for yourbrother.”
It was only hair.Right?
* * *
He leaned closerto the mirror and rubbed his hand over his head, trying to figure out where the patches of hair remained. The kids hadn’t done a completely horrible job, but he looked like he’d lost a fight with a weed eater wielded by a monkey on a three-day bender. Thankfully, Jase hadn’t let them take the length attachment off so he still had some fuzz to work with and wouldn’t have to shave his head completelybald.
Someone knocked on the bathroom door. “Comein.”
He stood upright when Denise walked in and closed the door behind her. Her expression was unreadable. Not that he’d ever been able to read her anyway. She didn’t emote the way other people did. If she didn’t want someone to know what she was thinking, they neverwould.
“You missed a few spots in the back,” she saidsoftly.
“I’m having a hard time seeing back there without anothermirror.”
She nodded and stepped away from the door, holding her hand out for the clippers. He handed them over without a word and watched her in themirror.
At least she was touching him. Even if it was only to push his head forward. He could feel her heat at his back. The slight brush and weight of her breasts when she moved her arms to reach the top of hishead.
This washell.
“Thank you for letting them do that,” shesaid.
He swallowed hard, fighting the urge to turn around and kiss her. “You’rewelcome.”
“They haven’t had a lot to smile about in awhile.”
“Denise—”
“But it doesn’t change anything. They aren’t bait. They aren’t a tool for you to get to your target. They’re two little kids whose world is crashing down aroundthem.”
“I would never use them as bait,Denise.”
She shut off the clippers and set them on the counter, finally meeting his gaze in themirror.
She turned to leave the bathroom and he laid his hand on the door. “I was going to apologize. Show up at your apartment with flowers and chocolate and explain whathappened.”
“What happened with what?” She crossed her arms and shook her hair over hershoulder.
There. He saw that—the hurt and anger that she locked down before they could reach thesurface.
“I left a note for Phil, my partner, to give to you but he never got it. The team that picked me up cleaned out my truck before they parked it at headquarters and they threw it away. I didn’t find out until after I went to your cousin’s house. That was the first full day I was back.” He reached for the strand of hair over her shoulder, but she moved back. He dropped his hand. “I never meant to take off without telling you I wasleaving.”
