It was one of the men who hung out at the hardware store, Mister Roberts.
No, not Mister Rodgers.Like PBS.
Mister Roberts.
He took one look at the three of us and his gaze zeroed in on Arlys. "You the one I talked to when I called?"
She nodded and moved through us to the front, reached out a hand to greet him. "Good morning, I'm Arlys Hunt. Welcome."
I barely resisted the urge to wrap my arm around her shoulders and growl at the old man. "Mine."
Yeah, I had some issues.
Some of which we could place on her father's shoulders.
Some, but not all.
I've loved her like crazy since the first moment she smiled at me, and I wanted to be the only one she smiled it.
Now, I realize that was a little obsessive, but it didn't really change my mind.
I thought I could temper it better now.
"I'm Joe Roberts. I've been coming here for years. I guess I didn't hear that it was being sold."
Arlys smiled and sat him down in the barber's chair. "Why don't you have a seat and we can talk."
The old man smiled at her. "Okay."
She gestured toward the side table. "Let me get one of my books and you can start to look through my work. We can get to know each other, and you can tell me what kind of a cut you'd like."
The man was blushing when she turned around and I understood why.
It was something, being in her presence.
She'd always made me feel about ten feet tall when she smiled at me.
Damn, I was a luckysumbitch.
My phone rang in my back pocket.
I'd set it on near silent before I'd stepped inside.
I could barely hear it and felt it vibrate in my pocket, so I gave Arlys a wink when she turned around and stepped outside to answer it.
"Pres?"
"Who are you with?"
"Savior and Havoc are here with me."
"Good." I could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn't upset, more... anxious. "Bring them back with you."
"Got it, Pres." I looked at my watch. "See you in fifteen."
"There'll be someone at the gate."
"Okay. We'll be right there."
