Beckett wished she’d looked back. They’d had a moment. Well, he’d had a moment. He thought she’d had one too. He didn’t go around touching women’s hair—ever.
Were his social skills really that off?
He hadn’t been out of the country forthatlong.
“You ready?” prompted Quinton.
“Just have to brush my teeth.”And forget the feel of Daisy’s hair in my fingers. Because that was one of those things that had imprinted itself into his brain so he could pull it out on dark nights far from home. Although, he had a feeling he’d be thinking about it all day today too.
Chapter Four
Later that morning, Daisy gave her approval for the final cut of her post on the coconut and olive oil hair mask. She ran her fingers through her hair again. It was thick and luscious and not at all heavy like she anticipated the oils would make it feel.
Jason lay across her king-sized bed, readingPercy Jacksonfor the hundredth time. Though he’d read all the books in the series, he always came back to this one. Daisy kept a tattered copy on her nightstand just for him. It came in handy when he was forced to come to work with his mom for a couple hours.
“Okay.” Vivian hit the button to upload the video and sat back while the progress bar slowly made its way across the screen. “Tell me about this man sleeping on your couch.”
“I—uh. He’s Quin’s friend.”
Vivian drummed her fingernails on the computer table. “Bor-ing.”
Daisy laughed. “What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know. Why am I just finding out about this guy? I’ve been your editor—”
Daisy held up her palm and cut her off. “Best friendandeditor.”
Vivian flipped her beautiful black hair over her shoulder. “You know it. So why is this the first I’ve ever heard or seen of a homeless older brother’s best friend? I’m hurt, Daisy, and I don’t hurt easily.” She pulled her shoulders forward, feigning a wounded heart.
Daisy shoved her shoulder. “You’re such a drama queen.”
“Tell meeeeee.” Vivian’s legs bounced. “I have zero excitement in my life—I need this.”
Daisy laughed. Though Vivian had Jason as a teenager, married and divorced his abusive father, she lived the ultimate quiet life. She and Jason both loved to read, so often the only sound in their house was the ticking of clocks and the occasional oven timer to remind them to put the books down and eat. She didn’t like drama in her own life, but she loved to read it in romance novels. Any hint at romance in Daisy’s life was like dangling a steak in front of a wolf.
“I wish there was something to tell. We grew up with Beckett. His parents are ultra strict—like you’re going to Hell if you step a toe out of line. He spent a lot of time at our house and his toes werealwaysout of line. He’s been out of the country for most of the last ten years. I think, and this is just my opinion, but I think he couldn’t wait to get away from his parents—his dad especially.”
Vivian twisted her neck to look at Jason and then came back to eyeing Daisy once she was sure Jason was sufficiently lost in the pages of his book. “He looks rough.”
“That’s because he probably spent the last three months sleeping in the jungle somewhere. I’m thankful he showered before he slept on my couch.” She shuddered.
Vivian made a face.
Daisy wanted to put her friend at ease. Vivian didn’t trust men—especially new ones. Beckett would be around the house on and off for who knows how long; they’d all have to get along. “He’s a real softie inside, though. I mean, he spends his days dig wells and irrigation lines to improve the lives of people in third-world countries. His whole job is to help people he doesn’t know.”
“Really?”
“Yep, he has the heart of a crusader—a champion for the underdog.”
Vivian tipped her head. “He sounds great.” The progress bar disappeared and a smile face emoji filled the screen, indicating that the video had uploaded successfully. “The man bun is bad, though. You should tell him how bad it really is—as a friend.” She typed a summary of the video and added links to follow Daisy’s channel, check out Daisy’s other hair care videos, and order Daisy’s signature lip balm made from 100% all-natural products.
The stretched-out, faded T-shirt and frayed cargo shorts Beckett wore when he left the house came to mind. “If I were really his friend, I’d give him a head-to-toe makeover,” Daisy said.
Vivian spun in her chair. “You should! And we should film it.”
“Wait, what?” Daisy buzzed her hands through the air.
“We’ve been wracking our brains to come up with something out of the ordinary to draw in the executives at KPaka. We know they’re following you and the sales rep was all over getting you a line of lip products to go with your balm. We should totally do a segment on men’s beauty tips.”
