“You the only one in here?” I ask, following her through the space toward her station.
“Yeah, for now.”
I sit in the chair and place my coffee on the shelf in front of me. Saylor grabs a black cape from the hook and flings it in the air until it settles. With the cape secured, she places her hands on my shoulders and stares at me in the mirror.
“What are we doing today?”
I stare blankly back at her. “The same as usual.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re so boring.”
I sigh. “And what would you do, Sister?”
“Oh!” she beams, standing up straighter, tucking her lower lip between her teeth as she evaluates my hair. Her fingers run over my sides, brushing the short top. My haircut is high and tight. It’s the same haircut I’ve been getting since I joined the military, and I have no intention of changing it. Although, it’s a little longer now since it’s been a few extra weeks in between cuts.
“We should do a subtle fade on the sides and keep letting your hair grow out on top. With your texture, it’ll give such a trendy unkempt look.”
“Trendy has never been used to describe me,” I grumble.
“Oh my gosh, Jett. Grow up. It’s time to embrace style. You’re almost thirty.”
I roll my eyes.
“How’re things with Wren?” she asks, resting her hand on her hip.
“None of your concern.”
“She’s been back for how long? It’s time you work out your shit and beg for her forgiveness.” Huffing, Saylor reaches for the clippers. With the flick of her thumb, a whirring sound fills the space.
“I don’t come here so you can hold me hostage in your chair and offer me advice,” I grit out, my shoulders tensing as my mind flicks through everything that’s happened in the past few days that my sister knows nothing about.
Turning back to me, her lips pinch, probably noting my change in demeanor. “I’m sorry,” she says softly. “I know I overstep, but you’re my big brother, and I want to see you happy.”
“I’m happy,” I say, trying to keep my voice level.
The same blue eyes as mine stare back at me, but she doesn’t say anything. It’s like she can read my mind. And maybe siblings can. I turn my attention away from her gaze and watch as tiny hairs fall onto the cape from where the electric clippers run through.
Clearing my throat, I decide to change the subject. “What’s new with you?”
She bounces on her feet, pulling the clippers away from my head. “You’re looking at the new Silo Bay Hawks Junior Varsity volleyball coach.”
I smile at that. “No shit, congrats.”
“I can’t believe I got the job. I honestly thought they’d take one look at me and throw my application in the trash.”
Saylor’s fully embraced her eclectic style since graduating high school. She came home from beauty school one day with bright pink hair that she’s never changed, and the start of a tattoo sleeve. Since then, she dresses in unique pieces, making her stand out in a small town, but she never bats an eye at the stares.
“They’d be stupid not to hire you. You were the best libero in our division.”
“I know, right?” She chuckles, never one to shy away from a compliment.
Saylor spends the next few minutes snipping the strands on the top of my head as we shoot the shit over nothing and everything. Once she’s happy with how the cut looks, she runs her fingers through my hair, messing with the strands on top to achieve the unkempt look she described. The sound of the front door opening draws our attention. Saylor leans backward, looking to see who entered. A devilish smile spreads across her pink lips.
“I’ll be right with you, Wren.”
“Don’t rush, I’m early,” Wren’s soft voice calls from the front of the store. Saylor’s eyes meet mine in the mirror, and she wiggles her eyebrows. Mine narrow into slits. Now her nosy questioning makes sense. I decide to fuck with her, because two can play this game.
“Whiskey,” I say, raising my voice so she can hear me over the noise my sister is playing. “If I’d known you were coming here too, we could’ve ridden together.”
