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We said goodbye but before I could put down my phone, it buzzed with a text.
It’s Preston. Looking forward to seeing you tonight.
I took a deep breath. Preston Bradford was taking me out tonight.
Putting Zachary firmly out of my mind, I went out to deal with Gina’s hair with a little extra spring in my step.
CHAPTER 7
Zachary
Damn it.
Damn it, damn it, damn it.
I hurried my ass back to my truck to get out of the rain. What the hell was wrong with me? I’d never been so awkward around a woman in my life. But the sight of her had been dazzling; she was the sun shining through the storm clouds. For a second, it had been like the moment I’d come to on the floor of her salon.
Stay with me, Zachary.
And then I couldn’t get my brain and mouth to work together. I’d managed to thank her, barely, but when I’d tried to say more, it was like I’d blown a fuse. Broke the circuit. And that was that. No words.
She probably thought I had a head injury. Great.
I got in and smacked the steering wheel. That had not gone the way I’d thought it would. I talked to women all the time. Hell, I’d made a sport out of hitting on girls, and I was the grand champion. I always knew what to say. A little smirk, a wink, crack a joke. I was great with women.
Not with Marigold, apparently.
Maybe the shock had fried my brain a little.
Or maybe it was just her.
I blew out a breath. Should I have followed her into the salon? But then I just would have made a fool of myself in front of a bigger audience. And she wasn’t the type of girl to think a guy being a bumbling idiot was cute. Marigold liked guys who were charming and suave.
The exact opposite of my performance.
Damn it.
Not one to back down from a challenge, I decided I just needed to regroup. Try again. I’d figure out what to say to her—maybe even practice. That way if my brain decided to stop functioning again, I’d be prepared.
I glanced at the time. I’d decided to partially listen to doctor’s orders and put in a half day. The job site was about an hour away, but I had time to grab a quick bite to eat. The Steaming Mug was just up the street, so I ventured back into the rain and jogged up the sidewalk.
The smell of coffee greeted me as soon as I walked in. There wasn’t anyone in line and only a few of the tables were full. I eyed the pastry case, hoping they still had a breakfast sandwich even though it was basically lunchtime.
The barista took my order and although my luck with Marigold had been shitty, my luck with food was better. They had my favorite sandwich—croissant with egg, bacon, and cheese—and I ordered a large coffee.
“Hi there, honey.”
A group of older ladies crowded around a set of three tables they’d pushed together. A big grin stole over my face. Among them was one of my favorite people in Tilikum. Aunt Louise. She was hard to miss. The only clothing she seemed to own were velour tracksuits in a rainbow of colors—today’s was bright yellow.
My aunt Louise Haven had been married to my dad’s brother for about a hundred years and was one of my favorite people for two primary reasons. One, she gave absolutely no fucks and said whatever she wanted, usually with hilarious results. And two, she regularly baked me cookies. What was not to love?
“Hi there, beautiful.” I sauntered over to her table, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles.
A few of the other ladies laughed softly and exchanged glances.
“Zachary, you are too charming for your own good.”
“I’d say it does me a lot of good. Morning, ladies.”
