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“Wow! Your sisters must have been hungry!”
Ashlynn looked down at the food and had to agree. “You know that old saying about how you shouldn’t go grocery shopping while you’re hungry? Apparently that applies when ordering takeout too.”
They laughed and began making up their plates. The food was still warm so there was no need to put anything in the microwave, but they put the lids back on everything as soon as they were done serving.
When she was pleased with everything on her dish, she looked over at him. “So you took the place upstairs.”
He nodded. “There aren’t a lot of places to rent in Sweetbriar right now, so this was really a blessing. I need to be close to the station so when there’s a call in the middle of the night…”
“You’re close by and can get there quickly. That makes sense.”
“This weekend, I’ll go back to Roanoke and pack everything and get it moved here.”
“Really? You think you can get it done that fast?”
“Definitely. I’ve got a lot of good friends and they’re all coming to help me out. Anything I don’t get to, I can go back over the next couple of weeks and finish up. It’s not that far and my lease isn’t up until the end of the month, so I’ve got time. I was lucky that this place was willing to sign me up mid-month.”
Ashlynn nodded and finished chewing a mouthful of meatloaf. “Just like you said, there aren’t a lot of places to rent here, so there also aren’t a lot of renters. I’m sure she was thrilled that you called and were interested.”
Reid glanced around. “I think it’s the same floor plan as your place. One bedroom, right?”
She nodded again. “It’s not big by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s perfect for one person. And they allow pets. You know…if that was something you wanted.”
“I wouldn’t mind getting a dog at some point, but I wanted to wait until I got settled someplace.”
“You weren’t settled in Roanoke?”
He smiled briefly. “I moved around a lot while I was growing up. My folks just never seemed to pick a place and want to stay. I figured I’d be just like them, but this town always felt like home to me.” He paused and took a sip of water. “Not that I was actively looking for a job here. But I realized if I felt that way about Sweetbriar, maybe I’d feel that way about somewhere else.”
She smiled knowingly. “But you never did.”
“Exactly. I can’t even explain it, but as soon as my captain back in Roanoke mentioned the position here, I knew I had to apply. The timing was perfect with Leo and Avery’s engagement party. I guess I took it as a sign that it was meant to be.”
“I think I would too. Kind of hard to argue that when it seemed like everything fell into place that way.”
“What about you?” he asked. “What are you doing with yourself these days?”
The mirthless laugh was out before she could stop it. “Well, my life is kind of a shit show right now.”
“How come?” He seemed genuinely interested.
“I’ve been working at the local salon for the last five years. I never loved it, but I love living here near my family and I just kind of sucked it up, you know? Things got tense several months ago when my boss gave one of the prime booths to someone with less seniority than me. I took it personally.”
“Understandable,” he said before taking a bite of his dinner.
“Anyway, I was very vocal about it and things were tense, but then we all just calmed down,” she went on. “Two weeks ago, a client wasn’t happy with the way I did her hair. Actually, I made a mistake when mixing her color and she was completely justified in being upset.”
He nodded and kept eating.
“She pitched a very loud fit even though there was a solution and I could have toned down the color with just a simple rinse. But she was beyond upset and started screaming for my boss.” Staring down at her plate, Ashlynn pushed her food around slightly. “Anyway…we fought in front of everyone—and again, I know I was in the wrong—and she fired me. Like right on the spot. And now I make coffee and clean tables over at Books & Beans because there are no other salons here in Sweetbriar.”
“Wow, I’m really sorry, Ashlynn. That definitely sucks.”
“Big time.”
“But…weren’t you and Billie looking at a building the other day? I thought she said you were thinking of opening your own salon.”
“It’s a possibility, but…I don’t know. Billie wants to invest in it with me, but I know she’s doing it because I can’t afford to do it on my own.”
