Griffin unlatched the case and pulled out… a pair of clippers.
“Bro.” Bowen chuckled. “Are you buzzing James’s hair?”
“Nah.” Griffin grinned. “James is going to buzz Ford’s hair.”
Lemon gasped, and we all turned our attention in her direction.
My jaw dropped.
Blocking the great room entrance, Ford was doing a deeply unfortunate Kevin James dance from the movie Hitch, his curls picked into a full afro and dyed in violent rainbow stripes like some ratty Halloween clown wig.
“Yes!” Silas thrust his fists into the air.
Ford bent forward and ground his backside against Ashton’s front like they were in a club. Ashton’s mouth tightened, and he gave Ford a hard shove. Ford stumbled into the room, unclogging the dam of people behind him—Holden and Blue, along with Cash and Charlie, Maddie, Theo, and…
Liam.
His gaze snagged mine, and I looked away fast—toward Griffin, who had seen it. I gave my husband a smile as if that was totally normal.
We hadn’t talked about his conversation with Liam. But Griffin had been tense ever since.
James blinked at Ford, slow and uncomprehending, like the image wasn’t quite assembling itself.
Ford walked over and looked down at him. “What do you think, Jamsie?” He shimmied his shoulders and pumped his hand under the bottom of his hair to give it a flounce.
James pursed his lips, expression darkening. “I cannot believe you did that right before Sage’s funeral.”
The room grew quiet, the air crackling with discomfort.
Ford stopped, face going pale. “I wasn’t going to show up to the funeral like this,” he said. “I was planning to wear my black cowboy hat. Sage always liked that hat.”
James stared at him.
“She did,” Heidi said in a hush. “She thought you lookedso handsome in that hat, Ford, because it brought out the resemblance between you and James.”
Ford nodded and smiled.
James always wears a cowboy hat,Griffin mouthed to me.
I pressed a hand to my heart.
James’s expression softened. Then he huffed out a short laugh and almost smiled. “She did love your hat. But she would’ve loved…” He waved a hand at Ford’s hair. “This even more.”
The entire room let out a light, relieved laugh.
Griffin handed the clippers to Ford.
Ford knelt in front of James and held out the clippers in both hands, offering them like a knight presenting his sword for blessing. “Since she isn’t here to do it, would you?”
James stared at his offering, his eyes filling again.
Sophie slid into place next to me, hooked her arm around mine, and whispered, “Sage was the Dupree family hairstylist. She took cosmetology classes in high school.”
Ahh.
James wiped his eyes and nodded. “I would be honored.”
“Get those phones ready,” Ford said.
