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“Yeah, if you like a good thrashing and don’t need or want much in the way of aftercare then he’s fucking fantastic. He’s not for everyone.”
The expression on Coco’s face had changed and he couldn’t quite figure out how but he didn’t have a second to fixate on it because Halli was turning Coco to face them on the stool.
“Ta-da!” she announced, framing her handiwork with outstretched fingers.
And there she was. Still looking like she’d faced off against a pack of werewolves or something, but the pixie cut Halliday had shaped Coco’s hair into was freaking adorable.
Ian launched off his own stool and closed the gap between them in a few strides and Huds did the same.
“I love it,” Hudson decreed. “Did you see it yet? Here, I’ll get the mirror.”
While he jogged over to the table, Ian cupped Coco’s face between his palms and leaned in close. “You know how I said you looked like a princess?”
She nodded solemnly. Yeah, he was going to get her to laugh someday but he never wanted her to lose that big-eyed sincerity. It was too darling.
“Now you look like afairyprincess. What do you say you and I look for tiaras after naptime?”
“For me or for you?”
“You sassy little thing. Me, obviously. I’m thinking emeralds, to highlight my eyes.”
He batted his lashes before pressing a kiss to her forehead and then Huds was back with the hand mirror, which he handed to Coco. Or Cosy as he called her. Shewasa cozy little thing who liked to snuggle and be close to them all the time. Like a baby koala. No wonder Ry avoided her.
Ian braced himself when she looked in the mirror—she was a hardy little girl even though her body was brittle and beaten, but it couldn’t be easy to look at yourself and be reminded of all the horrible things that’d happened to you.
It had been different when Ian had goaded that fucker Trent into punching him. That shiner he’d worn like a badge of honor. And he liked to look at the bruises and weals and welts Hudson would leave on his back—those brought memories of fun times, satisfying pain that made him feel invincible.
For Coco…
But he needn’t have worried. She didn’t smile, but she never did. Her eyes got glossy with tears and he held his breath waiting for them to slip down her cheeks, but she swiped at the corners of them with her fingers and looked up at Halliday with an expression that could only be called worship. He wanted Coco to look athimlike that, but he would earn that however long it took. He’d take the sweetly trusting way she curled up on his lap, sucked on his thumb, and played with the squirty toys she had for tubby time for now. Patience wasn’t one of his strong suits but he could work on it. For her.
“Thank you. I didn’t think I’d like my hair ever again but it looks really nice. You saved it.”
“Oh, honey, you’re welcome,” Halli said and draped her arms loosely around Coco’s shoulders and poked her head over Coco’s shoulder to smile at her in the mirror. Coco stiffened as she always did when anyone except him or Huds touched her but she managed to bring her shoulders down from her ears and hopefully enjoy Halli’s easy affection. “Just wait until you come to the salon. We’ll have some real fun there for sure.”
