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“You’re not angry at me?”
“Well.” She rocked back on her heels. “Maybe a little at first, but it was easier not sitting alone waiting for someone to come in. I was so busy that I couldn’t even help with the shampooing.”
“Good.” He continued walking to the sister’s store. “I know that once more folks in town learn that Polly has an afternoon manicurist, business will boom.”
“The Farradays seemed to be doing that single-handedly.”
That made him chuckle. “Well, you have to admit, there are a lot of us.”
“Can’t argue with that. Just since I left Tuckers Bluff, your Oklahoma clan is back, and half of them are married.” She chuckled softly. “Hard to believe so many of us who ran around together as kids, joking, and playing, and laughing ourselves to death over any silly thing from mud pies to water fights, most of us have kids of our own doing the same things.”
From time to time, when there were a bunch of little ones running around at the ranch, even though none of them were his, he felt the same way. How the heck had that happened? When did they all grow up? And then he’d wonder if he and Quinn and Ryan would find someone to make them as happy as his other brothers and cousins were. Not a single one in the bunch had chosen poorly. The whole blasted family seemed to be excruciatingly happy. Something he loved seeing.
Reaching the boutique, he stepped to one side and opened the door for her. “Here we are.”
With a bright grin, she bobbed her head, softly said, yes we are, and walked past him. His chest tightened, and his breath hitched. As sure as he knew his name was Paxton Farraday, he hoped he was as sure that her short response had nothing to do with the store and everything to do with them. Oh, how he hoped.
The bell over the Sisters door announced their arrival and Sissy the tall redheaded sibling came hurrying out from behind the curtain, a surprisingly harsh expression on her face and marching like a soldier prepared to do battle. The second her gaze landed on them, her shoulders eased, her steps grew lighter and a smile bloomed. “Oh, thank heavens it’s you.”
Worried, Sandra quickly glanced at Paxton before turning back to face Sissy. “Is something wrong? Do you need help?”
“Oh, no.” The woman waved a hand at them. “We just had the surliest customer.”
“Surly is being nice.” Sister came out from the curtain. “I have never had to count to ten so many times in one shopping experience in my life.”
“Now, now, Sister.” Sissy patted her sister on the arm. “Let’s say our prayers that he’s just passing through.”
“I’ll agree to that,” the short blonde with a hairdo as big as she was, nodded. “We need people with that attitude moving to our town like we need holes in our heads.”
“Should I be calling Declan?” Paxton’s gaze had narrowed, clearly worried about the two older women enough to call his cousin the police chief. His concern for others made Sandra’s heart swell. No matter how hard she told herself to remember they were friends and she had no business getting involved with another man, she was most definitely getting involved, and things like this were making it all too easy to fall hard for Paxton Farraday.
Both sisters shook their heads.
Sister sighed. “It’s not like he did anything illegal but I swear that man did not have one nice word to say about a single thing in this shop. All he did was grumble about poor selection, low quality, and high prices.”
“I told him we pride ourselves on carrying the best items at the lowest possible price.” Sissy was getting red-faced just retelling the situation. “But that didn’t stop him one bit from finding fault with every last thing he touched.”
“And he touched a lot.” Sister had moved over to straighten displays and refold items.
Sandra suspected the items she’d been arranging had been ones the unpleasant customer had touched and moved. “At least he’s gone now.” When she turned to Paxton she noticed him by the window, looking down both sides of the street.
Apparently so did Sister. “I’m sure he’s long gone.”
“And if we’re lucky,” Sissy added, “already out of town with no intention of coming back.”
“Still.” Paxton turned back to the women. “Next time the customer might not be just mean-spirited but could have something else up his sleeve. I want you to promise you’ll call Declan or any one of us who are nearby when a customer like that comes in.”
“Don’t be silly,” Sissy waved him off.
“I’m not. The world is changing and just because Tuckers Bluff is a peaceful friendly place doesn’t mean the ways of the world can’t touch us.”
The two sisters frowned, tight lipped. Then Sister nodded. “There were those idiot dog smugglers who tried to kidnap Valerie, and then that rapist in Butler Springs not so long ago.”
Sissy nodded too. “And remember the time poor Jake Thomas took his wife and Meg hostage. Someone could have been killed.”
Placing her hand on Sissy’s arm, Sister shook her head. “Now, that’s not the same thing. He had a brain tumor. Can’t blame the way the world is changing on him.”
“True.” Sissy nodded and then, as if someone had snapped them out of their thoughts, her bright smile reappeared. “I’m sure we’ll be fine, but we do promise if another mean-spirited customer like that comes in again, we’ll call Declan.”
