Page 27 of A Dye Hard Holiday

“Who’s Trent?” a deep voice asked just out of sight.

Dare’s eyes rounded in surprise before he schooled his features into a neutral mask and looked over his shoulder. “It’s no one for you to worry about, Wren.”

I didn’t have to see Wren’s face to know he was giving Dare his patented squinty-eyed glare. I expected to hear the music fromHigh Noonplaying as the two men squared off. It was funny to me that Dare was the only one who didn’t see how he tied Wren up in knots. I’m not talking a pretty little bow either, I’m talking a knot so complicated it would take months, if not longer, to untangle.

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that,” Wren returned with a bite in his voice. “Was it thatdoctorwho stopped in here last week to see you?” Oh yeah, he wanted to do some biting all right.

“He was here to book an appointment for a haircut last week, not see me.” I heard the eyeroll in Dare’s voice and wished I could see his face. I also wished for some popcorn.

“Who’d you schedule him with?” Wren wanted to know.

Oh shit! Please don’t tell him…

“You,” Dare said sassily.

“Well, won’t that be fun?”

I jumped to my feet then. I couldn’t allow my salon to become a casualty to their stupidity. “Guys—”

“You wouldn’t dare—”

“Oh, I dare to do a lot of things—”

“Guys!” They had no intention of listening to me. I held out my hand and helped Meredith off the cold, hard floor.

“Like what, Wren?”

“Plenty of things,” Wren said stubbornly, but I could tell he was running out of steam. “None of them are your business.”Oh, but he wants them to be.

Of course, Dare didn’t say what he was really thinking or feeling either. He went with, “You’re such an asshole, Wren.”

“Yes, I am. It’s best you remember it too.”

“Like you’d let me forget it,” Dare dramatically replied before he stomped out of the little room.

Wren poked his head around the corner. The expression in his dark eyes could only be described as defeat. “Sorry, boss.”

“It’s not a problem. Don’t worry about Trent, I’ll—”

“I’ll cut the fucker’s hair,” Mere said, interrupting me. Then she looked at me and waved her finger back and forth. “Remember your promise to Gabe.” I wasn’t sure that Mere would be any kinder to Trent, but he at least had a fighting chance with her.

“Thanks,” Wren said, smiling wryly. “I owe you one.”

“Was I this clueless when it came to Gabe?” I asked Mere once we were alone.

She giggled and poked my rib with her finger. “Worse.”

Nothing filled my shop to capacity quicker than murder or mayhem. The visitors that day wanted to chat about my arrest. I was horrified when a video of me arguing with that woman went viral, but glad it showed me in the best light possible. She was the one who looked like a complete nutter throwing herself to the ground and yelling like I had pushed her down.

“Josh, I loved the way you defended your mama from that evil woman,” Mrs. Handerneski said. She was the first client in my chair that morning and she spent three hundred dollars on salon gift certificates. “The perfect stocking stuffer.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Your hair stayed perfectly styled the entire time you played tug of war over that toy,” Mrs. Randolph said while I put foils in her hair. “It was amazing.” Of course, I had to show her what held up so well during my brawl over a talking, dancing, stuffed bear. I might’ve gotten thrown in jail, but my mama came away with that motherfucking toy.

“I’ll take two,” she told me.

Gabe stopped by with lunch, and I knew he was still trying to atone for the weekend. It wasn’t his fault that I was arrested, and had the situation been reversed I might’ve freaked out a little too. Yeah, he got a little overzealous with the ax at the tree farm, but we still ended up with a beautiful tree and I got me some lumbersexual sexy times after he felt better. I shivered because I was pretty sure I had finger marks on my ass from him gripping me so hard. Not to mention that our home and business looked amazingly festive.