Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“What are you gettin’ at?”
“Just that Whitney’s as good as any girl who’s ever come through here, and she deserves to find her slice of happiness.” She leaned her elbows against the counter and propped her chin on her hands. “I really hope she finds it.”
“You and me both.”
Without saying anything more, Bridget turned and walked out of the bar, leaving me wondering if what she’d said was all bullshit or if there was really something to it. Either way, I wasn’t going to find my answer at the bottom of that whiskey bottle, so I got up and went to find Whitney.
When I walked by the family room, I spotted her and Kay huddled up on the couch, and they were carrying on about something. They were an unlikely pair, and while I couldn’t make out what they were saying, they both seemed engrossed in whatever they were talking about.
I was curious what had them both so excited, so I started over to them. When I got closer, I heard Kay say, “I’m telling you, we could totally do it.”
“You really think so?” Whitney bit her lip like she wasn’t sure if she was ready for a change or just afraid of what might come with it. “It’s pretty dark.”
“Absolutely.” Kay reached over and ran her fingers over the ends of Whitney’s hair, assessing it like she was on some kind of mission. “It’ll take a little time, but we can definitely go lighter.”
“Oh, that would be great!” Whitney laughed, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and the entire room lit up. “I know I can’t go back completely natural, but even a little lighter would be amazing.”
Seeing that look of hope in her eyes hit me like a damn freight train. There was something about when she was like this—talking, open, vulnerable—that made her seem even more beautiful. She had been through hell, yet here she was, talking about her hair like it wasn’t a big deal. It was nice to see her so excited about the possibility of a fresh start.
“Well, then let’s do it.” Kay sounded almost as excited as Whitney when she said, “We’ll need to get someone to run to the beauty store and grab us a few things, but we could do it today.”
“Oh, that would be amazing!”
“We need to get a list together, so we make sure we get everything.”
It seemed like they were really hitting it off, and after everything she’d been going through, Kay needed that—maybe even more than Whitney. It had to have been tough to hear that her worst fears were coming true, and her ex-husband’s past was catching up with her. She was a smart lady. She knew that losing her house was just the start.
I was contemplating whether I should leave or interrupt their moment when Kay announced, “I’ll go find Zeke and have him pick up what we need. I’ll be back in a few.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Kay patted me on the shoulder as she walked past me. “Hey there, sweetie. I’m off to see a guy about an errand, but I’ll be back.”
Before I could respond, she was gone, and I was left alone with Whitney. She glanced over at me and muttered, “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“You weren’t at breakfast.”
“I had some things to tend to.”
“Hmm.”
We hadn’t spoken since our encounter the night before, and an awkwardness had settled between us. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have given her a hard time about being jealous, especially when I wasn’t sure how she was feeling about things. “So, you’re thinking about coloring your hair?”
"I don’t know." She raked her teeth across her bottom lip. "I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“I’m afraid it might make it easier for him to find me.”
Her eyes were filled with worry, and I got why. Dylan was an asshole and had put her through hell. The last thing she wanted was to make it easier for him to find her. But there was more to it than that. This was a chance for her to take back a piece of herself, and I knew it was important for her to take it. “The color of your hair isn’t going to make much difference either way.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“If you wanna go lighter, do it. But if it doesn’t feel like the right time, don’t. You call the shots."
"I just don’t want to do anything that might mess things up.”
"You’re not going to mess anything up.” I stepped over to her and placed my hand on her chin, gently lifting her head so she was looking at me. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“I worry about everything,” she admitted. “It’s hard not to. Every time things start going well like they are now, something always happens, and it all falls apart.”