broken her heart to unrecognizable bits. This was just another client. She’d washed many a person’s hair. She could do this. She turned on the water and placed her hand in the stream to make sure it was the right temperature. She reached for the sprayer and used it to wet his hair. “Tell me if this is too hot or cold.” Her throat went dry as her eyes ran the length of his lean, strong jaw. He’d shaved today. His olive skin had a smooth, golden cast. Sheesh. Everything about Holden was masculine.
“It’s great.” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he spoke.
A few beats of silence passed. She decided to acknowledge the white elephant between them. “Thanks for taking the blame yesterday.”
“No worries. How’s your hand?”
“Good,” she said lightly. The scratches were healing fast. She’d been replacing her Band-Aids with fresh ones after every shampoo. “How about you? Were you sore?”
“Yes,” he laughed. “I felt like I’d been sacked by a linebacker.”
“I’m sorry,” she lamented, grinning at the reference. Holden lived and breathed football. He always had. His dad played for The University of Alabama under the legendary Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Holden was the starting quarterback in high school and had gone on to play football in college, although Noelle thought he might’ve played another position. She couldn’t remember what it was, but it was something on the offensive line.
“It’s not a big deal. Aiden is a cute kid.”
“Thanks. He’s a stinker.” It was on the tip of her tongue to open up to Holden, tell him what a hard time Aiden was having because of the divorce. Luckily, Noelle caught herself before the words could escape her lips. As tempting as it was to slip back into old roles, she needed to remember that she and Holden were a thing of the past. They’d both moved on long ago. She squirted shampoo into her hand and went to work washing his hair. As her fingers moved over his scalp and through his hair, quivers cascaded through her. Too bad her stupid body wasn’t getting the message that she and Holden were history. She swallowed, trying to maintain her composure. She wondered if Holden could hear her heart, hammering like a rock band in her chest. Memories rolled over her like a tidal wave. Holden had been so much a part of her life, her everything. Her senses were enveloped with Holden’s fresh, clean scent, mingled with the botanical smell of the shampoo.
“Come on, Noe. You can do better than that,” he murmured.
She paused, her fingers tensing. “What?”
“Rub my scalp harder,” he implored.
A chortle burst through her lips. “That’s right, you always liked your scalp massaged.”
“Yep,” he grinned, “I do. Rub harder,” he commanded.
“Bossy, aren’t ya?” she sassed as she increased the pressure of her fingertips. She grimaced. “I feel like I’m rubbing your skin off.”
“Nope, not even close.”
She giggled. “Remember when you went to the pet store and got that scrubber for your hair?”
“I loved that thing.”
“Only you,” she hummed. “You always did have enough hair for five people. I said you could start a hair farm.” A wicked thought circled her brain as a grin tugged at her lips. “Of course now, I’d have to say that you have enough hair for only three people.”
“Hey,” he protested, “are you saying my hair’s thinning?”
It wasn’t in the slightest. “Just making an observation,” she said lightly. It was interesting how effortless it was to shift into her bantering mode with Holden. Maybe it was because they were neighbors and best friends before getting involved romantically. Her relationship with Holden was so different than it had been with her ex-husband. Kyle had come on strong, sweeping Noelle off her feet with expensive gifts and elaborate dates. The two of them fell in love without having any common ground. When the newness of their relationship wore off, they struggled to get along. At first, Noelle did a critical examination of herself, wondering what she could do to improve their relationship. Then, she realized that Kyle was having multiple affairs. Hindsight was 20/20. She now realized that Kyle had been more enamored with her Miss Georgia Royal title than he ever was with plain and simple Noelle. That was why he was with Tiffany Wade now. Tiffany was young and naïve enough to be impressed with Kyle. She was riding high on the pinnacle of her career—an A-list actress. Noelle almost felt sorry for Tiffany. When she lost her