luster, Kyle would move on to the next shiny object.
When Holden’s hair was washed, Noelle applied the conditioner. As she smoothed her hands over his hair, she remembered doing the same when they kissed. Warmth stirred through her stomach, causing an ache to throb in her body. She missed having someone to love. She missed being loved for her, not for her beauty queen status. Without warning, tears rose in her eyes. Horrified, she blinked back the emotion.
“All done,” she said in a voice that sounded too upbeat in her own ears. She hoped Holden wouldn’t notice. She led him back to her station. After he got situated with the cape over him, Noelle rested her back against the edge of the counter, facing him. She folded her arms over her chest, studying him critically. “So, what’re we doing here?”
Amusement flecked in his eyes, shimmering them with gold. “I dunno, Noe.” Her name hung in a caress on his lips. “What are we doing here?” he asked, softly, his eyes holding hers.
Her pulse began hammering in her ears. Heat splashed her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she was thinking this, but right this moment, she had the overwhelming urge to pick back up where they’d left off. Forget that she was newly divorced and rebuilding her life. Forget that Holden was dating Meredith. Stealing him away from the diva’s clutches would no doubt cause Noelle grief at work. Noelle needed this job, not just because of the money. Yes, she needed that too, but even more important was her self-respect. She needed a win. Her thoughts went back to Holden. Was it possible for them to forget the ugliness, the heartache? Her heart twisted into a hard knot. No, that would be too risky. She had Aiden to think about. She was seeing the good Holden now, the man she’d fallen in love with. But when he went down that dark path, it was ugly. She couldn’t go through that again. “I mean about your hair.”
He grinned, showing off his dimples. “Oh, that.” He studied his reflection in the mirror. “How about you cut an inch off the top and trim the sides and back?”
Her jaw fell. “An inch? If I do that, you won’t have any hair left.” She caught the playful glint in his deep brown eyes and realized that he was needling her. Holden knew she liked his hair longer on top. “Do whatever you want. I’m in your capable hands.”
“Sounds good,” she said casually, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat. She’d known that coming back to Franklin and seeing Holden again would be tough. She had tried to mentally prepare herself for the emotional battle. The pull to Holden had always been great. It had taken her a long time to piece her life back together after the two of them parted ways. It helped that Noelle was far removed, in a different state. Here, however, with the memories bombarding her and with Holden in the flesh, looking even better now than he did before, it was hard to keep a clear head.
She reached for her scissors and comb. She’d trim the top with scissors before using her trimmer around the sides and back. Noelle was used to making casual conversation with clients while she worked. It went along with the job description. However, right now, her mind was as blank as a new sheet of paper.
“How are you and Aiden settling in?” Holden asked.
Her shoulders relaxed a fraction. She was grateful that Holden was taking the lead and navigating them through the awkwardness of polite conversation. “We’re okay.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Just okay?”
“It depends on the day. Aiden’s having a hard time adjusting, as you witnessed firsthand yesterday.”
He pressed his lips together in understanding. “I’m sorry. He seems like a good kid.”
“He is … everything’s just so confusing right now, with his dad.” Her stomach tensed. “You saw the article in the magazine. Kyle is off sowing his wild oats while I’m trying to figure out how to take care of our son.” Acid rose in her throat as she swallowed it back down. “I’m sorry,” she croaked. “That’s TMI.”
“No,” he countered, holding her gaze in the mirror. “I wanna know.”
The genuine concern in his voice got to her, touched some core part of her heart that she didn’t want to be touched right now, especially not by Holden. “We’ll be fine,” she said in a pragmatic tone. “I’m not the first woman to deal with