can’t control that any more than they can. All we can do is support them and love them.”
Fitz took a sip of his tea, his expression not giving anything away. “Who said anything about love? I mean, I know you love Red, obviously, but, um, I didn’t… say anything.” He glanced over at Laz, and the expression on his face had Fitz choking on his next sip of tea. “What?”
“You did not just pull that bullshit on me. Your best friend. Let’s try that again. But Fitz, all we can do is support them and love them.”
“You’re right,” Fitz said, putting his cup of tea down. “I’m in love with him.”
Laz sprung from his chair and shouted so loud Saint jumped to his feet.
“See what you did? “Fitz threw his arms up in Saint’s direction. “You activated the supersoldier.”
“Oops.” Laz sat back down and put a hand up as Saint approached the balcony. “We’re okay! My bad!”
Saint arched an eyebrow at Fitz, who rolled his eyes and shook his head. With a quirk to his lips, Saint went back to the couch.
“You’d think all that muscle would slow them down,” Fitz said thoughtfully.
“Are you kidding? Ace and Lucky are fast, but they got nothing on Red when he’s trying to be the first one to the Georgia peach stall.”
“The what now?”
“There’s this little fair that comes to town every year, and one of the stalls belongs to a lovely couple who bring in all kinds of peach-related goodies from their farm in Georgia. You know Red’s a Georgia boy. Anyway, his dads are amazing cooks, and they raised him on all kinds of peachy goodness. Nothing and no one will get my man running faster than Georgia peaches.”
Fitz could just imagine Red hauling ass across a grassy field toward the peach stall, bulldozing through his friends and sending them flying like bowling pins. The two of them laughed until they were in tears. When they sobered up, Laz smiled at him, his eyes filled with affection.
“I’m happy for you both.”
“Thank you.”
Laz cocked his head to one side and peered at him. “You haven’t told him yet.”
“No. But he hasn’t said anything either, so…”
“So…?”
Fitz picked at the fluff on his sweater. “I’ll tell him.”
“Good. Now let’s eat. I’m starving, and there’s leftover chicken and dumplings from last night and Red’s honey cornbread.”
“I changed my mind. I love Red,” Fitz said as he scrambled out of the chaise. He playfully elbowed Laz out of the way to get to the sliding door first.
“I don’t blame you. Sexy and an amazing cook? I mean, Mason asks Red to marry him every time he has Red’s chicken fried steak.”
Fitz laughed as they headed for the kitchen. This was exactly what he needed. To laugh with his best friend, have some delicious comfort food, and forget about the mess that was his life right now.
After lunch, Fitz headed home to prepare for his client’s appointment. Until his salon was restored, his stylists were working out of salon space in another building not far from Hair Comes Trouble, and thanks to Jack and the guys, Fitz had turned his spare room into a mini salon. The trickiest part had been the plumbing, but Jack had taken care of it in one afternoon. Fitz had been amazed. Was there anything the man couldn’t do?
Saint’s shift was due to end just after Jack arrived, so for now he sat in the living room while Fitz did Chloe’s hair.
“You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
Fitz waved a hand. “Don’t even mention it. You know I’m always here for you.”
There were a few clients whose hair he did after hours, but Chloe wasn’t just a client. She’d become a friend, and Fitz felt a responsibility to her. He only wished she’d let him help beyond giving her the perfect hair.
Chloe was a gorgeous woman, a former beauty queen who always looked the part, smiling beautifully for her politician husband’s cultish following. On the inside, she was terrified of what her abusive asshole husband would do next. She lived in constant fear that he would make good on his threat of using his influence to take her baby boy away from her. Theo meant everything to her.
Fitz smiled at the five-year-old boy swinging his legs as he sat on the chair beside his mother, an iPad on his lap as he played his game.
“I can’t believe how big he’s getting,” Fitz said as he worked on the loose dark