“Come inside and tell me all about it.” He unlocked the door and led her inside with a gentle touch to the small of her back. They went right to his bedroom and slipped under the covers. He’d changed into a shirt and some shorts and she was still fully dressed in her pajamas. Still, that didn’t take away from what was happening between them.
He told her about his day with the Getliers. She told him some of the things she’d found in her journal, including a picture of her standing a safe distance from Flex, flicking off the large black horse. She wouldn’t tell him about the declaration of love she’d put on the page back then. She had a feeling she’d be back there again, very soon.
* * *
Billie, the hairdresser Miss Leona had hired to take care of Evie’s destroyed sew-in, asked, “Okay, Miss Thang. We are ready to style. You made your decision yet?”
Evie looked at herself in the handheld mirror, then looked at the collage of hairstyles on her phone for the fiftieth time. She was glad she’d taken the hourlong drive with Jesse and Vega to St. Bernadette’s Medical Center. She had her stitches removed. She had her scan, and after Vega saved her the embarrassment and asked Jesse to give them a minute alone with Dr. Zordetski, she was cleared for sexual intercourse. She did recommend that Evie go slowly and not be surprised if she noticed fluctuations in her sex drive, but at the moment she knew there would be no issues.
It was barely two in the afternoon and she was already exhausted, and with it being New Year’s Eve, even though there would be no parties on her personal agenda, she wanted to stay awake to see the clock strike midnight. But right now she had one very important decision to make.
“Can we text Corie?” She looked over at Lilah, who was sitting on the counter.
“Sure, why?” Lilah asked.
“I feel like she’ll give me the most honest opinion.”
“That’s true,” Billie muttered. She was clearly familiar with Corie’s blunt way of moving through life.
“Okay, hold on.” Evie watched Lilah as she frantically texted her god-sister.
“She’ll respond right away. She—see? She replied. ‘I thought we decided on the first one. It’s a freaking haircut not surgery. Just don’t give Jesse the clippers and she’ll look great.’ I think she just means ’cause you stay bald, Jess,” Lilah said.
“I get it,” Jesse replied.
“How do you feel about it? Talk to me,” Billie said with a light squeeze on Evie’s shoulder. She’d been very kind when she’d gently removed Evie’s tracks and washed her hair. Evie trusted her with the cut. She looked at the picture on her own phone one more time. Billie called the style a tapered fade.
“Just remember where you are and who you’re staying with,” Billie said.
“That’s right,” Lilah added. “If you don’t like it, I’m sure Miss Leona will buy a lifetime supply of wigs.”
Evie took a deep breath. “You’re right. Okay. Let’s do it.”
Chapter 19
At some point in the future, maybe sometime very soon, Zach knew he’d be thanking himself for giving Sebastian Getlier and his family the gold-star treatment, but at the moment all he wanted to do was fall face-first into his bed. He’d been up late with Evie and up early to take Steve for a ride. He had a few calls that he’d promised to handle while Jesse took Evie to the doctor. Jesse had backed off since the three of them had had their chat, but Evie’s health was of course still weighing heavy on Zach’s mind when Getlier tracked him down and asked him to join all the men in the wedding party for lunch.
He didn’t expect to be the guest of honor, but apparently the groom had been blown away with his riding skills and wanted to know everything about his days on the rodeo circuit. He gave them the short version, leaving out the parts where he’d come up with a brother and father who were now fairly well-known actors, and he definitely didn’t mention Miss Leona. Lunch damn near turned into dinner when they finally listened to Zach’s tenth reminder that there was an actual wedding to get ready for. He ducked out the door in the middle of their “Oh shit” and scrambled.
When he realized he’d left his own suit back at the house, he contemplated skipping out on the ceremony and climbing right back in bed with Evie. They’d only talk and sleep, get a little of that sweet make-out action they both clearly loved. A nice, slow way to ring in the New Year. In reality it sounded like a perfect New Year’s Eve in. No guests. No calls. No family. Just the two of them.
Wasn’t happening though. He had just enough time to shower, change, and floor it back over to Big Rock to check in with Delfi and Brit one more time before the ceremony started. God, they had a long night ahead of them: vows, dinner, a barn dance complete with a live band, and the fireworks at midnight. And Zach was already kicking himself ’cause he knew Evie would be a good three hours into a REM sleep cycle by the time it was all over. For once he wished he could switch places with Jesse, be the money behind the scenes, the silent Prince of Charming instead of the face and the mouthpiece.
Just as he turned down Pleasant Lane, his cell rang. His mom’s international number flashed across his dashboard display.
“Shit.” He reaches up and hit Accept. “Hey, Mom!”
“Hi, sweetie! Happy New Year!” It sounded like she was a little lit.
“Happy New Year, Mom. I think you caught me a little bit early.”
“It’s midnight in Prague.”
“I thought it was Paris this year.” He pulled to a stop in front of his place and double checked the time. He had a whole three minutes to deal with this conversation.
“Change of plans.”
“Oh, okay. You with Senior?”