Lylian

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The bell above the door chimes, and I glance over to see a guy walking in, dressed in a dark gray plaid shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots. Working on the strip in Las Vegas, seeing a cowboy walk into our hair and beauty parlor doesn’t happen often, but that’s not what has my blood thrumming or my eyes glued to him.

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It’s the way he removes his Stetson, revealing whiskey-colored brown eyes that lock onto mine for the first time.

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“I... uh... welcome to Edge Hair and Beauty. How can I help you?” I ask, wiping my sweaty palms down the front of my black pencil skirt.

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“Well, hello darlin’.” Goosebumps scatter across my arms as his voice hits my ears. “I just need this tidied up,” he adds, running a hand through his thick dark hair.

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I nod slowly, my eyes following the movement of his fingers. For a moment, all I want is to walk over and run my own hands through it.

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“Uh... yeah... sure.” I clear my throat and gesture toward the nearest workstation, where a black Lotus Phoenix styling chair sits in front of a white marble counter and wide mirror.

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“Do you have a style in mind?” I ask, draping a towel around the back of his neck and fastening the cape.

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“Nope, not really. My hairdresser back home usually just does whatever the latest style is.”

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“You must trust her a lot.”

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“It’s more that she’s family. She thinks she has free rein to use me as a guinea pig. But yeah, I trust her.”

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I let out a soft laugh. “My parents were unlucky once or twice when I was in beauty school. Poor Mom got it worse than Dad.”

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“Hmm... should you really be telling me this right before you cut my hair?” he teases, lips curling in the corners.

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“Probably not,” I grin. “So, I’m thinking we go with a textured top and faded sides.” I point to a magazine in front of him. “There’s a few photos on page four.”

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He flips to the page. “Yeah, I’m happy with that.”

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“It’ll be shorter than what you’re used to, but you’ve got the right jaw for it.”

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“And what kind of jaw is that?”

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“A sexy one,” I blurt, then slap a hand over my mouth.

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Our eyes meet in the mirror—my forest green locked with his warm whiskey—and all I want is for the floor to open up and swallow me. Just like I should’ve swallowed those damn words.

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A grin pulls at his lips. His eyes sparkle with laughter, and I can feel the heat crawling up my neck.

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“Don’t worry, darlin’. I like that you think I’m sexy.”

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“I said your jaw is,” I mumble, not even trying to lie. The man is sexy, and we both know it.

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“Same difference. Now, how about that haircut?”

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I force my eyes away and focus on the job.

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Twenty minutes later, I’m done, and I can’t stop staring. He looked good before, but now? Now he’s every woman’s hot dream.

His hair is slightly longer on top, just long enough to run your fingers through. Which is exactly what I’m doing right now as I run some wax through it. The new cut makes his eyes stand out even more. And that strong jaw? It's even sharper with the two days of stubble.

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He stands and leans down, placing a kiss on my cheek. It’s soft. Quick. So subtle I’d think it was an accident if I wasn’t a full foot shorter than him.

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But it wasn’t.

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He kissed me.

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And my body loved it.

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Lucky for me, he lives in Texas and I’ll never see him again.

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I swore off cowboys five years ago. I don’t need one with a sweet smile tempting me to break all my rules.

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Rowan

Before I change my mind and head back to the hair salon—where that sexy blonde works—I pull open the café door. I scan the room and spot Kaitlyn sitting in a booth near the back.

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“Hey, little sis,” I say as I slide in across from her.

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She drops her phone on the table and jumps up, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. “It’s been too long since I saw you last.”

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“I know, sorry. I’ve just been busy with the ranch.”

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“How’s Dad?” she asks, sliding back into her seat.

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“He’s good. He misses you.”

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“I know.” Her voice drops, chin lowering.

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“You know he—”

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“Please, I don’t want to talk about it.” She looks straight at me. “I just want to spend time with my brother.”

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I lift my hands in surrender. “I won’t say another word.”

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Kaitlyn and I have always been close. I won’t let our parents’ history change that.

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“How long are you here?”

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“For a week. Just until after the championship.”

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“That’s not long enough to catch up properly.”

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“Then come back home with me. Take some time off.”

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She shakes her head, staring down at the table. “I can’t.”

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“Why not?”

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“Because I wasn’t nice to Dad the last time I saw him.”

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“Look at me, Kaitlyn.” I wait until she lifts her eyes. “He doesn’t care. He just wants to see his daughter.”

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“I care,” she whispers. “If you knew half of what I said to him, you wouldn’t even be sitting here.”

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“I’m not arguing with you about it anymore.” I pick up a menu. “What are you having? The bagels look good.”

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She’s right—I don’t know the half of what was said between her and Dad.

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But I do know one thing: Dad would give anything to see her again.

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And so would I.

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Which is why when I leave Las Vegas, Kaitlyn’s coming with me.