Page 88 of Cabin Fever Baby

I spluttered and had to hold my drink away from me or I was going to wear it. I glanced over at the one person I cared about at the moment. Ellie was adding darker red streaks to Ivy’s strawberry blond hair, but she was quiet.

I leaned back in the chair, since I’d said my peace. Now I just had to see if Ellie would take pity on me and help me talk to Hudson.

“So, just how famous is your brother?” Lucky asked as he got out of the barber’s chair. His thick hair hadn’t been touched, but his beard was tight and made him look like a rockstar, truth be told.

“Lucky Roberts, that is none of your business,” Mel said tersely.

He winced. “Everyone else is thinking it.”

“You worry about your own business.”

“Fine. But if you find out, you better tell me.” He turned to the barber, who hadn’t said a word through all of the gossipy moments, and he handed him cash. “Merry Christmas, brother.”

The man nodded. “Merry Christmas, Lucky. See you in three weeks.” His voice was like smoke over whisky.

I caught a few of the salon clients sighing over both men when they weren’t paying attention.

Couldn’t blame them.

Lucky waved his way through the door. “Merry Christmas, ladies.”

Ellie took her sweet time chatting with Ivy as she made sectioned off pockets to hold deep wine-colored dyed foils around her head like long presents. I wasn’t sure if I should step outside and get some air or just continue my penance in the waiting area.

Finally, she seemed to finish with Ivy and patted her shoulder. “We’ll wash in twenty minutes.”

“I’m going to sneak off to the bathroom.” Ivy gave me a reassuring smile before she disappeared through a door at the back of the salon.

Ellie cleaned up, still not saying a word to me. The country-flavored Christmas song piped over the idle chatter. I sagged in my chair when she went into a back room.

It would probably be rude to go back there to see if she’d talk to me. Or a health code violation. Maybe both. The possibilities kept my ass in the chair, along with a bone-deep sadness.

I’d really screwed up and now I might not have a chance to ask him to forgive me.

I respected that his family was creating a wall of protection. It was exactly what I’d done. I certainly couldn’t get mad at them for defending their family member against an outsider.

I felt someone in front of me and looked up to find Ellie. She had her arms folded over her middle, then she sighed and crouched in front of me. “I want to be nosy and get the real story out of you, but I respect that you’re fiercely loyal to your brother…or brothers. Whichever it is.”

“I am. I promise, it wasn’t malicious. I just default to not telling people about,” I lowered my voice, “Quentin.”

She frowned for a moment before her eyes widened. It wasn’t a common name and with all the emphasis I’d put on the secret, she definitely caught on. “Holy crap.”

“Yeah.”

“So that’s the Ivy connection,” she said quietly. “Rory.”

I nodded. “He talked up Crescent Cove and I thought it would be a great way to get all my crazy brothers—and my sister—together. And here I am, in love with Hudson.”

My belly jittered when I said it, but then my stomach went still. The rightness of it might be a little crazy, but it was no less true.

Ellie gave a little mixture ofawwand a sigh. “Happened quick with me and Cal too. Mistletoe for us.” Her eyes twinkled. “Maybe I’ll get to tell you the story someday.”

Hope flared in me.

Ellie pushed a card into my hand. “Don’t make me regret this.”

I looked down at the white appointment card, then I turned it over to find an address.

“Ivy will be done within the hour.”

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