Page 45 of Dodge

Tambre hummed again. “Sounds like you had a tough upbringing.”

“Some people wouldn’t agree. I had money. Lots of it.”

“Money doesn’t mean happy. My family was dirt poor, and for the most part, we were happy.” Her deft fingers pulled a few strands from my forehead. “We did have our problems sometimes. The worddysfunctionalgets thrown around, but if you ask me, the perfect family doesn’t exist. Everyone has challenges, some more than others, but I think it’s how we face them and who we face them with that counts. Take my Taz for example.”

I felt gentle tugs at my scalp as she worked. No pain, which surprised me a little.

“My father didn’t want me dating a White man. I met Taz when I attended school for the first time outside the rez. I had to get my cosmetology license, and the only place that had it was the tech college over in Sylva. Classic story of my car breaking down on the highway one night after class. Cell phones were around, but not everyone had them back then. I was alone and scared and had no way of calling anyone.”

She pulled another section and started braiding that. “Long story short, this group of bikers pulled up. I was terrified. We’d heard stories about how White men treated rez women all our lives. I was sure I was going to be raped or worse. Then Taz spoke to me.”

My curiosity burned at the woman’s story. “What did he say?”

“‘Ride with me and I’ll always protect you.’ I’ve never forgotten that moment, when he reached out a hand to me and I got on the back of his bike. That was it. We’ve been together ever since.”

I didn’t know what to say. It seemed she was imparting some life lesson to me, but I wasn’t able to see it. Yet.

Another section of hair lifted into her nimble fingers. “My father hated it. He yelled at me for weeks, declaring how terrible a daughter I was for not obeying him. He wanted me to stop seeing Taz, but I was stubborn. I’d met my lifemate, and nothing was going to make me give him up. Some people called us being together a sin, but I discovered something a long time ago.”

I held my breath as a weight settled in my chest.

“Love is never a sin. It’s messy, it’s complicated, it’s frustrating as hell sometimes, and it will make you want to scream, but it’s never a sin.”

Tears filled my eyes.Fuck me, why am I crying?

“There we go. Have a look. What do you think?”

She spun the chair around to let me see what she’d done. Across and back from my forehead were six rows of tight, neat braids about two inches long, leading to a defined mass of soft curls. They were perfectly formed and hung in a curtain that framed my face beautifully. “These are so good. I never felt any pain.”

“You shouldn’t. Pain means damage. There are ways of braiding without pulling roots.” Tambre fluffed the curls, and they bounced softy. “Do you have any idea how many women would love to have hair like yours?”

That startled me. My hair had been the bane of my existence for so long, the thought never occurred to me that people wanted hair like mine. “Not many, I’m sure, but thank you.”

She fluffed again. “You’d be wrong. Thick, gorgeous curls, soft natural shine, a variety of lengths and versatility. Plenty of women out there want this kind of hair on their heads.” A soft chuckle reached my ears. “They pay me big bucks every day to help them get it.”

Her eyes shone into mine from the mirror’s reflection. “Don’t let small-minded people keep you from having all the happiness this life has to offer. That includes family.”

Damn, Tambre had some serious insight. A burning started in my throat. “Thank you.”

“No problem. It’s on the house today, and if I’m not around, Opal over there can handle you. She’s just moved here from Minnesota and is an excellent colorist. If I trust her with my hair, I can trust her with yours.”

I got up from the chair and brushed at my eyes.Why did I suddenly tear up? Time for my period, I guess.

She walked me to the door and smiled. “Dodge is a good man. He takes care of everyone around him. I hope he finds someone to take care of him.”

CHAPTER24

Zelda Bask stompedout of the bar and shot the door a drunken finger.Fuck them and the fuckin’ horse they rode in on!Her fierce thought stayed in her mind because she couldn’t connect the words to her mouth. Every night after her shift at the Sheetz gas station, she came to Reaver’s bar to drink and get as wasted as possible.Why the fuck not? I make my own living, pay my own bills. Who the fuck are them people to cut me off and tell me to go home? Ain’t nuthin’ else to do in this bumfuck town. ’Sides, I ain’t drunk that much yet.

“Iz ma’ munee, ya’ mudder fuggerz!” she yelled at the parking lot and almost fell to the ground.

Oops.Maybe they were right, and she’d had too much this time. Maybe she did have more than the two vodka tonics she remembered? That meant vomiting.Ugh!She hated that part.

She staggered again and lost her footing completely. Before her sodden brain could react a pair of hands caught her.

“Hello, pretty lady. Slow down now. It’s dangerous out here for a woman alone.”

Her head lolled back, but her eyes could not focus on the man in front of her. “Imb dot drung.”

---