Page 47 of Weatherman

Only him.

The bell jangled harshly, throwing us both into chaos. We jumped apart as if burned, and my head buzzed with adrenaline and relief.

Or was it regret?

“I done told you not to put that shit on your head! When God was handin’ out sense, you missed the line.” A large woman walked in with three girls in tow. “Is there anyone here who can fix this mess? My daughter and her friends decided to make TikToks last night about dyeing their hair, and this is the result.”

Three heads of dry, overprocessed, streaked, patchy hair in various shades of blue, purple, and pink presented themselves.

My mouth dropped open. This was going to be a rough call. “Oh wow. That’s… wow.”

Weatherman backed away and cleared his throat. “I gotta run, and you need to get back to work. I’ll catch up with you later, yeah?”

Catch up with me later? Damn, I need to stop repeating his words!“Sure, you bet.”

He nodded once and left. I turned back to the trio of teary teenagers. “Let’s start with a good clarifying shampoo and deep treatment to see what we have to work with. Who’s first?”

CHAPTER 22

“Do you want popcorn?”Robert asked as he held open the door for me.

The movie theater was an older one, family owned and operated. I didn’t know how long it had been around, but it was a fixture in this town, much like the Dragon Runners MC. Melissa Wall sat behind a sheet of plexiglass, taking money and handing out paper tickets. She was mainly Bex’s client but had sat in my chair once about a month ago. Cute short layers with blonde highlights that were easy to maintain, as she had little time to herself while running the family business. Right now her pretty blue eyes were fixed on me and Robert.

It didn’t feel right to call him Bobby as he’d told me to do. I don’t know why, but it just didn’t.

I hadn’t planned to go out with him this evening but got pushed into it more or less by the ladies at the salon. Perhaps they wanted to participate in a real-life soap opera starring the preacher, the biker, and the stylist. Robert came in as a walk-in trim this afternoon and waited for my chair to be open. Then he asked me about seeing a movie tonight, and I swear the whole place perked up with excitement. I tried to put him off by sayingI had Pearl to take care of, but Deandra blew up that excuse by volunteering to watch her for me.

Other people greeted us as we entered the theater and found seats. All smiles and speculative glances at seeing the local young, single pastor out on a date. There was an unease that settled in my stomach, but Robert hadn’t done or said anything wrong, nor did he treat me badly. He didn’t try to kiss me or claim me. Not even hold my hand. He opened the doors for me and was attentive without being pushy or hovering, just as he’d been at the Halloween festival. He was overall pleasant and kind as always, and I really had no reason to be so antsy.

I couldn’t figure out exactly what the movie we watched was supposed to be—action, comedy, or drama. It was entirely forgettable, but maybe that was because I couldn’t get into the story. My thoughts kept drifting to Weatherman and what he would say if he spotted me and Robert here together. Tendrils of guilt ate at my brain, and I had to concentrate not to fidget.

Robert was innocent. I was not.

Both men were attractive in their own way. Both men were educated. Both were successful in their chosen fields. Both seemed to want to be with me, but that was where the similarities ended.

Robert’s scholarly appearance was much different from Weatherman’s athletic ruggedness. Robert had this ethereal aura of kindness around him, while Weatherman gave off a vibe of raw power. Robert flowed like a calm steady river. Weatherman moved like whitewater rapids, fast and potentially overwhelming.

If I had to choose, who would I go with? The safe bet or the one who drove me a little crazy?

After the credits rolled, we got up to leave.

“I hope you enjoyed the movie.” He smiled and pushed his glasses up on his nose.

“Yes, it was nice.” I guessed it was. I had no clue.

“I enjoyed the company more.”

It didn’t take an expert to recognize the flirty tone. What did I do now? Say thanks? Indicate that I wanted another date?DidI want another date? I was so lost.

Thankfully, someone interrupted my musings as we entered the lobby.

“Pastor Bobby. Nice to see you.”

Ofcourse, it had to be Table of all people. His sons hung off either arm, and Angel stood next to him. They had apparently just seen the latest Disney movie based on their excited chatter.

Robert stiffened next to me, and his easy manner changed. “James, nice to see you too. I hear you have another child?”

Table smiled, unaffected by the pastor’s cold tone. He curled his colorful biceps in tandem to lift both giggling kids. “I do. Lori is at home taking some ‘me’ time, and I’ve got hooligan duty.”

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