Page 25 of Love and Other Trials
He already knew. She was beautiful—with or without the wig.
At the mirror, she made a face before touching the wig and adjusting it herself. “This will be fine.”
Cruella made atsk-tsksound and came over with Ariel’s mother’s choice in her skeletal hand. “We should try this one on as well.”
“But—”
“Your motherdidchoose it, dear,” Cruella interrupted, pulling the wig off and beginning to fit her with the other. “And mothers always know best.”
Dax wanted to gag and respond,Not this one,but he figured the quicker they finished this fitting, the faster they could leave.
Once Ariel had the other wig on, Dax gave in to his impulse and started laughing. “It’s horrible,” he sputtered. “Ariel, where are you? I can barely see you.”
Ariel sashayed her head, making the hair swish around her like a mass of blond seaweed. God, the story behind her name had to be the reason he’d thought that up.
“You can’t see me?” She piled the hair over her face and then used her hands to part it down the middle. “Peekaboo.”
He chortled.
Cruella mashed her lips together and marched forward, yanking the wig off. “This is not a laughing matter. Wigs are pieces of beauty. Art even. Not the butt of jokes, I can assure you.”
Dax turned to her and gave her his best Captain Cross look. “How about this? We won’t tell Ariel’s mother how bad it looked on her if you tell her you agreed this wig was more flattering on Ariel. Especially for the wedding photos.”
Cruella gripped the blond wig in her hands, and for a moment, Dax worried she was contemplating strangling him. He was ready to shout,Run, Ariel, she’s going to smother me with a wigwhen Cruella nodded. “Fine, but only because I stand by my product. When someone compliments your hair at the wedding, Ariel, I want you to tell them where you bought the wig.”
She glanced over at Dax, and he could hear her thinkingNo problem since I won’t be wearing it.“I’d be happy to do that, ma’am.”
By the time they left the store and started walking to the golf cart, both of them were hanging on to each other, fighting laughter. “Don’t bray like a donkey yet,” he told her. “Cruella is probably still thinking of smiting us from the window.”
That had her clutching his bicep, and God help him, he wanted to take her in his arms that minute and kiss her senseless.
“Bray like a donkey?” Her laughter reminded him of the sputters his old Honda gave when it backfired. “I’ll have you know I sound adorable when I laugh.”
“You sure do.” He put his arm around her waist as Sherlock lumbered out of the golf cart, stretching the leash Ariel had secured to it—because dogs in wig shops with all that hair would be a foregone disaster, Ariel had told him. “I’m mostly talking about myself. God, Ariel. It was like a horror movie in there. That woman. The wigs. Those freaky fake heads wearing human hair. I might need you to hold me tonight so I can fall asleep.”
“Oh, you poor baby,” she crooned like she did with Sherlock. “I’ll make you some warm milk and tuck you into bed.”
He thought they were joking—at least about the warm milk. “You can tuck me into bed anytime. First, Bumper the gator and now Cruella the wigmaker. Who’s next? Please tell me it’s someone normal.”
“Honey,”she drawled, “this here is Charleston. Like I keep telling you, we adore our characters and eccentricities. Or did you not point out earlier the joint taxidermy and leather goods shop?”
He tapped her cute little nose because she looked downright adorable standing there on the street, petting her trusty bloodhound. “I did. Do you need a purse for the wedding? A newly killed dead animal purse would go great with your wig of real human hair.”
“Eww.”
“Exactly! I got creeped out when Cruella started describing how all her wigs come from natural subjects. It made me think?—”
“Some wigs come from dead ones,” she finished with a grimace. “I know! I thought that too. I mean, I know there are tons of good reasons people wear wigs, but if they have to deal with Cruella, I feel awful for them. Of course, you outdid yourself in there, Captain Hotpants. Thank you.”
The way she was looking up at him—like he was dark chocolate and sunshine all wrapped up in one—had him touching her cheek. “You don’t need to thank me, Ariel. I’m only sorry you had to go there in the first place. Besides, I told you that I have your back.”
She laid her hand on his chest, and again, his heart started to pound faster. Yeah, they were going to have to tuck each other into bed and soon. The heat between them was as sweet as it was scorching.
“I know you do, and I appreciate it.” She lifted the shopping bag as her hand fell from his chest. “Well, we have the wig. Are you ready to run a few more errands before we head back to the resort?”
He thought about Rob and wondered what he was up to. Maybe he should check in. But after this morning, he wasn’t eager to reach for his phone. That totally sucked, but he wasn’t sure what he could do about it. Rob had set a line in the sand, so to speak, and things were different between them now. He knew that happened when a guy knew his friends didn’t approve of his woman—more often than not, he distanced himself from the friends. It had just never happened with him. Still, he’d be there if his friend needed him. “Let me check my phone and see if I have any word from the groom. But as far as I know, the only thing I’m supposed to do is help you. Although if you must know, I’m mostly here to spend time with you.”
“I like that,” she said softly, her small hand resting lightly on his chest. “When you’re around, I feel better about getting through the day.”
