Page 16 of Hit the Ground
“Don’t thank me yet,” Margot teased with a wink. “Wait until you see what I can do.”
The next morning, I walked into the salon at Sugar Brush River Ranch Resort feeling like an impostor. With pale wood, bronze fixtures, and big windows overlooking the cottonwood-lined river, everything gleamed. The lights were low in the waiting area, and soft, relaxing music emerged from hidden speakers.
Before I could take a seat in one of the plush armchairs in the reception area, Margot swept in to greet me.
“Alice, darling, welcome!” She wrapped me in a hug like we were old friends then held me at arm’s length to assess me.“We’re going to have so much fun. I love when I get to play with a blank canvas.”
Ouch.That wasn’t my favorite thing to be called, but it wasn’t untrue. I presented exactly nothing to the world and was as close to a blank canvas as a person could get. But I wouldn’t walk out of here as one, for better or worse.
Before I knew it, I was in a wide leather salon chair, draped in a sleek black cape. Another stylist brought me a cup of steaming herbal tea in a porcelain teacup while Margot gently undid my ponytail, letting my hair spill down my back.
“Oh, honey,” she murmured, running her fingers through the thick strands. “This is some beautiful hair. We’ll bring it to life, I promise.”
“That’s exactly what I want. Life.” I looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her perfect blonde waves, flawless makeup, stylish clothes, and mentally handed myself over. “I trust you to do what you think will look good on me.”
She squeezed my shoulders. “I love that for me. I’m going to take really good care of you.”
She and another stylist consulted over swatches, pointing out caramel and honey tones. I sat there, my nerves frayed, as many,manyfoils were wrapped around pieces of my hair. It was nice, though, being the center of attention. To have my hair gently tugged and arranged. To be showered with compliments and asked questions about myself.
The process went on longer than I’d expected, but the library was closed today, so I had nowhere else to be. I let myself relax and savor the experience. Maybe I’d make it a regular thing. After all, I could afford it now.
Once the highlights were finished, and I’d been rinsed, toned, and conditioned, I was brought back to the chair for a haircut. Margot circled me while one of her stylists combed through myhair, listening to her instructions on how she wanted my hair to be cut.
“Elena!” Margot called out brightly. “You’re early.”
I tracked Elena Kelly in the mirrors as she strode through the salon. She wore slim black pants and a sage-green silk blouse, her icy-blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail. Everything about her was polished but relaxed, like someone who knew exactly who she was and had never once felt a shred of doubt.
Sometimes I had trouble wrapping my head around her being Caleb’s mother. She didn’t look old enough to have a son in his thirties, and while he was rough and a little unkempt, she was unfailingly put together.
“My last meeting wrapped up ahead of schedule,” Elena said, draping herself on one of the empty salon chairs. “Thought I’d stop in and see if you had a minute to go over the new website banners. Plus, if I looked at another spreadsheet, I was going to scream.”
Margot folded her arms. “I thought you were going to retire soon.”
Elena flicked her manicured nails. “Oh, I’ve been saying that for years. But what would I do with myself all day? I’d be bored to death.” She caught me watching her in the mirror and flashed a warm smile. “Well, hello.”
I waved from beneath my cape. “Hello.”
She canted forward, getting a better look at me. “Is that Alice?”
Margot nodded proudly. “She’s my project. I overheard her telling Joy she wanted a change, and I brought her right in. She’s never done anything to her hair. A virgin. Can you believe it?”
Elena hopped up from the swiveling chair and moved in front of me, propping her hip against the stylist’s station. “Well, this is exciting. Is Margot giving you the works?”
“Yes. I think she is. After my hair’s done, she’s going to teach me how to do my makeup,” I replied.
Her eyes narrowed. “Not too much. Your skin is already gorgeous. A little color and you’ll be perfect. If you weren’t so sweet, I’d hate you for how naturally pretty you are.”
Margot hummed her agreement as chunks of hair rained down around me. With every lock that fell, a rush of relief came with it, like I was shedding a weight I’d carried far too long. Even if I ended up with a pixie, I wouldn’t mind. My hair had been nothing but a curtain to hide behind, and suddenly, I couldn’t understand why I’d clung to it for so many years.
“I don’t need to be perfect. A little color would be nice, though,” I said.
Elena tilted her head, considering me. “You’d look stunning in purple. It would really bring out your eyes.”
“I’m not sure I own anything purple, but I’m planning on doing some shopping, so I’ll be on the lookout.”
Elena and Margot exchanged a look, then Elena smirked. “Oh, you are aproject, indeed. We’re taking you shopping. Now, if I had my druthers, we’d take a trip to Denver, but I suspect we should start a little smaller. We’ll go to Cheyenne as soon as you have the time.”
I barely stopped myself from gawking at her. I’d met Elena Kelly as her server at Joy’s and helped her at the library, but that was it. We had never had more than a passing conversation. Plus, she was Caleb’s mother. I didn’t understand what was happening—or why.
