Page 85 of Cop Daddy Next Door

The woman laughed. “Curse of the town strikes again.”

“You too?” I rolled my eyes and popped up out of the chair. “Sorry, I’m rude. I’m Van. The sister. Twin sister, hence the bitching about the phantom pregnancy pains.”

The woman took my outstretched hand. “Ellie MacGregor. I can do you next if you want a little shaping.”

I reached up to my ever-widening curly hair. “I’m okay.” I’d had too many hatchet jobs on my poor curls to trust anyone.

“Ellie is amazing.” Tab tucked a glossy curl over her shoulder.

“I actually specialize in curly hair.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded, her butterscotch brown eyes friendly. “I can take some of that weight off, but not turn you into orphan Annie.”

I winced. “The trauma.”

Ellie giggled. “I can only imagine.”

“Just worry about the bride. If there’s time for me, we’ll give it a try.” I stood up as Mickey, Lea, Tiffany, and Honey came in wearing variations of my Maid-of-Honor dress.

“Oh, guys.” Tab’s eyes filled. “You look amazing.”

Mickey did a twirl. “I feel so fancy. I’ve been wearing nothing but college gear for too many days.”

“I hear that one,” Honey quipped. “And now look at us.”

“Let me just put some big rollers in Tabitha’s hair, and I can take the next one of you for a quick updo. That’s what we’re doing, right?” Ellie wrapped Tabitha’s strawberry hair around a roller the width of a freaking bat.

“Oh, me!” Lea raised her hand. “I was so afraid I’d screw up my hair for the pictures.”

“Nah. You’re all beautiful. I’ll just make you sparkle a little extra.” Ellie flashed a smile. “My co-pilot, Paisley, is coming in with the makeup portion. She does hair too.”

“Wow.” Tiffany tapped her fingers on her purse. “I didn’t expect to get the full treatment.”

“That’s why I didn’t want you guys to make my cake. You deserve some pampering too.”

The girls made a united front as they crushed my sister. I managed to escape while they were all excited before the mush got to me.

“Where are you going?”

I hunched my shoulders. “Just going to check on the back for you, Tab.”

“Oh. Okay. Report back. Maverick has been playing goalie with me all morning. I want to know what’s going on back there.”

I turned to my sister, who was standing in her cape and a frosty white robe with a very un-Tabitha-like fuzzy hem and cuffs. I rushed back to her and gave her a quick hug. “You already look so gorgeous.”

“Oh, what’s this?” She rubbed my shoulder.

“Just feeling nostalgic and mushy, I guess.” I moved back and patted her belly. The familiar zing made my own system feel even more jangly. “Stay put, little one. We have a wedding planned.”

Tab laughed and covered my hand against her satiny robe. “I think she’s going to cooperate.”

Uncomfortable with the emotions pinging around, I slipped away and swung her fuzzy belt playfully. “Surprised with the robe. Seems very not you.”

“Yeah, well,youfind a pretty robe that covers all of this.”

“You did. You look beautiful.” And she did. Her cheeks were rosy even without the makeup and her blue eyes sparkled with happiness.

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