Hunt checked his order sheet against the color numbers on the paint cans. “Yes.”
“And these over here are interior paints. This is for the ceilings and woodwork, and this is the color for the walls. Am I right?” Bill asked.
“Confirmed,” Hunt said, and then put his order sheet away. “There’s nothing I can do here today except get in the way. If you need me, you have my number. I’ll swing by later and see how everything is going.”
“Okay,” Bill said. “And just so you know, we’re starting with the exterior because we have good weather in the forecast.”
“You’re in charge. Do your thing,” Hunt said, and then got in the truck and drove away.
He’d been needing a haircut ever since he rode into town, and now that he was at loose ends for the day, he thought he’d stop by the Curl Up and Dye and see about getting it trimmed.
* * *
Ruby Butterman had gone in to work early to receive some deliveries and had already turned the CLOSED sign to OPEN. She’d taken a load of shop towels from the dryer and was in the act of folding them when the bell over her front door jingled.
Thinking it might be the expected deliveries, she set the basket of unfolded towels aside and started up to the front of the shop, then realized who’d just come in.
“Good morning, Hunt!”
“Morning, Miss Ruby. I was wondering if you had time to trim up my hair a bit sometime today.”
“Oh, no more Miss Ruby. That was when you were a boy. From all I’ve heard about you, I think you’ve earned the right to be called a man. Just Ruby.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Hunt said.
She smiled. “As for the haircut, I can do it right now, if you want. I came in early because I’m expecting deliveries and don’t have appointments beginning for at least another hour and a half.”
“Yes, I do, and I appreciate you working me in,” Hunt said.
“Take off your jacket and come on back. You can hang it on that coat-tree there in the corner.”
Hunt did as he was told and followed her into the salon area.
Ruby waved at her styling chair. “Sit here long enough for me to get a cape on you so we won’t get you all wet, and then we’ll move to the shampoo station. After that, you can tell me how much you want cut. And please don’t tell me you want all of that pretty dark hair buzzed off, because I think it might make me cry.”
Hunt laughed. “I haven’t had it buzzed off, as you called it, since basic training.”
A couple of minutes later Ruby was washing his hair. Later, they moved back to her chair, and after a few directions from Hunt she began to comb and snip, talking as she worked.
“Did y’all see the notice in the paper about the country club dance?” Ruby asked.
“Yes, Ava told me, but I’m not much of a dancer. I am, however, a really good eater, and that Potluck in the Park sounded like it was right up my alley. I hope the weather holds for you. January in Georgia is iffy.”
Ruby laughed. “Oh… Me and weather have an understanding when I need something done. Everyone told Peanut and me not to have our wedding in the park because it might rain. Even Peanut was a little anxious. But I knew it would be okay and did it anyway. Weather was perfect, and it’s going to be again.”
Hunt grinned. “So you’re saying never underestimate the power of a woman with a purpose?”
“Something like that,” Ruby said.
“Then I’m going to assume it’s perfect weather, too,” Hunt said.
Ruby combed and snipped. “Awesome!” she said. “I have some tickets here at the shop. If you want, you can buy them today.”
“Yes, I want,” Hunt said. “Don’t let me forget them before I leave.”
“I won’t,” Ruby said.
A few minutes later, Vera and Vesta Conklin came in the back door, fussing about which one of them was at fault for forgetting the lunches they’d packed, when they saw Hunt. And just like that, the frowns on their faces slid off like butter on hot bread and they were all smiles.
“Well, hello there,” Vesta said.
“My good morning just got better,” Vera added.
Hunt grinned. He remembered the Conklin twins.
“Morning, girls. It’s nice to see you again,” Hunt said.
“It’s nice to see you, too,” Vera said. “You were always a cute boy, but you grew up to be a fine-looking man. We’re real sorry about your mama.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” Hunt said.
They just stood there staring, admiring his dark hair and blue eyes, although they couldn’t help but notice how fine his body had filled out in the years he’d been gone.
Ruby paused. “Girls, I didn’t get that last load of towels folded. Would you mind finishing them up for me?”
They both blinked and then realized they’d just been redirected.
“What? Oh! Sure thing, Ruby. We’ll get right on that,” Vesta said. They gave Hunt one last lingering look, and then took off their jackets and went to work.
Ruby was still cutting his hair when the delivery man showed up, and the twins immediately switched focus from folding towels to another man on the premises.
When they went up front to sign for the deliveries, Hunt glanced at Ruby.
“I take it the girls are still single?”
She rolled her eyes and lowered her voice. “Yes, they are, and I know it shows, but there’s not a thing I can do about their blatant admiration for the opposite sex.”
Hunt grinned. “Not a thing wrong with that. I admire the opposite of my sex, too.”
Ruby giggled. “Like maybe Ava Ridley?”
“Like Ava,” Hunt said. “I put a ring on her finger and I’m taking her back to Houston with me.”
Ruby squealed. “Are you serious? Oh, that’s awesome! We will miss her, but she’s such a sweetheart. I’m thrilled that she finally let somebody love her. God knows plenty of men in this town have tried, but she wouldn’t give them the time of day.”
Hunt smiled in all the right places, but it was relaxing to just sit and listen, absorbing all of the female chatter going on around him and remembering what it had been like growing up in his house. Between his mother, Emma, Birdie, and Ava, there’d always been chatter and giggles. What he didn’t remember was any camaraderie between his father and the boys.
Why hadn’t he noticed that then? Maybe it was because his mother more than made up for the lack of paternal guidance. Or maybe it was because that dissatisfied, sarcastic, begrudging man was the only father he’d ever known and he didn’t know anything different. But he did now.