Page 17 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

After a time, Ryder sets down his pencil and closes his notebook, then looks up at me with a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that, but as you know, the Muse waits for no one. I had to get down those ideas before I lost them into the creative ether.”

I hold up my hands in a placating gesture. “Don’t worry about it. Far be it from me to interrupt your artistic flow, especially since I’m eager to read your next work in progress.”

He smirks at me. “You’re just excited because it’s my very first sasquatch romance.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Well, duh. Everyone wants to see themselves represented, and even more so when it comes to finding love.” I sigh a little forlornly at that.

Ryder leans forward, his elbows on the table as he studies me. “Love is going to happen for you too, Hal. I’m positive.” He cocks his head to the side. “What’s going on with that cute hairdresser who moved into the B&B? Skylar, right?”

My cheeks warm and I nod. “He’s still settling in and seems a lot less nervous and wary than he was at first, which is good. I think he’s getting comfortable with me and the house. It helps a lot that Astraea is there too. They’ve become quite close.”

Ryder nods to himself. “Under her badass exterior, she’s a bit of a mother hen. Just like you.” He smiles dreamily. “She’s so fascinating, isn’t she? I still have a million questions I want to ask her.”

I wince a little at that. Ryder can be awfully… direct and sometimes intrusive with his questions. He means well and is genuinely interested when he asks them, but he doesn’t always pick up on cues that people are uncomfortable.

“Astraea’s pretty hush-hush about a lot of things, particularly those having to do with dragons. I wouldn’t try pumping her for too much information beyond what you’ve already gotten.”

Ryder pouts. “I know, I know. It’s for her people’s own safety and all that. But inquiring minds still want to know. It’s maddening to have her right here but not be able to ask her every burning question I have. She’s like the Ark of the Covenant in that Indiana Jones movie, and I want to open her up and learn all her secrets.” He pauses. “But I do believe she has the ability to burn my face off too, so maybe I need to resist temptation.”

“All the more reason not to push, if you ask me.” I reach out and pat his forearm. “There are plenty of other interesting folks in town that you can inundate with your questions.”

He snorts. “Yeah, yeah. Now back to the main subject.” He narrows his eyes. “I see how you tried to divert me, but I’m a bloodhound on the trail of a scent. Please tell me you’ve made a move on Skylar.”

I squirm in my seat and look away. “Not yet.”

His brow furrows. “Was I wrong in thinking you were interested in him?”

I protectively cross my arms over my chest. “Of course I’m interested in him. Who wouldn’t be? He’s kind, handsome, and very talented. Pursuing something romantic with him would be amazing.” My heart twinges with pain. “But I haven’t really gotten the same vibe in return.”

Ryder blinks at me from behind his glasses. “Have you tried asking? Some people need you to be direct.” He gestures a hand in front of himself. “Take me, for instance. I’m usually pretty oblivious unless you straight up proposition me. Thank fuck I made that clear to Vash early on and he was more than happy to oblige me.” He flashes me a smug grin.

“I take it things are still going well between you guys?”

Ryder nods enthusiastically. “It’s all rather unbelievable and almost magical if you ask me. I’ve never been particularly good when it comes to relationships or romance, but somehow Vash and I work. He doesn’t try to make me someone I’m not, and he’s more than willing to accommodate all my needs, even the most eccentric ones. I try to do the same for him in return.” He shrugs. “We’ve figured out how to communicate with each other and that’s kept us going strong.”

I consider what he says. “The thing is,” I admit haltingly, “I don’t want to scare Skylar off. He mentioned that he got out of a bad relationship not long ago, and I can tell he’s still hurting from it. Plus, he’s so busy getting ready to open his salon that I don’t get the impression he’s thinking about much else. Nor do I blame him.” I bite my bottom lip. “Maybe he’s just not ready?”

Ryder arches an eyebrow. “Or maybe you’re making excuses because you’re scared?”

That sucker punch of painful friend-truth hits me in the gut. And damn if I can’t fully deny it.

“If you sit around worrying and not doing anything, someone else could swoop in and scoop him up before you even get a chance.”

My whole body stills at that suggestion. “Do you really think that could happen?”

He shrugs. “Well, I’m no expert, but the guy’s attractive—at least from what I saw the night he moved into the B&B when I was leaving. Once he opens the salon, he’s going to be inundated with clientele. If I were you, I’d make my move while the getting is good. I’d hate for you to have regrets if you miss out on something special with him.”

The pain in my gut turns into a nervous ball of worry.

Flo, the enormous ogre server, appears at our table to take our order, and I give her a weak smile.

She beams back. “Good to see you, Hal. It’s been a while. What can I get you?”

Flo’s one of the few residents in town who’s close to my height. It kind of makes us kindred spirits in a way. Thankfully, the diner was built to accommodate larger species like ours as well as smaller folks. She and I chat for a bit once Ryder and I have placed our orders, then she eventually lumbers off.

“With Skylar, I don’t know where to start,” I admit to Ryder. “I’m not suave like Vash, and I’m a lot shyer than you. I don’t know that I can be quite so… straightforward, at least not right away. I need to establish and build an emotional connection before I can go any farther, if you know what I mean.”

Ryder hums to himself, then opens his notebook and scribbles a quick note before closing it again. “Interesting. I can see how that might be the case for some people. So why not start by trying to build that emotional connection?”