Page 54 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

Skylar smiles. “I’m sensing a theme here.”

I lower my gaze shyly. “Uh… yeah. My older sister is Fern.” I clear my throat. “And my full name is Halcyon. As in the Halcyon Hosta.”

Skylar gapes at me, then whips out his phone, searching for the plant. “A plant celebrated for bringing a deep sense of serenity…” He lifts his gaze. “You were named fucking perfectly.”

I flush. “Thanks.”

“Is your family close?”

“Not like human families can be. It’s a species difference. Sasquatches usually veer toward hermit-like behaviors. Once children are grown, they go off on their own. We keep in periodic contact, mostly whenever they remember to call me. Trying to reach them can be tricky since they sometimes go long periods without turning their phones on while out in the wilderness, and even then, signal availability can be unreliable.” I wince, recalling my sister’s most recent phone call. “I do miss them sometimes. Sasquatch family units aren’t as close as those of some humans, but they all care about me in their own way. It would be nice to see them again though. They’ve never visited, and I haven’t been back since I left.”

“I suppose that would be kinda hard if you have to walk across the whole fucking country just to see each other.”

“There are some options for travel, although not ones my kind love. Trains are doable if you purchase a compartment in the sleeper car. The ones with a sofa in them are big enough for us to sit in. It’s not super comfortable, but possible.” I sigh. “But the bigger issue is their lack of support for my life choices. They can’t understand why I am the way I am, let alone my decision to make my life here. They think I should move back and live in the forest with the rest of our people. No matter how often or in how many ways I try to explain it to them, they can’t make sense of how this feels like home for me.”

“I’m sorry. That’s real shitty, man.”

I sigh again. “They’re not being deliberately obtuse or cruel. It’s more like I just don’t compute for them. Their poor brains look at me and get an error message they can’t figure out. It’s like I’m tech support telling them to shut down and restart their computer, but they’re befuddled by how to exactly do that.”

“Not being understood sucks. No one I dated ever got my passion for being a hairdresser. A few even made fun of it.”

I scowl. “Fools.”

His lips twitch. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“I think your passion for hair is part of what makes you so phenomenal. Your vision for your business is so inspiring, and I will be first in line cheering you on.”

He squeezes my hand. “You see me like no one has since my grandma. Thank you.”

I squeeze his hand back. “You’re one of a kind, Skylar. I’m convinced something magical guided you to Mystic Hollow, and I’m so glad you’re here.”

Sweet Goddess, thank you for bringing him to me.

Skylar grins a bit self-consciously. “I feel real fucking lucky too. Life here has been sunshine and fucking rainbows compared to before. I never knew there could be a place like this, let alone that I’d deserve to live in it.” He shakes his head, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Sometimes I get scared that this is all just a dream, and I’m gonna wake up and be back in a nightmare again.”

I can’t hold back a little whimper that bubbles up in my throat. “Can I hug you? Please?”

He searches my face and then hops off his stool to move closer. I pull him into my embrace, where I know I can keep him warm and safe. “I promise this isn’t a dream. This is the start of your new and beautiful life. I can’t wait to see where the journey will take you, but I know it’s going to be wonderful.”

I only pray that he’ll continue to allow me to be part of it.

Something inside of Skylar seems to let go at my words, and his entire body relaxes into my embrace as his arms circle around me. I never want this perfect moment to end.

“Has anybody ever told you that you’re like a giant, cuddly teddy bear?” he mumbles into the thick hair at my neckline above my apron.

I laugh. “Not in so many words, but Ryder tells me I am a champion hugger. That says a lot coming from him since he doesn’t like to be hugged by very many people.”

He tilts his head back and looks up at me. “No lie, you could be a fucking professional, man. I’ve never had a hug so good. Not since my grandma died.”

I squeeze Skylar a little tighter. “You can hug me anytime you want.”

We stay like that for a while, and I savor the sensation of his warm body in my arms and his head resting against my chest. It produces a serene kind of contentment inside me.

He’s my penguin.

But I still don’t know if I am his—and that scares me so much.

Eventually, Skylar pulls back and wipes his eyes on the sleeve of his Henley before downing the last of his Shirley Temple and chuckling. “You’d think I’d been drinking all night with how weepy I am all of a sudden. It’s not really like me, but somehow when I’m with you, I find myself letting out emotions that I’ve kept locked up for more years than I can count.”