Page 70 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

Ryder nods, stroking his chin. “Hmm. And you’re going the old-fashioned courtship route, so you want to keep it classy. Remember though, consent is key. Whatever you do, make sure he wants it too.”

“Yes, that’s of the utmost importance to me.”

“Good. Now, let’s strategize.”

We spend the next half hour mapping out ideas for the date and an end-of-the-evening kiss, then Ryder heads off to disappear back into his writing cave and I start whipping up some more food for Elvira and me. I really need to touch base with Max about hellhound diets…

After lunch, Elvira and I head to Skylar’s salon to pick him up for our meeting with the festival planning committee.

When I knock on the front door, he lets us in with a smile.

“Come take a quick look. It’s coming along great.”

He squats down to give Elvira some love while I gaze around the space in wonder. It’s been fully transformed from the blank slate it once was. The main part of the salon up front has been fitted out with three different hair stations of varying sizes: one for smaller beings, one for human-sized clients, and the third for larger species. There’s a small reception desk area as well as a corner space that seems to be still waiting for a purpose. One wall is devoted to shelves for hair products, and a row of chairs for waiting customers has been set up near the reception. The back wall has signs of plumbing work in progress for the sinks. To think this was an empty room a month ago—it’s hard to imagine now.

Skylar gestures toward a hall leading to the back of the building. “I’ve got some stuff I’m working on back there that I’ll show you later.” He winks. “It’s a bit of a surprise.”

My heart flutters. Skylar is adorable when he winks.

I gesture around us. “This is amazing. You’ve come so far and it looks great. Is it all finally starting to feel real?”

He grins. “Fuck yeah it is. I’m having a hard time being patient. I wish I could open my doors tomorrow.”

I chuckle at his enthusiasm. “It’ll be opening day sooner than you think. Hang in there.”

I lead Elvira outside while Skylar locks up the salon and then we make our way over to Town Hall. When we enter the conference room, we find Sylvia and Max already waiting.

Clad in a flowy, bright orange silk tunic and metallic gold leggings, Max comes scurrying over to us, one hand fluttering in the air excitedly while the other holds Princess Peach in his arm. “Look at this precious baby!” he coos to Elvira, hearts in his eyes.

Princess Peach, who’s wearing a mini tiara today, glances down at Elvira and lets out a little snort of disdain before going back to sleep. Meanwhile, Elvira remains oblivious to the snub and lets Max give her belly rubs, her tongues lolling happily. Then Max listens to my quick rundown about how our furry new friend catapulted herself—quite literally—into our lives, nodding along while giving Elvira her due adoration.

Once Max has finally gotten whatever that was out of his system, he turns back to us. “Little Ms. Thang here sniffed out the ultimate meal ticket with you, Hal. Talk about a smart girl. Oh, but where are my manners?” He reaches his free hand out to Skylar, gold glitter nail polish sparkling in the light. “I know we met briefly before, but in case you forgot, I’m Max, aka Maxy Poppins, Mystic Hollow’s supermanny extraordinaire! And Skylar, you’re my hair’s long-awaited salvation.”

Skylar’s mouth quirks and he shakes Max’s hand. “Uh, good to see you again, Max. Believe me, I didn’t forget you.”

Max continues talking a mile a minute, free hand gesticulating in the air. “Good, because, honey, you have no idea how badly I’m in need of a proper cut and color! Wait, what am I saying. Of course you know. You can probably tell with one look at the tragic state of my locks.” He holds the back of his hand against his forehead and sighs dramatically.

Skylar stares at me, his eyes wide.

I shrug and whisper, “Don’t worry. This is just Max being Max. As Ryder and Max explained to me, he’s a bit of a diva, but he is a wonderful person. And his baked goods are to die for.”

Sylvia, bless her, steps in at that moment. “Welcome, Skylar. Good to see you again.”

“Likewise. At least there aren’t any naked gnomes ransacking the place this time.”

She laughs. “Lucky for them, most are distantly related to me, so they got off light. Once they sobered up, I marched them back down to my store and forced them to clean the whole shop for me. It hasn’t been this neat and tidy in ages, so I actually won out in the end.”

“And that’s why we’re grateful to have Sylvia on the planning committee. She knows how to get stuff done,” I tell Skylar.

We take our seats just as Baxter and Kassiel arrive.

“I see your new charge is settling in nicely,” Kassiel says with a smirk.

When I sat down, Elvira took the opportunity to claim my lap and is now curled up, snoozing once more.

Max gasps loudly and claps his hands together. “Ohmygod! We totally need to have a doggy playdate with Elvira and Waffles.” He glances down at Princess Peach, who yawns back. “My precious angel will no doubt oversee everything and keep them both in line.”

I perk up at his suggestion. “That’s a great idea. It’s very important that Elvira be a well-socialized hellhound, living at the B&B and all. She’ll no doubt become our business mascot.” I smile at the thought. “Let’s find a time soon.”