Page 95 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

He takes my hand and leads me to a hallway that goes toward the back of the building. When he turns to me, I see uncertainty in his eyes.

“Everything okay?”

“I have a kind of surprise I want to show you.”

I cock my head in interest. “That sounds fun. I’m eager to experience anything you want to share with me.”

Skylar runs a shaky hand through his hair. “Get a grip, Skylar,” he mutters.

“You don’t have to show me if you aren’t ready,” I say, worried that he seems anxious.

But he takes a deep breath, squeezes my hand, and pulls me down the hallway like a man on a mission. Talk about adorable.

We pass several closed doors before he stops in front of one and shifts his attention to me.

“So when I commissioned this, I’ll admit, I was mostly thinking about you.” His cheeks flush. “I’m sure there’ll be other folks in town who’ll need me to work on them in here too, but you’re a special case, Hal, and deserve something special that I can give you.”

I hold my breath as he opens the door and turns on the light. What I see leaves me speechless. The earthy vibe from the salon continues in here in the stone-accented walls and soft lighting, but this room features a huge walk-in shower with a special reclining chair set up in the center of the shower stall.

Skylar shuffles nervously. “When I met you, I got to thinking about how I’d need to plan differently for clients who have hair or fur all over their bodies. In those cases, the typical washbasin wouldn’t cut it, so I talked with the contractor and he helped me design this room.” He swallows. “Um, I’d be real honored if you’d be the first person I work on in here.”

A tightening sensation fills my chest and I’m so overwhelmed I can’t breathe.

“You built this… for me?” I finally manage to whisper.

He gives a jerky nod. “It’s a bit embarrassing, but yeah. I really wanted to be able to give you a salon-worthy experience.” He flashes a sheepish grin. “Ever since we first met, I’ve wanted to get my hands on that gorgeous hair of yours.”

My cheeks warm, and I smile so hard that my jaw hurts. “Skylar, this is so much more than I could have ever imagined. No one’s ever done something like this for me. I’m in awe.”

Skylar crosses his arms and scowls. “Well, that means that some of the people you know are fucking idiots then. You’re one of the good ones, Hal, and believe me, there aren’t a whole lot of them out there.” He looks down at his feet. “Until I met you, I’d kinda become convinced that a genuinely good guy was about as hard to find as a motherfucking unicorn.”

My heart leaps in my chest, and I feel oddly lightheaded at his words.

“But you convinced me they do exist.” He lifts his gaze to mine again. “Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed you spend a lot of time taking care of other people, me included, but there isn’t anybody who’s taking care of you.” His gaze holds steady and unwavering. “I’d like to be able to take care of you just like you take care of me. Because you deserve it, Hal. You deserve it more than anyone I know. Like I said before, you’re something real damn special.”

Those full body tingles only Skylar manages to give me start up again, and I feel so effervescent I might float away any moment. Skylar didn’t exactly give me a conventional declaration of love, but it still feels as extraordinary as those memorable moments I’ve read about time and time again in my favorite romance novels.

He reaches out and takes hold of my hand again, brushing a gentle kiss against my knuckles. “Would you let me give you the best damn haircut of your life?”

Swoon.

I fight back tears. “Nothing would please me more,” I manage to say, my voice hoarse with emotion.

Skylar leads me over to the odd chair in the shower, and once I sit down, I’m a little startled when he reclines me so that I’m lying lengthwise.

“Trust me,” he says, a cocky note returning to his voice now that he’s in his element. “I know what I’m doing.”

He doesn’t even need to ask. I do trust him. In fact, I’m willing to trust him with my fragile heart. He’s the penguin that I’ve been searching for, the one meant for me, and I for him.

Skylar clears his throat. “I did a little bit of reading on sasquatches, and based on what I learned, we’re gonna start off with a full body brushing. This will help me get a sense of how your hair lies on your body, but it should also be a soothing and relaxing experience for you. A bit like a massage, at least based on what I’ve read.” He brings out a specialized brush I’ve seen before, one designed specifically for sasquatches.

Tears well in my eyes at the knowledge that he took the time to plan this and even bought specialized equipment for me. I haven’t seen one of those brushes in years. My mother used to use one on me almost daily when I was a child.

Although sasquatches tend to enjoy roughing it in the wild, one thing we are rather fastidious about is maintaining the health of our hair. After all, it covers most of our body, protects us from the elements, and so much more. However, moving to Mystic Hollow and away from my family and other sasquatches means it’s been years since I had someone to help me with my hair.

“Are you okay for me to start?” Skylar asks softly.

I let my eyes flutter closed and nod. “Please.”