Page 413 (2/2)

I approached the town and looked it over with a soft shake of lanced at the diner that I spent a lot of time at as a student, the corner store that we’d hit e needed a quick drink or snack, and I laughed when I saw Grayson’s Barber Shop and Salon It had been years since I’d had a cut here I ranit cut I was always so busy in the city and let life passbut work The media made me sound like I was a social butterfly, but the truth was they just caught ues It was convenient for them

I parked without thinking and turned the engine off The street was lined with old trucks andthis rental stand out I had no idea how to do small-town anymore, and I shook my head Mom would like it if I cut some of this shit off my head, and there wasn’t the array of salons here in North Reed like there was in New York

I locked the car and ignored the looks from shoppers on the sidewalk as I headed to the salon It looked like any other salon in any other little city The front was all glass, and one of the old-fashioned barber poles spun in the front This place had been open long enough to cut Dad’s hair when he was a kid, and it appeared nothing had changed

My phone rang before I walked inside, and I grabbed it, seeing Mom’s naetting a quick haircut at Grayson’s She toldme roll my eyes quietly as she strolled down memory lane Her voice had a slol to it that soothed me in the saainst the glass

Was I really here for a fuckingto do with myself I called Preston once I finished with Mo a connection to New York I needed to think about my new life for a moetting aas such a relief I even tried to get my folks to move to a nice place outside of New York City, but they were having none of that idea I was lucky to have them join me for the holidays since I still had an aunt and uncle out here that my parents were close to

Preston told ht direction now I felt better when I ended the call and turned to walk into the salon It was still the sa room lined with stations and a basic desk where you pay A red-haired wolanced up from a book that she wrote in and smiled at me “Hello, there What can I do for you today?” She was a Texas girl, complete with the accent and the easy way she spoke

“I don’t have an appointet a trim,” I said as I walked over to the counter

She nodded I guessed she was a bit younger than I was since I didn’t recognize her Most people who lived here stayed as opposed to leaving, and I saw her look down at so

“Of course Have a seat and sohtly

I walked over to the chairs to sit down I looked befor

e I tookthe sah these didn’t have too many holes yet Barry must replace them every so often I leaned my head back and pulled my phone out ofmoved fast in this town, and I knew I had a wait ahead of me, particularly since there a few customers sat in the seats already