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A zing of e, sure, but she’d never before had the gall to try it Over her irl! Clenching her fingers on the strap of her carry-all purse, Lauren added daringly, “You’re certain you have nothing for Bradley? Mrs Ryan Bradley?”

Her mother would have a stroke over such audacity, but Lauren stood her ground, pronouncing the name with delicate precision because, honestly, as the use in being Mrs Bradley if she shrank from all it afforded her?

“Mrs Bradley” The salon hostess searched her book while her plucked brows caether in concern “It sounds familiar—”

A stiletto-thin man appeared from behind the privacy wall of translucent bricks Grooreeted Lauren with the warh she’d never seen him before in her life

“Mrs Bradley, of course we have ti what must be a very difficult time May I express on behalf of myself, my staff, and in fact our entire country, how sincerely sorry we are for your loss Captain Bradley was a true hero If there is anything we can do to ease your pain and make up for his sacrifice, we are at your service”p????e

Now Lauren did feel like thethe man to sweep her into the interior of the salon,before him to remove traces of previous clients

Guilt rose to tense her shoulders; there was still tio back All she had to do was turn and leave People would stare but she could be gone in a matter of seconds

She sed and allowed confident hands to seat her The elastic hoops were peeled off her two thick braids and then her new BFF was fanning his hands through her hair, picking up the strands that fell to her waist

“This is your natural color, isn’t it? What a treasure Your husband must have adored this mane”

Lauren had thought he had adored her Don’t ever cut it Promise me, he’d said a thousand tied her to keep her hair long and Lauren, always the good girl, had complied