Page 39 of Homestead

Self-conscious about his staring, I glance down at myself. “Your mom and the others wear something a little nicer, so I thought I’d try. Are my boobs okay in this?”

His eyes fix on the part in question. “They’re way, way better than okay.”

I swallow over a little giggle. “I mean in this shirt. I don’t have a bra, and I don’t want to be indecent. It would be better if they were smaller.”

“It wouldn’t be better as far as I’m concerned. They’re just the right size. Perfect.”

I can’t hold back the laugh this time as well as the flush of pleasure. “So I’m okay to go like this?”

“You can wear anythin’ you want, but I think you look real pretty.” His eyes are still moving over me, lingering on my face and my chest.

“Real pretty” seems to be his highest compliment, so I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Trying to pull myself out of my pleased haze, I ask, “Did you want me to trim up your hair and beard? I can do it now if you think we have time.”

“Yeah. Sure.” He obviously washed both during his bath, and they’re still mostly wet. “Where should we do it?”

“Let’s go to the kitchen. Be easier to clean up the hair.”

I find the scissors I used on my own hair and then go to where Jimmy has sat down in his chair at the table. He looks a little stiff as I gently comb out his hair.

For some reason, I’m suddenly self-conscious. This feels domestic. Intimate. It would be easier if Jimmy would say something, but he doesn’t. He sits very still as I trim his hair.

I’m not any sort of expert at haircuts, so I mostly just take off the extra length and even up the ends. I towel-dry it and then fix a few uneven pieces. Even with my amateur job, it looks a lot better, and it will look even better when it’s dried.

“Okay,” I say, wondering why my voice is hoarse. “I think that will do. I can do your beard too if you want?”

“Yeah.” He rasps out the word the way I did. Then he turns his chair so I can reach his beard.

This is even more intimate. Vulnerable. I try to keep my hands from trembling as I work. I cut his beard much shorter and then keep snipping until it looks neat.

It feels like Jimmy’s eyes are on me the whole time.

“Okay,” I say at last, running my hands down his beard to catch any stray pieces. “I think it looks okay. If you don’t like it, I can work on it some more.”

He looks almost unfamiliar with the shorter hair and neat beard. Not like the rumpled bear he’s always been.

It’s unnerving.

He gets up and goes to look in the mirror over the dresser.

“Is it okay?” I ask, following him into the bedroom.

“Yeah. It looks good.” He combs his fingers through his hair. “It’s great. You did great. Thank you.”

“No problem.” I smile in relief. “I can do it anytime.” I shake out my shirt and top to make sure I didn’t end up with hair on them.

“I guess I better put somethin’ decent on since you’re lookin’ so pretty.”

“Oh, only if you want. It doesn’t bother me if you wear what you always wear.”

That makes him chuckle. “I guess that’s your way of telling me that my normal clothes aren’t all that decent.”

“No, I didn’t?—”

“I’m teasin’, Chloe. You don’t always have to worry ’bout hurtin’ my feelings. I’m not all that prickly, you know.”

I check his face and relax when I see he’s smiling down at me. Smiling for real in a way he almost never does.

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