Page 11 of Hello Heartbreaker

“That just means twenty-five percent of high school sweethearts make it,” she said. She came out of the closet, holding up a sundress with a stretchy, ruched top that showed off the girls. “This is it.”

I smiled from her to the dress. “Am I making a mistake? Maybe it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie.”

“You’re two adults going to dinner. It’s been so long since everything happened. Maybe it will be nice to get to know the adult version of him, so you can let the younger version go. Either you’ll see he’s exactly the same or you’ll find out he’s different and can get to know the new Rhett.” She gestured at the sundress. “And you’ll look damn good doing it.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath. “What about you? Dating prospects aren’t exactly amazing here.”

“I know.” She flopped back on the bed. “I got on a dating app just for the fun of it, and there were like three people in a sixty-mile radius.”

I lay back beside her. “That sucks.”

She rolled her head toward me. “But I have a plan.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“We’re going to the rodeo this weekend.”

“You’re kidding,” I said. “You know Rhett rides bulls!”

She shrugged. “Another way for you to prove you’re totally fine now, showing up looking hot and flirting with some country boys.Anda way for both of us to scout—I mean, meet—every cute cowboy in the tri-county area. Win-win.”

I grinned, holding out my hand. “Evil genius.”

She gave me a high five and held it. “Those boys won’t know what hit ‘em.”

* * *

Rhondaand I sat in the waiting area chairs during an empty appointment slot, drinking coffee from her pride and joy—a teal one-cup coffee maker with a million different flavor cups to choose from.

“I’m glad we have some time to chat,” Rhonda said as she retrieved her matcha latte.

I nodded, sipping my hot coffee doctored with cream and sugar. “For such a small town, you keep your schedule pretty full.”

With a smile, she said, “Everyone’s got hair. Well, mostly everyone.”

“True.” I laughed. “I know because I dump half of it out of my bra every night.”

She chuckled. “Raleigh leaves a nozzle attached to the air compressor in the garage so I can blow the hair off after work.”

My eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, that’s brilliant. I need to see if my dad has an extra air compressor I could use.”

She winked. “Look at you go.”

I smiled, taking another sip.

“So a big part of this salon for me is community outreach,” she said, setting her coffee cup on the table. “Over the years, I’ve found my favorite things to support.” She held up her fingers, ticking them off. “I always sponsor a Little League team in the summer and serve as the assistant coach. It’s so cute to see those girls tear it up on the field.”

I nodded, remembering playing for a team sponsored by Rhonda’s Salon. “I still have my little pink jersey in my memory box.”

“I love that.” Rhonda worked her fingers through her hair, adjusting the curls. “Some other things we do are care for a few of the flower baskets on Main Street, give pro-bono services for foster children in the community, and I’ll care for some of our elderly clients in their homes if they can’t get out. But I know once you take over, you’ll get to decide which projects matter to you and make them your own. Over these next six months, I’d like you to find projects around town where you can volunteer and show me that you’re invested in this community.”

“I love your heart, Rhonda,” I said, reaching out and touching her hand. “You’ve always been so giving. The way you were there for me when I got the stress-induced alopecia after my mom left...” My voice broke.

“Don’t mention it, honey,” she said. She squeezed my hand. “It’s what family does.” She glanced toward the window. “There’s our next appointment.”

For the rest of the day, I focused on work, trying to think of what types of service projects I could do and trying not to worry about my dinner with Rhett tonight. Before I knew it, I was at home, swapping my black clothes for the dress Cam and I picked out.

Since she was at work, I sent her a picture of me in my outfit. She usually couldn’t text much, but a few minutes later, my phone pinged with her reply.

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