Hometown Courtship. Diann Hunt

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      “Did you find a job yet, Olive?” Brad was the only one who could get by calling her that.

      “Not yet. I’ve tried everywhere. I hope I don’t get stuck babysitting the Graber twins again this year. I’m so ready for a real job.”

      “Nice way to change the subject, Brad,” Ryan said. He turned to his daughter. “Honest work is honest work. It pays the bills. And right now you’re saving for college. Which reminds me, did you go to the library and check on those scholarship options yet?”

      “Dad, can we talk about this later?”

      “We can and we will,” Ryan said in an unmistakably firm tone.

      Olivia turned to Brad and smiled. “So, tell us about your day.”

      “I’ll get you later,” he hissed at his grinning niece.

      Brad explained how he’d run into Callie at the bakery and how she’d turned up late at the job site. When he finished, everyone was quiet. He could feel Ryan studying him.

      “What?” Brad tried to appear nonchalant.

      Ryan exchanged a glance with Brianna, then turned twinkling eyes to Brad. Judges’ eyes weren’t supposed to twinkle.

      “Nothing.” Ryan looked at Brianna once again. “Did I say anything?”

      “I didn’t hear anything,” she said.

      He turned back to Brad. “Nothing here.”

      “Look, Ryan, I’ve told you. I’m not interested in a relationship. I’m waiting for my next missionary assignment in South America. I’m only here because of Mom.”

      “I don’t know why when there’s plenty to do here,” Ryan said.

      “I don’t question why you want to be a judge.”

      “You’re not getting any younger,” Ryan said.

      Brad took a bite of the spicy chili in front of him. It was fiery hot but he didn’t let on.

      There was no denying that Callie Easton was eye candy, but he’d seen her type before. He couldn’t deal with the nail polish, the hair, the makeup….

      “She primps, plucks and pedicures, Ryan.”

      “They all do that.”

      “Remember, Nicole started out that way, obsessing over her appearance. One thing led to another until—”

      “You can’t compare every woman who dabs on nail polish to our sister. She had issues. She was sick, Brad.”

      “I don’t want to talk about it.”

      “Okay, matter dropped,” Ryan said, followed by a moment of silence.

      Brad knew he had been hard on Callie, but he didn’t want her around the job site. She was a distraction, and he figured she liked it that way. The sooner they could get through this job, the better.

      “You know, little brother, you could use a haircut.”

      He goes from one complaint about me to another. Brad’s hand rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not that bad. But my barber retired, so I’ll have to find someone soon.” Brad swirled the chili around in his bowl.

      “I go to that place behind the bakery you said you visited this morning. It’s called the Peaches & Cream Salon. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best place in town. You ought to check it out,” Brianna said.

      Brad turned to Ryan. “Do you go there?”

      He shook his head. “I go to a shop near the courthouse. But that’s out of your way.”

      Brad thought a moment and nodded. “Maybe I’ll do that.” Thankful to talk about anything but his love life, Brad made a mental note to check out the salon.

      

      Callie looked at her client’s cranberry-polished nails. “That’s it, Mrs. Frantz. You’re free to go.”

      “Thank you, dear.” The old woman stuffed a ten-dollar tip into Callie’s hand, then hobbled out the door.

      “What is she, three hundred years old by now?” Jessica asked, opening a box and examining the contents.

      “Jessica, shh—she will hear you.”

      “Her?” Jessica asked, pointing. “That woman hasn’t heard anything since 1973. She’s got pretty nails, though, I’ll give her that.”

      Callie suppressed a giggle and began to clean her manicure station. “You’d better behave yourself or Aunt Bonnie will get you.”

      “Yeah, right. I’ve seen puppies more fierce than her on her worst day.”

      Everyone knew Aunt Bonnie was as sweet as they came.

      Jessica glanced at her watch. “You sure you can cover for me while I take Mom to the doctor?”

      “Absolutely. You go ahead and go.” Callie looked at the box of new inventory. “Hey, didn’t we get another box of the setting gel?”

      “Yeah, a small one. It’s in the back room,” Jessica said, without looking up.

      “Great. Let me get that before you take off.”

      “No problem.”

      As Callie walked into the back room, she heard the front door swoosh open. A man’s voice said someone had recommended he come to the salon for a haircut.

      “It just so happens there’s a stylist in the back who can help you. Go ahead and take a seat by the wash basin.” Jessica popped into the back room. “You have a customer.” She raised her eyebrows and let out a low whistle. “Too bad I have to leave.”

      Callie rolled her eyes and walked past her toward the front. Facing the back of the customer’s head, Callie pulled product from the shelf.

      “So, this is your first time here?” she asked, working the shampoo into his hair.

      “Uh-huh.” His words vibrated as her fingers massaged his scalp.

      He didn’t offer anything else, so Callie let her mind meander while she finished the job. Once she rinsed away the bubbles, she flipped up his chair and towel-dried his hair.

      “If you’ll follow me,” she said, leading the way to her cutting station.

      He settled into his seat. She swiveled him around to face the mirror. That’s when they saw each other for the first time. Callie’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. By the look of Brad Sharp, she would say he wasn’t doing any better.

      “I, uh, my sister-in-law told me to come here. I didn’t know you worked here. My barber retired, I needed a place—”

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