Western Flame

Chapter 7

"Thanks Jenny, I'll see you on Thursday?"

"You betcha. I have four clients! Word's getting out. I'm thinking of getting an airbrush kit, won't that be fun? I can do teeny-tiny swear words for women on their middle fingers, or Spongebob characters and stuff."

Liana laughed as Jenny packed up her equipment. "Spongebob?"

They both giggled as she snapped her polish case shut. "But seriously. I might need a place to work out permanently, instead of traipsing all over to people's homes. I'm getting enough business from you. Think we could put a pedi basin in here?"

Liana appraised the space. She had two stylist chairs, and two vintage couches along the opposite wall. In the back were two hair washing stations and a drying chair, a washroom, back exit into the alleyway, and across from that was her office and the even smaller supply cabinet. There might be room in the corner, but that was currently where her gigantic monstera lived. The front could maybe be reconfigured to give them more room down one side but it was tight.

"I don't know. I mean, I could move a couch, but the space is crammed with stuff already."

"Think about it. I'd help financially, of course. Not all on you," Jenny said. "Would be nice to be in one place."

It was sound thinking. "It would be nice to have you here more often."

"I am a ray of fucking sunshine, you know," Jenny exclaimed, plopping on to the couch nearest her. "You look stupid beat. You should close early."

"I can't. I have one more client. And I can't bail because it is none other than Peony West coming to get her haircut. She called me today. She normally goes to Lamonte but her stylist has the flu or something."

"I think she wants to come in and check on you, more like. Maybe you can ask her how your saviour is doing?" Jenny teased.

"She'll tell me, I have no doubt she knows all about what happened," Liana replied. She really respected Peony, since she had first met her as the West's housekeeper. When it was announced that she was marrying Brett not two years after Tanner's mom had died, it was a surprise, but she admired the woman's grit. Plus, it secured a future for both her and her daughter, Liz.

"Okay, on that note, I am outta here! I have a hot date with some Minute Man pizza and my ex-boyfriend's Netflix account tonight," Jenny declared. Liana picked up her cases and followed her to the door.

"I'm glad you're okay, Li. What Dermott did is not okay, and you can bet your ass I am going to tell any woman who even looks his way. Now, conversely, what Tanner did was fucking marvellous. Don't let your past with him get in the way of what that means. I know there's history. I get that it sucks. But he's a damned good man, girl."

Liana looked away down the street and sighed. "I know. He was being kind, that's all. He long ago showed me what was what."

He'd put everything on hold for that ranch, including her, and he'd never come back to her when it was all sorted out. Every bit of gossip about who he was dating twisted the shard of heartbreak he'd shoved into her just a little further, so she'd left as soon as she could to get away from it all. When she'd returned to Brightside to work for Yolande, folks had long forgotten about their breakup, and life moved on. Sort of.

It was Brightside. The world was pretty small when it came to other people's business.

Jenny uh-huhed and stepped down to the sidewalk beside her car with her cases in her hands. Liana sat down on the threshold, for once not freezing her ass off. The promised Chinook breeze ruffled Jenny's hair.