Tatted Cowboy (11 page)

LAURA

“Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”  I take a deep, cathartic breath and hold it for a few seconds before releasing it slowly.  Then, I take the scissors from Gran’s hand and adjust them in my palm.  Splitting the blades, I line them up and then slowly, but surely, I slice clean through the thick, red, satin ribbon that’s tied across the threshold of the salon.

“Inner Beauty is now open for business,” I yell to all of the community members who came to help me celebrate.

They all cheer back, clapping and shouting words of congratulations.  My smile threatens to split my cheeks, but damn if I’m going to try and tame it!  A photographer from the
Darwin Daily
is busy snapping shots for an article he’s going to write on me this week and Gran is loving hamming it up with all the old biddies, making sure everyone knows I’m
her
granddaughter. 
Bless her!

I see Ava, Jules and Edie talking to Elizabeth and my mum.  I throw them a wave and an excited smile.  I hope to catch up with them before the day is over, but I’m not sure if I’ll have time.  I can’t believe how many people are here!  There are all age ranges, from teenagers right up to Gran’s friends.  It’s overwhelming and so awesome.

“Excuse me,” a small voice says.

“Hi.” I smile, crouching down to look the little girl in the eyes.

“Do you do ear piercing here?” she asks hopefully.

“I sure do.”

“Yay!” she shouts, racing off.

“Miss Carlisle, would you like a drink?”  I turn towards the voice and see a schoolgirl standing there with a tray of drinks. 

“Yes, thanks, sweetie.”  I take a glass of the fizzy punch and bring it to my lips.

“This is delicious.  You girls are doing a great job.” I smile warmly at her.

“Thank you.” She walks away.  I stand and look around, seeing lots of smiling, chatting faces enjoying my salon.  Some are looking through price brochures, others are browsing the product range and then some are just chatting amongst themselves while snacking from the passing trays.

A couple of weeks ago, Gran suggested approaching the school and enquiring about having the high school hospitality class cater for today to take some stress off me.  Plus, the experience would be good for them. The school was more than happy to oblige, and I’m so grateful they went for it.

“Hi, welcome to Inner Beauty.  Would you like a goodie bag?”

“Oh, thank you!” a lady says, taking the small bag filled with a couple of sample beauty products, my business card, a magnet and a pricing brochure.

“You’re welcome. Enjoy looking around and I hope to see you soon.”

“I’m sure you will.”  She smiles before walking across the room.

“Excuse me, Laura?”

“Yes.  Hi, how are you?”

“Good thanks.  I’m Mandy and I was wondering if I could book in for a full leg wax at your earliest appointment?”

“Absolutely, come over here with me and I’ll check the books.”  I lead the way over to my desk and pull out my appointment book.  “I can fit you in at three-thirty pm tomorrow, if you like?”

“Perfect. Thank you so much.  Can I also purchase this today?” she asks, holding up a jar of Body Butter.

“Of course, I’ll ring that up for you now.”  I complete the transaction and hand her a goodie bag before she walks away.

By the end of the day, my cheeks are hurting from smiling so much, my mouth is dry from talking all day and my feet are killing me!  My cash register is overflowing, my appointment book is full for the next month and I’ll have to restock my shelves because most of my products were sold today.

Today was a fucking awesome day!

I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy … well, I can, it was before I lost Gus.  But, it’s been a damn long time since I’ve felt this good.

***

Since it’s such a humid night, I have a cool shower and change into a long white skirt and a peach coloured tank top.  I sling a thick brown belt low around my hips and slide my brown cowgirl boots I wore today back on.  I pull my hair back in a low, loose ponytail and apply a light covering of makeup before heading out to meet the girls at the pub for celebratory drinks.

“Hi!” I give a little wave and a big smile to the three girls sitting around the table.

“Hi,” they all say back in unison. 

“Congratulations. Today was awesome.  The crowd you had show up was massive!” Ava tells me as I take a seat.

“I know. I was amazed so many people turned up. I have to place another stock order tomorrow because I’m almost all sold out of my products.”

“Wow,” Jules gapes.

“I know, right,” I grin.

Edie does a drinks run and we sit around chatting, laughing and drinking while snacking on bar food.

“Hey, Sienna.” I smile as I spot her walking towards us.

“Hey, girls.  Congrats on today, Laura.  I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to stop in, since I was here all day, but I heard it was a great turn out for you.”

“Thank you.  Yeah, it was fantastic.  Do you know Edie and Jules?” I ask, forgetting my manners momentarily.

“Yep.” She nods.

“Oh good. I felt rude there for a second,” I say with a laugh.  “Are you finished for the night? Want to join us?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind. I don’t want to intrude.”

“Don’t be silly.  Pull up a chair and grab a drink,” Ava tells her.

Five minutes later, Sienna returns with a fresh batch of drinks.  “Wow,” she sighs. “What is it about the guys in this town? They’re all freaking gorgeous!  I just want to melt every time I see one of them.  Not your husbands of course,” she adds quickly, looking at Ava, Edie and Jules.

We all burst out laughing.  “You don’t need to tell me, girl.  The men out here are crazy good looking,” Jules agrees. 

“Especially the ones covered in tattoos,” Sienna adds, nodding.

“What about the ones covered in tattoos?” asks a voice from behind me.

I turn my body and see Luke standing there, a smirk on his face, arms crossed across his chest, emphasizing the massive bulk of his biceps.

“Nothing,” Sienna squeaks, her eyes wide.

The giggle bursts from my lips before I can stop it and before I know it, I’m laughing uncontrollably. Tears roll down my cheeks. 

All the while, Luke stands there, watching silently, but with a grin on his face.

Finally, I stop laughing and get a hold of myself.

“Love it when you laugh, sweetheart,” Luke murmurs.  I hear gasps come from either side of me and a sigh come from across the table.  “Can we talk?”

“Sure.” I stand, ignoring the questioning looks I know the girls are giving me, and follow him over to a dark area at the back of the pub.  Away from listening ears and prying eyes.

“You look tired,” I say, when we come to a standstill.

He nods.

“You should stop by for a massage one day,” I find myself saying before I can stop myself.  I feel my eyes go wide, shocked at my own boldness.

A grin stretches across his face, making him even more handsome.  “Baby, I’d love nothing more than to spend my time with you running your hands all over me.”

“I bet,” I say sarcastically.

“Do your massages come with happy endings?” he smirks.

“Oh, funny. Ha ha!  That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that one,” I deadpan.

“The correct answer is,
only for you
,” he growls, all humour gone from his tone.

“The correct answer is,
not for anyone
,” I fire back.

“We’ll see,” he says, gripping my waist and pulling me against him.

I’m not sure what is happening between us, but since he stayed over a few nights ago, and then gave me that special morning treat, I haven’t been able to get him off my mind.  Actually, that’s not true.  Since the first moment I met him, I haven’t been able to get him off my mind. 

One part of me is scared. 
So scared
.  To open myself up like that again, to put it all out there, is frightening.  But, the other part of me is encouraging me to give it a try, just let go and
live.

“Sorry I haven’t called by or phoned since the other morning.  I’ve been flat out at work.”

“That’s okay. I’ve been busy as well.”

“Congratulations on today. I heard there was quite a turn out.  I wanted to stop by but I had an all day appointment.”

“You don’t have to apologise,” I tell him.  “But, yeah, there was a big crowd. It was amazing.” I can’t keep the pride from my tone. 

“That’s good, sweetheart.”

“Have things been crazy busy for you at work? Is that why you look so tired?”

“Mostly. Got my brother coming next week, though.  That means I’m going to have some free time.  And,
that
means I’m going to have time to pursue some other interests,” he says suggestively.

“Is that right?” I smile.

“It is.” He grins and takes a step closer, his massive frame dwarfing mine.  I can feel every hard inch of him as he presses his body against mine.  My body tingles with awareness.

“You let me know when you’re done with your girls, I’ll take you home,” he says, his voice deep but soft.

“That’s okay, I can get home fine,” I reply, mostly out of courtesy, because, God knows I want to take him up on his offer.  If what he did the other morning with his tongue is anything to go by, I bet he’d blow my mind to smithereens if given the chance to use the rest of his body.  At that thought, my thighs clamp together to try and ease the sudden ache.

“I’m not a patient man, baby,” he growls.

“Pardon?” I say, confused at the sudden change of direction in conversation.

“You need to know, I’m not a patient man. When I want something, I don’t sit around waiting for it to come to me. I go after it, and I don’t stop until I have it.”  The look he gives me starts a fire in my heart, it’s that hot.  “I want you, Laura.”  His head comes down and his lips meet with mine, the burning sensation travelling through my body, warming me from the inside out.

My lips part and his tongue slides in, sweeping through my mouth, rolling over my own tongue, encouraging it to participate.  I take the offer, giving back as much as I’m getting.  He pulls back slightly when we’re both panting and begins kissing the sides of my mouth gently before sucking my plump bottom lip between his teeth.

“You let me know when you’re done,” he whispers close to my head.

“Okay,” I agree, mostly because I’m delirious from his kiss, but partly because I actually
want
him to take me home.

He kisses my forehead and then grasps my hand before leading us back into the lit area and the table where the girls are.

“Holy fucking hotness,” Jules says when Luke disappears back inside the bar area.

“What happened?” Edie asks at the same time Ava says, “Tell us everything.”

“Don’t leave anything out,” Sienna chimes in, fanning her face dramatically.

“He just wanted to book a massage,” I say, shrugging my shoulders.

“Bullshit,” Jules shouts.

“I’d do more than massage him,” Sienna mutters.

“Oh my god!” I say through a laugh.  “Sienna!”

“What?” she says innocently, smiling.

“Tell us,” Ava repeats.

So, I tell them. 
Everything.
  Including Luke having me for breakfast the other day. By the time I’m finished, Sienna is red in the face and fanning herself harder, while Edie, Ava and Jules give each other knowing looks.

“This is awesome,” Jules whispers.

“What is?” I ask, confused by the look of wonder on her face.

“You and Luke,” she replies, dreamily.

“I’m so happy for you,” Ava says, touching her hand to my arm.

“I think you’re all reading too much into this,” I tell them.

“No, we’re not. We’ve all been there.  We’ve all had the look you have on your face, and we’ve all seen the look Luke has on his, except we’ve seen it on the faces of the men we married,” Edie says.

“Whatever it is, it’s fucking hot,” Sienna says.

“Uh-huh,” Jules agrees.

“Whatever,” I mutter, lifting my drink and downing the remaining contents.

“Well, I’ve got to get home to my babies,” Edie says, pulling me in for a hug.

“Do you have a lift home?”

“She does,” Edie’s husband, Jackson says, coming up behind her and pulling her against him.

Wow, he’s hot.  Not as built and as good-looking as Luke, but still damn sexy all the same.  He’s also the identical twin brother of Ava’s husband, Jeremy.  I knew the boys when we were younger and went to school together, but this is the first time I’ve seen Jackson in years.