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“Are you going to get married?” she asks, putting a little musical note into the question as she hugs her arms happily around herself.
Zeke clears his throat and makes me jump. I hope he didn’t hear that.
Wren looks up at him more easily than she had the last time. “I have to have lunch now but when you come back, you can swim too,” she tells him. “I’m a good swimmer.” She furrows her eyebrows at that and turns to me. “Right, Blue? I’m a good swimmer, right?”
She was. I don’t know if she is anymore.
“I’ll be the judge of that after lunch and a nap,” Rudy says, saving the day.
“Nap?” Wren wrinkles her nose at him.
“You know what they say. You can’t swim on a full stomach, and I need to eat.”
“We should go,” Zeke whispers, wrapping a hand around the back of my neck in that way he has, thumb playing along my nape. Goosebumps rise in the wake of his fingers, and I find myself melting into his touch.
“I have to go now, Wren, but I’ll be back to visit very soon, okay?” I tell my sister as Rudy settles her at the table in her room. I’m grateful Zeke has arranged for all of this, knowing I’d never be able to do even half of what he’s done for her. I just don’t have that kind of money.
After giving Wren one more small hug and a kiss on top of her head, Zeke and I head back to town, driving in silence for most of the way until he pulls into the parking lot of a high-end salon.
“You know I can just get a bottle of hair dye at the drug store for like ten bucks, right?”
“I’m sure you can.”
He pulls around back where a Rolls Royce is parked, two men sitting inside it. He parks the SUV and nods to the men.
“Who are they?”
“Protection.” He must see the look on my face because he quickly continues. “Nothing to worry about, just being extra cautious.”
He opens his door but before he climbs out, I reach out to lay a hand on his arm. “That call you took, you looked worried.”
He shakes his head. “Just my brother.”
“Oh, okay. Anyway, I wanted to thank you.”
“It’s fine, Blue.”
“No, it’s a lot. I appreciate what you’re doing for my sister, and I promise I will pay you back?—”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Zeke—”
“I have more money than I know what to do with.”
“Well, I guess I’m not super comfortable with you spending it on me here, for example.”
He sighs and, closing the door, turns to me. “You thanked me. I’m happy to be able to help your sister. We’re good.”
The back door of the salon opens and a man waves to us, making a sweeping gesture for us to enter.
“That’s Jacque. He’s doing me a favor so let’s not waste his time.”
“Fine. But I’m paying you back.”
“Fine.” He shrugs a shoulder and climbs out of the SUV. I do the same and we walk toward Jacque. Zeke introduces us and we walk inside. I imagine this place is booked months in advance but rather than going into the main salon, Jacque shows us into a large private room set for just one client. Everything in the room screams luxury. It’s like a personal beauty salon.
“Wow,” I comment.
