Page 24 of Unveiled

She shook her head and turned away with a sigh. Meandering the display room floor, a sense of pride swelled deep inside her. Her fingers trailed over the sleek satins and delicate lace as she fluffed the skirts, carefully arranging the fabric.

The shattering of glass behind her ripped a small scream from her throat, and she instinctively covered her head with her hands as she dropped to one knee. A full second of silence ensued before chaos broke out across the salon.

“Adalyn!”

“What happened?”

“Are you okay?”

Voices assaulted her ears from every direction, and she opened her eyes. Tiny shards of glass littered the floor at her feet, and, dazed, she turned toward the window. The sounds from outside filtered in through the gaping hole in the lower portion of the window. What remained of the pane was splintered, looking like jagged teeth ready to chomp down on its next victim.

There was only one reason it would have exploded like that. Rushing forward, she braced one hand on the sill, carefully avoiding the shards of glass. Leaning out, she scanned the sidewalk to her left and right, looking for anyone, anything, responsible.

Cars whizzed past, and a couple of people ambled around the corner farther down the sidewalk, but whoever had broken the window was long gone.

Shaken, she turned back to the group of women gathered around, watching her intently for guidance. Placing one hand over her still racing heart, she pasted on a soothing smile. “Everything’s fine. It just scared me.”

“What happened?” Amy asked, concern evident on her face.

“I’m not sure.” Adalyn debated voicing her fears but decided against it. “Whatever it was, I’m sure it was just an accident.”

“Mm-hmm.” Amy hummed a low sound in her throat, and the rest of the ladies exchanged uneasy glances.

Adalyn reached for patience. “Maybe someone was mowing the grass and it ricocheted through the window. Or something fell off a truck.”

None of the ladies seemed to like either of those explanations, but it seemed to calm them at least.

Jenn rounded the corner but came to a dead halt when she saw them. “Is everything okay? I heard a commotion, and—” Her eyes rounded as they moved over Adalyn’s shoulder to the shattered window behind her. “Oh, my gosh! What happened?”

Adalyn held up her hands. “Just an accident. Let’s get this cleaned up, then—” Her words were cut off as the bell over the front door jingled, and they collectively turned toward the sound.

Please, God, no.

Adalyn stared at the one single person on earth she had no desire to see—one far worse than Caryn. She had been dreading this moment, waiting for him to walk through that door and change her life forever.

Her heart dropped to her toes, and a steel band constricted around her lungs as blue eyes cut to her, sending a fiery sensation through her body that she didn’t understand. God surely hated her. There was no other explanation for it.

CHAPTER

FOURTEEN

A cacophony of chattering female voices met Jaxon’s ears as he entered the small salon. The tinkling of the bell over the door announced his presence, and several sets of eyes swiveled toward him. The only ones he cared about, though, were the steel gray pair that met his, turning his blood to fire. The stormy depths registered agitation and… worry?

Immediately on guard, his gaze swept over the scene before him, taking in the broken window behind the three women as well as the glass littering the pale blue carpet. He had been so preoccupied on his way in that he hadn’t even noticed.

Adalyn straightened and directed her attention to the women gathered in a semicircle around her. “Jenn, would you please bring me the vacuum? And Amy, could you please make some calls to get this window replaced or at least covered for now? I think our next appointment is due in about an hour.”

The women avoided him completely, scattering like pigeons as Adalyn dismissed them with a gentle smile.

He lifted a brow at her. “What happened here?”

She drew in a shaky breath and waved him off. “Something broke the window, but it’s nothing, I’m sure.”

“Hmm.” He hummed a noncommittal sound before venturing closer, examining the gaping hole in the lower corner of the window. “I can get some plastic sheeting and cover this for you.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Her voice was clipped, and her immediate refusal had his hackles raising.

He turned to her and crossed his arms over his chest. “Looks like you have a penchant for pissing people off, Addy.”