Hair Port ladies would dole it out as they saw fit, and then it would spread through town in a wave. He’d lose his advantage. He needed that.
With her, he needed every advantage he could get. He could see the desire to bolt in her eyes. She had been half a second from turning down his request in the beauty shop. If he left her alone too long, she’d talk herself out of having dinner with him.
Mark shook his head. He ought to have it examined. She was rigid, prickly and desperate to be anywhere but here. The dating pool was pretty shallow in Tall Pines, but she wasn’t the only pretty girl in town. Why was he ready to sign on to her particular brand of frustration? It didn’t help that she was so cute when she got mad. Or that she was mad all the time. Or that he admired her strength and smarts. He wanted her cooperation, just to make his job easier, but maybe he also wanted to take her out, get to know her, shake her up. Now he had a nice reason to surprise her when she least expected it. He’d gamble and hold on to it for a little longer.
CHAPTER SIX
A NDI MANAGED TO walk briskly down the sidewalk in front of the Hair Port without looking in the window to see either Mark Taylor or the banked uproar that would no doubt erupt as the bells jingled on Mark’s exit. She made it back to the station, where Lori greeted her with a grim smile. “Sheriff, Tammy’s in your office.”
Andi nodded and skirted her desk and the crowded room behind it. When she opened the door to her office and saw Tammy’s Post-it-noted strategic plan leaning against her desk in full neon glory, she wanted to close the door quietly and tiptoe back out to the sidewalk.
Tammy’s hoot stopped Andi dead in her tracks. “Woo, girl, look at that new hairdo!” She clapped her hands and danced around Andi to get the full effect. Andi had known Tammy since first grade. She was about six inches shorter than Andi, athletically perfect with straight fine blond hair, and looked as if she’d never been in a bad mood. She had. She just never looked it.
Andi walked around her desk to collapse in her chair, which promptly let out a loud screech. In this instance, it was a comforting sound. It matched Andi’s mood perfectly.
Tammy perched on the edge of her own seat and said, “You oughta get that looked at.”
“My hair or my chair?”
Tammy laughed. “I meant the chair. The hair’s pretty fabulous. If you were wearing anything other than that uniform, I’d think you’d come from one of those makeover shows.”
Andi nodded. “Right. So, Mrs. Campaign Manager, what have you come up with?”
Tammy waved a hand dismissively at the poster she’d clearly spent some time on and said, “We’ll get to that. Let’s talk about the hair some more. I want details. And how soon can we get a new campaign photo taken?” She pulled out her phone and said, “You know what...you and I both know it’ll never look this way again. I’m going to call Peter and see if he has time to come over and shoot you right now.”
Andi nodded. Some days she felt as if she’d pay someone to shoot her...literally. Yesterday had been one of those days. Today was starting to look the same. Peter was Tammy’s husband. He worked at the bank, but his hobby was photography.
“Hey, baby, Andi’s gone and gotten herself a really nice hairdo. Can you come over and take some photos at lunchtime?”
The answer must have been yes because Tammy’s previously perfectly happy face lit up and she said, “Love you, baby.” When Tammy smiled and nodded at her, Andi did her best to smother the jealous twinge that kicked in whenever Tammy and Peter were together.
Tammy dropped her phone back in her purse and said, “He’ll be here in fifteen minutes. Now, dish.”
Andi shook her head. “Don’t you think a bit of makeup would be a good thing if I’m about to have my picture taken?”
She held out her hand. “Pass me your bag and we’ll see what we can do. And then you
With her, he needed every advantage he could get. He could see the desire to bolt in her eyes. She had been half a second from turning down his request in the beauty shop. If he left her alone too long, she’d talk herself out of having dinner with him.
Mark shook his head. He ought to have it examined. She was rigid, prickly and desperate to be anywhere but here. The dating pool was pretty shallow in Tall Pines, but she wasn’t the only pretty girl in town. Why was he ready to sign on to her particular brand of frustration? It didn’t help that she was so cute when she got mad. Or that she was mad all the time. Or that he admired her strength and smarts. He wanted her cooperation, just to make his job easier, but maybe he also wanted to take her out, get to know her, shake her up. Now he had a nice reason to surprise her when she least expected it. He’d gamble and hold on to it for a little longer.
CHAPTER SIX
A NDI MANAGED TO walk briskly down the sidewalk in front of the Hair Port without looking in the window to see either Mark Taylor or the banked uproar that would no doubt erupt as the bells jingled on Mark’s exit. She made it back to the station, where Lori greeted her with a grim smile. “Sheriff, Tammy’s in your office.”
Andi nodded and skirted her desk and the crowded room behind it. When she opened the door to her office and saw Tammy’s Post-it-noted strategic plan leaning against her desk in full neon glory, she wanted to close the door quietly and tiptoe back out to the sidewalk.
Tammy’s hoot stopped Andi dead in her tracks. “Woo, girl, look at that new hairdo!” She clapped her hands and danced around Andi to get the full effect. Andi had known Tammy since first grade. She was about six inches shorter than Andi, athletically perfect with straight fine blond hair, and looked as if she’d never been in a bad mood. She had. She just never looked it.
Andi walked around her desk to collapse in her chair, which promptly let out a loud screech. In this instance, it was a comforting sound. It matched Andi’s mood perfectly.
Tammy perched on the edge of her own seat and said, “You oughta get that looked at.”
“My hair or my chair?”
Tammy laughed. “I meant the chair. The hair’s pretty fabulous. If you were wearing anything other than that uniform, I’d think you’d come from one of those makeover shows.”
Andi nodded. “Right. So, Mrs. Campaign Manager, what have you come up with?”
Tammy waved a hand dismissively at the poster she’d clearly spent some time on and said, “We’ll get to that. Let’s talk about the hair some more. I want details. And how soon can we get a new campaign photo taken?” She pulled out her phone and said, “You know what...you and I both know it’ll never look this way again. I’m going to call Peter and see if he has time to come over and shoot you right now.”
Andi nodded. Some days she felt as if she’d pay someone to shoot her...literally. Yesterday had been one of those days. Today was starting to look the same. Peter was Tammy’s husband. He worked at the bank, but his hobby was photography.
“Hey, baby, Andi’s gone and gotten herself a really nice hairdo. Can you come over and take some photos at lunchtime?”
The answer must have been yes because Tammy’s previously perfectly happy face lit up and she said, “Love you, baby.” When Tammy smiled and nodded at her, Andi did her best to smother the jealous twinge that kicked in whenever Tammy and Peter were together.
Tammy dropped her phone back in her purse and said, “He’ll be here in fifteen minutes. Now, dish.”
Andi shook her head. “Don’t you think a bit of makeup would be a good thing if I’m about to have my picture taken?”
She held out her hand. “Pass me your bag and we’ll see what we can do. And then you
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