Chapter 4

"Ma'am, Penelope likes longer hairstyles."

"Well, that's not what I'm here for. She'll get the bob and be happy or I'll have you shave it all off."

"Is there a reason you want her hair so short?" I asked.

"What's the name on the appointment booking?" she asked.

"Erin," I answered.

"That's right. It's Erin, not Penelope. I'm Erin and I get to make the decisions." She grabbed the magazine out of my hands. "I'm a customer, and I want it cut. So cut it or I'll see to it that you never get to use a pair of scissors again."

Spinning on her heel, she strode to the sitting area and sat down. She stared at the cover of the magazine for a moment, then flipped it open and started turning pages.

My hands smoothed the drape around Penelope, "Is there anyone I could call who could convince your mom to listen to you?" I asked carefully.

She perked up. "Could you call my dad? He'll get her to stop."

"Absolutely."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and handed it to her. "Do you know his number?"

"What are you doing?" Erin asked from her spot on the couch.

Thinking fast on my feet I smiled assuringly at the woman. "Just showing her some pictures of celebrities with short hair. It's one of the most popular cuts for models."

"I know it is. That's why I told you to cut it that way. Now get on with it I don't have all day to wait for this." She put the magazine down and lifted her rose gold and pink rhinestone covered phone to take a selfie. "This lighting is awful." She complained.

"Of course." I lifted Penelope's hair, "Let's go get this washed so it'll be easier to cut."

I led Penelope to the sink while she texted her father from my phone. I started the water and put my hand under the tap to check the temperature. I always felt a bit like Goldilocks as I tried to find the right balance of hot and cold. When I got it to a good temperature, I pulled the black hair tie from Penelope's hair before leaning back the chair so I could start washing.

"He's not answering." Penelope looked up at me with worried blue eyes.

A glance at Erin showed she was checking the time on her gold wristwatch. "I'll stall as long as I can."

Washing Penelope's hair was a dream. The long thick strands of her hair glided through my fingers as I applied the shampoo, and then the conditioner. To use more time, I did a scalp massage as well. I really, really hoped her dad would respond soon. But as the wash went on, I was running out of ways to stall.

"What would you think about getting a trim?" I asked Penelope. "Just taking off the split ends."

"That's okay."

I shut off the water and used a towel to squeeze out the excess water. Back at the chair, I hit the lever to raise it up and started combing her hair into different sections. I went through the motions of giving a trim, all while hoping her dad would come to his daughter's rescue.

We talked about school and art while I snipped away. Bonding over the awkwardness of teenage boys trying to impress girls. Penelope had a smile on her face by the time I finished blow-drying her hair.

Penelope's mom looked up from her phone as soon as the hair dryer stopped.

"Why is her hair still long?" She got off the couch and strode over to where I stood. "Are you completely incompetent?"

"If you'd just listen to your daughter."

Erin's nostrils flared. "She's twelve. You're supposed to listen to me you dumb shrew!"

"Ma'am —."

Her voice rose in volume with each word until she was yelling. "I want to see the manager now!"

I heard the door to Priscilla's office door open, and my shoulders dropped.

"What is going on out here?" My boss asked.

"Are you in charge?" Erin asked. "I paid for a simple cut, and she's wasting my time with a trim instead."

Priscilla looked at me with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. "Cut her hair."

"But—"

"Oh for the love." Erin picked up a pair of clippers from another station and walked towards Penelope. "I'll cut it myself."

I jumped between Penelope and her.

The door to the salon opened, and a cold gust of wind blew in.

Erin paused to look at the door, and dropped the clippers when she saw him. The most gorgeous man I'd ever laid my eyes on stood just inside the door. His blond hair was windswept, and an icy tempest raged in his furious blue eyes. He was the embodiment of a storm waiting to be released. The loose fitting Glacier Bay hockey jersey and jeans did nothing to disguise the pure strength in his build. The pictures in the magazines did not do Mr. Hockey justice.

When he spotted Penelope he made an immediate beeline straight for her. He cradled her face with one hand and ran the other over her hair. Penelope visibly relaxed now that he was here and I could see why. He'd stormed in like a superhero ready to save the day.

"Are you okay?" He asked Penelope.

I recognized that voice, and on second look I recognized the scruff on that jawline too. Super Dad indeed.

"I'm fine Dad. Can I have a brownie sundae from Charlie's?"

He softened for a moment as he smiled at her, then pulled the drape off her and lifted her off the chair to stand by his side. "Anything you want Sweet Pea, we can eat lunch there tomorrow."

Erin stomped her foot. "She can't have that much sugar. It's not in her diet plan."

His gaze found Erin and the fury that had been banked while he was talking with his daughter roared back to life. "What were you thinking?" he demanded of her.

Erin took a step back. "I don't need to consult you on something as simple as cutting hair. And a salon in New York never would have given me this much trouble."

His entire body stiffened, and he seemed to grow another six inches as his spine straightened. "No, you just made a decision for her that she was against, and took away her phone so she couldn't call me."

Erin crossed her arms. "It's not my fault she lost it. She's a dumb kid."

His jaw clenched, and I had a feeling that he was biting back words. "I'm taking her home."

"It's not your day with her. Penelope get back in the chair."

Penelope moved further into her dad's side, and he kept his arm firmly in place around her.

"I get one weekend a month with her. Last I checked I haven't had my turn yet."

"We both know it's not this weekend. You have back-to-back games."

"Penelope likes the games." He looked down at her. "Don't you Sweet Pea."

Penelope smiled. "Can I sit in the Team Suite?"

"Absolutely." He turned his attention back to Erin. "I've already talked to my lawyer. You should be getting a call from yours any second."

"If you want to whine in court again, that's fine. You're the one paying for it." Her phone rang, and Erin looked at it before answering. As she talked to whoever it was he turned to me and my boss.

"I'm sorry for your trouble." He pulled out a handful of bills and held them out to my boss. "This should cover the cost and there's some extra. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you saving my daughter."

Priscilla gave him a flirtatious smile that bordered on predatory. "No problem. You can bring her in anytime."

"Dad." Penelope pulled on his arm and pointed at me. "Lia's the one that helped me."

For the first time since he'd stormed in, he looked at me and it felt like I'd been struck by lightning as soon as his eyes met mine. Surprise made his eyes go wide as he recognized me.

"Thank you! Really, you have no idea how much it means to me that you listened to what Penelope wanted."

"Anyone would have."

He shook his head. "Not everyone would stand up to Erin."

"Dad," Penelope said, bouncing up and down like she had been when she walked into the salon. "Can Lia go to Charlie's with us?"

He looked at me, a little lost for words. "Uh..."

"Dad, you say we deserve brownie sundaes on bad days. Mom yelled at her, that makes it a bad day."

"You're right." He nodded at her and then smiled at me.

Charlotte walked back into the salon from her lunch break, her eyes went wide as soon as she saw him. "You're Mr. Hockey!"

His smile dimmed, and he rubbed his free hand sheepishly up and down his neck. "It's Nate actually."

"Lia, will you go to Charlie's with us?" Penelope asked me, completely unphased that Charlotte was fangirling over her dad.