It Started at Christmas...

“I’m not sure about doing weird things to my hair.” He ran his fingers through his short brown locks. “But I can get into the colorful Christmas spirit if that makes you happy.”

This should be good. Seeing him in his float clothes would be worth having to come up with a costume of her own. After all, she had a secret weapon: Cecilia, who rocked makeup and costumes.

“Well, then. Sign me up for some Christmas float happiness.”

* * *

Cecilia really was like a Christmas float costume secret weapon. A fairy godmother.

She walked around McKenzie, her lips twisted and her brow furrowed in deep thought.

“We can use heavy-duty bendable hair wires to wrap your hair around to make some fancy loops.” Cecelia studied McKenzie’s hair. “That and lots of hair spray should do the trick.”

“What about for an outfit?”

“K-I-S-S.”

“What?”

“Keep It Simple, Stupid. Not that you’re stupid,” Cecilia quickly added. “Just don’t worry about trying to overdo anything. You’ve got less than a week to put something together. The mayor may not be expecting you to be dressed up.”

“Lance says we are expected to dress up.”

Cecilia’s eyes lit with excitement, as if she’d been patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to ask but had gotten distracted at the prospect of having her way with McKenzie’s hair and costume makeup. “How is the good doctor?”

“Good. Very good.”

Cecilia’s eyes widened. “Really?”

McKenzie looked heavenward, which in this case was the glittery ceiling of Bev’s Beauty Boutique. “I’ve kissed the man. That’s it. But, yes, he was very good at that.”

Cecilia let out a disappointed sight. “Just kissing?”

Her lips against Lance’s could never be called “just kissing,” but she wasn’t going to point that out to Cecilia.

“What did you think I meant when I said he was very good?”

“You know exactly what I thought, what I was hoping for. What’s holding you back?”

McKenzie shrugged. “We’ve barely been on three dates, and that’s if you count the community Christmas show, which truly shouldn’t even count but since he kissed me for the first time that night, I will.” Why was she sounding so breathy and letting her sentences run together? “You think I should have already invited him between my sheets?”

“If I had someone that sexy looking at me the way that man looks at you, I’d have invited him between my sheets long ago.”

McKenzie shrugged again. “There’s no rush.”

“No rush?” Shaking her head, Cecilia frowned. “I’m concerned.”

“About me? Why?”

“For some reason you are totally throwing up walls between you and this guy. For the life of me I can’t figure out why.”

McKenzie glanced around the salon. There was a total of five workstations. On the other side of the salon, Bev was rolling a petite blue-haired lady’s hair into tight little clips, but the other two stylists had gone to lunch, as had the manicurist. No one was paying the slightest attention to Cecilia and McKenzie’s conversation. Thank goodness.

“How many times do I have to say it? I work with him. A relationship between us is complicated.”

Cecilia wasn’t buying it. “Only as complicated as the two of you make it.”

McKenzie sank into her friend’s salon chair and spun ar