Hailey made a comical jaw drop at that. Claire laughed.
Hailey turned to the group, who were still shopping in Claire’s closet. “Ladies! What do you think?” She posed, one hand on her hip.
“Wow,” Ally said in a hushed whisper. The group fell silent, mouths agape, as all eyes went past Hailey to where Mad stood self-consciously, legs shoulder-width apart in an aggressive stance. She’d left her boots behind. Without her usual armor, she looked petite and feminine. Stunning, actually. Except for her snarly face.
“What?” Mad snapped. “What’re you all staring at?”
“It’s perfect,” Claire said. “You look beautiful.”
Mad’s expression softened. “Oh.”
The women gathered around Mad, fussing over her new look, making Mad squirm and blush before she finally barked, “Okay, okay! It’s not that big a deal. Now I need shoes. All I have are sneakers and boots.”
Claire looked at her feet, petite and slender. “Size six?” she guessed.
Mad pointed at her. “She’s good.”
Claire grabbed Mad’s hand and pulled her over to the shoe racks.
Hailey appeared at her side. “This collection is amazing!”
Mad stared at the designer shoes ranging from stilettos to pumps to strappy sandals. “Pick something for me,” she told Hailey.
Hailey was delighted, picking up each shoe with reverence and announcing the designer and season to everyone. The woman was a true shoe aficionado. After several minutes of Hailey putting on the greatest shoe show known to earth, Mad finally snapped. “Would you just pick one? I need to get back into my regular clothes. This dress is tight.”
Hailey narrowed her eyes. “It’s not tight. It fits you perfectly. You’re just used to walking around in a sack.”
Mad didn’t take offense. “Sacks are very comfortable.”
Hailey looked her up and down before settling on a black pair of Louboutin stilettos. “Try them on. Carefully. These are three-thousand-dollar shoes.”
“Get out!” Mad exclaimed. “No one pays that much for shoes.”
Hailey jabbed her finger at the shoes.
Mad turned to Claire, eyes wide. “Seriously? You pay that much for this tiny piece of shoe? My boots cost fifty bucks with a lot more material, and they’re made to last.”
“Don’t you know anything about women’s fashion?” Hailey asked.
Mad crossed her arms. “Sorry, Red, I didn’t spend my childhood poring over women’s fashion mags.”
“Your mom never took you shopping?” Hailey asked.
“Don’t remember my mom,” Mad muttered. She shoved her feet into the stilettos and wobbled for a moment, grabbing Hailey’s arm for balance. “How the fuck do you walk in these?”
“Practice,” Claire said.
Hailey nodded. “Did your mom, um, pass on?”
“Nah,” Mad said. “She’s still alive and kicking somewhere. Least I think she is. I’d probably hear something otherwise. Who needs her? I had ten big brothers and a great dad to make up for her.” She pounded a fist against her chest. “Found Boys. Never surrender.”
Found Boys plus a girl, Claire thought. Mad didn’t seem to realize she’d referred to herself as a boy.
“Ten big brothers?” Charlotte exclaimed. “That’s intense.”
“Five biological brothers and five brothers from another mother,” Mad said, perking up. “I’m the youngest. It was like having an entire baseball team looking out for me.” She jutted her chin out. “Now I look out for myself.”
“Boy, were you outnumbered,” Hailey said.
The women murmured sympathetically and gazed at Mad with new understanding in their eyes.
Mad took a practice walk, tottering on the heels. “No big. It was awesome. Still is.” She twisted an ankle, ripped off the shoe and flung it.
Hailey gasped. “You did not just throw a Louboutin!”
Mad scowled at the shoe and pulled the other one off. “Stupid shoe made me twist an ankle. I’ve got flag football on turkey day with my brothers.” She winced and walked it off, limping out of the closet and down the hallway.
Hailey retrieved the shoe sitting against one of Claire’s crushed velvet boots and looked it over carefully. Mad returned, and Hailey held the shoe up to her. “You’re lucky there’s no damage.”
“Almost damaged me,” Mad returned.
Claire went to the shoe racks and pulled out another pair of black heels, Jimmy Choos, with a chunky heel. “Try these.” She placed them on the floor next to Mad, who was testing out her ankle by bending and jumping like she was shooting a basketball.