Misconception (Coming Home)

CHAPTER 1

Riley

The bell chimes over the door, and I glance that way to greet whoever walked in. When I see who it is, I plaster a smile on my face and pretend that my pulse didn’t just spike to an unnatural level and that my scissors are not slipping in my instantly sweaty palms. Lowering my arms, I wipe my hands on my apron and regroup.

It’s always like this when he’s around.

“Hey, Hudson,” I call out to my sister’s best friend like he doesn’t cause my heart to skip a beat.

“Hey, Hud.” My sister, Raven, lifts her chin in greeting, then carries on with the foil highlights she’s working on.

“Do one of you ladies have time for a quick cut?” he asks, flashing his dimple. Miss Betty sighs heavily where she sits in my chair, and I want to pat her on the shoulder and tell her I understand. Hudson Fleming and his dimple are going to be my demise.

“Sorry, bud,” Raven replies. “I’m going to be here at least another twenty, and I have a cut in between.”

“Riley?” he asks hopefully.

The way he says my name sends shivers down my spine. “I can get you in once I finish up with Miss Betty.” I’m mentally going over my schedule. I had a small thirty-minute break after Betty.

“You’re the best. I’m going to run next door and grab a coffee. Do either of you want anything?”

“No thanks,” I say, swallowing hard to keep myself from replying “you.” I would never, but that’s the first thing that always pops into my head. This crush, or whatever I have on him, isn’t going away. I thought I’d grow out of it, but the truth is that I’ve wanted Hudson Fleming for as long as I can remember.

And I’ve never told a soul.

At first, it was because I thought my sister was into him. I was convinced there was no way they could be just friends, but with each passing year, they proved that they were exactly that.

Just friends.

That should give me the green light to make a move, right? Wrong. Raven is my twin. While we’re not identical, we are still just an extension of one another in this town. Gotta love small-town living.

“Raven?” he asks.

“I’m good. Thanks, though.” My sister doesn’t even turn to look at him again. Instead, she keeps her attention on her client in her chair.

I never pass up the opportunity to look at him.

How she’s immune to him and those striking blue eyes, I’ll never know. Then again, maybe she’s just really good at hiding it. They’re always together, and I’ve heard them defend their friendship more times than I can count. They got seated next to one another in kindergarten, and they’ve been thick as thieves ever since. Me? I was seated next to Howard Morris. He picked his nose and ate it. No lifelong friendship there. I shudder at the thought. Howard moved away when we were in second grade. I think about him from time to time, but not because I miss him. I think about how things would have turned out if I had been assigned to sit next to Hudson instead of Raven. Not that it would have mattered. I would still have these feelings for him. You’d think at twenty-three I’d be able to let this schoolgirl crush I have on my sister's best friend go, but here we are.