Her heart thumped and her pulse raced when she thought of him.
In the back of her mind, she feared setting herself up for a huge disappointment by getting so carried away over him. What if he was just doing his job and being nice to her because she was a customer? Was it possible she’d read too much into their subtle flirtation? Was it even flirtation or him just doing what he did with everyone?
As she scrubbed the bathroom floor, she drove herself crazy with those questions and others. She’d dated a lot when she was younger, but rarely allowed her interactions with men to go beyond the surface. It was safer there. If you didn’t let people in, they couldn’t hurt you.
The general had taught her that and many other lessons children should never have to learn from a parent. But after years of therapy and working on herself, she refused to let the scars from the past ruin the present and future. The Lawrys were survivors, not victims. They’d prevailed in the end. Mark Lawry’s once-sterling reputation was in tatters, the worst kind of punishment for a man who cared more about his image than his own family.
Justice had been served, and she was determined to move forward without that dark cloud hanging over her life.
With the salon clean and fresh smelling, she tidied up the reception desk and shut down the computer that ran the appointment and billing systems. As she locked the door and began the short walk home, she was determined to remain positive no matter what became of her friendship with Jace. If he wasn’t “the one” for her, someone else would be. She’d find him.
Eventually.