“Never!” Dunc threw his hands up in mock disgust. Then a sly grin passed over his face. “My lovely sweetie pie, honeybunch, cookie bear, sweet pea, sugar plum, cherry, snuggle bunny, sugar bomb.”
“How do you even know that many stupid nicknames!” Amanda laughed, pushing him playfully away from her. “No! Do not call me those names!” She ran past him to the stairs.
“Jellybean, Sweetness, peach, gummy bear, cupcake!” Dunc chased after her trying to dig up as many obnoxious names as he could think of. He was careful to avoid any he had heard Joseph say.
Chapter 16
A manda woke to the sound of thunder and raindrops hitting her bedroom window. The rain was falling steadily, filling her room with its comforting sound. She sighed and snuggled up to her pillow. She had been in the middle of a wonderful dream. Amanda smiled, looking at her window and the dark shadows gathered in the corner. Something stirred in the darkness.
Amanda felt her body seize up as a form began coming out of the shadows. Light green eyes narrowed at her beneath a perfect head of blond hair. Amanda yelped and reached under her pillow for the taser.
It wasn’t there!
Amanda lifted her hand, going for the silver necklace she kept wrapped around her wrist.
It wasn’t there!
She scrambled over the side of her bed, reaching for her sword. Bells jingled all around her feet.
It was not there! She opened her mouth to scream. Joseph lunged at her and grabbed her arms, forcing her flat on the floor.
***
Dunc heard a scream coming from next door and was immediately out the door, half-dressed and in the rain. He banged on the Waters’ front door, and Dew opened it. Without a word, Dunc was gone and up the stairs to Amanda’s room, ready to fight whatever it was that was in her room.
All Dunc found was Amanda on the floor wrapped up in her blankets and sheets. She was yelling and fighting for an opening. He sighed and grabbed one trailing end of the blanket, and pulled. Amanda tumbled out of the bundle in a very awkward position. She had a look of panic on her face. Then she saw Dunc standing a few feet away from her holding her blanket in his hands.
Amanda yelped and grabbed the closest sheet. “What are you doing here?”
“You screamed?” Dunc’s face was bright red. He dropped her blanket and turned away to leave. “I’m sorry.” He stopped in the doorway, still looking away. “You know it’s going to be today.” Then he almost slipped on a puddle. “I’ll get this cleaned up.” He groaned and realized he was soaking wet and had trailed water through her house. He was barefoot and only had boxers on.
Today was going to be a long day.
***
Amanda was beaming at Dunc as she watched Lola work on him. Lola had a little mobile salon. It was a converted RV with two chairs in it and everything a standard salon would have. Dunc was sitting in one chair with his head back. Lola was carefully shaving his beard and mustache to match a photo of John Wick she had taped to the mirror. Amanda was sitting in the other chair.
Trey kept peeking in, “Do you need anything?”
“No!” Dunc was beginning to get annoyed.
“Stop moving.” Lola fussed at Dunc. “Almost done.”
“It looks good.” Amanda giggled.
“Going to give him a trim next to go with it. He hasn’t been in for a haircut in months.” Lola moved around Dunc with a pair of scissors shaping his facial hair.
“Oh, don’t cut off too much! I like it wavy!”
“I like it easy to manage,” Dunc mumbled.
“Stop moving.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No!” Both Amanda and Dunc replied.
“Okay.” Trey moved off, looking depressed that he couldn’t do anything to help.
“Easy to manage?” Amanda laughed. “I have seen your hair, Dunc! Do you ever brush it?”
“I brush my hair.” He snorted.
“Knock it off, you two.” Lola thumped Dunc’s chin with her fingers.
“Ouch!”
“Stop moving!”
***
Half an hour later, Dunc looked at himself in the mirror and liked how he looked. He put on his best glower, attempting to pull off the most intimidating look he could manage. Amanda was amazed at how intensely threatening Dunc could look. Then he grinned.
“It looks great.” Amanda stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Good. Now it’s your turn.” Dunc turned around and grabbed Amanda by the shoulders, stepping her back into the chair. “This is for that crack about me not brushing my hair.”
“I do not need a haircut!” Amanda protested. “For one thing, I can’t pay for it.”
“My treat.” Dunc grinned with one hand on her shoulder. “Do something with her, Lola. Make it incredibly cute.”
“Oh no, you don’t!” Amanda tried to wriggle out of the chair.
“I grew an itchy beard for you.” Dunc leaned down into Amanda’s face scratching at his newly trimmed mustache. “You can get a haircut.”
“How about a pixie cut?” Lola suggested.
“I am not Tinkerbell!” Amanda protested.
“How about a trim and some purple streaks?” Lola grumbled.
Dunc reached into his pocket and produced a money clip. He counted out 12 twenty dollar bills and handed them to Lola.
“Fine.” Amanda sighed.
“I’m going to get dressed up.” Dunc grinned, leaning in to kiss Amanda on the forehead. “I’ll be right back.”
“It takes an hour to an hour and a half.” Lola started preparing her supplies. “What color highlights?”
“Purple and rose gold.” Dunc’s grin widened as Amanda shot him a dirty look. Dunc scratched his beard, running his fingers the length of it from ear to
