Page 49 of When Love Takes Root

“You met two of ten.”

“I heard the list.”

That made Onyx and Juice laugh again.

I narrowed my eyes. “What list?”

Juice pointed at Onyx. “Your brother over there rattled y’all off like DMX.”

Onyx shook his head. “Don’t start.”

I couldn’t help myself. I lifted one hand and sang under my breath. “Marina, uh. Selena, uh. Katrina, uh. Sabrina, uh.”

Calista jumped in without missing a beat. “About three Kims.”

Cassia finished, soft as rain. “LaToya and Tina.”

The salon froze.

Then Juice hollered.

He bent at the waist, one hand braced on his knee, while Onyx turned toward the wall, his shoulders bouncing. Calista threw both hands up like she’d just led praise and worship. Cassia stood there with her lemon pound cake and innocent face, as if she hadn’t just helped send the whole shop in an uproar.

Juice shouted, “See! Cultural evidence! I rest my case, Your Honor. That wasn’t a family roll call. That was a Ruff Ryders remix with birth certificates.”

Calista fanned herself. “We’re an anointed collection.”

Even Josiah laughed then.

The sound was low, warm, and completely unguarded.

I hated how much I wanted to hear it again.

I looked away and pretended to straighten a towel that didn’t need touching.

Josiah returned to the outlet, removing the faceplate. His expression changed.

My stomach tightened. “What?”

Juice’s face sobered too. “Heat damage?”

Josiah nodded once. “Some.”

Onyx stepped closer. “How bad?”

Josiah aimed a thermal camera and aimed it toward the rear wall, then up toward the ceiling. “I need to check the panel and trace the run, but this isn’t a reset issue.”

The room stilled.

Calista moved beside me, while Cassia’s hand rested against my back.

“What does that mean?”

Josiah looked directly at me.

“It means you did the right thing shutting this area down. This outlet shows heat damage, and the dryers tripping breakers suggests an overloaded circuit or a bad connection feeding this row. The hot smell near the rear wall concerns me. I’m going to check the panel and attic run, but I don’t want these back stations used until I know exactly what’s going on.”

My eyes moved to the empty chairs.