Violet Miracle, A Little Bit of Coffee, Flowers, and Romance

by Christina Li

  “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but I don’t know what I would be like if these things hadn’t happened to me. I mean, I wish I hadn’t tried cigarettes, but the Lord forgave me. I don’t really understand why, I probably never will, but I know there is a God who loves me and will comfort me if I let Him. Life hurts sometimes. I can’t control that, but I can control how I respond. Do I respond with fear and by running away or by faith? I want to choose the best thing given what I have.”

  “You’re an amazing person, Violet Carsten.”

  “So are you, Sam Givens.”

  On the drive back to Violet’s house, Sam followed her, wanting to be sure she got home safely in the dark. They turned their cells on speaker and chatted about nothing and everything. She wished this evening would never end.

  Sam walked her to her door. “I want to do this again.”

  “I would like that.”

  “How about tomorrow?”

  “Seriously?” Violet laughed.

  “Yeah. You’ve got just over a month left. I want to squeeze every moment I can out of it.”

  She smiled as she pulled her keys out of her purse. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “How about lunch?”

  “I have to work until noon, but I’m free after that.” Sam’s dimples were showing again as he grinned and Violet got that melty feeling again.

  “See you tomorrow.”

  Violet waved and put the key into the lock. She thought she would like more days like this one. As she fell asleep that night, she wondered how the Lord would work all of this out. For the first time since she arrived, she thought about what it would be like to stay.

  Chapter 16

  The next day, Violet woke floating on air. The morning sped. By the time Sam came to the Coffee House, Ivy, Will, and Jesse were already there.

  “Guess what?” asked Ivy.

  “What?” asked Sam sitting down at the table with them. He didn’t take off his coat, intent on getting away with Violet soon.

  “Mom needs to get Christmas presents for several friends and family. She’s too busy to shop herself, so she gave me money and a big list. Please, somebody come with me and help,” Ivy pleaded.

  Will and Jesse hesitated. Neither liked shopping much, but knowing Mrs. Givens, Ivy really did need help.

  Sam wanted that afternoon with Violet, but… He glanced over at her his eyebrows raised. She nodded slightly, and he grimaced. Her smile widened, and she shrugged her shoulders.

  “I guess so. Violet and I have to eat first though.”

  “That’s fine. I haven’t eaten yet either,” said Ivy.

  “I have, but I can always go for another of your mom’s muffins,” said Will.

  “I never turn down anything mom makes,” said Jesse.

  “You’ll probably need to curb those appetites now,” said Ivy. “Your metabolism won’t stay high forever.”

  “May as well enjoy it while I can,” said Will as he went to get another muffin.

  “I can take orders for everybody if you like,” said Violet. “Aren’t you off work?” asked Sam.

  “Yes, but I don’t mind.”

  “No way!” “You’re off work now!” “Huh uh!” everyone chorused.

  Sam made a show of pulling out a chair for her and taking her order. As she waited at the table for everyone to return, Violet thanked the Lord for friends like these… and someone who might be, maybe… more.

  ***

  The mall complex covered several city blocks, the largest Violet had ever seen. Ivy’s list was formidable, so they decided to split up and meet back at a certain time. Ivy insisted that she go with Violet to get the ‘girly’ stuff. (Her mother needed a gift for a wedding shower as well.) All three men were glad enough to allow Ivy and Violet to get that stuff. Sam comforted himself with the idea that once they met up again, he’d suggest a switch.

  ***

  The items on the men’s list didn’t take long. They weren’t really interested in ‘shopping’. They merely wanted to get the job done.

  Finally, as they meandered around to kill time before meeting back with the ladies, Jesse took the opportunity to share what he’d found during his internet search. His investigation into Violet’s past brought forth some bitter fruit. He had been debating with himself for the last several days about whether to even tell Sam, but in the end, his brother should be told.

  “Sam, I have to tell you something… something about Violet.”

  Sam and Will both looked at Jesse.

  “She has a police record. She was arrested for vandalism and theft. She stole a car. That happened a while ago, but more recently, she was arrested for vagrancy. I thought you should be told.”

  At first Sam was livid. Why investigate Violet like that? Talk about invasion of privacy! He took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. “Jesse, it’s obvious you did all of this because you care, but Violet told me herself about her past. She took a long time to heal after her parents’ deaths and she didn’t always handle it well. She was just a kid.”

  Jesse’s eyebrows rose in surprise. He didn’t expect that Violet would have told Sam about her past. “Okay, I get that she might have reacted badly after the death of her parents. That would be tough on anybody, and those records were from when she was a minor, but what about the recent arrest? That happened only last summer.”

  “Uh, Jesse, how did you manage to get access on what shouldn’t even exist now, if all of that happened when she was a minor?”

  Jesse’s jaw went forward. “I’m good at what I do, and nothing is ever totally erased from the cyber-sphere.”

  “Look, you’re my friend, but I am a police officer. For now, I’ll pretend I’m not hearing this stuff.” Will went to study some baseball hats in a nearby store.

  “Jesse, your gifts and abilities are amazing. I can’t even pretend to understand what you are able to do with computer and internet technology, but you don’t have to protect me. I talked with her pastor, our pastor, and her aunt. Our pastor talked with her pastor. She’s been fully vetted.”

  “You still haven’t answered my question about her arrest last summer.” Jesse’s eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

  Sam chuckled. “You’re like a dog with a bone. Well, to satisfy your curiosity, we’ll ask her.” He looked down at his watch. “In fact, according to my watch, we’re supposed to meet them right now. I only hope she doesn’t press charges for invasion of privacy.”

  Jesse harrumphed a bit and went into the hat store to get Will.

  ***

  “Hey there!” said Ivy waving from a table in the Food Court.

  Sam waved back as they went to join them.

  “I’ve got a question for you, Violet. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” said Sam.

  Violet cocked her head at his serious tone, but she replied, “Okay. I reserve the right to not answer then.”

  Ivy looked curiously first at Will who shrugged his shoulders and then at Jesse who wouldn’t look at her.

  “Were you arrested for vagrancy last summer?”

  “What?” said Violet, and she burst out laughing. “Is that all?”

  “What’s vagrancy again?” asked Ivy.

  “Basically, it means being a homeless person. You get arrested if you’re caught sleeping in a public area that doesn’t allow that sort of thing,” answered Will.

  “Did you run away, Violet?”

  “No, I didn’t run away. My story is simple. I was doing research for one of my books. I wanted to get the feel for one of my main characters. I got a box from the grocery store and tried to spend the night in the main park in Butterfield. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that was against the law until I got woken up, rather rudely by the way, by a police officer. More unfortunately, he’d recently graduated from the academy and believed strongly in following the letter of the law, to its ful
l extent. So, I only spent half the night in my box in the park. The other half of the night, I spent at the police station trying to explain what I was doing. I might have fought it in court, but the whole thing was just so ludicrous that I didn’t bother.” She paused, tilted her head at Jesse, and asked, “How did you even find out about that? I had completely forgotten about it until now.”

  Sam looked triumphantly at Jesse and said, “Jesse is very good at what he does.”

  Jesse shifted in his seat. Finally, he said, “I found your juvenile record and then the arrest last summer. I was concerned. I wanted to look out for my brother.”

  Will and Ivy held their breath waiting for Violet’s response. Sam sat there glaring at Jesse.

  Violet, on the other hand, appeared truly serene. “It’s really rather wonderful. I only wish I had a big brother just like you.”

  All of them sat stunned by Violet’s response. She looked right past the invasion of privacy and saw the heart of love beating fiercely beneath.

  Jesse was perhaps the most surprised of all. He expected hostility and instead met love and understanding. Perhaps Violet would be okay for his brother after all. Of course, the Lord was in all of this. “Thank-you.”

  Violet’s eyes twinkled as she asked, “Jesse, would you mind doing me a favor?”

  He shifted uncomfortably, but nodded.

  “Would you let me interview you for my next book? I would love to write a cyber-crime story.”

  Sam and Ivy’s eyes widened at Jesse’s pleased smile. “I think that sounds like a lot of fun. We can figure out a time later.”

  “That’s awesome!” “Terrific!” “That’s really great,” Everyone congratulated Violet.

  “What is your title?” asked Ivy.

  “‘Murder with a Little Bling, A Lily Green Adventure’ I decided to start a whole new series with a girl who reminds me a bit of a terrific new friend I’ve made. She’s smart, sweet, and spunky.”

  “I wonder who that might be?” asked Sam. He knew already. Violet had mentioned it to him a few weeks ago.

  They all looked at Ivy. As she realized Violet was talking about her, her eyes lit up. “Really?” she squealed.

  “Just wait until you get a chance to read the dedication page,” Violet replied.

  Ivy hugged her and wiped some tears from her eyes. “I’ve never had my name in a book before. This is so cool.”

  “Don’t let it go to your head,” said Sam.

  Ivy punched him in the arm.

  “So, what’s it about?” asked Jesse.

  “Well, I had already decided that I was going to have it be a sort of embezzlement scheme involving jewelry. I got the idea when I found some jewelry in my uncle’s house. I had thought about making the murderer be the partner, but I changed my mind at the last minute when Will arrested that partner in the jewelry store next door to the Coffee House.”

  “We never caught the real murderer. I can’t help thinking that we must have missed something. Who committed the murder in your book, Violet?” asked Will.

  “I should make you wait until you’ve read the book,” she teased.

  “Please,” Ivy pleaded.

  Violet was touched at everyone’s eagerness. “Okay, so long as you all promise to actually read the book when it comes out.”

  They all promised solemnly.

  “It was the girlfriend. Only the twist I added was that she was really the daughter of the man she had murdered because he had rejected her mother a long time ago. She became the boy’s girlfriend in order to get easy access to the jewelry store and find her father. There are really only so many reasons people commit murder. I decided to go for the revenge option.”

  “Wow,” said Sam.

  “I can’t wait to read it,” said Ivy, “and not just because Lily Green is like me.”

  “When did you say it would be up on Amazon?” asked Jesse.

  “Probably in the next couple of days. I’ve had lots of excerpts and some fun character interviews on my blog. The feedback has been terrific. I think this book is my favorite so far.”

  Will was so quiet, Sam commented on it. “Are you all right?”

  He looked up in surprise. He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t realize at first that Sam had spoken to him. “Yeah, I’m good,” he said as he pulled out his phone and started rapidly texting.

  Ivy looked at her watch. “Oh dear, I have to get these back to Mom ASAP. She has some sort of Christmas party with one of her community organizations tonight. We’d better run.”

  Chapter 17

  They had all driven separately. So, after putting everything into Ivy’s car, Sam and Violet turned their cells on speaker again as they drove home. Again, she felt very comfortable around him. They chatted about her latest book and her funny character interviews.

  “Those are a lot of fun,” said Sam. “I always look forward to reading them.”

  “Thanks,” she replied. “Actually, they’re great for marketing. It’s a neat way to soft sell books. People get interested in the characters and want to buy the book to find out what happens to them.”

  “Once again, I see what a smart businesswoman you are.”

  Violet blushed. “The truth is, I got the idea from someone else. I enjoyed reading her character interviews so much that I borrowed the idea.”

  Sam shrugged. “Who cares where you got the idea. It’s still a good one.”

  Violet smiled and nodded.

  All too soon, they arrived at her house. She parked in her driveway and Sam behind his mom’s Coffee House. As she got out of her car, Sam surprised her by running over and walking with her to her door. Such a gentleman. He made her feel so cherished and safe.

  As she opened the door to her house and flipped on the light, she glanced inside and turned to say goodbye one more time. Then, she whipped around and did a double take.

  “Sam...”

  He was already headed for his car, but he stopped and turned. “What is it?”

  “Someone broke into my house.” Violet had tears in her voice.

  Instantly, he was by her side. As he looked inside for himself, he pulled out his cell and called Will.

  When Violet started to go inside, Sam stopped her. “Why?” she asked. “I want to see what kind of damage they did.”

  “Wait until Will and the other officers get here. You want to make sure whoever did this is gone and you don’t want to accidentally mess up any evidence the police might find.”

  “Oh, yeah. How stupid of me.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it. Your first reaction was natural.” Sam led her to back to his car and tried to comfort her as they waited.

  It seemed only seconds later that Will and several other police cars showed up.

  The various policemen spent quite a while going through the house. Violet sat outside fidgeting, unable to sit still. Finally, she paced up and down her front porch.

  “I don’t understand why someone would do this. I mean, I get stealing, but why make such a mess? Why destroy?”

  “I’m so sorry, Violet.” Sam wished he had the words to comfort her. He’d already called Ivy. She voiced Sam’s idea of having Violet spend the night with her and their parents. Sam said he wasn’t sure what they were going to do for the night, especially considering the conditions of the will. He hated the idea of Violet staying there. Ivy told him to keep her posted. She still had to get all of their mom’s stuff dropped off. If the lawyer gave them problems, Ivy said she’d spend the night with Violet one way or the other. No way would she leave her friend alone that night!

  “Violet, you should call your lawyer. Surely, he wouldn’t expect you to spend the night under these conditions.”

  “I hope so, and at least it gives me something to do while I wait.”

  The lawyer was very kind and said that since he had already conducted his surprise monthly visit, he would assume her presence. He recommen
ded that she take only one night away, however. Relieved, Sam offered to take her to his parents’ house.

  “No. I want a chance to walk through my uncle’s house. Besides, the police will want me to give at least a cursory check to see if they stole anything.”

  Sam looked like he wanted to argue, but instead he said, “At least you’ll be spending the night with Ivy and our parents. I’m glad you won’t be alone tonight.”

  Violet was touched at his protectiveness. He wasn’t possessive. He only wanted her to be safe. That knowledge almost made this nasty situation better.

  Will came out. “I’m sorry, we made more of a mess by dusting for fingerprints. We probably won’t get anything, but we’ll try. Can you do a quick walk through with me to check if anything is missing?”

  “Yes, please.” Violet raced inside. Of course, Sam came along.

  Inside looked terrible. Plants and furniture were turned over. Curtains were pulled down. It looked as if someone had spread flour all over the place. Will told her that was the police dusting for prints. In the bedrooms upstairs, clothes were strewn all over the place. Violet was very glad she took her little computer with her wherever she went. She hated to imagine what this horrible person would have done to it. Amazingly, her clothes weren’t damaged. They were merely strewn all over. She wondered if they got into a hurry at the end.

  In the basement, books were strewn all over the place, many ripped apart. It seemed Violet’s books were especially targeted. Will had hoped she wouldn’t notice that, but she did. Why would someone do this to her?

  As she stood in her basement looking at the remains of her books, she had a thought. Turning, she raced back upstairs.

  Will shot a questioning look at Sam. He shrugged in response as they followed her. They found her up in her room. She was looking in one of the drawers. Then, she dug in amongst some of the clothes.

  “The jewelry is gone, the stuff I was going to have appraised. Do you think…? I can’t imagine they would do something like this. I mean, Manny’s been coming to church. He wouldn’t do something like this, would he?”

  “I don’t know,” said Will. “Unfortunately, we would need some kind of proof to bring them in for questioning.”

  Violet sat down on the floor discouraged. She knew better than to argue with Will. After all, it wasn’t his fault. If Manny and his girlfriend had done this, it would be difficult to prove. “Too bad you probably don’t have their prints on file.”