Violet's Valentine: A Clean Friends to Lovers Romance (Love in Holiday Junction Book 1)

by Tami Franklin

  Her mom smiled slightly. “Honey, we just want to make sure you know what you're doing. That you don't rush into anything. After everything you went through with Ben—”

  “This has nothing to do with Ben!”

  “Doesn't it?”

  Violet pressed her lips together and looked away. She didn't want to think about Ben. About . . . all of it. Lou reached across the counter to touch her arm.

  “I'm not telling you what to do,” she said quietly. “I only want you to be careful. I don't want you to get hurt.”

  The fight went out of Vi at her mother's earnest expression. “I know.”

  “All I want—All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy.”

  She slumped a little more. “I know, Mom.”

  Lou patted her arm and pulled back, taking the tuna bowl with her and putting it in the refrigerator.

  “It's probably nothing, anyway,” Vi said, hooking her feet around the legs of the barstool and swiveling it a little. “Just old friends having dinner. He might not even call—” At that, Vi's cell phone rang.

  Her mother closed the fridge door, her brows shooting up. “You were saying?”

  Vi checked the unknown number on the phone screen. “It's probably not even him. Probably a telemarketer,” she said, answering the call. “Hello?”

  “Vi? It's Liam.”

  “Oh . . . hi!” She glanced at her mother, who mouthed telemarketer at her with a smug expression on her face. Vi got up and went into the living room. “Hi, Liam. How's it going?”

  How's it going? Who said that? She might as well have said 'Sup?

  “Um, good. It's going good,” he replied. “Look, I was wondering if you were free for dinner Friday night.”

  Vi's stomach started its butterfly thing again. “Friday? Sure. I can do Friday.” She toyed with her hair, then realized she was doing it and jerked her hand down.

  “I'll pick you up around six?”

  “Sure. That sounds great!” Man, she was overdoing the perky. She took a deep breath and willed her racing heart to slow. “Six is fine.”

  “Okay, perfect,” he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. “I'm looking forward to it.”

  “Me, too.”

  “See you soon, Vi. Bye.”

  “Bye.” She hung up and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

  “How's Liam?” Lou called from the kitchen.

  Vi rolled her eyes. “Fine, Mom.” She looked out the front window and spotted Kade getting his mail.

  She smirked, a rather evil thought coming to mind. “Hey, Mom, when's that pie going to be ready?”

  “About an hour, why?”

  “No reason.” She slipped on her boots and opened the front door, calling out to Kade as he climbed his own front steps. He paused, one foot on the porch as she approached.

  “Hey,” she said, a little out of breath. “You want to come to dinner in about an hour?”

  Kade slapped the pile of mail on his thigh. “Sure. Can I bring anything?”

  Vi thought of the gross tomato tuna pie in the fridge. “Nah, just your appetite!”

  An hour later, Kade stared down at the jiggling red mass on his plate. “So . . . new recipe?”

  Vi valiantly fought off the urge to laugh. “Mom's testing it out for the book club.”

  He shot a glance toward the kitchen door, where Lou had disappeared a moment earlier to get more napkins. “Is she plotting their demise?”

  Vi choked on a giggle as her mother came back in and plopped a pile of paper napkins in the middle of the table. “How is it?” she asked them.

  Vi forked up a piece of the pie. It shook a little on her fork, the red tomato layer glistening and pocked with pieces of pimento-stuffed olives. “Just about to try it,” she said. “Kade's really excited.”

  Kade shot her a glare, then smoothed his expression into a smile when Lou looked over at him. He cut off a piece of the pie. “Looks delicious,” he said.

  He hesitated, and Vi's lips twitched. “Well, eat it,” she said.

  “Oh, you first.” He grinned at her.

  Vi was up for the challenge. “We'll try it at the same time,” she said.

  Kade arched a brow. Challenge accepted. “Okay, then. One . . .”

  “Two . . .” Vi joined in.

  “Three!” They both shoved the forkfuls of pie into their mouths and chewed.

  Oh, the humanity.

  The tuna part wasn't bad, really. And combined with the cheesy crust, it would have been like a flaky tuna sandwich, if not for the tomato layer.

  The lemon jello, vinegar, Worcestershire, onion, olive, Tabasco, tomato layer that launched the Summer Salad Pie from the land of Kind of Weird into the stratosphere of Why Would Someone DO This?

  “Well, don't keep me in suspense,” Lou said. “What do you think?”

  Vi noticed that her mom hadn't taken a bite yet and forced herself to swallow and smile. “It's delicious.”

  Kade started to say something, but she kicked him under the table. He caught on quickly, though. That was one thing about Kade.

  “It really is,” he said, nodding. “I thought it would be weird, but it's really not.” He cut off another piece and shoved it in his mouth. “Yummy!” he said through a mouthful of gelatinous ooze.

  Kade was nothing if not committed to seeing things through.

  “Really?” Lou looked equal parts surprised and pleased. She cut off a large forkful of pie and lifted it to her lips. Vi held her breath as her mom put it in her mouth, chewed once, then froze, her eyes widening.

  Vi snickered as she watched her grabbed a handful of napkins and spit the mess out.

  “That is horrible!” Lou gulped down some water and set her glass down with a thunk as Vi and Kade laughed hysterically. “And you're both horrible, too!”

  The Summer Salad Pie went into the trash, Kade ordered pizza, and they spent a pleasant evening laughing and watching the British Baking Show on TV.

  And it was only late that night, right before she fell asleep, that Vi remembered she had a date with Liam on Friday night.

  She drifted off before she could think about how weird it was that she'd forgotten.

  While Violet lay sleeping, Lou stared up at the ceiling in her own room, deep in thought. After a while, she texted her friend Anne.

  You awake?

  A response came almost immediately. Of course. Why should my brain let me sleep in the middle of the night?

  Lou smirked and pushed the call button.

  “What's up?” Anne asked on a yawn.

  Lou considered what she was about to do. “I may need your help.”

  “Oh yeah, with what?” Lou could hear Anne sitting up in bed. “You need to dispose of a body?”

  Lou snorted. “You know you'd be my first call, but no,” she said. “It's Vi.”

  “Vi? What's wrong with Vi?”

  She sighed. “Well, you know that . . . Ben . . . really did a number on her.”

  “I know, sweetie,” she said sympathetically.

  “I think she might need some help digging herself out of that slump.”

  “Oh yeah?” Anne's voice perked up. “Is this a job for the Mamas?”

  “I think it could very well be,” Lou replied. “Can you meet at the Grind for coffee tomorrow morning?”

  Anne hummed for a moment, considering. “I can probably get away once the shop opens for a bit. Sam will take care of things.”

  “Okay, that would be great. I'll text Mandy and see you there.” Lou paused for a moment. “Thanks.”

  “Oh, you know I live for this,” Anne said, and Lou could hear the smile in her voice. “Good night.”

  “Night!”

  Lou hung up and tossed her phone onto the nightstand. Then, confident she had the situation well in hand, she rolled over and finally went to sleep.

  The next morning, Lou and Anne sat at a small table in the Daily Grind, sipping cappuccinos while Lou watched the bookstore through the
arched doorway between the two shops. She was alone in the store in the mornings, but Tuesdays were pretty slow anyway. Mandy, on the other hand, had been making coffee since they arrived; a line of customers steadily drifting in. Her early morning barista had called in sick, and she was on her own until relief arrived.

  Finally, around ten, the replacement barista arrived, and Mandy collapsed into a seat with a sigh. “I'm getting too old for this,” she moaned, running her hands over the multitude of salt-and-pepper braids gathered at her nape with an elastic band. Her warm, brown skin glistened from the steam of the espresso machine.

  “Oh, don't be silly,” Lou said. “You're younger than either of us.”

  “Is forty-nine too early to retire?” she asked.

  “Yes,” the other two said simultaneously.

  “Okay, enough about that,” Anne said, adjusting her brown ponytail. She was dressed in a Holiday Junction Bakery t-shirt and jeans. A fine dusting of flour coated her clothing and she peered at Lou through her glasses. “What's up with Vi?”

  “Yeah, what is up with Vi?” Mandy asked, her dark eyes thoughtful. “Everybody's been wondering why she's back in town.”

  “She's back to teach school and save up some money,” Lou replied. “But that's not why I asked you both to come here.”

  They leaned forward, arms crossed on the table. “Well, what is it?”

  Lou pursed her lips. “Vi is a bit lost,” she replied. “Things didn't work out in New York how she hoped, career-wise. And then this mess with Ben—”

  Both ladies offered very unladylike curses at the mention of his name.

  “Yes, well . . .” Lou's lips quirked at their defense of her daughter. “It's been a while since he left, and I think Vi's ready to get back into the game, so to speak. But it has to be the right guy.”

  Anne and Mandy exchanged a glance. “Mamas,” they said with a nod.

  Lou smiled.

  In addition to running local businesses, being on the Chamber of Commerce, and organizing town events, Anne, Mandy, and Lou had another hobby. They’d all found their soul mates early in life. Like Lou, Mandy was a widow, her husband, Kurt, killed in a car accident about five years ago, leaving her a single mom to their then-nineteen-year-old twins. Anne and Sam were still happily married, after thirty-some years, with four grown children of their own.

  One of the things that made the women such close friends was their belief in love. All-encompassing, real, true, love.

  And they loved to help others find it.

  They seemed to have a knack for it, too. Although none of their kids were married—yet—they had brought together John and Sue Jackson . . . and the Bailey boy and that lovely girl, Annette, were engaged to be married the following June. In fact, they had brought together so many couples, the group had been dubbed the Matchmaking Mamas.

  No one said it to their faces, of course, but they knew. And the three women actually liked it.

  “So . . . do you have someone in mind for Vi?” Anne asked, scratching her nose and leaving a little flour behind.

  Lou folded her hands, resting her chin on them. “It appears she's thinking about starting things up with Liam Durant again.”

  “Oh, well, he's a good choice.” Anne leaned back in her chair. “Nice boy. Good job. And they were so cute when they were together back in school.”

  Lou said nothing, and Mandy studied her closely.

  “You're not happy about Liam?” she asked.

  “No, it's not that,” Lou replied. “Liam's a very nice boy. It's just—”

  “Just—” they said in unison.

  Lou toyed with her with coffee cup, spinning it around on the table. “I think she may be settling for what's safe. What's familiar, you know? She has such good memories with Liam, and I'm sure over the years she's wondered what might have been.”

  “Who doesn't?” Mandy asked.

  Lou tipped her head in agreement. “I only want to make sure she doesn't rush into something because it's comfortable. Because it's expected. And I want her to know that she has other options.”

  “Anyone specific in mind?” Anne asked, and Lou could tell by the way she asked the question, that she already knew the answer.

  Lou smiled slowly. “Maybe,” she replied.

  “Vi won't be happy if she knows we've been meddling,” Mandy pointed out.

  “Then she better not find out,” Lou said. “And we're not meddling. We're simply going to help her see that Liam Durant isn't the only game in town.”

  “We won't try to steer her one way or the other,” Anne said slowly. “Just make sure she has all she needs to make an informed choice.”

  Mandy snorted. “You make it sound like choosing a life insurance policy.”

  “It is, in a way,” Lou said.

  “Oh! Oh!” Anne bounced up and down a little. “It's love insurance!” She grinned at them in triumph, only to be met by groans.

  “What?” she said, hurt. “I thought it was clever.”

  “It was, sweetie,” Lou said, patting her arm. “Now, I have a few ideas, and I'm going to need your help—both of you.”

  They leaned in across the table and plotted and planned—and across town at Holiday Junction High School, Vi was none the wiser.

  Violet thought Tuesday went better than Monday. Her students seemed to listen to her, she gave a pop quiz and only got minimal push-back, and after school, she had her first read-through of the spring musical. Her lead actors were very good, in Vi's opinion, but she was waiting until they started rehearsing the songs to get her hopes up. The Music Man could be a tough show, with lots of tongue-twisting lyrics and quick scene changes, and she hoped the kids were up for the challenge. They assured her they were.

  She'd ridden to school with Kade again, but since she had to stay after, she ended up walking over to Chalmers' Chapters to catch a ride home with her mom. She paused a moment before going into the shop, looking at the familiar sign hanging overhead, the dark blue, carved wooden door, and the display of books in the window. Her mom had already set up for Valentine's Day, with vases of roses, heart-shaped confetti, and a vast array of romantic novels. A hanging banner read Fall in Love with Reading in sparkling red letters.

  Vi walked in, shoving the door a little hard out of habit—it had always stuck a bit—and inhaled the familiar scent of old leather and worn pages. She'd always loved the bookstore. Her earliest memories were of hiding out under the front counter, playing with toys, or running down the narrow aisles, the bookshelves towering above her all the way to the ceiling. It had seemed so big to her back then—a supply of books so endless that no one could possibly read them all.

  Mom had moved things around a bit. A grouping of four worn leather chairs around a small table created a reading nook off to the left, and the children's section was now upstairs in the loft, a large, bright yellow arrow pointing the way up. Everything else was the same, though—the shelves crammed with used paperbacks, the table piled with donated books waiting to be put into the system . . . the arched doorway on the right leading to the coffee shop next door.

  “Well, hey you!” Her mother walked in from the back, a stack of hardbacks in her arms. She set them carefully on the counter. “I was wondering when you'd find your way over here.”

  “I just finished with rehearsal,” she replied, grabbing a piece of candy out of the dish next to the cash register. “Was hoping I could ride home with you?”

  “Of course.” Lou flipped open one of the books and made a note on a yellow legal pad. “I'll be closing early today anyway for the town meeting.”

  “There's a town meeting?” Vi chewed on the candy, the peppermint crunching loudly.

  Her mom slammed the book shut and picked up another. “Joshua called an emergency meeting. I swear, that man calls more emergency meetings . . .” She made another note and opened the next book. “Probably going to be a waste of time.”

  “So don't go,” Vi suggested with a shrug.

  The
look her mom gave her made Vi feel like she'd threatened to burn the place down.

  “I have to go,” Lou said slowly. “I'm on the Chamber of Commerce. I'm head of the planning committee. If I don't go, who knows what he'll do.” She finished with her pile of books and set them aside. “Someone has to keep him in line.”

  “Sorry.” Vi held up her hands defensively.

  “You know what happened last time I missed a meeting?” her mom asked, really getting worked up now. “We had white poinsettias on the gazebo steps instead of red. White poinsettias!”

  Vi wasn't sure why that was a problem. “White poinsettias are pretty.”

  Her mom glared at her. “The gazebo is white. The poinsettias were completely washed out!” She started unpacking a box of bookmarks and putting them into a display rack. “There's a reason we always have red. Contrast. Contrast is key!” She waved a handful of bookmarks at Vi to emphasize the point.

  “Of course.” Vi eyed her mom carefully. “We wouldn't want a repeat of the Great White Poinsettia Scandal.”

  Her mom harrumphed in agreement. “You're coming, right?”

  “Me? Why do I have to go?” Vi did not sound like a petulant teenager in that moment. She didn't.

  “To back me up, of course.”

  “You need me for backup? How about Mandy or Anne?” Her mom's two closest friends also owned businesses in HJ and were just as involved in the town's holiday planning.

  “Oh, they try, but they're weak,” Lou said, waving a hand. “When Joshua goes after them, they fold like a cheap suit.”

  “Which is an odd phrase, because wouldn't any suit fold? Cheap or not?” Vi took another piece of candy. “I mean, all you have to do is, you know, fold it.” She unwrapped the peppermint and popped it in her mouth, hoping her comment would distract her mother.

  It didn't. “You need to come with me.”

  “I mean, it would be hard to fold, obviously,” Vi said, pretending not to hear.

  “Vi—”

  “Because it's a suit. Kind of bulky. But not impossible, is what I'm saying.”

  “Violet!” Her mother propped her fists on her hips and gave her that mom look. The I-birthed-you-and-you-owe-me look. The if-you-don't-I'll-guilt-you-for-the-rest-of-your-life look.