Violet and Amy exchanged a smile. Nuge had been pursuing Emma for months now but Emma was apparently not making it easy on him.
“We need to talk,” Violet said when Amy joined her at the kitchen sink. “What did you see? Late last night, when you sent me the text,” she clarified.
Amy shrugged. “It was vague. Like. Really vague. Just that you shouldn’t give up hope.”
“He has a date with Mandy Jones tonight,” Violet said.
Amy pursed her lips in sympathy. “It’s just a date, Vee. Not exactly a marriage proposal.”
“I know.”
“A single date isn’t the end of the world,” Amy reminded her.
“I know.” Violet bit her lip and felt her eyes fill with tears. Amy sighed and tugged her friend close for a hug. “Ugh. I feel like such a cry baby, Ames, but he was supposed to be mine. What if I was wrong this whole time? What if I need to actually start looking for my soulmate?”
“Honey, we’re eighteen! That’s awfully young for a soulmate.”
“But my parents found love when they were just kids,” Violet said stubbornly.
Amy pulled back and wiped at her friend’s tears. “Not everyone gets what your parents have. You know that.” She was quiet and paused before asking, “Did you ask First Daughter?”
Violet hiccupped. “I wanted to, but Aunt Eden took the apple away from me.”
“You’re a Race,” Amy pointed out. “If you want an apple from First Daughter, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“There’s something else,” Violet said, looking around to see if anyone stood close enough to overhear the piece of information to her best friend.
“What?” Amy whispered, china blue eyes lit with curiosity.
“Aunt Eden puts First Daughter’s apples in her ‘Eden’s Brew’ every fall.”
“Really? That deliciously sweet pink cider everyone raves about and is only available once a year and while supplies last? That’s from the forbidden apple tree only?”
Violet nodded. “I am definitely getting in line for a jug of it this year.”
“We’ll split it,” Amy agreed and they crossed pinkies to seal the promise.
“Something else occurred to me.”
“Oh?”
“I think there’s more else to the legend. Aunt Eden said Daughter probably has roots straight into Harper’s Mill water table and that could have something to do with her fertility and longevity. But then I thought about it. What if Daughter’s apples were some kind of Fountain of Youth? You know Aunt Eden looks amazing and refuses to tell anyone her age but I swear she looks younger than we do. I suggested to Aunt Eden, half joking you know, that Daughter’s apples are like some kind of youth serum and she got totally wierded out.”
“Curious,” Amy said, smiling with the possibilities. “Eden Race and the Mystery of First Daughter,” she mused. “You have to promise if you ever find out you will tell me.”
“Pinky swear,” Violet said.
“Oh, you need to be careful of pinky swears,” Emma said as she and a heavily pregnant Honor Spencer entered the kitchen. The two women shared a secret smile as Violet and Amy tangled pinkies in an age-old promissory gesture.
“Always,” Amy vowed.
“These berries look amazing. As usual,” Honor said. Her smile grew strained. “My mother in law once told me the best ingredients make the best desserts.”
Emma hugged her and the sadness permeating Honor waned. “Well, she was right, wasn’t she?”
Honor shrugged, “Yeah, I guess she was.”
Curiosity beat at Violet. According to the town gossip mill (not that she ever listened to that), her aunt and uncle had effectively stolen Honor and Spence’s son and triggered a five-year rift between them. Her parents, naturally, refused to speculate or comment. She exchanged another glance with Amy, both girls wondering the same thing. Just what, exactly, had happened between them?
“You girls have a busy weekend,” Honor said as she began washing and slicing strawberries.
“Gossip tonight,” Violet said, giggling.
“And toasted marshmallows.”
“Or fudge!”
“Gossip and sugar. Awesome start.”
“Tomorrow, I’m heading up in the morning to help Aunt Eden get ready. There’s going to be fireworks and everything!”
“And capping the Solstice weekend off with a bonfire at the lake.”
“I heard everyone is going to be there,” Amy said.
Violet nodded. “Afterward, my parents and Aunt Eden said I could take off work for a few days and head down the shore to clear my head. Want to come with?”
Amy began to nod before her eyes began to glow a bright, cerulean blue as a premonition hit her. A mischievous grin played on her soft, mobile lips.
“Remind me never to play poker with you,” Violet said, dryly.
“I think you should go down the shore on your own,” Amy said, dancing a little with excitement. “You’ll have a lot more fun without me there.”
“Can you give me a clue?” Violet asked.
“And ruin your surprise? Never!”
Chapter Four
Promptly at 7 o’clock, Brick pulled his truck up to Mandy’s house.
He sat for a moment, wondering at his sanity but also knowing he needed to follow through with the date. Standing a girl up was not in his DNA. But then again, he hadn’t thought wanting to kiss and make love to Violet Race was in his DNA, either.
Okay. Scratch that. It was totally in his DNA. He just hadn’t thought to get there so soon.
He checked his phone, mentally willing there to be another text message from Violet, but his phone remained stubbornly silent.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard, wondering if he should send one last text. Or would he look desperate? Ugh, he had never had to worry about this before with Vee. Never had to get a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach with her. It was simple with Vee. Easy. Comfortable.
Doubts bombarded him and he wondered, briefly, about the future. About what ifs. What if someone else realized what a gem Violet was and committed to her before him? What if Vee got tired of waiting for him to make a move? He shrugged off his doubts. Everything had made sense when he woke up this morning. Stick to the plan, he thought, trying to bolster his confidence. Think about Mandy.
Except now, when he closed his eyes, it wasn’t Mandy he saw in his arms. In his bed. It was Violet. Violet’s soft curves pressed against him and her delightfully pink lips pressed against his. It was Violet’s strawberry blonde hair spread across his pillow. Violet’s long pale legs wrapped around his waist. Violet’s softness parting and welcoming him within her heat.
After wiping nervous hands down the front of his jeans, he approached the house with caution. His bright-eyed enthusiasm had dimmed somewhat as realization flooded in that this date was a mistake. But he was here. Mandy was waiting. There was really only one thing to do. Go forward.
If only he wasn’t haunted by Violet’s hazel eyes and strawberry colored curls. If only he didn’t feel so damn guilty for hurting her.
“Judge Jones,” he said when Mandy’s father met him at the door.
“Son, come on in,” he invited, formally after shaking his hand. “Have a seat.”
Brick felt the blood rush from his face at Mr. Jones’ stern demeanor. Had Mandy’s dad somehow found out he’d been playing tonsil hockey with Vee at the carwash?
“You have a lovely,” he began.
“I know,” the judge interrupted.
Brick bit his lip and looked at his still-damp shoes. Maybe he should have changed out of the old canvas sneakers he had worn to wash his truck, but he hadn’t thought about it at the time.
“Actually, Dix, I have a date,” Mandy announced with a smug grin as she walked into the living room to greet Brick. Her phone still held to her ear, she gave Brick an air kiss.
“No, it’s not with one of your idiot friends,” she said. “It’s with a real gentlema
n!”
Brick’s eyes opened wide as he internally prayed she would not mention his name. He did not want to get on Dixon Light’s bad side.
Maybe you should have thought of that before asking his girlfriend out, genius, his internal voice said.
Thanks for showing up, he thought. But where were you before I asked Mandy out?
Admiring Violet. Like you should have been.
Ugh. He hated when his internal voice was right.
“Amanda, get off that phone,” her father said in a voice that brooked no disobedience. Brick swallowed and took a step back. Judge Jones may be a man of few words, but his tone and demeanor were scary as fuck. “Brick is here to pick you up. There is no reason for you to be on the phone with Dixon Light.”
“Yes, you heard Daddy right,” Mandy announced. “I have a date with Brick Hamilton. And what are you doing tonight?”
Brick swallowed, now surer than ever this was a bad idea. He took a deep breath. In for a penny, in for a pound, he thought.
Maybe Dix would kill him dead and save Violet the trouble.
“Are you ready, Mandy?” Brick asked. He should have brought flowers. Why hadn’t he brought flowers?
Marie Jones approached from the hallway and Brick nodded to her in greeting. Marie was a popular girl around town and she and Violet were friendly. “Hey, Marie. You helping up at the Orchards again this summer?”
“Just the weekends, Brick,” Marie said. “I got a part time job at Baldwin Realty for the summer.”
Mandy and Marie shared a long look before Mandy finally disconnected the call. “All set,” she said with a smile.
Unwittingly, Brick found himself admiring her beauty but missing Violet’s direct gaze or the way her long silky hair would get caught on the wind and snag on his beard stubble. The way Violet snorted when she laughed. The way the light caught the copper and gold highlights of her hair.
Whatever he thought he saw in Mandy, he now realized was just a mirage. A flat picture compared to a four-dimensional image of the woman he loved.
As he realized where his future lay, Brick felt calm for the first time since his argument with Violet. His future settled around him like a cloak, comfortable and warm. Accepting it was as easy as a glass of cold water on a hot day and he wouldn’t fight it anymore.
Brick found himself once more under the unrelenting gaze of Mandy’s father. “You will have my daughter home by curfew,” he said, calmly.
“I’m eighteen, Daddy,” Mandy said with a sniff and a toss of her ash blonde hair. “Curfews are for children!”
“Or anyone still living under my roof,” her father said, barely acknowledging her.
Mandy visibly fumed. “Midnight?” she bargained.
“Eleven,” her father returned. “Keep it up and I can make it ten.”
“Mother wouldn’t let you,” Mandy said, taunting her father and Brick swallowed at her daring. Had she met her father? This was not a man you messed with.
He raised a single eyebrow and looked at her for a long moment before Mandy backed down. “Fine. Eleven.” She turned to Brick. “Are you ready?”
Deeply aware that Mr. Jones watched them from the porch, Brick opened the door of his truck and helped Mandy over the running board and into her seat.
“I made reservations at the Firebox,” Brick said, clearing his throat and finding his voice. “Then, I thought we’d head to New Town for a movie.”
Mandy scrolled through her phone and nodded absently. “Yeah, sounds good,” she agreed. “Going to the bonfire this weekend?”
“Sunday at the lake? Yep,” Brick said. His hands tightened on the wheel as he put the truck in first gear and headed into town for his date with Mandy.
He was absolutely not thinking about the bonfire. Not thinking about the semi-secluded cabanas surrounding the small beach inlet. Cabanas that allowed for hidden kisses and furtive touches amidst the crowd. They would be full of people making out and enjoying the relative privacy, the gentle lapping motion of the lake, and the bright heat of the bonfire.
And he was absolutely positively not thinking about Violet, her soft lips parted and ready to kiss another man. Not when he had only just decided her lips needed to be his and his alone?
“Is there another bonfire coming up?”
“Oh, tomorrow is the Summer Solstice. The Races always do it up big at the farm. Food. Fireworks. A bonfire and marshmallows. You’ve never been?” Brick asked.
“Oh,” Mandy said, her voice suddenly flat and her nose back peering at her cell phone. “The Races are all so, ugh. Goody two shoes. I’ve never gotten along with any of them. How do you stand them?”
Brick shrugged. “They’re good people,” he said, caught between not wanting an argument with Mandy and not criticizing the family that was as close to him as his own.
~~~~*
“Horror movie or rom-com?” Amy asked as they curled up on the couch.
“Ugh, not a rom-com,” Violet begged. “I don’t have it in me.”
“Horror it is,” Amy announced, popping Zombies take Manhattan into the DVD player on her laptop.
The girls sat, contentedly munching on popcorn.
“This is so bad. Are you sure it’s a professional movie? I’ve seen better B horror movies at Ray’s Hall at Halloween.”
“Mrs. Hamilton recommended it to me,” Amy said.
“That explains it. The blonde is going to get it first,” Violet predicted.
“Nah, she has top billing. She won’t go first.”
They watched in quiet disbelief as the zombies chased the group of high school kids around Little Italy in Manhattan. A Manhattan suspiciously void of all recognizable landmarks except for a not so subtle sign indicating all events took place in New York City. “Apparently, this director has never seen any other zombie movies,” Violet said, taking a long sip from her can of soda.
“Or even New York,” Amy laughed as the actors passed in front of several houses. “This is like Anytown, USA.”
Violet checked the DVD case. “Make that Anytown, Canada. Looks like it was filmed outside of Toronto.”
“Huh,” Amy said, determined to find something good about the movie. “Well. The sound is nice and loud,” she finally said, causing Violet to giggle.
“You ready for college?” Violet asked around a mouthful of popcorn.
“No. I don’t know. Maybe. You’re so lucky,” Amy said. “You know where your future is. With the orchard.”
“Not necessarily,” Violet argued. “My aunt has the orchard. Yeah, the whole family helps but she runs it pretty efficiently.”
“But you know you want to work with numbers. Either an accountant or an actuarial or something, right? That’s what you’ve always said.”
“Yeah, but you know. My future always had Brick in it. Now? I don’t know. Everything seems so up in the air, Ames.”
“Do you ever want to leave Harper’s Mill?” Amy asked, her eyes the sharp cerulean blue of premonition.
“Like, forever? No. Why?” Violet had learned a long time ago to never bring up when Amy’s eyes turned that odd shade of blue. Amy couldn’t control her premonitions and sometimes – most of the times – didn’t like to talk about them.
“I just see you other places sometimes.” Amy’s eyes filled with tears. “I want those futures for you, but at the same time, what if you forget about Harper’s Mill? Forget about me?”
“Not going to happen,” Violet said, her voice soft but confident. “We’re friends. More than friends. You’re my sister.”
“Pinky swear?”
“Pinky swear!”
“Ames?”
“Yeah?”
“Am I pretty?”
For a moment, Violet couldn’t bring herself to look at her best friend, afraid of the pity she would see in her eyes. Finally, she forced herself to look up and meet Amy’s steady china blue gaze. “You’re beautiful. Inside and out. And if Brick can’t see that, then he’s blind. Look with your
own eyes, Vee.”
Insecurity, that old nemesis, fought with her. “Why hasn’t he noticed me?”
“You don’t know that he hasn’t. He is a living breathing male. I am sure he noticed you were in a bikini today.”
Violet blushed, thinking about the kiss. “Yeah, maybe.”
“So, don’t fret so much. You are amazing. We are amazing.”
“Thanks,” Violet said. “And I agree. We are amazing.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Amy said.
“Hmm. Friends also make good zombie bait,” Violet said. “Kid in the wheelchair finally got it.”
“That is so sad. He had a motorized wheelchair.”
“Dead battery.”
“Sad, sad, sad,” Amy observed. “What about you? Are you okay,” Amy asked as the third member of the intrepid band of survivors succumbed to a zombie bite.
Violet raised and lowered her shoulders several times. Opened her mouth to speak before deciding not to say anything.
“Out with it,” Amy said. “You look like a fish out of water, gawping like that.”
Violet smiled at her best friend. “Aunt Eden said something today that I’ve been mulling over.”
“Such as?”
“Well, lots of things, I guess. But in particular, I was going on the idea that Brick wanted me. But what if he doesn’t? Will I grow up and accept it? Or will I completely lose my other best friend because he isn’t in love with me. Will I let my own jealousy destroy my friendship with him?”
Amy leaned back, her arm over her eyes, no longer pretending to watch the movie. “I asked my mother. There are no love potions.”
“And I asked my aunt. There is no special apple that will give you all the answers you may want.”
“Well, that sucks,” Amy said. She paused the movie. “Let’s make fudge,” she announced.
“With Walnuts?”
“Of course,” Amy said. “What kind of heathen do you think I am?”
~~~~*
Awkward, party of two, Brick thought. Maybe Violet should have warned him that her dad was going to be at the Fire Box, too. Because eating a steak dinner while Adam, Ben, Caleb, and Darius Race stared at him like something a cat dragged in was not the highlight of his evening.
Dandelion Wishes (Harper's Mill Book 3) Page 5