Violet's Valentine (Love in Holiday Junction #1)

by Tami Franklin

  “I think it's pretty obvious.”

  “Well, I would disagree—”

  “Gentlemen—”

  “—and you would be wrong!”

  “Gentlemen!” Lou shouted, slapping a hand on the table. “If you don't mind!”

  Both men opened their mouth as if to respond, but at Lou's glare, they snapped them shut and sat back, silently fuming.

  What in the world was that all about? Violet looked from one to the other, but they wouldn't meet her eyes. She shrugged and took another bite of her sandwich.

  “All right,” Anne said, brown eyes wide. “I think there's room at the ball for twinkle lights and paper lanterns. Kade's right—there's nothing that says we can't try something a little different.”

  Kade preened. He literally preened. Vi hadn't seen someone do that before, but there was definitely some preening going on.

  And she thought she might have heard Liam mutter something under his breath, but she wasn’t entirely sure.

  “So, someone will need to drive into the city on Saturday to pick up the smoke machine and some decorations we've already ordered.” Anne checked something off on a piece of paper, then looked up. “Vi, are you up for it?”

  The question took her by surprise, but she shrugged. “Sure. I'll have to borrow my mom's car—”

  “Oh, I don't know,” Lou said, frowning. “I kind of need my car on Saturday.”

  “You do?” Vi asked. “What for?”

  “I have some things to do,” she said vaguely.

  “I can drive,” Liam offered. “Vi might need some help with the heavy lifting anyway, right?” He smiled at her. “It'll be fun.”

  Her skin heated. Why did his smile always have that effect on her?

  She played it cool, though. “Yeah, sure,” she said. “It'll be fun.”

  “Oh, but I was hoping to get Vi's help with the music,” Mandy said, shuffling through her own pile of papers as she pulled a pencil from the pile of braids atop her head. “With her musical background she's the perfect choice.”

  “What exactly do you need?” Vi asked, setting down the remnants of her sandwich and wiping her hands on a napkin.

  “The D.J. is coming by tomorrow afternoon to go over the playlist,” she replied. “It's the only time he's available, but I can't do it. Friday afternoons are so busy at the shop.”

  Vi consulted her phone. “I'm pretty open tomorrow afternoon. I'd be happy to meet with him if you fill me in on what you're looking for.”

  “I can help,” Kade said quickly. “I mean, I've been there for the past decade of Sweetheart Balls. I can probably offer some assistance music wise.”

  “Perfect,” Mandy said, and Vi thought she shot Anne a kind of smug smile, which didn't make any sense at all.

  Her mom's friends were weird.

  The meeting wrapped up pretty quickly after that. They ran through responsibilities for refreshments, (Vi wasn't tagged for that, thank goodness) discussed ticket sales, (at a record high, much to Lou's glee) and the last-minute promotional push, which, as far as Vi could tell, involved posters and flyers, as well as an upcoming spot in the Journal. To be honest, she was kind of daydreaming through that part of the meeting. Liam had leaned forward, his elbow on the table, chin on his hand, and that made his cologne waft her way a little bit.

  It was very distracting.

  Finally, Lou declared the meeting adjourned, and Vi headed out of the store, flanked by Kade and Liam.

  “Mom, you coming?” She turned back when she saw Lou wasn't following them.

  “You go on ahead,” she replied. “I need to talk to Anne and Mandy for a bit.”

  “I can give you a ride,” Liam offered at the same time as Kade said, “Ready to go?” motioning toward the door.

  “Oh!” She looked from one to the other, finally settling on Liam.

  “I'll catch a ride with Kade,” she said. “He's right next door, and I hate to have you go all the way across town.”

  “It's no problem—” Liam began, only to be cut off by Kade saying, “Great! Let's go.”

  He opened the door for Vi, then followed her out, letting the door swing shut on Liam.

  “Hey!”

  “Oh, didn't see you there,” Kade said. “Sorry, dude.”

  Sorry, dude? Since when did Kade talk like a surfer? And he really didn't seem all that sorry.

  “No worries,” Liam replied, although Vi could tell he was irritated.

  She wasn't sure what was wrong with Kade, but he seemed to be mad at Liam for some unknown reason.

  Vi tried to smooth things over a bit, turning to Liam. “We're still on for dinner tomorrow night, right?”

  “Absolutely.” He grinned at her, his white teeth and sparkling eyes making her knees feel like jello. “I'm looking forward to it.” He reached for her hand and the touch made her skin tingle.

  “Me, too,” she said breathily.

  He leaned in, shooting a glance toward Kade before pressing his lips lightly to her cheek. She could feel the blush heating her face, and bit her lip, looking up at him.

  “I'll see you tomorrow night,” he said.

  “Okay,” she replied, watching him walk away toward his car.

  “Can we go now?” Kade asked flatly.

  Vi jumped a little. She'd almost forgotten he was there.

  “Yes, we can go now,” she said, mimicking his grumpy voice. “What's your problem, anyway?”

  They got into the car and Kade started the engine. “I don't have a problem.”

  “Right,” Vi drew the word out. “So, you are really just that passionate about paper lanterns?”

  He pulled away from the curb, his face darkening as he spotted Liam waving before he got into his own car.

  “I don't know. That guy gets under my skin, lately,” he said gruffly. “He acts like he's the expert on everything.”

  “I don't think that's tru—”

  “I mean, yes, he's a big, fancy lawyer, but success isn't only about having a good job and a lot of money, you know?”

  “I know that,” Vi replied. “There's more to Liam than his job.”

  “Oh yeah?” Kade shot her a glance, then checked both ways before turning the corner. “Like what?”

  She shifted to face him. “What's this all about, Kade?”

  His jaw tightened, then he took a deep breath and let it out, slowly. “It seems to me that you're living in the past.”

  Vi gaped at him. “What?”

  “Come on,” he scoffed. “You're living in your old room, going out with your high school boyfriend—”

  “That's—that's—” she sputtered.

  “Are you so desperate to re-live the glory days—”

  “Desperate?” Her hands began to shake. How dare he? “Who are you calling desperate?”

  He pulled into the driveway and slammed the car into park. “I'm just saying—”

  “You're just saying that I'm a pathetic has-been who hasn't moved past high school?” she all but screeched. “Is that what you're just saying?”

  “Vi—” he groaned.

  “No, don't you Vi me,” she spat, anger rearing up like a lion. “You have no idea what I've been through. No idea.”

  “I know that Ben—”

  “You know nothing about Ben.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle, shocked to find herself fighting back tears. “And apparently you know nothing about me, either!”

  “Vi!”

  She got out of the car and slammed the door before stalking toward her house.

  “Vi, come back. Let's talk about this.”

  “I don't want to talk to you!” she shouted over her shoulder. “And don't worry about giving me a ride tomorrow. I'll call an Uber!”

  “We don't have Uber!”

  She ignored him and ran up the steps and through the front door, slamming it behind her. Frustration and anger welled up in her and she breathed deeply, unwilling to give in to the tears.

 
No more tears.

  Squaring her shoulders, she walked into the bathroom and splashed some water on her face, then drank from her cupped hands. She was under control. She didn’t have to think about it. No more tears.

  She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned, remembering what Kade had said. Was she just trying to re-live some glowy memory of high school she clung to like a pathetic loser? Was she so messed up after Ben—

  She choked on a surge of emotion, her hand going instinctively to her stomach. Vi clutched at her sweater and closed her eyes, willing her control to return. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes, but didn't look at the mirror again before leaving the bathroom.

  Vi didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to think about any of it. And if there was something she'd gotten pretty good at over the past six months, it was not thinking about things.

  Instead, she retrieved her bag and pulled out her lesson plan book, and a stack of papers to grade. She had work to do. And she had to figure out a way to get to work tomorrow.

  Maybe she could get a ride with her mother. It'd mean Lou would have to get up early—which she wasn't a huge fan of—but she'd probably help her out this once. If not, she could always walk.

  Violet bent over her work and put aside all thoughts of Kade and Liam . . . and Ben.

  Late that night, when Vi was almost asleep, she heard the distinctive sound of a guitar outside. Chords first, then a gentle, rhythmic picking.

  “What in the world?” she murmured.

  She got out of bed and went to the window, pulling back the curtain so she could peek outside. She couldn't see much. Her window faced the side of Kade's house, his own childhood bedroom window across the small stretch of lawn. Many nights they'd stayed awake late, whispering across to each other and hoping they wouldn't get caught.

  Kade didn't sleep there anymore, of course. He was on the other side of the house, in his parents' old room. She wondered if that was weird for him. If it brought back painful memories. They’d been killed in a car accident not long after Kade graduated from college. Vi had wept when she heard, and called Kade to tell him how sorry she was. She’d gotten his voice mail, and only now did she realize that was the last time she’d called him.

  Vi caught a flash of movement near the front of the house and realized Kade was on the front porch. Quietly, she cracked the window so she could hear him play a little better.

  It took her a moment to recognize the tune. Even then, she wasn't certain she did.

  Until he started to sing.

  I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry

  I acted like a tool

  I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry

  For being such a fool

  Vi giggled. It was a song they'd made up when they were ten or eleven. A way for them to apologize to each other without having to actually apologize.

  It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

  Like the guy who broke the Atari

  Or the one who crashed the Ferrari

  Who puked when he ate calamari

  Who fed the lions bread on safari

  I'm so, so, so,

  Vi quietly sang along.

  so, so, so

  so, so, so

  She snorted, trying not to laugh out loud.

  so, so, so

  I'm so, so, so, so, so, so . . . sorry.

  He finished with a last rattly strum and peeked out from under the porch roof. She couldn't see his face in the darkness, but knew he was waiting for her to say something.

  “You did act like a tool,” she said.

  “I know.” He set the guitar down, leaning it against the porch rail. “Can we talk?”

  It was late, but Vi knew they needed to do this. “I'll be down in a minute.”

  She put on slippers and an old, knitted cardigan, wrapping it around herself over her pajamas as she tiptoed down the stairs. She made her way outside and over to Kade's front porch. He was standing next to the porch swing, watching her nervously.

  “You could get arrested for disturbing the peace,” she said by way of greeting.

  His lips twitched. “I know a lawyer.”

  She snorted. “After today, Liam would probably let you rot in jail.”

  Kade sighed heavily and motioned toward the swing. “You want to sit?”

  Vi shrugged, still not completely willing to let him off the hook, but she finally sat next to him on the swing. He pushed it with his foot, the chain squeaking overhead.

  “I really am sorry,” he said after a few minutes.

  Vi nodded, looking out over the front yard. “It's okay.”

  “Thanks.”

  “But I have to know,” she said. “What was that all about? Is it Liam? Is it me?”

  “No, it's not—” He ran his hands through his hair, then dropped them in his lap. “It's not either of you. I had a bad day and overreacted.”

  “Really,” she said flatly. “You're going with I had a bad day?”

  He huffed, his lips quirking up. “You never did let me get away with anything.”

  “That's my job as your friend,” she pointed out.

  “Right.” Kade nodded. “I guess—I guess I missed you, when you were gone,” he said after a bit of a pause. “And I like having you around again.”

  She leaned in to bump his shoulder with her own. “I like being around.”

  “And I guess,” he said slowly, “the thought of you and Liam picking things up where you left off—”

  “We're not picking things up,” she said, throwing her hands up in frustration. “It's just dinner!”

  Kade eyed her skeptically. “Believe me. Liam wants to pick things up. He wants to pick all the things up.”

  Vi rolled her eyes, unwilling to argue the point.

  “Anyway,” Kade continued, “I might have felt a little jealous, thinking he was going to be taking up all your time. Maybe. A little bit.”

  “Maybe,” she said.

  “A little bit.”

  Vi wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry in relief. She hated being mad at Kade, but now . . . after the song. And the confession? How could she stay angry?

  She nudged him again. “You're dumb.”

  He smirked. “You're dumb.”

  “Look,” she said, turning to face him and tucking a foot under her. “You're my friend. That's not going to change. Liam or no Liam.”

  He sighed. “I know.”

  “And I'm not some starry-eyed teenager who's going to get lost in her boyfriend's life, you know? I'm an independent woman!”

  “Right.” He nodded emphatically.

  “I am!”

  “I know you are!”

  “I lived in New York!” she said. “I rode the subway! I ate street meat!”

  Kade made a face. “Gross.”

  Vi wasn't going to let it go until she knew he understood. “The point is, no matter what happens with Liam, I'm not going to abandon you.” She ducked down to look in his eyes. “Not again.”

  “Vi—”

  “No, I want to say this.” She touched his arm. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left and didn't keep in touch. I shouldn't have done that.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “It's okay.”

  “It's not, but—” She pressed her lips together, then sang. “I'm so, so, so, so, so, so sorry!”

  Kade laughed. “I'm sorry, too.”

  “I can't believe you sang the song.”

  “Hey, that's an amazing song,” he protested. “One of my better pieces, if I do say so myself.”

  “Well, you didn't write it alone,” she pointed out.

  “Ah yes,” Kade said, nodding. “You wrote the so, so, so, so, so, so part.”

  She held up a finger. “And I believe the calamari line was mine.”

  “It was not!”

  “Was so!”

  They both burst out laughing and Vi found herself leaning into him, happy that they'd made amends. The swing creaked as it swayed back and forth, their breath pu
ffing out in clouds of steam.

  “You know you can talk to me, right?” Kade said quietly. “About Liam. About . . . anything.”

  Ben. She knew what he meant.

  “I know,” she said. They swung for a little while longer before she said, “I guess you were right, in a way. I was happy in high school. So happy. And maybe I do regret what happened with Liam.” She sat up and turned toward him. “Is that so wrong? To want to see if we still have something? Could still have something?”

  Kade studied her face, then shook his head. “No, of course not,” he said. “You should do whatever makes you happy. If that's Liam, then I'll support you a hundred percent.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Even if he's kind of boring.”

  “He's not boring!”

  But Kade was smiling, so she knew he wasn't serious. And she wasn't really mad.

  “I guess things were just simpler back then,” she said quietly, looking out over the yard again. “We were young and the world was wide open, you know? We didn't know disappointment, not really. We didn't know—” Her throat closed up and she swallowed thickly.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Not really,” she admitted, glancing at him. “But I'm getting there.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Vi considered it. Thought about telling Kade everything. But she felt peaceful and safe sitting next to him on that old porch swing, and she didn't want to ruin it.

  “Not right now,” she said, looping her arm through his and leaning her head on his shoulder. “Maybe later?”

  “Okay.”

  “Right now, I'd just like to sit here and swing for a while, if that's all right?”

  “That's perfectly fine.” He kissed the top of her head. “I'm always up for a late-night swing.”

  And for a few precious moments, they sat there in silence, watching the world go by.

  The next afternoon, Kade and Vi waited at the high school for the Sweetheart Ball D.J. to show up. It was after three on a Friday, so the school was empty, and they stood at the front doors, watching the parking lot for his car.

  Kade hid a yawn behind his fist. He was tired after their late night, but relieved that things seemed to be back to normal between them. He felt a little foolish for how he'd acted, but Vi seemed to be over it, so he tried to be, too.