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

by Tami Franklin

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  Vi was a little out of breath. “What am I doing? What am I doing? What are you doing?”

  Kade rolled his eyes. “Look, Vi, I really have to go.”

  “Oh yeah?” she said, eyes narrowed in challenge. “Where?”

  “What?”

  “Where exactly do you have to go?” she asked. “What has you in such a hurry?”

  “I, uh,” he looked away. “I have a lesson.”

  “No, you don't,” she said smugly. “You only do lessons on weeknights. Next.”

  “I don't have time for this.” He started toward his car, but she followed him, unable to give up, for some reason.

  “What's wrong with you, Kade?” she asked. “What happened yesterday with Liam?”

  That stopped him in his tracks. “What?” He glanced back at her. “Nothing happened with Liam.”

  “Then why are you being so weird?” she asked. A rumble of thunder sounded in the distance and she glanced up at the darkening clouds. “It's like you're avoiding me.”

  He turned to face her. “I'm not avoiding you,” he said. “I just have other things to do, you know. It's not all about you, Vi.”

  She felt as if he'd slapped her. “I never said it was.”

  “I can't be there at your beck and call, you know,” he spat. “Besides, isn't that Liam's job?”

  Vi's cheeks flushed with anger. “So, this is about Liam.”

  “It's not about Liam,” he said, fisting his hair. “It's about you and me.” He jabbed a fingertip into his own chest. “I can't do this anymore.”

  Soft raindrops began to fall, pelting her face, but Vi barely felt them. “Can't do what?” she asked quietly.

  “I can't—” He looked up, the rain flattening his hair. “I can't be there for you. Not like I have been. I can't sit on the swing with you when you cry and make jokes with you and sing songs with you. I just can't do it anymore.”

  “Why not?” she asked, her heart pounding, the raindrops mixing with tears.

  “I just can't,” he said, his jaw tightening. Water dripped down his nose, and he swiped it away. “I can't be your friend, Vi. Not like I used to be. Not anymore.”

  She grabbed his arm again, her fingers digging into the wet cotton of his jacket. “You can't say that and walk away. Not without a reason. Not without an explanation!”

  “There's no place for me, Vi,” he said firmly. “You and Liam—”

  “What are you talking about?” She shook her head. “Just because I'm with Liam doesn't mean we can't—”

  “But it does!” His voice was pleading. “You can't have us both. It's not like high school.”

  “But why?”

  “Because it’s not!” he shouted.

  But Violet was angry, too. Angry and confused. “Tell me why!” she shouted. “Give me a good reason.”

  “Vi—” He tried to pull away, but she held fast.

  “Tell me why!”

  He looked at her, eyes wild and frenzied, and he took hold of the hand gripping his arm. “Because I'm in love with you!”

  Vi stared at him, stunned.

  “I've always been in love with you,” he said, his own eyes filling with tears. “Even back then. And back then, I could do it. I could stuff it down and be your friend. Watch you with Liam and be there for you however you needed me. But now? Now it's so much . . . more. And I can't do it, Vi. I can't watch you with Liam and wait on the porch until you need someone to talk to. I can't. Do. It.” He squeezed her hand gently and pulled it away from his arm and she let him.

  He turned to head to his car, but looked back at her, over his shoulder. “I'm sorry,” he muttered.

  And Vi stood in the parking lot of the Beavers Lodge in the middle of a rainstorm and watched Kade drive away, adrift on a wave of shock and despair.

  What had he done?

  Kade stood behind the refreshment table at the Sweetheart Ball, putting on a smile and pouring out cups of punch. Everyone was having a wonderful time, but Kade felt like his tie was choking the life out of him.

  Or perhaps that was regret.

  He told her.

  He told her.

  He hadn't intended to do it. After his little talk with Liam, he planned to lay low, try to let things work out on their own. Eventually, he and Vi could go back to some semblance of a friendship, even if they weren't as close as they once had been. The thought made him feel lost, empty, but Liam was right. Kade could give Vi what she wanted . . . because Liam was what Vi wanted.

  But when he saw her, eyes sparkling with laughter as she watched the D.J. do his ridiculous tests, his heart had broken inside his chest, and he knew he couldn't be near her, knowing she could never be his.

  Not anymore.

  So he'd tried to leave. Like the good guy. Like the gentleman. But she'd been stubborn and pushy and in the end, well . . .

  He'd told her. And now he very well could face the rest of his life without Vi in it. Like a coward, he'd even hidden out the rest of the afternoon in his classroom at school, afraid to run into her at home.

  What was he thinking? Maybe he could take it back. He could tell her—what, exactly? How did one take back, I'm in love with you.

  Nope. Kade had to face facts: He'd ruined everything.

  “Can I have a little more?” Lou stood across the table from him, holding out her cup.

  “Of course.” He filled it and she took a sip. She wore a gray gown with slitted sleeves and little gemstones at the shoulder.

  “You look nice tonight, Lou.”

  She smiled at him. “Thanks. You clean up pretty good yourself.”

  He looked down at his own dark suit. The only one he owned, in fact. “Thanks. Good turnout,” he said. “Looks like everyone's enjoying themselves.”

  Lou hummed, nodding. “I could do without the cupids, though.”

  Boomer Benedict and three other guys—football players from the high school—wore diapers and wings, weaving between the tables and miming shooting people with their arrows.

  “I don't know,” Kade said. “At least Boomer waxed his back.”

  Lou grimaced. “I suppose we should be grateful for small favors.” She glanced at him. “Have you seen Vi? I thought she and Liam would be here by now.”

  Kade stirred the punch, watching the ripples. “Nope.”

  “Oh, there they are,” Lou said, looking toward the entrance.

  Kade followed her gaze and his breath caught.

  Vi's shoulders were bare, except for the tiny straps of a pink dress with a full skirt . . . white at the top, fading into almost magenta at the hem, with white flowers weaving from one shoulder across the bodice and down the skirt. Her blonde hair was caught up into a complicated knot, a few strands framing her glowing face. She was smiling up at Liam, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

  She was absolutely stunning. And Kade couldn't breathe.

  Vi looked in his direction and he realized Lou was waving her over. The fluttering twist of his stomach made him feel slightly nauseated, and he hoped he wouldn't throw up in the punch bowl.

  With a faint smile, Vi started toward them, and Kade panicked. What would he say to her? How could this not be horribly, awfully weird?

  But then Liam caught her arm and whispered something in her ear. She glanced over at Kade, brow furrowed, but followed Liam to the other side of the room to talk to another couple.

  Kade didn't know if he should feel relieved or disappointed.

  “You okay, sweetie?” Lou was watching him with concern.

  “I, uh.” Kade wiped sweat off his upper lip. “You know what, Lou? I'm not feeling so well. Would you be okay without me?”

  She tipped her head, sympathy evident on her features. “Of course. I'll get someone else over here. Maybe Boomer. Keep him from scaring the guests with that arrow.” She reached out and touched his cheek. “You sure you're okay?”

  “Yeah.” Kade nodded but didn't meet her eyes. “I
just need to get some sleep, I think.”

  “Okay,” she said quietly.

  He hooked the ladle handle on the edge of the punch bowl. “Have a good evening.”

  “You too,” Lou said, “And Kade?” When he finally looked at her, she smiled. “Don't give up.”

  He didn't even ask her what she meant by that. He just got out of the ballroom as quickly as he could, making sure to stay far away from Vi as he went.

  Violet pasted on a smile and nodded at the woman speaking to her. Her date was a colleague of Liam's, so they were chatting about a case or something—Vi wasn't really paying attention—and she was left to discuss fashion choices with—

  What was her name again? Tasha? Wanda?

  Vi couldn't even remember. She was so surprised to see Kade behind the punch bowl when she walked in that she couldn't keep another thought in her head. She'd wanted to go over and talk to him but, to be honest, she had no idea what to say. His confession had knocked her off her feet, and she was still stunned when she thought about it.

  “And so I couldn't decide between pink and red,” Wanda/Tasha said. “But when I saw this little number, I couldn't say no.”

  Vi eyed her outfit and had to admit that little number fit it perfectly. The skin-tight, red-sequined dress was cut low at the top and high at the bottom, her long legs on prominent display as she balanced on matching high heels. And every inch of her not covered with sequined spandex was coated with sparkly glitter.

  “Well, you look amazing,” Vi said. “I definitely couldn't pull that off.”

  “Oh, you're sweet,” she said. “The secret is Pilates. And no carbs . . .” And with that, she launched into a discourse on diet and exercise, and Vi's thoughts wandered again.

  Kade was in love with her. Her best friend. Her partner in crime since she was a little girl. And she'd had absolutely no idea.

  She felt like an idiot. A self-absorbed, narcissistic idiot.

  Vi tried to sneak a peek over at the refreshment table, but she couldn't see Kade, at least not without turning her head, giving away the fact that she wasn't paying attention.

  “Oh!” Wanda/Tasha let out a little squeal, and Vi noticed she was holding an arrow with a heart-shaped tip. “He shot that right at me,” she told Vi. “He could have poked my eye out!”

  Vi sincerely doubted that, but she put on what she hoped was a sympathetic expression. “Are you all right?”

  “Well, yes. Thank goodness.” The woman's hand fluttered over her cleavage, the extremely low neckline leaving little to the imagination. Vi wondered how she was keeping everything in.

  Boomer Benedict wandered over and held out his hand. “Sorry,” he said. “That one got away from me a bit.”

  Vi bit her lip to keep from laughing. Per the mayor’s instructions, Boomer had waxed his back—it was smooth and hairless, and Vi kind of felt sorry for Boomer. It must have been painful. His chest, however, was still covered with wiry black hair from his shoulders down to his white cotton diaper. The straps from his wings were a little too tight, cutting into his shoulders, and he'd added a gold circlet to his comb over, which slipped a little, so he kept shoving it back up.

  “You should be more careful,” Wanda/Tasha said, handing him the arrow.

  Boomer grunted, mesmerized by her cleavage—maybe it was the glitter—and she snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

  “Sorry, Rose.” Huh. Not even close with her name.

  While Rose was distracted, Vi tried to scope out the refreshment table again. People kept passing in front of her, however, so she couldn't get a clear sightline. Frustrated, she finally turned back to Rose, who was scolding a withering Boomer.

  “I'll be right back,” she said. “I'm just going to go get something to drink.” She wasn't sure what she'd say to Kade, but she had to see him. Tell him she was sorry for being so insensitive. Promise to be better if he'd just give her another shot.

  She squared her shoulders and was about to cross the room when Liam appeared next to her, his hand at the small of her back.

  Liam. She'd almost forgotten all about him.

  “Hungry?” he asked, his blue eyes warm as he smiled down at her.

  “Um, yeah,” she said. “I could eat.”

  They started toward the table and he leaned down to say quietly. “Thanks for that. I wasn't sure how to get away from Lucas. I forgot how worked up he gets talking about work. I've never met anyone so passionate about bankruptcy law.”

  She snorted. “Sounds exciting.”

  “You have no idea.” He pressed his lips to her temple. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?”

  She smiled. “You might have mentioned it.” Vi reached up to smooth the lapel of his dark blue suit. Liam was clean shaven, his sandy hair styled impeccably. “You look pretty nice yourself.”

  They neared the refreshment table and Vi scanned the area, searching for Kade, but he was nowhere to be found.

  “Something wrong?” Liam asked.

  “Huh?” Vi blinked, then shook her head. “Oh, no. I was just looking for Kade. I thought I saw him over here earlier.”

  Liam's jaw tightened. “Oh, well I'm sure he's around here somewhere.” He reached for a couple of plates and handed her one. “The beef looks good.”

  Vi took the plate. “Thanks.” They walked slowly down the table, filling their plates. “We just had kind of a—” what would she call it, “—fight, this afternoon? I wanted to make sure he's okay.”

  Liam took a roll and set the tongs down on the platter, a little hard. “Well, you can always call him tomorrow. Or you'll see him at school Monday, right?”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Vi scooped up some fruit salad, even though she didn't really want any.

  “Look,” Liam turned to face her. “I know you're worried about him, but Kade's a grown man. I'm sure he's fine. You guys will work it out. You always do. Maybe he just needs a little space.”

  Vi wasn't sure she agreed, but she nodded anyway.

  “Now, can we find a table and try to enjoy our evening?” he asked, flashing her that dazzling smile that, in the past, had made her weak in the knees.

  Funny. Her knees felt just fine. Solid as a rock.

  “Of course,” she said with a half-shrug. “You're right. I'm sure he's fine.”

  They found a table near the dance floor and Vi tried to focus on Liam and having a good time. She smiled and laughed in all the right places, but in the back of her mind, she was still worried about Kade. She couldn't help it.

  “Where did your mom find this D.J.?” Liam asked, once they'd finished eating and were sipping champagne, watching the dancers. Despite David's eccentricities, he was doing a great job. He wore a simple black tux and was sticking to the classic playlist.

  “Well, it's no Disco Retro Glam Funk, but it's all right,” she quipped.

  “Huh?” Liam looked confused.

  “Oh, nothing,” she said, sweeping back a loose strand of hair. “Just something he said when we met with him. It's—nothing. It was funny at the time.” Her voice drifted off and she really hoped Liam would drop it.

  He did. The song changed to a slow, Sinatra track, and he stood, holding out his hand. “Care to dance?” he asked.

  “Sure,” she said, taking his hand. He led her out to the middle of the dance floor and slipped an arm around her waist, the other holding her hand loosely. They swayed to the music, and Vi rested her head on his shoulder.

  “This is nice,” she murmured.

  He hummed in agreement, giving her a little squeeze.

  And it was. Being with Liam had always been nice. Comfortable.

  Safe.

  And after everything she went through with Ben, safe was what she wanted . . . what she needed.

  “Hey, I was thinking,” Liam began, and Vi straightened to face him. “My parents are coming to visit in a couple of weeks. I thought we could have dinner together. I know they'd love to see you again.”

  S
he smiled. “That would be nice.”

  “They were happy to hear you were back,” he said, turning her in a small circle. “Well, thrilled would be more like it. You wouldn't believe it. Mom actually mentioned grandchildren.”

  A sudden chill ran down Vi's spine. “Grandchildren?” she squeaked.

  “Of course, I was quick to point out that you just got here. That's somewhere way off in the future, but she was just excited, I think.” He twirled her under his arm, and back again.

  And in a dizzying blur, it all flashed before her eyes—a life with Liam . . . marriage, children. A little house on the edge of town. Camping trips and parent-teacher conferences.

  “So don't get scared off if she mentions marriage,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I warned her not to push you, but you know my mom—”

  Birthdays. Anniversaries. Family movie nights and candlelight dinners. Like a slideshow, she saw it all, and with a sickening thud in the pit of her stomach she realized she wanted all of it.

  She just didn't want it . . . with Liam.

  Vi stopped in the middle of the dance floor and stepped back, her hands flying to her mouth, her breathing uneven.

  “Vi? Are you okay?”

  What was she doing? “I'm sorry,” she gasped out, a wave of dizziness sweeping through her. “I can't—”

  “Come on,” Liam said, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her off the dance floor to a chair in the corner. She sat down, and he pulled over another chair so he could face her. “Breathe, Vi. Try to breathe slowly.”

  She did, in and out, and after a few moments, she looked at Liam with tears in her eyes.

  “Liam, I'm so sorry. I can't do this.”

  “It's okay, I'll take you home,” he said, moving to get up.

  “No.” She lay a hand on his knee, stilling him. “I mean, us. I can't—” She swallowed. “I can’t do us.”

  He looked stunned, but just for a moment, the expression quickly morphing to resignation. “I know,” he sighed.