Violet pointed to the seat next to her, “Is this free?”
The woman gestured to it, “It's all yours.”
She inspected Violet as she placed her own bag next to her, equipping a notebook and pen, “You seem young to be a counselor.”
“Its extra credit for a college course,” Violet explained, popping the cap off her pen.
“Is it just for the class or are you planning on a career in the field?”
“Both. I have this crazy idea of starting a non-profit organization for troubled kids,” Violet explained, surprised she was sharing her secret dream to a complete stranger. “I want to open an auto shop where adults volunteer their time to teach and monitor kids who are in need of guidance, or just a place to go and be left alone. Ones that need a healthy outlet. They'd work for free on cars for those that can't afford the repairs but need it for survival, like single moms and stuff. It would give them a chance to feel good about themselves...” she trailed off, embarrassed to hear it all out loud. It still had a lot of holes to work out.
The woman's eyes lit up, “That's amazing! Seriously, it's a great idea. I know of a lot of kids who would benefit from something like that.”
Violet blushed, “Thanks.”
“Well, this is a great conference to come to. It's the only one I ever attend. The name’s cheesy, but the woman who runs it really knows her stuff. You should learn a lot.”
“Are you a counselor?”
“Yeah, I help kids grieve over the loss of loved ones, show them ways to deal with it or simply offer them a stress free place to just be.”
“Wow,” Violet admired her. “That must be really hard at times.”
She shrugged, “It can be, but I have an amazing family to come home to that keeps me grounded. That's the key to this kind of profession – you need to find what helps you let it all go at the end of the day. There will be a lot of days that suck you dry.”
“Okay, thanks for the advice.” She reached her hand over, “I'm Violet, by the way.”
The woman shook her hand, whispering her name as the introduction started for the speaker, “Anna.”
“So what do you think so far?” Anna asked as they gathered their belongings to break for lunch.
“It's a lot more interesting than I thought it was going to be. I can see why you come every year.” Violet meant it. Not once had she been bored.
Anna grinned at her, “Good, I'm glad.” They walked together out the double doors. “Have plans for lunch?”
Violet shook her head no.
“Want to join me and my husband? I can answer any questions you might have about the profession?”
“Really? That would be awesome. Your husband won't mind?”
“Nah, he loves meeting new people.”
“Annie!” A male’s voice shouted, swopping Anna up into his arms and swinging her around as though she had just arrived after months away.
Violet couldn’t help but smile at the obvious way Anna's husband adored her.
Anna demanded he put her down. Violet could tell from the way Anna was grinning that it didn't really bother her, that she'd let him twirl her around all day if he wanted to.
Violet hated that she immediately thought of Parker, her heart still longing for the man her brain new better than to waste her time on.
He placed her down while Anna motioned to Violet, “This is Violet. She’s coming with us to lunch.”
“Great!” He wrapped an arm around Violet's shoulder, giving it a squeeze and a jiggle, “I'm Adam.”
Anna gave Violet an apologetic expression, “Sorry, he always treats people like they've been his friend for ages.”
Normally Violet would be trying to find an excuse to leave, but Adam had this charming smile that put her at ease. She almost believed they had been friends for ages.
“Do you guys live around here?” Violet asked as they sat in a booth at a café a block down from the conference.
“Nope, I travel with her when she comes. It’s our chance to get away for the weekend and have some alone time.” Adam laughed as though remembering something funny, “Although we spend most of the time talking about how perfect our daughter is, which kind of defeats the point of having ‘us’ time.”
“You have a daughter?”
Adam proudly showed Violet pictures on his phone.
“She's adorable.” She really was. She had her mom’s dark hair and gray eyes, mixed with her dad's charming, outgoing smile.
Violet listened as the two went on about their future genius child. She always loved the way parents thought so highly of their kids, even at a young age, believing they would be the one to save the world. It reminded her of her parents. A moment of homesickness swept through her.
Adam didn't give her time to dwell on it, wanting to know more about her even though they'd probably never talk again. Anna jumped in and excitedly explained Violet's hope for a non-profit.
“That's brilliant!”
“That's what I thought!” Anna agreed.
Adam whipped out a card from his wallet and handed it to Violet, tapping the name on the front, “When we get home I'm calling this guy about your idea. When you’re ready to make it happen, call him; he'll help get you started.”
The card read: Kenward Enterprises, and underneath it had the name Asher Kenward, VP, then a list of various phone numbers.
Violet's mouth dropped open, “There's no way he'd help me.”
“He will,” Adam seemed confident. “He takes on a new charity every year. I'll tell him to make you his next one when you call.”
“Am I being punked?”
Adam and Anna laughed.
Anna spoke next, explaining, “It's his older brother.”
“You’re a Kenward?” Violet gaped. They were in the Fortune 500 or something crazy like that. The family owned resorts all over the world.
“I'm basically the black sheep of the family,” Adam said with pride. He lowered his voice and covered the side of his mouth with the back of his hand, leaning over as though what he was about to say was to be kept secret, “I'm a high school English teacher.” His eyes got wide, moving back into the booth as though what he had said was blasphemy and should never be spoken out loud.
Violet laughed, hard.
She wished these two did live in the area; she didn't care how much older they were than her, they were awesome. They were the kind of couple she hoped to be one day. They further proved it by spending the rest of the lunch talking about random things with her, all three of them laughing and having a good time.
As much as Violet tried to ignore it, thoughts of Parker constantly surfaced. He would have loved them. Hell, they could be them. The two acted like best friends, but there was no denying their chemistry.
Violet was sad when the lunch hour was over and she had to say goodbye to Adam, knowing she would probably never see him again.
“Violet, seriously, please call my brother. He'll help fund it, get the thing started. You have a great idea, one a lot of kids would respond to and benefit from.”
She promised she would, meaning it. What did she have to lose? The worst case was the guy would hang up on her. Besides, what if her meeting these two wasn't by chance? It's not often Violet felt at ease around new people, actually wanting to spend more time with them.
Anna and Violet went back to their seats as the second half of their day began. Melancholy distracted Violet. At first she tried figuring out why not seeing Adam again would make her feel that way. It didn't take long for her to figure out that it had to do with Parker.
Everything always came back around to him.
Violet missed their friendship. She missed the way he could always make her laugh. She just plain old missed him.
At the end of the day, Anna hugged her, also making her promise to call Asher, and giving her a business card for Anna Monroe-Kenward, Children’s Grief Counselor, wanting her to call if she ever had questions or needed help.
Vio
let stayed awake all night thinking about the couple she had met and wishing that could be her and Parker a decade from now.
Was it ever too late to start over?
Chapter 53
Thinking Out Loud
An extremely tired Violet sat hunched over her coffee in the corner of her favorite coffee shop, the one she frequented every morning. She preferred making the time to sit down and enjoy her drink, instead of rushing off with it to go. Ryder had taught her that.
Her phone was in one hand, Parker's number lighting up the screen. Her thumb dangled over the talk button. It had been like that for the past twenty minutes while she decided if she should call or not.
He was probably still asleep, even if it was ten o’clock on a Sunday morning. That was one of many excuses.
Her thumb hit the button, bringing it to her ear. One part of her screamed to hang up, the other, stronger side, kept that phone firmly in place while it rang.
What the hell was she even going to say?
To her disappointment…or relief (she couldn't figure out which) his voicemail picked up.
Violet found herself prattling out a response that had her cringing at how awkward she sounded, “Uh, hey Parker, it's me...Violet...I, uh,” she sighed. “I just really missed you and wanted to hear your voice. Silly, right?” She let out a forced laugh, which had her face-palming. This was why people wrote down what they wanted to say, “Anyway, I wanted to see how you’ve been. Call me...or don't…I'd understand.” She hit the end button before she could find out if it was possible to die from humiliation.
She stayed with her forehead in her palm for another ten minutes, regretting the call.
The normal sound of the cowbell dinged against the metal frame of the door, something that continually happened there.
Violet had a sudden urge to look up and see who it was.
She had to blink several times as a familiar silhouette casually walked in, taking a place in line.
How was that possible?
She rubbed her eyes, believing it had to be an illusion.
It wasn't.
Parker was there. In line. At her coffee shop.
As he waited, his head moved around, inspecting the place. Violet held her breath, waiting for him to find her.
She couldn't believe this was happening. Why was he there?
When he caught sight of her everything in her body came alive, as though it had been dormant, waiting for this moment, waiting for him.
The side of his mouth curved to the side, his head continuing around the room with no further attention, except occasionally he looked over his shoulder at her. It was almost like they had never met before with the way he was acting towards her. It oddly gave her a rush, a certain acceptance to allow her body its desire to summersault for joy at the sight of him, instead of getting caught up in all that had been, all that had kept them apart.
He kept glancing over at her as he waited for his drink. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, wondering if anybody else could feel the current passing through the room between them, it’s feeling so strong she thought for sure somebody would mention it.
After thanking the barista for his drink he strolled toward Violet. She straightened further up in her chair as he came closer.
His mouth was still tipped to the side, as though he knew a secret she didn't. He placed a hand on the chair opposite hers, “This seat taken?”
Violet shook her head no.
He casually sat down; the only thing giving his nerves away was the quick swipe of his palm on his thigh.
“I don't normally do this,” he explained with a sheepish insecurity she didn't know he possessed.
Violet cleared her throat, not sure if her voice would cooperate, “Do what?”
“Invite myself to sit at a stranger’s table.”
Her head tilted to the side, confused.
He went on as though she wasn't, “I couldn't let myself leave without talking to you.”
“I'm glad you did,” she still didn't know what game he was playing.
Both sides of his mouth extended upward, teeth showing from his smile. He extended his hand, “I'm Parker.”
She stared at the hand he held out, waiting for her to take it.
It dawned on her what was happening.
He was giving them a Do-Over, a chance to start fresh.
She fought the tears that burned her eyes and the tightness in her throat. It's like magic the way he appeared at the very moment she needed him, needed this; a way for them to try again.
She accepted his hand, smiling through blurry eyes, “Violet.”
He pretended she wasn't on the verge of crying, carrying on the conversation, “That name suits you. It matches your eyes.”
There was no way he could truly see her eye color with the tears coating them. What he saw was from memory, something neither one wanted to forget.
He swiped his palms again, “I’m going to get straight to the reason I came over. Would you like to go on a date with me?”
She wiped away a tear that tried to escape, “A date?”
“Yeah.”
All she could do was stare at him.
Insecurities showed once again on his features, “I get it if you don’t. I’m some strangely-pierced, tattooed stranger in a coffee house. I probably look like a criminal.”
She grinned, “I like the tattoos.”
He leaned further towards her, seductively coating his voice, “You do?”
She took a sip of her coffee, “Mm hm.”
“I’ll cover my body in them then.”
She laughed.
“What time should I pick you up?”
She immediately responded, “Seven.”
“Nah, that doesn’t work for me. Let’s make it three.”
“For dinner?”
“Alright, alright, you convinced me. We’ll make it a lunch date.” He stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. “I’ll see you at noon.”
“Don’t you need my address?” She called out for him as he left.
He winked at her, “I have my ways.”
She slouched into her chair, a big, goofy, dream-like smile on her face.
The knock at Violet’s front door sent her body into a frenzy of adrenaline, nerves, and excitement.
How could the simple act of opening a door feel like such a monumental thing?
She slowly opened it to find Parker standing there in worn jeans and a buttoned up gray shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal his tattooed forearms. The scent of a fresh shave and Pure Sport hit her lungs. It was a familiar smell that made her homesick. Homesick for the man in front of her. That realization forced a smile from her lips.
“Hi,” he greeted with a sexy grin, visibly admiring her up and down.
He had never been so obvious before.
Her stomach dipped in a way she hadn’t experienced since the first few times he had started kissing her, almost a decade ago.
She had purposely worn green, his favorite color on her. He always remarked on the color of her eyes when she wore it.
“Want a tour?” Violet gestured to the two bedroom condo she shared with her brother, who at the moment was at the gym (his favorite pastime). He liked to work out so hard all he could do was pass out after.
“Sure,” Parker answered, eyes never leaving hers, causing further dips in her stomach.
He remained focused on her throughout the whole tour, making her self-conscious.
“You don’t really care to see any of it do you?”
He smirked, “No.”
“Shall we get lunch then?” She hated how nervous the idea made her. She couldn’t seem to wrap her head around the fact that she was going on a date with Parker. She didn’t allow herself to overthink it; there were too many reasons why she shouldn’t.
His steady grin faltered, turning down.
Just like that her optimism evaporated, thinking this was the moment he changed his mind, confusing her like he
always had.
“First things first.” He rubbed his hands together, “You need to know a few things about me. First, although all night long I’m going to want to kiss the hell out of you, I’m not ready yet. That leads me to the second thing. I haven’t had sex in over a year. I used to be a bit of a sex addict, so we will be taking things painfully slow. I don’t want you thinking it has anything to do with you, because fuck, if I’ve ever wanted a woman more. And third, there’s a reason I became that way. A reason I plan very soon on telling you, I just don’t want it to ruin our first date.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
“You’re beautiful.”
Violet didn’t know whether to roll her eyes or swoon, “Are you sure about the no kissing thing?”
“Yup, so stop trying to make it harder on me with that look you keep giving me.”
“What look?”
Parker opened the front door, ushering her to go first, “Like you’re madly in love with me.”
He followed behind her as they left.
Violet talked over her shoulder, “Please, this is our first date. I don’t know anything about you. Well, that’s not true; now I know you’re cocky.”
Parker came beside her, his hand brushing hers, “Nope, you can’t say that word in front of me. The word ‘cock’ cannot leave that mouth if I’m going to keep my hands off of you.”
Violet placed their hands together, both trying to conceal a smile, “I’ll make sure to say it regularly then.”
He groaned, “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”
“Where would the fun be in that?”
Chapter 54
Easy Silence
“I hate you.”
“I don’t care.” Ryder meant it too. Maggie knew by now that no matter how mean she was he still came back the next day, forcing her to do her exercises.
Her body was slowly regaining function, mainly due to Ryder and his relentless persistence, not once allowing her to wallow in self-pity. She now had use of her legs, the left still needing work as she limped and hobbled on it.
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