“He does. Just back for a quick meeting,” Luke explained. “He already harassed me this morning. Now it’s round two, I guess.”
Stavros grinned. “Always a pleasure. And maybe you’re following me. This is my favorite place to eat.” He held up his cardboard box of leftovers. “Fire and Brimstone is vegan friendly.”
Silas tried to cover his surprise. How strange that Stavros was a vegan and Nico was a butcher. Luke caught his eye and smiled, knowing exactly what he was thinking. “We’re all about diversity and freedom, as long as you think Greeks are the best.”
“Ahh, well, my Irish ancestors might disagree but since my family is more recently hailing from Louisiana, I think I’ll just keep my mouth shut.” Silas mimed zipping his lips.
“Louisiana, really?” Stavros sounded surprised.
“Sure. I still have cousins in Lafayette and Natchitoches. My mom always said she was going back to visit someday but…” His words trailed off into an awkward silence.
“I’m sorry to hear about your mom,” Stavros said.
“Thank you.” Silas cleared his throat.
“We have more mom than we need. We can loan you some extra whenever you want any,” Luke said.
Stavros choked out a laugh. “I’m telling her you said that.”
“Go ahead, pipsqueak.”
“Actually, we’d better not bring it up to her. She’d adopt Silas here and I already have too many brothers.” Stavros gave Luke a playful punch in the shoulder and managed to duck out of the way before he got a return on his investment. Still laughing, he waved as he headed toward the door.
“Small town. You don’t just see all your friends but you’re related to half of them,” Luke said. His expression changed to one of surprise. “Hey, Violet and Jamie just came in.” He stood up and waved.
Silas glanced toward the door and felt his heart sink to his shoes. Jamie was grinning and waving back. Violet looked just the same as she had a few weeks ago. Maybe a little more flushed from the heat. Her wavy dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans. Silas was suddenly aware of the fact he hadn’t changed from working all day in the shop and he brushed at the light film of sawdust still clinging to the sleeves of his plaid shirt.
He said quickly under his breath, “I’m sure they want to eat alone.”
Luke only had time to throw him a confused look before Violet and Jamie arrived at their table.
“It’s like a class reunion,” Luke said and Silas wanted to drop through the floor.
“Yeah, the joys of living in a small town. You get to see your high school classmates every day.” There was an edge to Violet’s voice.
“Why don’t you guys sit with us?” Luke pulled out a chair on either side of the table.
“Are you sure? We don’t want to interrupt your guy time.” Jamie was already settling into the chair beside him.
Violet stood there, unmoving. She had fixed her eyes on Jamie as if hoping the woman would hear her unspoken plea and get up.
Silas cleared his throat. “We’d love for you to join us.”
It seemed as if she wasn’t going to respond but after several seconds, Violet slowly lowered herself into the chair next to him.
“Hey, look.” Jamie reached out and grabbed the paperback. “Looks like something Violet would read.”
Silas seriously doubted that. Maybe the cover reminded Jamie of a Gothic romance. “More people have seen the movie.”
“You always have a smooth explanation ready,” Violet said, not looking up.
He blinked in surprise. She was quoting from the Maltese Falcon, Joel Cairo to be exact. He’d read that line not five minutes before. “What do you want me to do? Learn to stutter?” he quoted back.
She didn’t smile at their exchange but continued to stare at the table top. He felt his stomach drop at the uncomfortable parallels between himself and Sam Spade. Sly, shifty, and always making sure he came out on top.
Luke looked from Violet to Silas, and seemed to decide he didn’t want to understand their cryptic convesation. “So, what have you guys been up to today?” he asked Jamie.
“We’ve been moving boxes into my classroom all day. We’re not really fit for company,” she said.
“What? You both look great,” Luke said.
Jamie smiled at the compliment but Violet didn’t respond.
Luke cleared his throat. “Hey, Violet, did you know Silas has a mastiff, too?”
She looked at Silas for the first time. Her expression wasn’t one of pleasant surprise. “I did not.”
Luke went on. “That’s pretty weird, isn’t it? How many people have that kind of dog? I don’t even think I’d seen one before Thor, and now there are two.” Silas tried to give Luke a ‘change the subject’ look, but he didn’t seem to notice. He went on, “You know how people look like their pets? Well, Loki is really tall and all black.”
“Oh, but that thing about people resembling their dogs wouldn’t work for Violet,” Jamie said, holding up a finger. “I mean, Thor is huge and some of Violet’s eighth graders are taller than she is.”
Silas didn’t want to comment but found himself saying, “Thor, as in Chris Hemsworth?”
“As in son of Odin. You know, Norse mythology,” she answered. Her tone implied that he, in fact, did not know. “So, you named your dog Loki. As in Tom Hiddleston?” Violet asked. Her expression said that she already knew the answer.
“As in Loki, enemy of Thor. You know, Norse mythology,” Silas said.
Jamie stared, looking from Silas to Violet. “That’s weird. Isn’t that weird? I mean, how many people have that kind of dog and then name them after somebody related to Odin. I don’t even know who that is, honestly.”
“Yeah, that’s weird.” Luke was frowning at the two of them as if they’d arranged it all beforehand and simply neglected to let him in on the joke.
Silas shrugged. “Coincidence. Loki was a rescue. I just got her a few months ago and her name was Lucky. I thought it really didn’t suit her, especially since all they used her for was breeding, but didn’t want to change it too much since she’s already three years old. I’ve always liked that character from the comic books so…” He didn’t know why he felt he needed to clarify, except that people often chose mastiffs for because they made good guard dogs. Not as aggressive as Dobermans, not as friendly as Great Danes. But he hadn’t gone in search of a giant dog. He had nothing to prove. He hadn’t even been looking for a dog. She’d been rescued from a man who didn’t value anything about her except her ability to produce purebred mastiffs. Loki had arrived in his life like a gift, as if she had chosen him.
“Thor’s a rescue, too. Sad how many people feel the need to use dogs as personal statement on their toughness.” She sounded slightly less antagonistic. But her expression said she suspected he chose Loki because he needed to bolster his tough guy persona. Well, news flash. He really didn’t need any help in that area. A lot of people in Arcadia Valley still gave him wary looks.
There was a short pause where it seemed Luke and Jamie expected them to bond over their dogs, but Silas waited for someone to change the subject. If it were any other person in Arcadia Falls, they’d be planning doggy play dates and swapping tips on how to keep their lovable monsters out of trouble.
“I wish my parents hadn’t sent me to the big high school. I would have loved having a smaller class,” Jamie said. “I think it’s great that you guys pretty much grew up together. Kindergarten to senior year, right?”
“Yep. Twelve years, thirty people.” Luke paused, as if he were just remembering something. “I mean, not everybody stayed for all twelve years. People came and went, but on the whole―”
“It’s okay. I think everybody here knows I got sent to juvie.” Silas was touched that Luke had tried to gloss over the fact he’d been arrested, convicted and sent away from their small Christian high school, but there was really no need to worry about his feelings.
>
“Oh.” Jamie glanced around. “I didn’t. But don’t fill me in. I’m sure it’s not important now.”
“Really?” Violet asked, giving her a sharp look.
“You think so?” Silas said at the same time.
They locked gazes. Clearly Violet agreed with him. A person’s criminal history was very relevant. He appreciated all the talk of fresh starts and giving the benefit of the doubt, but he’d certainly want to know if someone had been a thief, no matter how far in the past it was. As much as he wished he could just wipe away what he’d done, there was no denying it.
Violet didn’t blink, almost daring him to say something.
He looked away. Sometimes silence was the best answer. He’d paid his dues and made amends as best he could. His mother had made him work off everything he’d stolen and apologize to every victim face to face. He didn’t know what else Violet wanted him to do. There were some sins against others you just couldn’t work off or make up for, no matter how hard you tried. She knew that better than anyone.
Luke said, “And Violet went to a different school for a while, didn’t you?”
“Right,” she said, the line of her mouth going tight. “Silas made my life such a misery that I had to leave. If I’d known he was on the verge of getting arrested, I would have tried to survive a few more weeks.”
Chapter Two
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God.—Anne Frank
A terrible silence descended on the group. Luke sat back in his chair and Jamie looked as if she didn’t know what to say next. Violet had fixed Silas with a glare that could melt ice.
“Violet,” Silas said, hearing the resignation in his own voice. “I know it doesn’t make any difference now, but I wanted to―”
“You’re right.” Violet stood up. “It doesn’t make a difference, actually. Nothing you can say now could change anything you did back then. Not even walking around with that book, waiting for someone to notice and think you’re just a regular person who likes to read old mysteries.” She turned to Jamie. “Sorry for the drama, but I’d rather sit elsewhere, if you don’t mind.”
She didn’t wait for Jamie to respond but headed for a table in the far corner.
“I’m sorry,” Jamie said softly and stood up.
“Don’t be,” Silas said. “It was worth a shot.”
The waitress arrived to take their order and after she’d left, there was a long silence at the tale.
“I hope you know that’s going to happen a lot if you hang out with me,” Silas said.
“It didn’t occur to me, but I can see how it would.” Luke shrugged. “But a lot more people are going to be willing to give you another chance. Don’t let a few bitter folks get you down. That shot about the book was pretty harsh. So what if you like to read mysteries?”
He winced. He didn’t want Luke to think Violet was the bad guy in the situation. She was perfectly justified to act any way she wanted. She didn’t owe him a moment of her time. He really wished he could have told her he was sorry, even though it did nothing to erase the pain he’d caused.
“She’s not bitter. She’s wise enough to stay away from someone who proved he was a bad person once before.”
Luke glanced back at where the girls were sitting on the other side of the restaurant. “Maybe you’ll get another chance. Some other time.”
He straightened the fork on the table. “I don’t think a friendly meeting is in our future.”
“You really don’t think she’ll give you the time of day? You couldn’t have been that bad. We all have regrets from high school. I spent a lot of time trying to prove to everybody that I was smarter than the teachers.”
“You weren’t? Had me fooled,” Silas said.
The waitress arrived and set the pizzas on the table. After a few minutes of eating, Luke said, “So what was it, anyway? What did you do to Violet that was so much worse than anything you did to anybody else? You stole Ron Taylor’s four wheeler right out of his garage and he’s hiring you to make him some cabinets.”
“Gun cabinets,” Silas clarified. “He might be trying to make a point. He also told me to always drink upstream from the herd, whatever that means.”
Luke snorted. “Fair enough. But really, what happened between you and Violet?”
He paused, holding a slice of pepperoni pizza. Memories flooded back: Violet crying in the gym as he taunted her, Violet running the other direction as soon as she saw him coming down the hallway, Violet curled into a corner in the girl’s locker room. “I bullied her.”
“Oh, you mean the stuff you used to say to her in class?” Luke looked confused. “About being Chinese and short?”
Silas felt sick. Putting the pizza slice back on his plate, he said, “She’s Korean.”
“And short,” Luke said.
“It wasn’t really what I said. I could have told her anything. It was how I said it. And how I wouldn’t stop until she cried.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “She should never have felt forced to leave her school and all her friends. But it probably saved her life.”
Luke’s eyes went wide. “You― you threatened her life?”
“No, never. But depression can be deadly, especially in teens.” Silas couldn’t look into his friend’s face as he spoke.
Luke was quiet for a long moment. “I would never take that lightly, but you’re a different person now, and maybe reaching out to her could bring healing to both of you.”
Silas cocked his head. “I thought you were a kids’ doctor. You sound like a psychiatrist.”
He took a bite of pizza. “I’m a man of hidden talents. And several degrees.”
As Silas refocused on his slice, he considered Luke’s advice. All he’d wanted when he moved back to Arcadia Valley was to get his carpentry business off the ground. After being an assistant to a master carpenter in Montana for years, he was ready to establish his own shop. He could have gone anywhere. But for some reason he found himself back in Idaho, back in Arcadia Valley, ground zero for all of his worst acts as a human being. He’d turned his life around before he even graduated from high school, but in the last ten years, he’d still felt stuck somehow.
As much as he had moved forward and worked to be a productive member of society, deep down Silas still felt like that screwed up kid who bullied a pretty Korean girl until she cried every day. Glancing at Violet, he had a sudden moment of grace. His contrition needed something more. He needed to make amends in a real way, and not just by changing his life.
He needed to show Violet he truly regretted everything he had done to her. How that was going to happen, he had no idea, but all he could do was pray for the right time and the right place.
***
“This is probably the best pizza I’ve ever had. Even better than the pesto and sundried tomato one I had last time we were here. I didn’t even know what kimchi was before I came here.” Jamie closed her eyes and hummed softly. “Your mother is a genius.”
“It’s the wood ovens,” Violet said, picking at the crust on her pizza. She’d hardly said a word since they’d walked away from Silas and Luke. Her mind was turning their conversation over and over. For some reason, seeing him reading one of her favorite books rankled her, and the fact that he had a mastiff made her downright angry, as if he had chosen the same type of dog on purpose.
She couldn’t help noticing how he looked exactly like she remembered him. Well, almost exactly. His black cowboy hat sat on the table, black leather jacket hung on the chair behind him, worn jeans, black work boots, bright blue eyes, dark hair always a little too long and curling at the ends. It was all the same. The only thing that seemed different was the scruff on his face. He’d become a man in the years since they’d seen each other.
“He seemed a lot quieter than when I met him in the grocery store,” Jamie said. She chewed for a moment. “Definitely not as smiley. It�
��s like he’s scared of you.”
Violet made a sound not unlike an angry goose. “Scared of me? The girl he bullied for years?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m misreading it. I don’t really understand what’s going on here. You never said anything about the guy before.”
Violet stared at her pizza. She’d never told anybody what had happened. Most people in school knew there was some teasing going on, but Silas had always been able to whisper most of his comments. He’d flown under the radar. Some girls even thought he’d been flirting with her and acted jealous of the attention Violet received. It had been the cruelest irony. Girls gave her the cold shoulder for stealing their thunder while refusing to believe he was doing anything wrong. One even told her that Violet should be happy, that lots of girls would kill to be in her position.
Jamie sighed. “Look, don’t let Silas bother you. Whatever happened, just shrug it off.”
“Shrug it off?” Violet hated the sharp tone in her voice but Jamie really had no idea what had happened so many years ago.
She held up her hands, palms out. “Wait, I’m sorry it came out that way. I just meant that you’re stronger than this. You don’t need to give him a moment of your time.”
Violet nodded and went back to picking at the crust. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
“Don’t be. I wasn’t thinking.” Jamie took a sip of water. “It’s weird, though.”
“What is?”
“Well, after we met in the grocery store, I asked a few people about him. Everybody said he was a great guy. Don’t they know he was a criminal?”
Violet shrugged. “After he got arrested, everybody knew. It was in the paper and everything. His mom was pretty honest about where he was and why. But before that, it seemed like he could really charm anybody out of anything. It took something really big to pull the wool from their eyes.” Of course she had known all along.
Summer's Glory: Seasons of Faith Book One (Arcadia Valley Romance 2) Page 2