Page 2

JESSE

5 MONTHS LATER

Isaac gripped Jesse’s shoulder. “Are you ready?”

He looked up at Isaac and noticed that he had beads of sweat at his temple. He grinned and raised a brow. “Are you?”

“Of course,” Isaac said gruffly as he smoothed a hand down the front of his suit. “I just wish we could have gotten hitched at the courthouse and avoided all this.”

Isaac gestured to the church where their guests were taking their seats.

“Mom already did that with my dad. She wanted an official wedding this time around,” Jesse reminded him, even though they’d heard her say it countless since Isaac proposed.

Isaac scanned the road. “They’re late.”

“Mom says women are supposed to be.”

Isaac gave him an appraising look. “No nerves?”

“About what?”

“You aren’t worried things will change once we’re married?”

“No.”

“What about the adoption?”

Mom and Isaac introduced the idea several days ago. Since they had no other relatives, Mom wanted to ensure he had family if anything happened to her. He didn’t need Isaac to adopt him to know his stepfather would be there for him. Isaac was a man of his word, but they both knew it would give Mom peace of mind.

“Once you marry Mom, you’ll become my dad. The adoption is just a formality,” he said.

Isaac visibly relaxed. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“But I’d like to keep my dad’s name.”

He was his father’s legacy, the only insurance that the Sampson family name would continue.

Isaac nodded. “I expected that. You don’t have to change your name. You’re family whether you carry the Carr name or not.”

He’d suspected Isaac wouldn’t mind, but he was relieved to hear it, nonetheless. In five short months, he and Isaac developed a bond that rivaled the one he’d had with his father. The fact that he’d been given another strong father figure to guide him through life was a blessing.

“The only one who may fight you about keeping your name is Violet. She was set on all of us being Carr’s,” Isaac said with a grin. “But I know you can handle her.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

Isaac gave him a considering look. “This has been a whirlwind and you two have taken everything in stride.”

If only Isaac knew how much he and Violet had schemed to hurry along their nuptials. Mom didn’t need to be convinced. She was in love with Isaac and, after losing his father, didn’t want to waste any time. It was Isaac who needed to be prodded and coaxed. With the three of them on board, Isaac had no choice but to surrender, which he did by proposing two months ago.

Mom and Violet had taken over after that, resulting in this hasty wedding. Mom was happier than he’d ever seen her. It was patently clear that his mother hadn’t loved his father the same way she did Isaac. Was it meant to be that his father passed so he and Mom could find Isaac and Violet? The four of them fit together like they were meant to be. Life, for the first time in a long time, felt right.

Isaac straightened. “There they are,” he said as a minivan turned into the parking lot.

Isaac hurried forward. Jesse followed in his wake, adjusting his tie. The first suit he’d worn was for his dad’s funeral. He was glad it was a happy occasion that made him don his second suit.

“Late enough to make an entrance, not late enough to be rude,” Mom’s friend Molly announced as she leapt out of the driver’s seat and came around to the side door. Molly eyed Isaac. “Shouldn’t you be inside? It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

“I don’t believe in that stuff,” Isaac said impatiently and stepped forward to open the door himself.

“Okay, okay. Hold your horses.”

Molly slid the door open and a second later, Isaac breathed, “Violet.”

Jesse stepped to the side to get a look and felt his heart skip. Violet perched on the seat, a vision in a pale pink gown. Her wild hair had been drawn back from her face into some kind of fancy braid, aside from two spirals that framed her face. Mom had been teaching Violet girly stuff like how to dress and do her hair, but this was such a drastic transformation from the girl he’d come to know that he was momentarily dumbstruck.

Violet had an uncharacteristically bashful look on her face as she took Molly’s hand and carefully stepped out of the van.

“You look…” Isaac cleared his throat. “You’re growing up too fast, kiddo.”

Violet flashed him a smile before she turned to help Mom out of the vehicle. Seeing his mom as a bride in a white gown and short veil made his chest tighten. Molly stood off to the side, capturing the moment with a camera as they took each other in.

“You two look so handsome,” Mom gushed, grinning from ear to ear.

“And you…” Isaac shook his head, clearly at a loss for words.

Jesse understood completely. As Mom and Isaac leaned toward one another for a kiss, Violet made her way over to him.

“Do I look okay?” she whispered.

“Okay?” he echoed.

She tugged on her skirt. “No one’s ever seen me in a dress before. I feel silly.”

“You don’t look silly,” he reassured her. “You look…” Like Isaac, he struggled to come up with the words that would let her know she outshined every girl their age. “You’re perfect.”

Even as he inwardly castigated himself, Violet’s face cleared.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Violet gave him a giddy smile and patted his chest. “You look great.”

He cleared his throat and eased away from her, worried she’d feel his heart racing. He thought he’d overcome those odd nerves he sometimes experienced around her, but for the first time in months, they were back.

“How’s Dad?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at their parents, who were having a moment.

“Nervous, but hanging in there,” he said and then blurted, “You’re wearing makeup?”

Violet jerked her head back around, eyes wide and startled. “You can tell?”

“Yes.”

During their parent’s whirlwind romance, they became best friends and were nearly inseparable. His favorite pastime was observing Violet, who wore her emotions on her sleeve. He’d come to know her face as well as his own and immediately picked up the subtle enhancements—her already long lashes were thicker, and her lips were a shiny, muted hue instead of her natural deep red.

“Don’t tell Dad,” Violet whispered.

“I think you’ll get a pass today,” he whispered back. “But if he does lecture you about it, blame Mom.”

Violet’s eyes danced with mischief. “Good thinking.” Violet extended her foot so he could show off her fancy shoes. “Aren’t they pretty?”

“Yes. And you painted your nails?”

“My first time ever! I got glitter nail polish.” She wriggled her toes, so they sparkled in the sunshine.

“You two ready?”

Violet whirled and threw herself into her father’s arms. “I’m so happy! I never thought this day would come.”

Isaac kissed the top of her head. “Well, now that it’s here, we don’t want to waste a moment of it, do we?”

“No! Let’s do this!”

Violet winked at Jesse before she grasped her father’s hand and towed him up the stairs to the church, where everyone waited for them.

He went to Mom and grasped her hands. Thanks to a growth spurt, he was now taller than her.

“You were right to push for a wedding and not get married at the courthouse and rob us of seeing you like this.”

Mom turned her face away. “I love you, son, but don’t. I’m hanging on by a thread. Save it for after the ceremony, please. I’m going to bawl if you…”

He placed her hand on his arm and patted it. “Got it.”

He heard the strains of a sweet melody as they climbed the steps. As they approached the open double doors, he saw Isaac and Violet reach the stage. She stepped to the left, while Isaac stepped to the right. When the music changed, everyone got to their feet. Mom’s hand trembled on his arm as they made their way down the aisle.

It was a modest crowd who’d gathered to celebrate this day with them. After he placed Mom’s hand in Isaac’s, he stepped to his stepfather’s side.

“We’re gathered here today in celebration of Isaac Carr and Lynnette Sampson,” Pastor Sonny began.

Jesse’s gaze moved from Mom to Violet. She was so excited, the bouquet of flowers she held, shuddered. As the ceremony progressed, Violet’s expressive face showed a kaleidoscope of emotions. When Isaac slid a ring on Mom’s finger, Violet blinked back tears.

Violet had a hard, defiant shell that concealed the most fragile heart he had come across. Violet loved hard. Mom gave him the psychology behind it—that never having a mother and Isaac being physically and somewhat emotionally absent made Violet cling to him and Mom. She wanted them around all the time and fretted when they weren’t together. That wouldn’t be an issue anymore. Now, they would be together forever.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Isaac, you may now kiss the bride,” Pastor Sonny announced.

The church exploded with whistles and cheers as Isaac dipped Mom for a dramatic kiss. Violet clapped so vigorously; petals littered the ground around her. When Isaac and Mom started down the aisle, he offered his arm to Violet. She took it and leaned into him.

“This is the best day of my life,” she whispered.

As he looked down at her, he heard himself say, “Me too.”

“Are you sure y’all are going to be okay?” Mom asked.

“Yes,” he and Violet stressed at the same time.

They’d debated about this for weeks. Mom and Isaac offered to make their honeymoon a family vacation, but he and Violet insisted they go on their own. Isaac had been surprised, but pleased, but Mom clearly didn’t like the thought of leaving them behind.

“Mom, I just turned fifteen,” he reminded her.

“So?”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re just going for the weekend. The neighbors are watching out for us, and we can call 911.”

“But…”

“Honey.” Isaac wrapped his arm around her waist. “We have to go, or we’ll miss the plane.”

Mom gave in by throwing her arms around him and Violet and drawing them in for a tight hug. “You two are the best kids. I love you to pieces, you know that? Please be safe and if you need anything, call us. We can always come home and?—”

Isaac covered Mom’s mouth and carried her toward the door that led to the garage. “I’ll try to keep her from calling you every hour. If you’re going to throw a party, now’s the time since the house is such a mess, we wouldn’t know the difference— ow !”

He yanked his hand from Lynne’s mouth.

“Don’t listen to your father, kids!” Mom scolded. “Don’t leave the stove on, and make sure the doors are locked before you go to sleep.”

“Yes, Mom,” he and Violet said dutifully as Isaac dragged her out the door.

“I love you!” Lynne cried.

“We love you more!”

“That’s not possible!”

He and Violet watched from the doorway as Isaac placed Mom in the passenger seat. As the truck reversed out of the garage, their parents waved while Violet blew kisses until the door slowly came down.

“They actually left us,” Violet said, stunned.

“Want to throw a party?”

She snickered as she closed the door to the garage and made a big show of locking it before she turned and surveyed their new house, filled with unwrapped furniture and stacked boxes. “Is this real life? Pinch me.”

He tugged on that curl in front of her face that had been driving him crazy. “This is real, all right.”

The last thing he expected was for her face to crumple.

“Vi? What’s wrong?” he demanded.

When he drew her against him, she burst into tears.

“Did someone say something?” he demanded over the sound of her heart-wrenching sobs.

It had been a hectic day with their parents tying the knot, followed by a casual lunch reception, which finished just in time for Mom and Isaac to catch their flight. Violet hadn’t seemed upset. On the contrary, she was so over the moon, she couldn’t keep still. So, where was this coming from?

“Tell me what happened.”

She shook her head.

He rubbed her back and was momentarily distracted by the soft, buttery material of her dress. “Come on. Talk to me. You know I hate when you cry.”

“I just…” She twisted her hand in his shirt. “I’m…”

He ducked his head to hear her better and caught a whiff of something sweet and alluring. Violet had been experimenting with perfumes. This one was new and definitely his favorite.

“I’m scared.”

Her confession brought his attention back to her weird breakdown. “Scared of what?”

She raised her tear-streaked face and tugged urgently on his shirt as she babbled, “I’m scared something’s going to happen! I’ve never been so happy in my life. I kept thinking something was going to happen before they got married. They’d break up or someone would get into a car accident or…” She groaned and slumped against him. “I wake up every day, thinking this must be a dream. That I made you and Lynne up and?—”

“Why can’t this be real?”

“Because good things don’t happen to me!”

He tugged on her braid, which was coming undone. “What do you mean, good things don’t happen to you?”

Heartbroken green eyes searched his. “I wasn’t enough for my mom to stay. Dad loves me, but he’s never known what to do with me. He was relieved to drop me off with other families so he could go to work. I’ve never had a home or real friends, and then you and Lynne come along, and you’re so great, and you actually like me and…” Fat tears slid down her cheeks. “I’m so scared something terrible’s going to happen and this will all disappear.”

He clasped her face between his hands. “Nothing is going to happen.”

He saw the flash of anger on her face, so was prepared when she tried to jerk away.

“How do you know?” she snapped.

“Because I’m not going anywhere.”

“But what if something happens between Mom and Dad?”

“Then we’ll figure it out.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Yes, it is. You’re just making it complicated.”

She shoved at him. “I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

He clutched her shoulders and gripped so she would pay attention and stop fighting him. “I understand better than you think. You think you’re the only one who’s felt lost and lonely? Who thought you and Isaac were too good to be true?”

She went very still.

“Mom and I were miserable before you brought us back to life.”

Her lower lip trembled. “Really?”

He gave her a little shake. “Really.”

She sniffled and looked down. “I’m sorry. I’m having a hard time taking it all in. New mom, brother, and house?”

“We deserve it, Vi. Life hasn’t been smooth sailing for any of us.”

“I guess.”

When she rubbed the back of her hand across her face, removing the last of her makeup, he slid an arm over her shoulders. “What time did you wake up this morning?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I was too excited.”

She didn’t fight him as he led her down the hallway.

“And terrified something was going to happen?”

She hesitated before she shrugged. “Maybe.”

“You’re exhausted.” Belatedly remembering her bedroom was still a disaster, he led her to his. “You should shower and get some rest.”

Violet headed for his bed. “Sleep sounds good.”

“You don’t want…?” he began, but didn’t bother to finish when she flopped on his bed in her fancy dress.

He eyed her for a moment before he picked up her foot to undo the strap of her heel. She struggled to sit up.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she began. “I can…”

“I got it,” he said as her shoe clattered to the floor.

She propped herself on her elbows and watched as he took care of the other shoe as well.

He raised his brow when he saw the odd look on her face. “What?”

“Dad expects me to take care of myself. I’m not used to anyone treating me like a child.”

“I’m not treating you like a child. I’m taking care of you. That’s my job.” When she frowned, he shared, “When my dad died, Mom was in shock. I had to feed her for a couple of days, even help her get dressed.”

Violet’s eyes widened.

“It’s drummed into me to care for my family. I was brought up knowing when my dad wasn’t around, I was the man of the house.”

“I guess that’s why Dad talks to you like you’re an equal, even though you’re only a year older than me,” she mused and tipped her head to the side as she examined him. “Your dad must have been really special. I hear Mom say it all the time, that you’re just like him.”

Unconsciously, he mimicked his father’s military stance and clasped his hands behind his back.

“You’re the best brother a girl could ask for, Jesse Sampson.”

Something about the way she said that made his throat thicken. He looked around for something to do, but he’d unpacked and arranged his room to his liking as soon as they moved in.

“Always taking care of everyone,” Violet murmured as she settled back against the pillows. “Who takes care of you?”

He stiffened. “I take care of myself.”

“Not anymore. You take care of me; I take care of you.”

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”

“Yes, you do.” She patted the empty space beside her. “Come lie down.”

“What?”

“You may have gotten more sleep than me, but you’re tired too.”

“I’m okay.”

Her eyes narrowed before she pouted and batted her wet eyelashes. “You’re just going to leave me after I bawled my eyes out and confided my worst fears to you?”

He glared at her before he rolled his eyes and rounded the bed. When he stretched out beside her, she rolled into him. Her voluminous skirt flopped over his black slacks. He grumbled, even though her weight against him felt nice.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He stopped breathing.

“I’ve said it to Mom, and she’s said it to me, but you and I haven’t… I just wanted you to know.”

He couldn’t speak past the obstruction in his throat, so he didn’t say anything. Minutes passed. He stared at the ceiling and fought the pull of sleep but was just starting to drift off when she slapped his chest.

He jolted. “What was that for?”

“Aren’t you going to say it back?” she demanded.

His mouth curved as he murmured, “I love you, Violet.”