Page 154 of Theirs for the Holidays

Before she can say anything else, her phone rings. She pulls it out and grimaces slightly when she sees that it’s her mother calling.

“Of course Isabelle called her to tattle on me,” she mutters. “I’m sure I’m going to get an earful for this.”

“You know what?” I say. “No. Not this time.” I take her phone from her and answer it. As soon as the call connects, her mother is already going off.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Violet,” she says. “First you skip your sister’s wedding, and now this? Are you so jealous that you just don’t want her to be happy?”

I snort. “Jealous of what? That Isabelle is a spoiled brat, who’s never had to work for anything a day in her life? Becauseyou’re all so determined to coddle her with your favoritism that you don’t even see your other daughter?”

“What?” Violet’s mother says. “Who is this?”

“This is Lennox Sullivan,” I tell her. “One of the men who has the privilege of loving your daughter. One of the people who makes sure to see her and take care of her, and I know that I’m lucky to get the chance, unlike you and your family. Violet has worked so hard to get to where she is now, and she’s done it on her own because none of you take her seriously. None of you see how wonderful she is, and she’s done everything in spite of that. You could be proud of her, but instead you spend all your time tearing her down while still expecting her to carry the weight of your expectations and being her sister’s punching bag. Well that’s over. What happened just now with Isabelle is just the beginning.”

“How dare you?” her mother screeches. “Let me talk to my daughter.”

“It’s okay, Lennox,” Violet says. “Give me the phone.”

I hand it over reluctantly, watching as Violet puts it up to her ear. She seems steadier than she usually does when talking to her family, like something has shifted in the last few days.

“Hi, Mom,” she says. “No. I know that. No, I’m not going to. Listen, okay? I know I’m not what you wanted in a daughter. I know you prefer Isabelle because she’s basically a carbon copy of you, and I’m not, so I’m the disappointment. But I want you to know that I’m proud of myself and of who I am. Your disapproval can’t change that. I’m going to keep being proud and keep living my life the way I want to, whether you like it or not.”

She doesn’t let her mom get another word in, hanging up the phone as soon as she’s said her piece.

Pride for her strength and love for who she is fill me, and I pull her into my arms and kiss her.

Violet laughs. “What was that for?”

“Because I’m proud of you.”

Sawyer and Rhett move in close, surrounding her. “You’re such a badass when you want to be, Peaches,” Sawyer says.

At this moment, everything I need is within arm’s reach. For a while, I thought I was broken and that everything had fallen apart. But right now, everything feels right. Just the way it’s supposed to be.

“I love you,” I tell Violet, looking down at her.

“I love you too,” she says, still breathless to say it. I kiss her again, until Rhett and Sawyer butt in, wanting their own kisses.

Violet gives them both what they want, then takes us around the building, talking about the plans she has for the future.

I know my brothers and I are all so fucking happy to be a part of it.

EPILOGUE

VIOLET

One Year Later

Christmas Evein Sweetwater Lake is cold and clear this year. There’s snow on the ground, making it a white Christmas, but the roads are clear, and there are plenty of people out doing their last minute shopping.

Blackbird Bakery is so full it’s nearly bursting with customers. It’s a good thing I renovated at the beginning of the year, or I wouldn’t have the space to make enough pastries and baked goods to serve everyone.

The money I got from the guys went right back into the business, letting me get better equipment and spruce the place up even more. Now it’s beautiful inside and out, and I feel proud whenever someone compliments me on the decor as well as my treats.

Without having to worry about money, I’ve been able to throw my whole heart into this. I’ve experimented with things, tried and failed, and soared in ways I never expected to be able to do.

Today is the last push before Christmas, and as late-afternoon light filters through the window, I quickly box up the last of the to-go orders, handling the steady stream of people coming in to pick things up for their families for tomorrow.

“You can go home,” I tell Samantha, the employee I was able to hire several months ago. It’s made a huge difference in my work/life balance, allowing me to have more than one day off a week and making the day-to-day operation of the bakery a lot easier, since I don’t have to handle baking and serving customers all on my own.