Page 48 of Theirs for the Holidays

16

SAWYER

It’slike flicking off a light switch, the way something changes in Violet’s demeanor so suddenly. All the brightness that was there before drains out, leaving her almost blank and definitely more reserved. She disappears into the kitchen like she’s trying to escape from me, and I frown after her, not sure what just happened.

When I follow her into the kitchen a moment later, she’s loading more dough onto a tray to slide into the oven.

“Oh,” she says, not even glancing up at me when I walk in. “Are you heading out?”

“No? I came looking for you.”

“I need to do another tray of these cookies,” she says. “I’m almost out up front, and they’re a popular seller.”

“Cookies,” I say, pinning her with a look.

“Cookies,” she replies. “Cranberry macadamia nut with white chocolate. You can try one when they come out of the oven if you want.”

Violet makes a show of evenly spacing each scoop of cookie dough, giving it all her focus like it’s the most important thing she’s ever done. She’s obviously trying to pretend everything is fine, acting cheerful and light, but she still won’t look at me.

I stand there for a minute longer, watching her, but when it becomes clear she has no intentions of bringing it up, I take matters into my own hands. “What was that?” I ask her.

“What was what?”

“Violet. What happened out there? One minute we were talking and the next… it was like you couldn’t wait to get away from me.”

Her lips twist in something that’s not quite a smile. “Is that what you think?” she murmurs. “I think we were mostly done talking by then, don’t you?”

“I don’t know what to think,” I fire back. It’s hard to think much at all, when her addictive peach scent is clinging to her, invading my nostrils every time I breathe in. The kitchen smells like all kinds of different sugary treats, but I can smell Violet above all of it. It’s mouth-watering, and even though I know I shouldn’t be giving in to it, I take a deep breath, like I want the smell of her to linger.

Violet sighs, putting the tray in the oven and setting a timer. “I know it’s probably embarrassing for you to be seen with me. And I really do appreciate you and your brothers doing this. It can’t be easy pretending to date me, knowing the whole town is going to be gossiping about it. I want to do what I can to help.”

I frown at her, folding my arms. “Help with what?”

“I don’t know… help minimize how much we’re seen together, I guess. So you all don’t have to pretend and put on a show too often.”

I just frown harder, sifting through her words to try to understand where this is coming from. Because last I checked we wanted people to be gossiping about us—to sell the lie that we’re together.

But when I replay what happened out in the shop, it starts to make sense. We were close to each other, having a moment, and then someone came in, and I moved away.

Violet is clearly thinking—wrongly—that it was because I was embarrassed to be seen with her or something like that.

Silly. Absolutely ridiculous.

I step closer to her, and I can practically hear it when her breath catches.

“Is that what you think happened out there? I stepped away from you because someone came in so I don’t want to be seen with you?”

She shrugs. “I mean, it would make sense, right? I’m sure you’re used to being seen with prettier women. If we keep this whole thing contained as much as we can, then it won’t be too hard for you to shake it off later. It won’t damage your reputation too much.”

I can’t decide if that makes me want to laugh or rage a little. The thing that really makes it worse is that she doesn’t even sound mad or offended the way she’d be entitled to if thatwaswhy I moved away from her. Violet just sounds resigned, like this is her lot in life or something.

My jaw clenches and I move in even closer, making her step back. I don’t stop coming until she’s backed up against the counter, staring at me with wide eyes.

“Let’s get something clear, okay? That’s not why I pulled away from you.”

“It’s not?”

“No. I pulled away because if that customer hadn’t walked in when he did, I was seconds away from forgetting I’m a gentleman and pinning you against the pastry case so I could taste you.”