Page 24 of Off the Wall

“I’m so happy for you.” Tears sting the corners of my eyes.

“I’m so happy for me too.” She ducks her head. “I was going to wait to tell you after closing, but I got too impatient. I just really needed you to know.”

“Awww.” I swipe at my nose, which has started stinging too. Violet’s always made me feel so loved. Like I’m extra special to her. And I want her to feel the same way. “You should get married here,” I chirp. “I’d be honored to help plan everything. I’ve watched Hayden pull her wedding together on short notice, and …” My voice trails off.

Violet’s gone quiet again. “I’m sorry, Nori.”

“Oh, please.” I wave her apology away. “I got a little carried away there for a minute, but I’m sure you and Larry have your own vision for your wedding.”

“We do,” she says, and I catch a slight tremble at her mouth. “But that’s not the problem.”

My heart sinks, and I put a hand to my chest. “If my ideas for the shop upset you, just forget I said anything. I understand why you’re not looking to take on anything new now. You’ve got a wedding to plan. And things are going great here,” I rush to add. “Serendipi-Tea is already my favorite place in the world.”

Clearly Violet’s not in the right headspace to worry about the business. And that’s all right. I can be patient with her. She’s been so patient with me. “So we don’t have to make any changes yet,” I say, brightly. “Maybe in another year or two?—”

“Nori.” Her shoulders sink. “There isn’t going to be another year or two.”

“But … why not?” The air starts leaking from my lungs and my insides deflate.

Is Violet sick after all?

She inhales deeply, then says the last thing I expect to hear: “I’m selling Serendipi-Tea.”

All the remaining oxygen flees my body, and I find myself gasping for breath. “No.” That’s the only word I can manage.

“Yes.” She nods, slowly. “Larry has a ranch in Montana. We’re going to move there. It will be an experiment, like you said.”

“You”—gasp—“want to be a farmer?”

Violet puts a hand to her throat. “Well, technically, it’s ranching,” she says. “And I want to be with Larry.”

My heart pounds so hard, I can feel it in my ears. My mouth opens and shuts, but no words come out.

“For thirty years, this was my home with Joe.” Violet gestures around the office and out the window. “Then Serendipi-Tea became my life for more than a decade.”

I finally find my voice. “Does Larry resent the time the shop takes away from him?”

“Not at all.” Violet shakes her head gently. “I’m the one who wants something different for my future. A new adventure.” Her shoulders hunch. “I’m ready for my third act, Nori.”

“So when are you thinking of selling?”

She folds her hands on the desk and the diamond winks at me. “Larry has a friend in real estate. Glen Cottage. Have you heard of him?”

I nod, picturing the bus bench with his face on it.

“Glen says the housing market in Serendipity Springs is really booming, and his son wants to get into the business too. Their plan is to buy this place and call it Cottage and Coffee. Part real estate office, part coffee shop. Business in the front, party in the back. Come for the caffeine, stay for the escrow. Stuff like that.” Her shoulders edge up. “If you ask me, the idea sounds a little gimmicky, but who am I to question their marketing? With all the beautiful oldVictorians on this block, Glen says this place could provide its own advertising for homes in the area, so he’s willing to take the risk.”

“Wait.” My insides clench, as I struggle to process this information. “You just got engaged last night. How is this happening so fast?”

Violet takes several seconds before she responds. “Larry and I have been in talks with Glen about this for a while, but there was never a good time to tell you. You already had so much on your plate, with East moving away. And now Hayden’s getting married, so you’re losing your roommate.”

Not to mention the job I lost in New York.

“So you were protecting me,” I murmur.

Just like East does.

“I didn’t want to upset you, dear.” Violet averts her gaze. “You’re like the daughter I never had.”

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