Page 71 of Peach Blossom Hollow

“Nine.”

She turned on the tablet that was sitting on the counter. A photo of her smiling face flashed up, along with what looked like a bio, before she quickly closed the app and opened her calendar. She jabbed at it with a shaking hand, counting the weeks. “Eight.”

“Good. That helps decrease the odds of me being traded.” He lifted her hand from the tablet and swiped back to her picture in the first app. “What’s this?”

His heart fell as he realized what it was. A dating app. One with a notification icon that blared out the numberten. As in ten matches waiting for her to choose from. Or maybe it was ten messages from someone who liked her, who saw the same wonderful potential that Leo did?

Her profile photo was beautiful, her smile bright and sunny. He skimmed her bio. No surprise; it was well-written.

She snatched her tablet away from him and shut it off, then stared at him, jaw jutting as though she was daring him to mention the app.

“I’m not going to laugh at you.”

“Good. Because, FYI, I’m on this thing becauseyounever bothered to find someone for me.”

And he never would. He was starting to realize he’d never intended to. Not to be a jerk, but because so few men, even the top athletes he knew, would ever be good enough to set up with his sweet friend.

“I think it’s brave.” He gestured to the tablet. “Putting yourself out there.”

Her jaw relaxed, and he scooped her hands up in his own. “I’m glad you still want a partner.”

“Some of us are looking forlove.”

She pulled away from him, busying herself with her root beer.

“A partner means a friend,” he said. “It means laughter and fun. And love, too. It’s the whole package. If you find the right person, you can have it all.”

“Right!” She looked at him, her face awash with a weak, relieved smile. For a second he thought she was going to kiss him. Then she grew somber. “Butyoudon’t fall in love.”

“I think I just never had the right woman in my life. I’m sure I’ll soon learn how to recognize it,” he said quietly. He shifted closer and brushed her bangs away from her forehead. “You’re such an angry panda tonight. Are you okay?”

She gave him a fiery look, and he chuckled.

“I happen to like that side of you.” He tipped his head, angling it so his lips lined up with hers. Violet froze, but she didn’t push him away, and he gave her the gentle kiss he’d been thinking about all night.

Violet couldn’t think. She could barely breathe.

Leo was kissing her. Like, for real kissing her. On purpose. With intent.

He leaned away, but she gripped his face between her palms and kissed him back, long and slow.

Best kiss ever.

Maybe the man was coming around, after all.

Wait. What was she thinking?

Her head was all messed up today, with it being her supposed-to-be wedding anniversary, and she was being swayed by desperation, sadness and longing, as well as the way he seemed to be turning his thoughts around regarding romance and love.

He might decide he was open to the idea, but that didn’t mean he was going to fall in love withher. He could be rebounding after losing the Christine dream, attaching himself to Violet because of the way she was helping his career. He could simply be saying the right things, like she’d taught him to.

Then there was the blaring fact that he was doing well as a rookie and had made it onto a trade list. If he was traded, he’d be leaving. If not this season, possibly the next.

Him kissing her could even be a reaction to the way she was pulling back tonight. His expression when he’d spotted her on the dating app hadn’t been a happy one, though he’d said the right things. He’d looked the way she felt about Daisy-Mae slipping away from their friendship, as she fell further and deeper in love.

But the biggest thing—Violet wasn’t willing to settle for anything less than love, and still didn’t know if he truly understood what she needed. Leo was one giant risk, a man who could be swept far away from her in eight weeks or less.

She broke the kiss and stepped back, shaking her head. “This isn’t right. It’s not what either of us needs.”

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