Page 74 of Peach Blossom Hollow

Which was fair, and she commended him on using any means possible. She’d been avoiding him since their last kiss, and she held no pride in her general gutlessness. But she was scared.

What if he wasn’t actually offering love?

Or what if he was, and then got traded?

What if she was being a big chicken and was about to lose out on the biggest love of her life?

She inhaled a steadying breath and double-checked her clipboard and bachelor tags, knowing she was putting off going down there and seeing Leo.

She needed to take the risk and say yes to him. She could ask to take things slowly, and find out where he truly was with the idea of love and family.

“Who are you bidding on tonight?” Jenny asked, joining Violet in the loft as she collected the fundraiser’s cash box. She must have caught something in Violet’s expression because she stopped. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She held the clipboard closer to her chest. She planned to take a leap and bid on Leo tonight. However, the idea of putting herself out there made her light-headed, and she didn’t think discussing it would help. “Are you bidding on Dylan?”

Jenny laughed hard. “Dylan?” she gasped. “No way.”

“I thought you two had a little something going on underneath all the fighting.”

Jenny’s cheeks turned pink, but she continued shaking her head. “He’s sweet. Really. But the two of us? I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

Jenny shrugged and waved her free hand. “What about you? Daisy-Mae said you were trying a dating app?”

Violet rolled her eyes. “There are alotof fish out in the sea and that’s exactly where they’re going to stay.”

Jenny gave an amused snort of understanding. “Glowing recommendation for me to try the app.”

“Truthfully, I haven’t gotten past the chat-online stage with anyone.”

“Slim pickings?”

“I don’t know. I was going to meet a few of them in real life, but I sort of lost the heart for it.” Mostly because Leo had kissed her and asked for a chance.

And anyway, she was certain none of the men she’d met through the app would be as easy to hang out with as he was. They were also unlikely to have that special something that always brought her out of her shell.

She missed Leo. Everything about him from their quick and easy connection to that ridiculous shirt he was wearing tonight.

And he was down there, right now, waiting for her to give him an answer about moving from friends to lovers.

“Good thing I’m happy alone,” Jenny said cheerfully, heading to the top of the stairs.

“No, you’re not,” Violet called after her.

Realizing she couldn’t put off tonight’s tasks any longer, Violet left the loft and moved to the front ofthe barn where the bachelors were milling about. She waved to Hannah, in the second row, and to Mrs. Fisher, who was sitting in front of her, looking eager. She began organizing the men in the order they’d be auctioned off.

When she got to Leo, with trembling hands, she passed him a tag with his bachelor number.

“Hey, Leo.” She inhaled, trying to play it cool, to calm her shaking voice. She wanted to smile, to give him some sort of signal, but her brain and body were locking down. What if he said no to her? What if she’d read it all wrong? What if he said yes and then broke her heart? “You’ll be up after Louis.”

There was no way she could talk about their kiss and possible future as friends or something more right here, right now. She needed to bid on him, win it, then speak with him in private during their day together. Otherwise she could end up smooching with him right here in front of everyone—and she still didn’t know exactly what he was promising in terms of a relationship and love. She’d hate to make a fool of herself in front of the town a second time.

“Um, nice shirt.” She tried for a dry smile, but was so nervous she couldn’t manage it, so kept moving down the line.

She was about to give Louis his tag when Leo caught her arm.

“I miss you,” he said, his voice low. “And our friendship. You’re avoiding me, and I’m sorry I’ve made things weird between us a second time. Please forgive me.”

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