Page 23 of Falling For You

Owen

I stared at Violet, her gorgeous brown eyes and long, dark hair cascading down her back, and guilt pummeled deeply into me. But there was something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

This entire thing was turning messier than I could ever have imagined, and it was all my doing. I should have ignored her when I was at the Medowski property and left the Hungry Buck when her group managed to find the one place in town whereI wanted to have a peaceful dinner.

But what did I do instead? I bought her entire table drinks. I surprised even myself with that move.

Then I got up the courage and wandered to her table and disrupted her plans for the night.

Sure.

She threw some not-so-subtle digs in my direction, but I didn’t take the bait. Instead, I sat down across from Violet and made her talk.

And this morning?

Sunflowers?

I didn’t even know who or what possessed me at this point. To say I was acting entirely out of character was an understatement. It felt like I was under some kind of spell, unable to resist her charm.

The last twenty-four hours felt like an out-of-body experience, with absolutely foreign feelings. To top it off, Violet just fluttered around and got into business that was never hers to begin with.

I looked at the barista studying me intently and nearly broke into a cold sweat.

This was so unlike me. I couldn’t care less about women and relationships. I had important things to focus on to grow my business, and relationships always caused drama.

Always.

Or worse yet, I might fall into the trap one day like my brother did and propose. The thought made me shudder.

“I’m Abby. Welcome to Buttercup Lake,” she said. A man walked out of the back room and glanced at us, immediately smiling once he saw Violet.

There was something about Violet that just did that to people. She had a way of drawing you in, making you forget your troubles for a while.

“That’s Abby’s husband,” Violet whispered. “He did the remodel.”

I nodded, not bothering for a name. I wouldn’t be here long enough to care. But looking around the coffee shop, I had to admit he did good work. I didn’t know what it looked like before, but this fits the area’s vibe. The walls were adorned with vintage signs, and old fishing lures and fishing poles hung on the back wall.

Stained wood strips covered the walls with the windows that overlooked the sidewalk. Several shelves behind the cash register had glass jars filled with coffee beans, and a largechalkboard featured the store’s drinks. A beautiful wood carving of an enormous coffee bean centered it all.

A massive stone fireplace sat in the corner, crackling softly with logs as several customers drank their beverages around it. Several wooden tables with colorful and mismatched chairs peppered the space. We’d definitely need to mimic this feeling when we opened one in our resort.

Violet was chatting with Abby as the man wandered back out of the room. I scanned the menu to see various items, such as the Lumberjack Latte or the Moose Mocha. It was all these little things that really made a difference. If we could somehow incorporate this hometown feel, we really had a shot at becomingthedestination of the Northwoods.

I glanced down at a glass cabinet along the counter thatcontained cinnamon rolls the size of pancakes, muffins as tall as a skyscraper, and scones filled with fruit, and my stomach growled.

Violet whipped around and arched her brow. “Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Didn’t you want something to drink?” She laughed with a bemused look in her eyes. “Or has this small-town feel punched you right in the gut and made you sick?”

“Oh, right.” I smiled and nodded, ordering the Lumberjack Latte before slipping cash on the counter.

I didn’t understand how this tiny woman could make me feel so small with a look in her eyes or a one-liner rolling off her tongue.

And I really didn’t understand why I kept coming back for more. I had work to do, and the biggest project of my life wasat stake.

In normal circumstances, I might even consider her annoying.

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