Page 8 of Beloved Beauty

My seat at the table.

Not borrowed. Not temporary. Not squeezed in with a folding chair and an apology.

Mine. Because I belong here.

We settle in—bowls passed from hand to hand. Family style. I like that a lot.

The room hums with laughter and clinking forks, but across from me, Elias slows. His fork hovers over his plate, forgotten for a moment. “I miss Violet. A lot.”

I glance up, catching the sadness in his eyes. “She misses you, too. She told me to tell you that. Twice, actually.”

At the end of the table, Malie perks up, setting down her glass. “Who’s Violet?”

Elias shifts in his seat. “A woman I met in the States.”

Malie’s eyes gleam with curiosity. “Simply met, and that’s it?”

Alex chuckles into his drink. “Attached at the hip would be a better description. They were inseparable.”

Actually attached somewhere else would be more accurate.

“Who is this woman, Elias?” Malie asks, fully invested now, her eyes flicking between her son and me.

“Violet is my best friend,” I say, giving Malie a little context so she knows Violet isn’t some fling or passing fancy. She’s someone who matters.

“Ohhh?” Malie lifts her brows, curiosity piqued. “Tell me about this Violet.”

Elias leans back in his chair, smiling. “She’s smart and so damn funny. A straight shooter—calls it like she sees it––no sugarcoating. But kind. And she’s a real stunner. I mean stop-you-in-your-tracks kind of beautiful. Yet she doesn’t act as though she knows it.”

Malie’s expression softens, warm and knowing. “Sounds as though you think a lot of this woman.”

“She’s special,” Elias says, shrugging. “But she’s got her life in the States. I’ve got mine here.”

Malie hums, eyes flicking between the two brothers. “The thing about distance—it doesn’t stand a chance when two hearts refuse to stay apart.”

A shadow of something wistful passes through Elias’s eyes. “I’m not sure she’s interested in anything like that.”

“She is,” I say, no hesitation.

I bite back a smile, hearing Violet’s voice in my head—deadpan, sarcastic, and definitely ready to rip me a new one for daring to speak on her behalf. She’d tell me to mind my own business and stop pretending to be a matchmaker.

“Really?”

Did the idea never occur to him?

“Yeah, really.” I tip my head. “How could you not pick up on that after all the time you spent together? She barely let you out of her sight. For Violet, that’s basically the equivalent of wearing a neon sign that says, ‘I’m into you.’”

He freezes, lips parted as though a comeback was forming but got lost in translation. For once, Elias doesn’t have something quick to say.

“Love across oceans isn’t for the faint of heart,” Malie says, “But when it’s meant to be—when the person’s worth it—you find a way. Look at these two. Miles, messes, time zones––none of it stopped them.”

Alexander nods. “Your mum is right, son. Distance is tough, but it doesn’t have to be the end. Hell, I nearly lost Malie because I didn’t speak up soon enough. If you have something real and good, you don’t wait for perfect timing. You jump.”

Alex grins, catching Elias’s attention. “Violet’s no ordinary girl, mate. She’s clever, funny, and miles out of your league. Better step up before you miss your shot.”

“Oh, we’re doing back-to-back Sebring romances with Southern belles now?” Leilani raises a brow. “What is this, a franchise?”

“If she’s anything as you described, she’s not one you let go of without trying,” Malie says.

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