Page 63 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
Simone grinned. “Invite Ken Doll, too. He’s nice to look at.”
“Meh…”
“You told me he apologized to you?”
“That doesn’t mean I want him in my house.”
“It’s time to forgive, my dear. Let’s make this gathering the beginning of your prosperous and good life here—a new creative business, a friendly community and maybe a little romance with a very special friend that we love?”
“Ah, only two out of three are within my control.”
Simone’s smile fell flat. “I need you to be more self-assured about this. Positive energy, Violet. Positive energy.”
“Only if you’re positive about René?” Violet clenched her teeth in an awkward, knowing smile. Simone glared with one eyebrow raised as if she wanted to call Violet by some name that started with “you little…”
28
Now
Fallen leaves crunched loudly underneath their feet as they walked—to the point where they had to shout a little to be heard over the noise of it.
“It was awkward,” Jasper said. Violet couldn’t see his face since she was walking ahead of him on the path, but she could hear the displeasure in his voice. She could imagine his little mouth downturned and frowning.
“Well, that was to be expected, wasn’t it?” she answered. “Had you ever sat down and tried to have a conversation with Freddie before yesterday?”
“No,” Jasper confirmed. “And it served as a profound illustration as to why that’s the case.”
Violet snorted in a laugh. “He told me he wanted to talk to you. I thought he would have some important things to say?”
The air around them was crisp as they walked through the woods, the sun high and filtering brightly through the naked canopy of bare branches overhead. Violet could already see the opening into the clearing. Just a little further.
“He left within ten minutes,” Jasper said. “Which I am pretty pleased about. He just asked me how I was feeling, and if there was anything he could do to help or bring up from the store. It was weird. And his eyes kept darting all around like he didn’t want to look at me.”
Violet never would have thought that she’d haveanykind of sympathy for Freddie Martin—her childhood bully and therefore lifelong antagonist. But she’d also never imagined her best friend being cursed to turn into a mouse, so… Silly her for thinking she had a firm grip on reality and the way the world worked.
“I don’t have to do that again, do I?” Jasper asked as they stepped into the clearing. “Can I go back tonotopening the door when he comes over?”
“That’s entirely up to you.” Violet took in the scene before them. The clearing, which had seemed so large when she was a child, felt small now—intimate, like a woodsy hideaway. Violet imagined that it’d be the perfect place for a secluded little cottage. There were no flowers, and the grass was long: brittle and wispy in some places, but shorter and patchwork in others. Poppy Bridge itself remained the same. The arched drystone structure was still full of character with its intricate hand-layered rocks and speckled form. A bubbling stream flowed underneath, winding through the clearing and disappearing into the thick woods surrounding them.
“How about we set up over there?” Violet pointed. “Just beside the stream?”
“Sure.” Jasper strode forward with the quilt tucked underneath his right arm, a thick book in his left hand.
After finding a patch of shorter grass, they spread the blanket out and made themselves comfortable. Violet sat upright, sketchpad in hand as she focused on the bridge and its surroundings. She examined her subject in silence, mentally deciphering the unique details of each stone, the overall shape of the arch and the flowing water underneath. Meanwhile, Jasper settled on his back beside her, eventually holding his novel above his face to read while simultaneously shielding his eyes from the sun overhead.
“Is my favorite author writing anything, currently?” Violet asked quietly.
Jasper breathed an amused laugh. “No. I don’t write in December. Generally speaking, it’s my month off.”
“What are you reading?”
“Secrets of the Gemini.”
“Second time?”
“Third.”
They both chuckled as a cool breeze swept through the clearing, causing the yellowed clusters of grass to bend and sway, the tree branches bouncing and creaking. Remarkably, the weather was clear, with the sunlight creating just enough warmth to abate the brisk winter wind.
