Page 65 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
“I know you’re cursed. It’s not something I would forget. What are you really trying to say to me?”
“That… That you shouldn’t get too complacent.”
Smirking, she leaned over him, resting her palms on either side of his shoulders so that he was trapped underneath her, unable to avoid her gaze. She lifted her chin. “And what happens if I get complacent? Tell me.”
In a surprise move, Jasper rolled, catching Violet’s arm so that he broke through her barrier, nearly making her fall face-first into the blanket. But she caught herself. When she looked over, Jasper was sitting straight, looking down at her. “Nothing happens. Ever.”
Violet sat upright, brushing her palms against her thighs. “Why?”
“Because it can’t.”
“Because it can’t or because you don’t want it to?”
He turned his head toward the distant trees, his expression unreadable. “Both.”
Something about that felt like a door being slammed. Another hard boundary. Violet nodded, picking up her sketch pad and standing. “Understood. Should we head back to the cottage? It’s getting cloudy and colder.” Violet stretched her arms, but Jasper only stared up at her with his marble eyes. He didn’t budge.
“What is it?” Violet asked.
As he stared, his cheeks warmed to a rosy red. “Because youdon’tunderstand. Violet, you—”
“Listen, you don’t need to give me a big speech right now,” Violet said, holding her hand out flat to stop him. “I respect your boundaries, Jas. You’re worrying about something I didn’t even technically offer, so get your narrow behind up and let’s go. I’m cold.”
The rosiness shifted into bright crimson as he stood straight, his forehead furrowed. He bent to grab the blanket. “I wasn’t suggesting that you were offering me something.” He shook the blanket out a little too hard, sending dead grass and debris flying such that Violet had to take a step back.
“I would never be so presumptuous,” he fussed.
“Mmhm. Right.”
He stopped dead, blanket ruffled in his arms and face disgruntled and flushed. Despite herself, Violet smiled. She moved closer, then bent to grab the bottom edge of the quilt to help fold it. “You’re really cute, all flustered and indignant like this.”
He snatched the blanket from Violet’s grasp, but his mouth broke into a crooked smile. “The answer isyes,” he said.
“Yes what?” Violet turned her nose up, but then smiled. “What was the question?”
“To the party thing… Yes. I’ll come.”
29
Now
When Jasper and Violet rounded the corner at the front of Gram’s cottage, she stopped in surprise. “My God, she works fast.”
“There’s a tree on your porch,” Jasper said.
“It’s my Christmas tree, apparently. Courtesy of Simone. Sheesh, she just mentioned ordering it last night.” Violet walked up the stone steps and onto the small porch space. She reached out, stroking the needles encased in thick twine. “Soft pine.” She leaned in and sniffed. It smelled wonderful.
“It came with a stand.”
Violet looked over to see Jasper staring down at a large box and reading the label. “That’s handy,” he went on. “Can I help bring it inside?”
“Sure, thanks. Let me grab us some gardening gloves from the pantry.”
About fifteen minutes and a bruised elbow later, they’d wrestled the tree inside. Presently, it was still wrapped tightly in twine. They’d leaned it against the brick fireplace near the front picture window.
Jasper sat on the floor with the box open and various tree-stand materials scattered about, reading instructions and looking as if he were in his element—a new puzzle to be solved. Violet plopped down onto the couch with an ice pack pressed to her elbow, trying very hard not to cry.
“Do you need help?” Violet asked.
