Page 83 of Knot So Sweet
The words land heavy in the quiet clinic. Outside, a car door slams. Footsteps on the sidewalk fade away.
I straighten, dropping my arms to my sides. "You mean that."
"Yeah, I do." His jaw works, but his voice stays steady. "Violet's nothing like Rebecca. She works herself to exhaustion trying to build something here. She's nesting. Making that apartment into a home. And she trusted me enough to ask me to stay."
Liam moves to the sink, turning on the water and washing his hands just to have something to do. "So you want to move forward."
"I want to stop fucking this up by comparing every woman to someone who left years ago." Garrick resumes pacing, but slower now. More thoughtful. "Violet deserves better than my baggage."
I walk over to the examination table and hoist myself up to sit on the edge, legs dangling. "What changed? Between last night and this morning?"
Garrick stops at the window again, palms pressed flat against the frame as he stares out. "Watching her sleep. Knowing she felt safe enough with me there to actually rest. That's not something she gives easily."
Liam shuts off the water, shaking drops from his hands before grabbing a towel. "No, it's not. She's been running on pure adrenaline since she got here."
"Working three jobs," I add, swinging my legs slightly. "Helping everyone else build their dreams while barely keeping her head above water."
Garrick turns from the window, leaning back against the sill. "She's brilliant. The way her mind works, connecting things nobody else sees. Bob's hardware store is getting customers from Denver now because she wrote some copy that made people actually excited about shopping local."
"Mrs. Henderson's book club has a waiting list." Liam tosses the towel aside, moving to lean against the counter. "A waiting list. For a book club in a town of fifteen hundred people."
I jump down from the table, landing with a soft thud. "Sally's diner is packed every morning because Violet made pancakes sound like a religious experience."
"She sees potential everywhere." Garrick pushes off the window and walks to the center of the room where we're allnaturally gravitating. "In everyone. Even in me when I was being a complete ass to her."
Liam runs a hand over his jaw, the stubble rasping. "She's got fire. The kind that won't quit even when she should."
"Beautiful too." I can't help adding it. "Not just her face, though Christ, that smile could stop traffic. But the way she lights up when she's talking about someone's project. The way she makes people feel seen."
Garrick's expression softens further. "She made me feel seen this morning. Not the grumpy baker everyone expects. The real me underneath."
A beat of silence. The refrigerator in the corner hums. Somewhere in the back, metal clangs.
"She's exactly what we need." The words come out of my mouth before I fully think them through, but they're true.
Liam straightens, his posture shifting from casual to serious. "As a pack."
"As a pack," Garrick confirms. He looks at both of us. "But we don't force her. She's been controlled for too long. This has to be her choice."
I start pacing now, moving from the examination table to the supply cabinet and back. "We keep supporting her work. Being there when she needs us. Showing her what pack life looks like without pressuring her into it."
"Patience." Liam moves away from the counter, walking to the opposite side of the room. "She's skittish for good reason. We give her time to see we're not like her ex."
Garrick crosses his arms again, feet planted wide. "We're also honest. No games. No pretending we just want friendship when we want more. She'll see through that in a heartbeat."
"Agreed." I stop pacing and face them both. "We make our intentions clear but respect whatever she decides."
Liam's jaw tightens. "Even if she chooses to leave."
The thought makes my chest constrict, but I force myself to nod. "Even then. Her happiness matters more."
"When the hell did we all grow up?" Garrick's mouth quirks up at one corner.
I snort. "Speak for yourself. I'm still planning to cook for her until she can't walk past my restaurant without coming in."
Liam grins, some of the tension breaking. "I'll keep finding reasons to run into her at the coffee shop."
"Finding reasons." I raise an eyebrow.
