Page 7 of Holiday at Home
I can’t.
The last decision I made regarding Violet was purely selfish.
This time, she deserves more care.
If I know Violet, she’s anxious over her first day as owner and operator of her parents’ legacy. And while I don’t expect my news to go over terribly, it probably won’t go over all that well, either. The timing’s wrong. She should celebrate her grand reopening, not deal with her ex-boyfriend popping in out of nowhere to announce he’s repurposing the idea for our dream business.
Just thinking about it makes my stomach twist, which is silly. Violet’s good people.
She’s not gonna care.
She has her bakery, and I can have my coffee shop.
We both get to live the dream… separately.
“Simon?”
I look up to find Robert Kincaid, my best friend for most of my life, staring at me in surprise. His dark hair is cropped short, a military grade high and tight. His eyes glimmer with thattrademarked hint of mischief that promises a good time will be had by all. He’s bigger than I remember. More imposing, maybe, if you didn’t remember him as the goofy kid whose teeth grew faster than the rest of him in second grade.
“Robbie?” I shove my phone into my pocket and give him a back-slapping hug. “How are you?”
“Fantastic, obviously.” Robbie returns the hug, then steps back, studying the changes in my face as surely as I am his. “Man, it’s been years. How ya been?”
“Life’s good. No complaints.”
“Last I heard, you’re making a fortune out there.”
I shrug in a way that neither confirms nor denies. “Last I heard, you made it through BUDS and were an honest-to-goodness SEAL.”
“Sounds like we’re both livin’ the dream.” Robbie runs a hand over his buzz cut. “You gonna see Vi?”
“Just came from Sterling’s.” I jerk my chin over my shoulder and Robbie grimaces.
“And you’re still able to walk?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Violet’s had a long-standing bounty on your balls.”
I bob my head. “Can’t say I blame her.”
“How long you in town?”
“Just a couple days, then I’m leaving again. Mom has this whole holiday vacation thing planned. Ski resort in Colorado.”
“That sounds…”
“Loud? Chaotic? Like someone should call ahead and warn the staff?”
“Something like that.” Robbie crosses his arms and chuckles. “Nora and I are only in town tonight to support Vi with the whole bakery thing. But we’ll be back for Christmas, so she doesn’t have to celebrate alone. Any chance we can hang out then? Catch up?”
“I’ll be in Colorado for Christmas,” I say with a sad shake of my head.
“That means if it’s gonna happen, it’s happening tonight. We’re all going to the tree-lighting ceremony in Town Square. Come.”
While a night out with Robbie sounds great, there’s one snag to his plan.
“Will Violet be there?”
