Page 34 of Loving Violet
“Just thinking,” I reply with a smile.
“About Violet, no doubt,” Esteban teases.
“Yeah,” I admit. “I just want to get to know her better, to be there for her.”
“You will, man. Just take it one step at a time,” Noah advises.
“I know, it’s just that this week at our lunch meeting, everything was going great. I tried flirting a little bit, asked her questions about her life, and she flirted back. But all of a sudden, I noticed she changed. It was like she realized what we were doing and stopped.”
“So maybe she didn’t feel comfortable after she realized she was responding to your advances,” Noah suggests.
“Yeah, she probably needs more time, bro,” Esteban adds.
“Keep talking to her and get to know her better. She probably needs to know that you’re serious about your attraction. Maybe she’s used to being treated poorly, and you need to show her that you’re different,” Noah continues.
“Yeah, I think she needs to see that you’re really into her and that you’re capable of being something she hasn’t had before,” Esteban agrees.
“Wow, when did you motherfuckers get so philosophical?” I say with a chuckle.
“Bro, we’ve always been smart,” Esteban says with a grin.
“I know. Josy told me that she was in an abusive marriage. I’m certain that it left scars on her heart,” I say to the guys.
“That explains why she didn’t feel comfortable flirting with you,” Esteban says.
“Yeah. That’s what I figured,” I say.
“Changing the subject, did you know that Eva is moving back to Honey Springs next summer?” Noah says, referring to his little sister. She left Honey Springs when she went to college and said she wasn’t coming back. I really don’t know what happened to make her change her mind. She’s a lot younger than us, so we always saw her as a little sister. But when she took off… Well, I’ve always wondered why.
“I thought she wasn’t coming back from Florida. What happened?” I ask.
“She finishes her master’s degree next May and told my mom that she misses Honey Springs,” Noah explains.
“Really? That’s surprising. She seemed so determined to stay away,” I say, intrigued.
“Yeah, she did. But I guess she realized there’s no place like home,” Noah says with a shrug. “She’s planning to start her own business here, something to do with organic skincare products. She’s really passionate about it.”
“That’s awesome. It’ll be good to have her back,” Esteban says, genuinely happy for Noah and his family.
“Yeah, it will be. Mom’s already planning a big welcome home party,” Noah says with a laugh.
“I bet she will love that,” Esteban says chuckling.
“Right!” Noah replies sarcastically.
As we continue to fish and chat, I can’t help but think about how life in Honey Springs seems to be changing. People are coming back, new connections are being made, and maybe, there’s a chance for something with Violet. One step at a time.
Chapter 15
Violet
Adrian has been waiting solong to go fishing.
We have never been, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
Josy knows and is more than happy to take us and teach Adrian how to fish. I have been watching videos on YouTube to learn how, and I bought all the things we need. We are all packed—I added snacks, sodas, towels, and sunscreen to our bag. We are going to have a fun day at the river and I am beyond excited.
“Adrian, it’s time to go! Are you done?” He takes so long to get dressed. I bet anything that if I go to his room, he’ll be playing on his iPad instead of getting ready.
