Page 73 of Wild Tides
I said it baldly. Not a request. For all that I admired him to pieces, if he objected, it wouldn’t stop me. Violet and I loved each other, and she was more than capable of deciding for herself if she’d have me.
“Good. That all?” Gary asked.
I dipped my chin. Simple as that. If I’d told Vanessa, she’d have a thousand questions. Advice. Ideas to help me plan. If I’d told Gran, she’d have something suitably naughty to say. She might also spill the beans if it suited her purposes.
“Welcome to the family, Lee.”
His words melted the last of my fears. Not that her family would disapprove, but the deeper vulnerability that whispered Violet might turn me down again. We hadn’t been dating long. But time didn’t matter when you knew. She was it for me, the only future I wanted. If she needed more time, I’d give it. I’d wait. And if she needed me to ask a hundred times, I’d do it without hesitation. Because one way or another, I was going to be Violet Fenwick’s husband. And nothing in this world ever felt more right.
Chapter 34 – Violet
Life settled into a semblance of routine after dinner with my family. That night marked the return to sleepy small-town life. The Underwoods and Owen were in jail, with bail unlikely now that they’d all been deemed flight risks.
Even Anya’s parents had finally made national headlines, the feds circling closer until there was nowhere to run. She didn’t say much when the news broke, just showed up to yoga looking lighter, as if some unseen weight had finally shifted off her shoulders.
Things at the Salty Pantry were slow, but that gave me time to experiment with new recipes for the shop. My new caramel salted croissant was a hit with locals and visitors alike. I spent less and less time at my house and more at Lee’s. I wasn’t quite ready to let my house go, but more of my things had migrated to the drawers and closet space he’d cleared for me.
Winter weather meant fewer Saturday hikes, but I used the time wisely, snuggled up with Lee watching movies. Rae wouldstart dragging us out again soon. April was around the corner, meaning busier days at the shop.
I stayed late at the Salty Pantry to complete quarter-end inventory, preparing my restocking order. My phone buzzed.
Lee: What time are you coming home?
Vi: Be there in 15. I can make grilled cheese or something fast tonight.
Lee: I’ve got dinner covered.
Had I read that right? Lee’s idea of cooking was unwrapping a protein bar. But I trusted that he’d pulled together something for dinner. Curious and touched that he offered to cook, I locked up, making it up the hill and down the street to the house in record time.
Hints of spring were everywhere, daffodils waving gently in the breeze. A few lilacs looked nearly ready to bloom. It’d been a warmer-than-average day. Thin clouds swept across the horizon, lingering to the west. Sunset would probably be spectacular.
I slipped off my shoes, following the cussing up the stairs to the kitchen. Pots and pans littered every available surface, but Lee looked up with a broad grin, clearly proud of himself.
“Welcome home. Dinner is just about ready. Let me just turn the stove off.” He drained a pot of pasta before returning it to the stovetop.
“What’s the special occasion?” I glanced from him to the stack of dishes.
He grinned sheepishly. “I’ll clean it all up later. I know I’m not a tidy cook. But I wanted to make you dinner. I thought we could eat out on the patio tonight. Wine?”
His words almost ran together. I resolved to compliment his cooking, no matter what. He was clearly nervous about how everything had turned out. He slipped out of a navy apron, revealing casual slacks and a simple dark tee that stretchedacross his broad chest. Freshly showered, he smelled of soap and garlic as he gripped my waist, dropping a quick kiss on my mouth.
“I missed you today.”
His words turned my heart into a puddle. Lee could be an absolute bear when the writing wasn’t going well, but the rest of the time he was impossibly sweet.
“I missed you too.” I pushed up onto my toes for another kiss.
Even when he wasn’t with me, he was my person. My partner. I had friends. I’d had lovers. But I’d never had a relationship quite like ours. Not that we didn’t disagree or argue. But the bedrock of our friendship, the level of trust and love built over decades, meant we never started from zero. Our foundation was unshakable, and it gave me a sense of security I’d never experienced before.
Loving Lee felt effortless, weightless, because I never questioned that it was mutual. My love for Lee could be easy and free because I knew he loved me back at a bone-deep level.
While I’d been lost in thought, Lee had been ferrying plates of pasta to the balcony. He extended his hand. “Dinner is served. C’mon, Cupcake, sunset is in a few minutes.”
I stepped out onto the balcony and blinked. “You’ve been busy today.” I worked around the sudden tightening in my throat, hiding the way my heart rate picked up.
He’d overhauled the tiny deck. The small bistro table and chairs were the same, but he’d spruced the table up with a low-profile bouquet of daffodils. Tiny fairy lights were strung in the eaves, giving the tiny porch a magical quality. In the distance, the Salish Sea glittered. The fading rays of the sun illuminated the water as it sank behind the hills, lighting the clouds in pinks and purples.
“I hope you like it.” Lee pulled out my chair and scooted me forward before taking his seat. He held my gaze. “I warned you I’d keep asking.”
