34. Violet
Chapter 34
Violet
C ami’s ranch is peaceful.
Or at least, it should be. But I am not at peace after what has happened. I can't make sense of any of it.
Of all the bars in all the towns in all the world… how the hell did I end up falling for a man whose ex-wife is the same woman who tried to ruin me?
What kind of twisted, cosmic joke is this from the universe?
The universe had to be bored when it cooked this one up. Like it sat back with a drink, looked at me and Walker, and thought, “Let’s see how much chaos they can handle before they completely break.” Because this? This isn’t just bad luck. This is just plain cruel.
How is it even remotely possible that the man I love—the man I trusted, the one person who made me believe in something good again, was married to her? The same woman who stole my music, my career, my future? The same woman who took everything from me and left me with nothing? And now, here she is, waltzing back into both of our lives like some twisted ghost, smiling like she hasn’t already burned the world down around her.
The wind rustles through the fields, the horses graze lazily in the paddock, and there’s the warm scent of hay and fresh earth in the air. It’s the kind of place that should bring me peace. Should make me feel grounded. Should remind me that life goes on, even when it hurts .
Instead, I sit on the back porch, nursing a glass of wine, while Poppy stands on a rickety old chair, trying to string lights up over the beams.
“If I fall and break something,” she grumbles, “you will lie to the paramedics and say it was something cooler than ‘she fell hanging string lights like an idiot.’”
Cami, lounging back in her chair, boots propped up on the railing, takes a slow sip of her beer. “What about ‘she fell while fighting off a mountain lion’?”
Poppy considers it. “Acceptable.”
Maggie, who just walked outside with a fresh basket of biscuits Cami had in the oven, snorts. “I’ll tell ‘em she was running from a mountain lion.”
Poppy glares. “Wow. Betrayal.”
Mack, curled up in the chair beside me, laughs around a mouthful of mashed potatoes as she tells Poppy. “If you die, I get your antique truck, right?”
Poppy narrows her eyes. “If I die, I haunt you. And that truck is not antique! It's vintage."
“Fine. But it’s older than dirt.”
I shake my head, smiling despite the heaviness still lodged in my chest. Because they are the only thing keeping me from completely unraveling right now. I was relieved to see Mack and Maggie show up earlier to spend some time with me. Everything feels horrible right now.
Walker should be here .
But he’s not.
Because he’s off figuring out his crap, and I refuse to sit around waiting for him to decide whether or not I’m worth fighting for.
I check my phone. Still nothing.
Cami nudges my leg with her boot. “You still thinking about him?”
I exhale, setting my wine down. “I’m thinking about how he made me feel when he accused me of knowing who Stella was.”
The weight of his words still lingers in my chest. It wasn’t just that he was angry, it was that he doubted me. Where he could have trusted me, he hesitated. I’ve been here before. I’ve watched people I love walk away from me like I don't matter, watching them decide I wasn’t worth believing in. And I told myself I would never let it happen again. Never let myself be put in the position of proving my worth to someone who should already know it. But here I am, doing it again. And it stings. I thought things were different with him. Maybe not.
My throat tightens, but I push forward. “I get it, okay? I do. He’s been burned before, bad. And the person who did it just showed up to do it again.”
Poppy groans. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he gets to throw you under the bus just because his trust issues got set on fire.”
Maggie, ever the diplomat, sighs. “Walker’s a good man, honey.”
I nod. “I know.” And that's the hard part. It makes me feel like I'm not the good one.
“But he’s also a damn idiot,” she adds.
I snort, and Mack grins. “Finally, someone says it.”
Cami shakes her head. “It’s just dumb. All of it. Stella is evil. Walker should know you had nothing to do with this.”
I swallow hard. “I told him. But he didn’t believe me. ”
Mack says, "Anyone want more potatoes? I'm getting more." We shake our heads, and she heads inside.
And that’s the part I can’t let go of.The part that hurts. The part that makes me feel like it's happening all over again, watching someone I love walk away because they decidedI wasn’t worth it.
Cami sighs. “That woman is a plague.”
Poppy leans forward. “What exactly did she do to you?”
I let out a slow breath, my chest tight. “She slept with my boyfriend. Took my album. Used me for my talent and then ruined me when she didn’t need me anymore.” I clench my jaw.
Cami leans forward, eyes dark. “When the devil couldn’t reach you, he sent an insecure, self-victimizing ‘friend’ who craved male validation, had no empathy, and used manipulation to take what she wanted. Sounds like she has a pattern with this."
Poppy whistles. “Damn. Say it again, but slower.”
Maggie blinks. “Cami, that was kinda poetic.”
Cami shrugs. “Been holding that one in for a while.”
Maggie snorts. “You’re not wrong, though.”
I stare down at my hands, exhaling. “She took everything from me.”
Cami nudges my knee. “Not everything . You still have us.”
Something sharp wedges itself in my throat.
Maggie reaches over, giving my hand a squeeze. “And I know Walker. He might be lost in his own damn head right now, but he’s not going to let her take anything else from him. And that includes you.”
I wish I could believe that. I wish I could hold onto that certainty, that trust. But right now, I don’t know. And I don’t have the energy to fight for someone who isn’t willing to fight for me back.
I chew my lip, staring at the sky. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m not waiting around for him to figure it out.”
Poppy tilts her head. “So, what now?”
I shift in my chair. “I don’t know.”
Cami perks up. “Yes, you do.”
I give her a look. “Oh, do I?”
She grins. “You’re going to perform at the county fair.”
I blink. “Uh?—”
Maggie slaps the table. “The show must go on, honey. Show Walker what he's missing.”
Cami nods. “It’s literally the best way to remind yourself who the hell you are.”
I hesitate.
Mack settles back into her chair with her food and raises a brow. “What? You gonna let Stella win?”
That hits me like a slap. Because no. No, I am not. I square my shoulders. “Fine.”
Poppy beams. “Hell yeah.”
Cami raises her beer. “To Violet, reclaiming her damn career and not letting that viper win.”
Everyone cheers, and I laugh, shaking my head.
I glance out over Cami’s ranch, the pastures stretching wide, the horses grazing under the Wyoming sky, the old red barn that’s stood here longer than any of us have been alive.
This place matters. It’s been in her family for generations.
Now, I can see why Cami is fighting so damn hard to save it. Why we’re doing this fundraiser in the first place. It’s more than just land—it’s history, legacy, and home. And looking at it now, I understand something I hadn’t before.
This isn’t just about me. It’s about fighting for the things that matter. And I’ll be damned if I let Stella take anything from anyone I love ever again .
Mack stretches out, then sighs dramatically. “Is this a good time to confess my sins?”
Maggie eyes her warily. “What did you do now?”
Mack winces. “So… I may have taken a video of you and Dad singing at the bar before all hell broke loose.”
Maggie groans. “Makayla Leigh Walker, I am too old for this nonsense.”
Mack holds up her hands. “In my defense, I was proud of you guys! It’s not every day you have famous parents!”
I freeze. She’s not talking about Stella. She’s talking about me. And her referring to me like that melts my heart.
Poppy whistles as she scrolls through her phone. “Damn. This thing went VIRAL viral.”
Cami shakes her head, grinning as she leans over and looks. “Like, actual internet-breaking viral.”
Maggie fans herself. “Lord, Walker is going to lose his damn mind.”
"I mean, he kind of already has, so what's one more thing, right?" Poppy asks as she scrolls through the comments. There are thousands.
Holy shit. I blink at Mack, who now holds onto the rocking chair for dear life.
“So, your dad doesn't know about this?” I ask, my voice wavering with nervousness.
Mack stares at me, completely deadpan. “No.”
I tilt my head. “He will soon.”
Mack swallows. “And I’m going to be grounded for life.”
Cami laughs. “I give you one to two business days of freedom, tops.”
Poppy nudges her. “Say your goodbyes now, Mack.”
I exhale. “I should be panicking.”
Cami grins. “But you’re not.”
I shake my head.I know I shouldn’t watch it. But the second Cami shoves her phone in front of my face, I watch it anyway. And damn it, I’m wrecked all over again.
The video starts with me and Walker on stage at The Black Dog , sitting knee to knee, his guitar balanced on his thigh, my fingers strumming mine, and our mouths at the mic. The lighting is low, warm, golden, the kind that makes everything look softer, dreamier. Like something out of a movie.
Then, I hearhis voice.That deep, rich, slightly rough tone that melts my insides like butter on a hot biscuit. My throat tightens as I watch.Because it’s not just the way he sings.It’s the way he watches me.
The slow, focused way his whiskey-colored eyes track my every move, the almost imperceptible hitch of his breath when I hit a high note, the way his fingers tighten just a little on the guitar when I lean in.
He’s looking at me like I’m the only thing that exists.Like I’m something precious. Like he’s completely, utterly gone for me.And it hurts.
Because right now? Things are broken between us. And I don't know if we can ever be like that again.
He’s holed up in his damn cabin, working through his issues, while I’m out here trying to pretend like my heart isn’t currently being drop-kicked.
I swallow, forcing down the lump in my throat. "Mack, this is a great video."
“Wow,” Poppy mutters, still staring at the screen. “This is obscene.”
Cami whistles, fanning herself. “I mean… damn, Violet. Watching it in person was just as hot for the record. But that's a great video. I can see why it went viral."
Maggie shakes her head, looking far too pleased. “That man is in love with you. ”
I let out a little laugh, pressing my hands to my face. “Well, he has a funny way of showing it.”
Mack throws her hands up. “Y’all are out here acting like two emotionally constipated Hallmark characters when you could be making out and healing each other’s wounds. I am suffering here.”
I groan.
Poppy scrolls through more of the comments, snickering. “Violet, people are losing their minds over this.”
I peek through my fingers. “How bad?”
Cami grins wickedly. “Oh, honey. This is the content the internet lives for.” She clears her throat and starts reading:
"Asher Wyatt found hiding out in Bridger Falls, Wyoming."
"Violet Wilson is gorgeous, and Asher Wyatt is a walking lumberjack snack."
"Asher Wyattand Violet Wilson need to stop playing and start making beautiful, music-loving babies immediately."
Maggie chokes on her tea.
Mack snorts. “I support this.”
“Oh my God,” I whisper, mortified.
Poppy scrolls again. “Oooooh, this one’s good, ‘Find a man who looks at you the way Asher Wyatt looks at Violet Wilson while strumming his guitar. And if you don’t, stay single.’”
Cami throws up her hands. “SEE? We’re not crazy! ”
Maggie hums knowingly. “That man loves you, Violet.”
I swallow hard, staring down at the video again, at how his fingers brush over the strings, at how his gaze drinks me in like I’m the only thing worth seeing.
It’s bittersweet, watching this. Because for a moment, it felt real. It felt easy. Like maybe, just maybe, this thing between us was undeniable. Unshakable. Something we were both willing to hold onto. But now?
Now he’s gone. And I’m here, watching this video like a damn lovesick teenager, swooning over a man who currently thinks I betrayed him.
And now that the world knows where he lives and his privacy has been invaded, he'll probably blame that on me, too.
I sigh dramatically, handing the phone back to Cami. “I hate everything.”
Mack shakes her head. “No, you don’t. You love him.”
Poppy nudges me. “So, what are you gonna do?”
I blink. “What am I gonna do?”
Maggie smirks. “Honey, that video just made the whole damn world fall in love with you two. You’re going to have to face him eventually.”
I bite my lip, thinking. Because yeah. Yeah, I will .
And maybe when he does watch this damn video, he'll miss what he threw away.
I set my glass on the table and clear my throat. “You know what? You are all right. We need to share the fundraiser. We need to do this and do it big for the ranch.”
Every single head at the table slowly turns toward Mack.
She freezes, mid-bite of a biscuit, eyes darting from one of us to the next. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Poppy leans forward, resting her chin in her hands. “Because you are the littleQueen of Virality.”
Cami nods sagely. “The Social Media Overlord.”
Maggie adds, “The Digital Puppet Master.”
Mack blinks. “I don’t like where this is going. I'm already going to be grounded for life when he realizes what I've done.”
Maggie rocks back in her chair, "Your dad would never be mad if it was for a good cause, like saving Wilder Ranch here for Cami."
Part of me doesn't care right now. Walker can take his time out. I'm going to focus on Cami right now and what I can do to help. That feels a hell of a lot better than focusing on the hurt right now.
I give her a look. “Mack, can you make the fundraiser go viral?”
Mack squints at me. “You mean like cute hometown fundraiser viral? Or national thirst trap and women are booking flights to Wyoming viral?”
Maggie groans. “Lord help us all when Walker finds out.”
Poppy grins. “Definitely the second one.”
Mack leans back in her chair, steepling her fingers like an evil genius. “I mean, I could. But what’s in it for me?”
Cami deadpans. “The survival of my family’s ranch, Mack.”
Mack sighs. “Ugh. Fine. Emotional blackmail always works on me.”
Maggie pats her hand. “That’s because you’re a good person, sweetheart.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Let’s start with something simple. A video explaining the fundraiser, why we’re doing it, why the ranch is important?—”
Mack raises a hand. “Say less. I’m on it.”
We all watch as she whips out her phone, cracks her knuckles, and immediately starts typing like a woman possessed.
Poppy leans over. “What’s the plan, Social Media Overlord?”
Mack grins. “Give me twenty-four hours, and this fundraiser is gonna be everywhere.”
Cami sighs, shaking her head. “God help us all.”
Maggie just sips her tea. “Oh, Lord. Here we go again.”