Chapter 26
VIOLET
Arranging the row of newly potted plants that I received in this morning’s shipment, I admire how a green cactus is a safe bet. It’s green, dry, and sends the message that this is not a romantic plant. This is the plant for people who only want to give occasional attention to it.
Apparently, plants scream, but we can’t hear it. Kind of like me lately. I’m yelling inside, waiting for clarity, hoping for a fantasy. Everyone looks on with sympathy, maybe even pity for the woman who fell for the playboy hockey star. I wish I could say that I’ll prove them all wrong.
“It sucks, Nugget,” I voice.
The bird looks at me with I swear surprise that I’ve given him extra attention in the last week, but anything to keep me occupied, even if that means giving spare thought to the parrot who I’m sure wants to kill me.
The bell over the door rings, and I’m ready to throw that bell onto the street. Every. Single. Time. Hope ignites inside of me that maybe it’s Declan.
I frown when I see Connor walking in. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Geez, someone is in a mood.” He frowns.
“Sorry, it’s been a day.”
“More like a few weeks, but it’s okay, you’ll be okay.”
Lines form on my forehead. “What makes you say that?”
Connor looks around the room and drops his gym duffel bag on the floor. “Didn’t you get the message?”
“What message?” I say as I walk to my station.
“I’m here because I assume you ignored the message.”
I blow out an exasperated breath. “I’m lost.”
He begins to search my table, and he notices a pile of cards, and it grabs my attention. Tilly was working earlier, I must have missed the orders. Crap, I now potentially have clients waiting. Frantically, I lift the papers. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Today.
My eyes scan the order.
No flowers, only a card, it says for the instructions. To write on the card:
Declan, thank you for last night. My answer is still yes, Violet.
He was here. Declan was here.
My stomach sinks, and then a faint line forms on my mouth because it’s the same note from when he first came into my store, but I’m lost about what this means.
“That message,” Connor points out.
I narrow my eyes at him. “How do you know?”
“Don’t ask. It’s time to go.” He pulls out rope from his gym bag and a strip of fabric that I can assume is a blindfold.
“What the hell is going on?” I’m half curious and slightly scared.
“Trust me, I’ve been asking myself the same thing since Declan showed up for a talk with my dad.”
A smile tugs at my mouth. “He went to Ford?” That must be promising, right?
“Close up shop and let’s go.”
I can’t see, my wrists are tied, and my nephew’s driving is not for the faint of heart. I don’t remember this many turns around the lake.
“Will you just tell me where we’re going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Is this really necessary, the rope?” I wiggle my wrists in the air.
Connor laughs. “I think so.”
He speeds up as the car turns to the right. “Easy, tiger, I’m going to be sick.”
“Not in Dad’s car.”
My mouth gapes open. “We’re in the Jaguar? Does your dad know?” I sure as hell didn’t, considering I’ve been blindfolded since I locked the door to my store, and although it felt like a sports car, Ford never ever lets Connor drive it.
“This is for a good cause.” That’s a no, Ford has no clue his son stole the car.
I breathe to myself. “Please, can we drive a little smoother?”
“Relax, we’re here,” he informs me as he begins to slow the car.
I have no idea where we are, I was too distracted by Connor’s driving.
The moment the car comes to a halt, I breathe out a sigh of relief. I was getting a little queasy, and I have zero patience for this mystery.
I hear Connor get out of the car, and a few seconds later, he opens my door to help me out.
“Goods delivered,” he calls out.
Connor guides me by my arm, and we take a few steps in the afternoon sun. It feels like we’re on a driveway.
“What the hell?” Declan yells in the distance, and he sounds horrified, but I can only hide a smile. I hear his voice, which means he’s here. He delivered a message, he saw Ford, he has Connor involved, these are all positive indications. “Why is your aunt tied up and blindfolded?”
Oh, this wasn’t part of the plan.
I hear the stomp of feet, and I think Declan is marching toward us.
“You said I could do it my way,” Connor protests.
My hands are yanked, and instantly I feel Declan’s familiar fingers fiddling with the knot. “I said you could come up with whatever story you needed to get your aunt here because you’re her soft spot.”
“I added a little interpretation,” he gripes. “Trust me, this is by far more memorable. Far less boring too,” Connor justifies.
The rope falls from my wrists, but all I feel is the warmth of Declan near, and my heart is on a rollercoaster. Fingers sneak under the blindfold and lift the dark fabric. My eyes take a moment to adjust to the light, and I’m greeted with eyes that possess me in the most delicious way possible.
“He went rogue on us. You okay?” Declan asks with concern as he assesses my body.
I blink a few times. “I’m fine.” I smile nervously. “Not sure what’s going on, though.” I look around to see that I’m at Declan’s house.
Declan glares to my nephew. “I’ll take over from here.”
“Sure. Want to keep the rope?” Connor asks casually.
Declan gives him a stunned look. “No, I don’t want to keep the rope,” he mocks. “One of these days you’re going to give one of us a heart attack.”
“Just keeping it real.” He flashes us a peace sign and heads back to the car.
Declan ruefully shakes his head, and I roll my lips in because an overpowering smile wants to beam on my face. Declan is here in front of me.
He waits a few moments until Connor starts the engine before he focuses on me again. “Hi.” He sounds tender and near shy. Ooh, timid is a side of him I haven’t yet seen, and I’m here for it.
“Hi,” I softly answer.
“Give me two minutes. I was supposed to be waiting out back, but then I saw you were kidnapped and had to intervene.”
“Chivalrous,” I state, one-toned. “I’ll wait,” I reassure him.
He offers me an appreciative smile and jogs back to the backyard.
For the next two minutes, I nervously wait outside, kicking a few pebbles and breathing to myself until I look at my watch and there is no more stalling.
My walk isn’t slow as I circle around his house, and then my heart falls… so hard.
A path of flowers lead to the treehouse. Not just flowers, but paper flowers.
Different colors, mostly purple. One flower after another. I chuckle because he’s lucky it isn’t windy today.
I follow the line of flowers until I reach the steps of the treehouse. My face turns puzzled, as the structure looks different, refreshed, upgraded, and a far cry from what it was when we first saw this house.
Climbing the few steps, I enter the treehouse to find more paper flowers all leading to a bowl on a new rug in the middle of the room. Declan is leaning against the wall with one ankle crossed over the other and his hands in his pockets, a man confident with his move, maybe even calm.
Our eyes meet, and my chest is visibly moving.
One step, and another.
He tips his head to indicate that I should investigate something on the floor. My eyes peer down to find our names on two pieces of paper in the bowl. They’re not new, they’re the originals… from that night.
“I kept them,” he states softly.
“Why?” I can’t tear my eyes away from what started this all.
Declan walks to me and places his hand on my shoulder, and the fingers on his other hand hook under my chin to guide my eyes to his.
“Life’s always been a game to me. Turns out, the championship game that I’ve been after is the one that I have with you.
I always win, which means I’ve been waiting to score, with you and the life we can have. ”
Am I floating? Is this real?
He continues to speak, with every word wrapping around me. “I knew you would be something, and I didn’t want to forget our night together. I held onto paper, for crying out loud.”
I shrug and smile. “You do a lot of things with paper,” I tease him.
He smiles as he steps closer, threading his fingers into my hair to ensure I can’t escape, even though I wouldn’t want to. “But only you get paper flowers.”
I glance around before returning to meet his eyes and smile, with emotion taking over. “Aren’t paper flowers for forever?”
Declan’s eyes stayed locked with mine. “That’s the point.”
“What are you saying?” I try not to sound like I’m going to jump into his arms.
“It’s only you, Violet. I’m not going to let you go, and I refuse to break your heart, so I had to be sure. It turns out, the things you want are what I want, as long it’s with you and only you, because I love you.”
I step closer then stall. “I should be angry at you, not give in so easily when you do something as perfect as this. But is it wrong that I just want to walk into your arms, because then the last few weeks become history and my misery is over?”
He nods once. “I can’t answer because I’ll be biased.”
Slowly, I step into his embrace and loop my arms around his neck. “Are you sure about us?”
He snorts a laugh. “I fixed up a treehouse, and other than right now, I don’t intend to be in here again, so I’m going to assume this is for our next generation.”
“I don’t want to have kids soon, I just… eventually.”
“We have time. We have to train our dog first.” He smirks.
I’m still hesitant, but I’m about to burst. “You won’t get bored with me?”
“Not a chance.” He yanks me forward by my middle. “Though maybe let’s avoid any parties, clubs, or suggestions that Charlotte and Brent might give us too.”
This time I chuckle. “Couldn’t agree more.”
“I can’t say sorry about the last few weeks. I wish I didn’t have to give us the distance, but I owed it to us to ensure we are the long game.”
“I get it. I was patiently waiting on the offside.” I know he loves when I make hockey references.
“I love you, Violet. I thought hockey was my life, and I got thrown into a void when I retired, but it turns out, real fulfillment is you.”
His words take me by surprise. I always kind of assumed that I would be the first to say it. The feeling has been bubbling inside of me, but it feels safe to admit the truth. “I love you too.”
“Good, we’ve established that. Now let me kiss you,” he nearly growls.
Our mouths slam together for a deep and passionate kiss. He steals my breath and saves me when I lose my balance, because this man’s swoon has swept me off my feet.
He hoists me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist, instantly feeling his hard length.
“I brought pillows,” he mumbles.
I glance down. “Oh, you want to do this here?” I kiss him again.
“I thought it would be special.”
“For sure. We can get a splinter in my ass, and the squirrels can watch us too.” I love being playful with this man.
He squeezes my behind. “Your ass might be in the air.”
My head falls back in a laugh, and his mouth lands on my throat to spread the warmth of his breath across my skin. “I don’t care how we do this, I just need you.”
“It’s been too long,” he whispers against my skin.
“I’m sure we will make up for that,” I husk right before he walks me to the wall of the treehouse to keep me trapped between his body and the wood.
Turns out, christening the treehouse is nearly as amazing as hearing him tell me that our future is together.