Chapter 14
Violet
I hated how nervous I was for this pool party.
My anxiety was absurd. This wasn’t a date. This wasn’t me being paraded in front of a family because Ford was proud to show me off. This was a cover—fake girlfriend duty—so he could see his nephew for his birthday and keep me safe at the same time. Nothing more.
Still the thought of meeting his parents and sisters had my stomach in knots. I rarely gave a damn of anyone’s opinion of me, but Ford was a respectable guy and I wanted to make a good impression for him with his family.
Family…Christopher and I had always been thick as thieves, and when Andrea and Madison came into the picture, I’d latched onto them, too. What family I did have mattered to me. Maybe because it had been in such short supply growing up, so I understood Ford’s need to make them a priority.
My nerves only spiked higher when we pulled up in front of his parent’s house where Ford told me he’d grown up since birth.
I took in the average sized two-story structure, the paint fairly fresh and the lawn neatly trimmed.
His family wasn’t rich by any means. I dealt cards for wealthy people all the time, and was often in their homes for private games.
I knew what rich looked like and this wasn’t it.
But his parents did live way more comfortably than I’d ever been growing up, the kind of solidly middle class that I’d longingly dreamed of being when I was a kid, instead of living in various shit hole apartments that we were eventually evicted from because my mother couldn’t pay the rent.
While anxiety jangled in my stomach, Ford, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed as we got out of the car.
Giving me a reassuring smile, he let his gaze travel appreciatively over the casual halter-style dress I’d chosen to wear over my swimsuit, the peach floral pattern matching the colors of the tattoo on my arm.
He intertwined our fingers as we walked up to the house, and I tried not to think about how much I liked having him hold my hand and reminded myself it was all for appearances’ sake.
Without knocking, we strolled inside as Ford called out playfully, “The best part of the party is here!”
“Oh, thank God,” a woman about my age said, a grin on her pretty face as she approached us, her eyes flicking over me with interest. “I was told hiring a clown was out of fashion, but here you are anyway.”
Ford chuckled and shook his head. “Damn, I set myself up for that one,” he said, releasing my hand to give her a hug.
The resemblance between the two was obvious. Same colored eyes and dark hair, and similar facial features.
The woman turned to me with a warm smile. “Hi, I’m Laney,” she said, introducing herself.
“This is Violet,” Ford replied before I could, placing his hand at the small of my back. That simple but possessive touch made me shiver—annoying, how much I liked it. “My girlfriend,” he added.
Laney stared at me, eyebrows flying up in surprise.
“Your—oh my God!” She beamed at me. “This is fantastic! Ford, you’ve been holding out on us,” she said, chastising him before she grabbed my hand, leading me to another part of the house.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Violet. Let me introduce you to everyone. ”
I followed along, uncharacteristically quiet, unsure what to do.
I glanced around, taking in the furniture and décor as she whisked me through the house.
Most of the walls were lined with family photos—two girls who had to be twins, and a boy who could only be Ford, and a few that included his parents.
The house looked well lived in, with details that indicated history and roots.
My chest ached, and I couldn’t stop the envy that hit me. This was Ford’s childhood home, the only place he’d known as a family home. It was filled with memories and the kind of stability I’d never had.
Laney led me out onto the back patio. The yard opened up to a pool where a dark-blond haired man sat on the steps with a toddler on his lap, splashing at the water.
A cluster of other little kids, all around one to seven or eight years in age, played in the shallow end, squealing with delight.
The smell of barbecue hung in the air, with laughter and conversation floating up from all directions.
“Hey, everyone, Ford is here,” Laney announced, her voice infused with excitement. “And he brought someone with him.”
That caught everyone’s attention, and all the adults’ eyes landed on me. An older couple and another woman who was clearly Laney’s twin—same face, shorter hair—came over to meet me.
“And who is this?” the older woman asked, who had the same warm eyes as Ford and had to be his mother.
“Violet,” Laney said, grinning. “Ford’s girlfriend.”
“Oh my goodness.” The woman swept me straight into a hug before I could brace myself for the affectionate embrace. “It’s so lovely to meet you. I’m Maggie, and this is Landon.”
The man beside her, who I assumed was Ford’s father, offered his hand. Ford had mentioned on the drive over that his dad was a retired Army colonel. His handshake was firm, his whole stance calm and composed, though his tone was friendly and kind as he welcomed me to their home.
The other twin side-eyed Ford, who was now standing beside me.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us,” she said, pursing her lips at her brother before letting them soften into a grin when she looked at me.
“I’m Liza. The man in the pool with the baby on his lap is my husband Blake, and that’s Dylan, our one year old with him.
That’s our daughter, Emma,” she said, pointing to a cute girl swimming with floaties on her arms. “And the birthday boy, Kevin, is around here somewhere…”
“And the man in charge of the barbecue is mine, Brian,” Laney cut in, continuing with introductions as her husband gave me a friendly wave from his post flipping hamburgers. “And Erica, the girl with the pigtails splashing everybody in the pool, is ours.”
“It’s so nice to meet you all,” I said honestly, though inside I felt like a fraud.
They were all lovely people, and I couldn’t have fit in less if I’d tried.
Everyone was so warm and open, the kind of family who laughed easily and welcomed me in without hesitation.
Standing in the middle of all that easy affection, I felt like an imposter, even as some secret part of me ached to belong, which was a very dangerous thing for me to feel.
“Let’s get you something to eat,” Maggie said, tucking her arm into mine and gently pulling me away from Ford, my only safety net in this situation. “Tell me a little about yourself, Violet.”
Panic rippled through me. What was I supposed to say?
That my parents were a disaster and now both dead, that I grew up in thrift-store shoes with holes in the soles, that I’d spent most of my adult life keeping my brother out of trouble while I dealt cards in a casino?
Not exactly an impressive resume to dazzle a boyfriend’s parents.
“I, um, I like art,” I managed, staying away from the more unsavory parts of my life that didn’t exactly scream meet the parents material.
“Oh, that’s wonderful. I’ve been taking a watercolor class,” Maggie said brightly as she steered me toward Brian, at the barbeque.
“When the kids finally moved out, I decided to actually enjoy some free time of my own. It’s been ten years now and sometimes I still wonder what to do with myself without kids underfoot. ”
Maggie made it extremely easy to relax around her, and I smiled. “I’m sure they foist the grandkids on you as often as possible,” I said, falling into the rhythm of the conversation, despite myself.
“And I’m more than happy to take them.” Maggie said, and it was clear she adored her grandchildren.
“Of course they’re a handful and exhausting,” she added with a light laugh.
“But I can always rest later. These years with them, well, you can’t get them back.
I felt the same way about Laney, Liza, and Ford when they were young. ”
I swallowed hard, caught between envy and admiration. It was so different from the world I’d grown up in. A mother who wanted to be there. Who showed up for her children. “That’s…really nice,” I said softly, hoping she wouldn’t hear how raw my voice suddenly sounded.
“Family isn’t a burden, it’s a blessing, I say,” she said as we walked up to the grill, where she addressed her son-in-law. “Brian, would you mind fixing Violet a plate?”
Brian grinned at me as he adjusted the hot dogs on the grill. “Hey, Violet. Great to meet you. Ford doesn’t usually bring anyone around family gatherings, so this is a nice surprise.”
“Oh, leave him be,” Maggie said with a laugh, swatting Brian’s arm. “Ford’s never been one to rush anything. I knew he’d bring around the right woman when the time was right.”
Their easy banter made my stomach twist. These people clearly adored Ford, and here I was letting them believe I was something I wasn’t.
The guilt of that pricked at me, even as I smiled and nodded like I belonged.
He deserved their pride, their joy, their excitement over him finally bringing someone home, and I hated that I was part of a lie.
While Brian and Maggie conversed, my gaze sought out Ford and found him already standing by the edge of the pool, shirtless with his swim trunks low on his hips, tossing his older niece and nephew into the water while they shrieked with laughter.
He was sexy at the club in his dom role, for sure, but this was a different kind of masculine appeal with the sunlight on his tanned skin, hair damp and disheveled, and muscles flexing as he hefted the kids into the air.
He was relaxed and playful, and everything about him stole my breath and made heat curl low in my belly before I could stop it.
“Well, you’ve made my day, Violet,” Brian said, bringing my attention back to him. “Now maybe my wife will stop with the matchmaking attempts.”