29. Chord
twenty-nine
Chord
53 DAYS TILL HOCKEY SEASON
“You okay there, Wallflower?”
Violet hangs off my arm as we approach the front door to the main house. This is her first time visiting my family home, and she’s about to meet my brothers in the potentially overwhelming scenario of our second family game night. So, although the way she squeezes my bicep gives away the fact she’s nervous as hell, I pretend to believe her when she says, “I’m okay.”
I still tighten my grip on her hand.
It’s been a week since our Aster Springs date and the declaration I made in the lake. I meant it all. Every single word of it. And it was so damn romantic—the kind of stories oldies tell their grandchildren—until photos surfaced online and social media shit all over it.
Violet insists there’s nothing for me to feel guilty about, but I do. I’m pissed at myself for putting her in that position. I should have been more careful. I should have known practically private wasn’t private enough for the most precious person in my life. Violet trusted me, and I fucked up.
But I’m resolved to make it up to her tonight.
Izzy declared her first game night such a success that she had to host another one, and this time, she graciously agreed to extend the invitation to Violet and her dad.
I say graciously with heavy doses of sarcasm and begrudging admiration. I asked her if it would be okay if I invited two extra people, and she lit up like a firefly before inexplicably narrowing her baby blues. Then she negotiated. Hard. I got to add Violet and Luke to the guest list. Izzy walked away with a sneaky stash of candy plus a contract—drafted in purple marker and signed by me with Daisy as a witness—that sooner rather than later, I will buy her that horse.
She’ll make a killer sports agent someday.
We enter the house without knocking, and the sound of my brothers and sisters talking in the living room floats out to us in the hallway. I lead Violet in that direction, wading through a sea of blue and green balloons on the carpet and streamers overhead.
This is the first time Violet will be in a room with everyone in my family at the same time. I know she wants to make a good impression, and even though I wish she wouldn’t worry, the fact that this is so important to her means a lot to me.
“Uncle Chord!” Izzy jumps up from where she’s playing cards with Finn at the coffee table and launches herself and her enormous purple tutu into my arms. “Did you bring my hor—”
“I’m working on it,” I interrupt, casting a furtive glance around the room for Charlie, but she’s nowhere to be seen. “Do you remember my friend, Violet?”
She gives Violet a look that reads something like can you believe this guy?
“Of course I remember, Uncle Chord. We’ve met seven times already.”
“Sorry.” I roll my lips to stop a smile and notice Violet is fighting one too. “Of course , you two know each other.” I point to the pair of extra-large whiteboards set up in front of the cold fireplace. “What are these for, Iz?”
“We’re playing Pictionary tonight! Boys versus girls, and we’re going to win! Aren’t we, Vi?”
Violet chuckles at Izzy’s use of Daisy’s nickname. “You know what?” she says in a conspiratorial whisper. “I think we will.”
I feign an offended snort. “You want to bet?”
Violet covers her smile with one hand as Izzy scowls and sticks out her little hand. “A million bucks says the girls win.”
I pretend to frown back as I shake on it. “Done.”
Izzy wriggles out of my arms and runs over to Dylan. “Dad! Guess what? We’re going to be rich!”
Violet laughs, and I draw her to me, wrapping her up and clasping her wrists at the small of her back. “You think I’m joking? I’ll bet you a million bucks too. You know I’m good for it.”
“But I’m not. If the boys’ team wins, what will I give you?”
I dip my head to her ear. “Oh, Wallflower. I’ll think of something.”
We’re interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat, and when I realize it’s Violet’s father, I stand straighter.
I’ve spent a little time with Luke over the twelve days he’s been on the ranch—passing him in my kitchen when he’s there for coffee with Violet, discussing the state of the fences when I’m available to help with repairs—and so far, our interactions have been friendly.
He’s aware that I’m dating his daughter and, according to Violet, he supports the idea because it makes her so happy. But his brown eyes, so much like Violet’s, are a little guarded tonight. It might be my guilty conscience talking, but I wonder if he saw the pictures of Violet and me almost naked in the lake.
“Luke,” I say, extending my hand. “It’s good to see you again.”
He nods and gives Violet a quick kiss on the cheek before accepting my handshake. “It’s nice to see you too, Chord. Thank you for inviting me tonight.”
“Of course. We’re happy to have you.”
He gives me a small smile, then tips his head toward Izzy and Daisy, who are fussing with the last preparations for the game night—testing the whiteboard markers, shifting the angles of the boards, setting up the game on the coffee table, Izzy studiously examining the dice.
“I didn’t realize this was so serious,” says Luke. “Little Isobel has read me the rules twice already.” He chuckles dryly and shakes his head. “I’m starting to get nervous.”
“I’d say it’ll be fun, but Izzy’s a tiny tyrant,” I reply, only half-joking. “I live for competition, but even I’m starting to sweat.”
“That might be because you’ve got a million dollars riding on your drawing skills,” Violet teases.
Luke’s eyes widen. “A million dollars!”
I scowl at Violet and pretend to be irritated when in fact, I love this side of her. She gives me an impish grin, then her dad a sheepish shrug, which makes him laugh, and I conclude that Violet’s growing confidence is because she feels more comfortable with her father around. Maybe it’s even her growing familiarity with Isobel. I let myself hope it’s also a little bit about me.
Izzy appears at my hip, takes my hand, and yanks hard, but not hard enough to move me.
“What are you doing, Iz?”
She grunts with effort as she tugs. “You’re a boy. You have to—come—over—here.”
Violet play-shoves my shoulder. “You heard her, and don’t worry. I’m sure my drawing skills are nothing compared to yours, Mr. Hotshot Hockey Player. Your million dollars is safe.”
Violet flutters her lashes, then blushes prettily when I laugh out loud in surprise at the way she’s teasing. “Oh, it’s on, Wallflower.”
Her blush deepens as Izzy tows me away.
My niece starts barking orders, corralling Finn, Dylan, Luke, and me onto the long sofa on the far side of the room. As soon as her head is turned, Finn gives her the slip and reappears with a couple of cold beers just as Daisy throws a balled-up napkin at my head and waves hello. She’s already ensconced on the opposite, smaller sofa with Violet snug against her side, and something clicks open in my chest at the picture of them together.
Charlie walks in from the kitchen and shoves a bowl of Pretzel M&M’s in my hands before crossing to the other side of the room and squishing onto the girls’ couch. I consider breaking rank to say thanks or hello or something , but before I get the chance, Izzy blows a silver whistle that’s going to get really old real soon.
“Where the fuck did she find that?” Finn mutters.
Dylan elbows him hard enough to make him grunt, but then he sighs. “No freaking clue. There’s a free dinner in it for you if you can make it disappear.”
Finn snorts—Dylan’s dinners are a given any night at The Hill—but he says, “On it.”
“Okay!” Izzy shouts. “The second Davenport Family Game Night is now in session! On your marks!”
On the other side of the room, Violet starts nibbling on her lip, and her hands are wedged between her thighs the way she does when she’s nervous.
You okay? I mouth.
Her legs stop bouncing, and Violet gives me a subtle nod. An even tinier smile. Yep .
As Izzy thrusts the rule book in Violet’s hands and she bends her head to read, I dig one elbow into Finn on my left, the other into Dylan on my right. They respond with affronted grunts before they both assault my ribs at the same time. I don’t give them the satisfaction of acknowledging it.
“What the hell, bro?” Dylan asks.
“That’s Violet,” I say with a nod in her direction.
“Ah.” Finn nods and takes a slug of his beer. “ That’s Violet. I thought she a figment of your imagination. She’s pretty.”
“She’s fucking perfect,” I correct him.
Violet must sense that we’re looking at her, talking about her. She raises her eyes without lifting her chin, checking us out from beneath her long dark lashes.
“Say hi,” I order under my breath.
“Hey, Violet.” Finn waves with a polite smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Finn—Chord’s younger, fitter brother.”
“Fuck off,” I mutter, and he snickers.
“Hi, Finn,” she replies with pink cheeks, a shy smile, and a voice that just carries the eight feet between us. “Nice to meet you too.”
I nudge Dylan and practically hear him roll his eyes. “Glad you could be here, Violet. I’m Dylan—Chord’s younger, cuter brother.”
“Jesus Christ,” I mumble.
“Hi, Dylan,” Violet replies. “Um, your food is excellent.”
Dylan gives me a smug look. “You hear that, bro? Apparently, I’m younger, cuter, and more talented too.”
“Go find a mirror, would you?” I say with a good-natured shove.
Violet chuckles, and I give her a wink that heightens the color in her cheeks. I hope she’s thinking the same things I am. This feels good. Natural. Easy. Right.
The sound of the front door crashing open and slamming shut reverberates down the hallway moments before tiny, redheaded Poppy bursts into the living room.
“I’m here! I’m here!” Poppy squeezes onto the sofa between Daisy and Violet, then circles her hand at Izzy, who has her fist raised and ready to toss the dice. “Go ahead. Don’t mind me.”
Beside me, Dylan chokes on his beer. I smack him on the back as he forces it down with watering eyes.
“Jesus.” He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and keeps his voice low. “Where the hell did she come from?”
I watch Izzy roll the dice and move the marker four places on the board as I answer Dylan’s question. “She’s been back in town for a couple of weeks. Didn’t Daisy tell you?”
Dylan makes a sound in his throat. “Ah, no.”
Finn hides a chuckle behind his hand. “This should be good.”
I’m a dick for laughing, but I can’t help it. Daisy and Poppy made Dylan’s life hell growing up. He’s only two years older and was always picking them up when they got drunk at parties, covering for them when they cut school, saving their asses when they got into fights, and swooping in when they wanted to get rid of ex-boyfriends or guys they weren’t interested in. In return, they acted like typical teenage girls. They basically tormented him.
“It’s been a long time,” I tell him. “I don’t think you’ll be called up for big brother duty any time soon.”
On the other side of the room, Poppy notices us looking her way, and she wiggles her fingers at Dylan with a pretty, devilish grin.
Dylan rolls his eyes with a groan and pushes to his feet. “I need another beer.”
Three throws of the dice into the game, and it’s Violet’s turn to stand at the board. She keeps her eyes on the carpet as she makes her way over, picks up the marker, and accepts the word card from Izzy. I should be watching Finn as he scribbles on our board, but I’m too distracted by Violet. She doesn’t look anywhere but the board while she’s sketching, shoulders hunched against everyone’s shouts. They’re all wildly incorrect guesses until Violet’s expertly drawn lines coalesce into a tall, fancy-looking dog with puffs of fur at its ankles, ears, and tail.
“Poodle!” Daisy shouts.
Violet spins and points at her. “Yes!”
Izzy jumps to her feet with a fist pump and high-pitched whoop while Violet returns to the sofa with pink cheeks, a pleased smile, and an awkward high-five from Poppy.
Finn takes one look at his board and the squiggles that look more like a puddle than a poodle, compares it to Violet’s masterpiece, then tosses his marker at me and drops onto the sofa.
“Let’s call it now. Violet’s got us over a barrel.”
He’s right. By the time the girls have won the best of five games, I’m down a million bucks—and it’s the best money I’ve ever spent. Violet’s shy hand and anxious posture morphed into confident strokes and genuine laughter less than an hour into the evening, and it’s so satisfying to see her bloom.
She draws. She calls out answers. She exchanges secret jokes with the girls and laughs hard enough that she collapses into the cushions. She’s so stunning I sit back and watch her instead of the game, not even caring that our team keeps losing.
She fits.
When it’s time to call it a night, it feels like forever and not hours since I touched her, and I cross the room like a man chasing rain after not drinking for days.
Violet gives me a slightly scandalized look before slipping into the hallway, and I follow her, dragging her further away from the living room until we’re deep inside the house and hidden in shadows.
I pin her against a wall and kiss her neck. “You were amazing in there. My family adores you.”
She moans quietly and curls her fingers into my shoulders, dropping her head back against the wall to give me access to her throat. “It was fun.”
I smile against her skin. “You just won a million dollars. I’ll bet it was fun.”
She chuckles and rocks her hips against my thigh. I bat her knees apart and hitch my leg high enough to give her something to ride, and heat pulses against the denim.
“I don’t remember shaking on that,” she says breathily, “but I’m sure Izzy will collect as soon as she can.”
I lap my tongue against the hollow behind her ear. “Probably.”
The voices in the living room get louder as everyone prepares to leave, and Violet reluctantly pushes against my shoulders. “I need to say goodbye to my dad, and we should help tidy up.”
I grunt because she’s right and because I’m so fucking hard. “Just give me a minute. I’m just going to go to the bathroom.”
Her lips twitch prettily as I try to covertly adjust my jeans. “Okay.”
When I return to the hallway a few minutes later, the house is quieter. I head straight for the living room, then turn toward Violet’s voice in the kitchen. Before I get to her, I hear Charlie’s voice too, and I hesitate. Do I go in and make sure everything’s fine between them? Do I walk away and give them a chance to get to know each other?
Or do I stay hidden in the shadows of the hallway and listen for my cue to get involved?
It’s C. I choose option C.
“Thank you for helping clean up,” Charlie says, “but it’s not necessary. I can take care of it.”
“I don’t mind,” Violet replies. “Actually, I was hoping I might get a chance to talk to you tonight. I want to thank you.”
The sound of water running starts, and then stops before Charlie replies. “Thank me? Why?”
I’m taken aback at how gentle her voice sounds, and I can almost feel Violet’s deep breath in the brief pause before she speaks. “Thank you for agreeing to let my dad stay on the ranch for a few weeks, and for keeping him busy with odd jobs. I’m not sure what Chord told you about our situation, but my dad is the only family I have, and he doesn’t do well on his own. You’ve saved me a lot of worry, but it’s not only that. He’s having a really good time out here.”
“You’re welcome,” Charlie replies, “but it wasn’t a hard ask. Chord explained that your dad needed support, and we’re in a position to offer it.” There’s a beat of silence before she goes on. “Plus, I figured it might make up for my behavior the day you arrived at Silver Leaf. I’m not what anyone would describe as warm and fuzzy—that’s Daisy’s thing—but I like to think I’m polite and professional. I embarrassed myself and put you in an uncomfortable position. I apologize.”
“You don’t need to,” Violet reassures her. “It wasn’t that bad.”
There’s an odd silence that lasts long enough that I consider rushing in to fix whatever’s gone wrong, but then they start laughing.
“Okay, it wasn’t the best start,” Violet admits. “But it didn’t cause any permanent damage.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Another pause before Charlie adds, “So… If that’s all, I guess we should probably get back out there.”
“Um. Wait. There is one more thing.”
“Okay?”
“The San Francisco Fury are coming to Aster Springs a week from tomorrow to train at the rink just outside of town,” Violet says in a tumbled rush. “We’ve hired it out for the day and everything.”
There’s another pause, and I frown as Charlie asks the exact thing I’m thinking.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“It’s a closed session, but I’m going to take my dad along to watch—he’s a huge Fury fan—and I thought… I mean I wondered if perhaps you’d like to come too? All of you—Finn, Dylan and Izzy, and Daisy. I know it’s been difficult in the past to get away from the ranch and travel to Chord’s games, but I bet he’d love to see you at training. You don’t have to be there for the whole day, of course, but it might be fun to stop by and take a look?”
More silence, and I swallow thickly.
“I don’t think so,” she says. “Maybe some other time.”
I love Violet for trying, but I knew there was no way Charlie would want to watch me train. And even though I was expecting it, her answer kicks me in the gut.
“Oh.” Violet’s voice is small, and I hate that she’s disappointed on my behalf. “Okay. But if you change your mind, we’ll be there all day for drills and practice and team-building games. You can drop by anytime.”
“I—” Charlie stops, and I hold my breath. “I’ll think about it.”
Violet’s exhalation echoes my own. “Great,” she says. “That’s… That’s great.”
At the sounds of movement in the kitchen, I move further into the hallway and wait for Violet to appear before I follow her into the empty living room. I clasp her hand before she knows I’m there, and she gasps as I spin her into my arms.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m so fucking lucky you were in the Fury boardroom that day.”
She slides her hands around my neck and, with a puzzled little smile, twists her fingers into my hair. “Where did this come from?”
I rock our bodies from side to side as if there were music, slow dancing with my girl in the silence. “Tonight was just that good.”
“I had a nice time too.” She hums and snuggles against my chest, then chokes back a giggle.
“What?” I look down, but she’s burrowed against my body. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. It’s just…” She finally meets my eyes. “What you said about being in the boardroom that day. I was so scared of you that I wanted to fall through the floor. I went home that night and told my dad I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Chord Davenport had hired me to be his assistant. My only plan for this summer was to reach the end of it without getting fired.”
I swallow a lump of shame and hold her tighter. “And now?”
“Now I can’t believe how lucky I was that you saw me at all.”
I’d give almost anything to rewrite the way we met, but I’m determined to make it up to her for as long as she’ll let me. “I saw you, Wallflower. I saw you, and I haven’t been able to look away ever since.”
She rests her head on my chest and sinks against me with a sigh.
“A million dollars for your thoughts?” I ask.
“I was just thinking how much has changed. I didn’t want this summer to happen at all, and now…” It should be impossible for her voice to grow quieter, but it does. “Now, I never want it to end.”
I stroke her hair, set my cheek on her head, and share my dream in a whisper. “Maybe it doesn’t have to.”