Chapter 27 – Lee
My knee brushed Violet’s under the table.
Our town’s tiny cocktail bar was the kind of place where ordering wine or beer felt like an insult to the bartender.
Intimate and cozy, tall leather chairs clustered around small tables under low lighting.
Behind the bar, Jay worked his magic, chatting with customers as he mixed drinks.
Candles flickered on every table, casting dancing shadows, and slacker rock played over the speakers, adding to the mellow vibe. It was a bar, but PNW island-style.
I nodded to Will Guzman in the corner with a blonde who looked like trouble, then tipped my chin to a group of seniors monopolizing the back corner. Gin and tonics came and went like clockwork, Jay keeping their glasses full without missing a beat.
And then there was Vi. Radiant in her dark purple dress, cheeks flushed with happiness. I wanted to lock the memory in, hold it close as the most perfect thing I’d ever experienced.
Sure, orgasms are great, but have you tried telling the woman you love what’s in your heart and having her tell you she feels the same? Wrestling your inner demons, negative a thousand points. But beating the odds against them and winning? One million.
“Is this seat taken?” a deep but recognizable voice asked at my shoulder.
I wanted to blurt no. Things with Vi were new. The last thing I needed was Drew’s interference. But the one thing I’d learned never to expect on a small island was privacy. And since Drew’s tacit approval had set me on my current course, driving me toward my present happiness, I relented.
“It’s yours if you remember your sister is a grown-ass adult and that we’re on a date.”
Vi choked off a giggle next to me. I gripped her fingers, bringing her knuckles to my lips. “Boundaries, baby.”
She giggled again, shoulders shaking as Drew and Anya took the seats next to us at the bar.
Her mirth calmed the inner voice that said she could speak up for herself.
I wouldn’t let anyone bully my girl. Definitely not her brother.
Between us, Vi and I could pinpoint all of his weak spots.
And I wasn’t above spilling the beans to Anya if he got out of line.
Maybe his future wife would like to know he wet the bed until he was ten.
As if he sensed my impending betrayal, Drew raised his palms. “We come in peace.” He shot out a hand. It took me a moment to realize he meant to mine. As if we hadn’t been friends for decades.
“Congratulations, man.” I narrowed my eyes. “Condolences then?” He shifted around me to tell his sister, “I’m happy for you both, Vi.”
“Thanks, Drew.”
Drew wrapped his arm around Anya. “It wasn’t exactly a gift card for a yoga class, but I like to think I did my part in bringing you together.”
Vi leaned forward on the bar, staring her brother down. “You could be smug, or you could be smart right now, Drew. What are you going to pick?”
Drew held up his hands, palms spread wide. “If smart means I’m shutting up now.” He mimed zipping his lips.
Anya handed him a menu, and he hid behind it, choosing a strategic retreat.
Josie brought out the fancy hot dogs we’d ordered for dinner, and I embraced the heartburn, needing to fuel myself for a night of dancing with Vi.
She ate her dog daintily, her bright red lips wrapping around the bun in a move that shouldn’t have turned me on.
Not with her brother there. I shifted in my chair, averting my gaze.
Anya and Drew’s order arrived, and we chatted easily through dinner.
Making conversation was torture when I’d prefer to go home, lock the door, and show Vi how much I loved her.
But I’d promised her romance. A re-do on the proms she missed, and I wouldn’t let my hornier tendencies interfere with making her dreams come true.
Even if I were calculating the odds of finding a private closet to make my point.
The town had already been privy to enough of our romance.
They didn’t need to catch the X-rated portions too.
We stepped out into the chill night air after dinner, the glow from the cocktail bar shrinking behind us.
A dark SUV idled half a block down, headlights off, exhaust puffing in faint clouds.
The driver’s silhouette sat motionless, too still for a guy waiting on a friend.
My instincts twitched, cataloguing details I couldn’t put into words.
Just when I thought about saying something to Vi, the engine rumbled, and the SUV slid away into the dark. I shook it off – it was so brief, I hadn’t caught the license plate. Still, unease prickled at the back of my neck as we headed toward the dance.
The walk to the Brickworks Building only took a few minutes.
Usually used to host the indoor portion of the farmer’s market, the building was rustic but beautiful.
The planning committee had strung fairy lights along the exposed rafters.
A DJ booth took up one corner, and thankfully, unlike high school, they’d set up a real bar.
“Would you like to dance or get a drink first?” I wrapped my arms around Vi from behind as we surveyed the scene.
A few brave couples slow-danced in the center of the floor. Gran sparkled under the low light in head-to-toe pink sequins as Ollie Reyes held her close. Gran’s hands gripped two generous handfuls of his ass while they swayed.
“Drink,” Violet said definitively, shuddering.
“I love Gran, but I need a minute before we join them on the dance floor. She’s not above sidling up behind me and reaching around to grab your ass.
” She held up a palm. “And before you talk about boundaries again, this is not your first Fenwick rodeo, Murphy. I was born into this nonsense. You chose it voluntarily.”
I lifted her knuckles, brushing them with a quick kiss. “And I’d pick you again every damn day for eternity.”
Her gaze softened, going hazy, and I drew her closer, brushing her lips with mine. I lost time, reveling in her mouth beneath mine. The soft flavor of mint lingered from her drink earlier. Rough fingers grabbed my butt and squeezed.
I jerked back from Violet, eyes wide. She looked love-drunk, blissfully unaware of the assault on my ass. Pride eclipsed my alarm, until I realized that Violet’s hands were still clasped in mine. Which meant my groper could only be one person.
“Hi, Gran,” Vi said wryly. “Do we need to talk about acceptable conduct in public again?”
Gran cackled behind me. “You mean I can touch his butt in private?”
“No,” I bit out, scooting around to protect my ass from the grabby senior. “Gran, I’m practically one of your grandkids. You’ve known me since I had braces. Keep your hands to yourself.”
She raised wrinkled hands, winking ostentatiously at me. “It was a grope of approval.”
I buttoned away the smile that wanted to peep out. “That’s not a thing.”
Gran’s gaze shifted to her granddaughter. “It’s only a thing if I do it,” Violet corrected. “I’m the girlfriend. You’re the old lady who should know better.”
“I’m old enough to know better and young enough not to care,” Gran spouted, glancing between us, her mischievous expression softening. “But if you’re claiming Lee, then I’ll keep my hands off in the future. I just wanted to make sure you were protecting your turf.”
Violet rolled her eyes. “Gran, consider leaving him alone your birthday gift to me.”
Her grandmother’s grin broadened. “There’s my girl. You kids have fun. Definitely do something I wouldn’t do.”
“What’s left?” Vi muttered, giving me an apologetic smile. “I’d apologize for her, but again, you knew what you were getting into, dating me.”
“I’ve got a solution.” I gave her a wicked grin. Slowly, I adjusted her palms, placing them strategically on each cheek. “You just hold on tight, and that scary old lady can’t touch me anymore.”
Vi rolled her eyes. This time at me. “Murphy, if that’s a ruse to keep my hands on your ass all night, I’m here for it.” She hid a smile. “I’ll say this for Gran: she has good taste.”
“So does my birthday girl.”
“Hey, Grope-aholics Anonymous. Either of you want a drink? We’re heading to the bar,” Lucy called. She and the rest of our friends stood nearby, forming a loose circle, their faces lit with playful smirks and raised brows.
“I’m not feeling very anonymous right now,” Vi muttered. She shook her head ruefully, adding a smile just for me. “But I could stand like this all night.” Her fingers clenched in a quick squeeze before she released me, and we drifted over to our friends.
I positioned myself with my back against the wall. Drew smirked at me from across the circle, no doubt reading my mind. These buns were no one’s but Violet’s.
“You all look stunning,” Violet told her friends.
“Hey. What about me?” Zach asked, feigning an offended pout.
Violet shook her head at him. “Yes. All the men clean up nicely too. I had no idea you could tell which end of the beard trimmer was which. Very dapper, brother.”
“It’s a nice turnout.” Rae waved her hand. “I’d say there are at least seventy-five people here.”
“That’s a crowd for Friday Harbor,” Anya said.
“That’s interesting.” Violet tipped her head toward the far corner. “Dr. Underwood is here.”
“With a date?” Anya sounded aghast. “Isn’t her husband still in jail?”
“Nope.” Lucy tilted her head to the slightly jowly man with the smug smile standing next to his wife. “Looks like Chaz is out on bail.”
“Interesting,” Clay muttered with a frown.
“Did you ever call Agent Harris?” I asked.
Clay nodded. “But it’s not something I can talk about here.”
He looked troubled. I examined Dr. Underwood and her husband, careful to mask my staring by nuzzling Vi’s soft hair, almost losing my train of thought thanks to the soft scent of lavender.
Dr. Underwood looked poised as ever, expression smooth.
As if she weren’t accompanying her crooked husband at a town event.
Where he’d swindled at least some of the crowd. It was a bold move. Or a desperate one.
They looked at ease, like it was just a casual date, not their town debut post-arrest. My arms tightened around Vi, grateful for the solid weight of her against me. Whatever games the Underwoods were playing, they could keep them. All I wanted was this woman, safe and close.
Drew made goo-goo eyes at Anya, and they drifted onto the dance floor.
“May I have this dance?” I asked Violet, extending a hand.
She placed her palm in mine, following me out onto the floor. The DJ started a slow song with a heavy beat. Taylor Swift’s “Lover” filled the air. Living in a virtual writing cave hadn’t saved me from learning some of the pop star’s songs, but it was fitting. Vi was mine.
Slowly, I twirled her, loving the way her cheeks flushed under the weight of the adoration in my gaze.
Her dress flirted with her ankles, her shoulders gleaming under the tiny lights.
I pulled her close, her curves flush with my body.
She was truly lovely tonight—the embodiment of a dream I didn’t know I’d been missing.
I’d once believed I’d float along in solitude. Maybe forever. Convinced I didn’t need or want a partner. But loving Violet had rewritten that truth. She’d become my new dream, my reward for letting go of the idea that self-sufficiency was the only way to protect myself.
As soon as she excused herself to the restroom, I slipped away, discreetly handing the DJ some cash along with my request.