Chapter 12
Austin
“Good morning, Violet,” I greet, my voice tinged with flirtation. “You look especially beautiful today.”
Violet blushes slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Good morning, Austin. Thanks. What can I get for you today?”
“I’ll have my usual coffee and a breakfast croissant,” I reply, my eyes never leaving hers. “And don’t forget, we have a lunch date today. I hope you’re ready to be impressed.”
Violet laughs softly. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure your plans will be amazing.”
As she prepares my order, I can’t help but admire the way she moves, her grace and confidence shining through. When she hands me my coffee and croissant, our fingers brush slightly, igniting a spark inside of me.
“See you at lunch,” I say, giving her a wink before I take a big bite of my croissant. Violet stares at me and I just smirk before I leave the shop.
As I walk to my office, I can’t help but feel elated at her reaction. This morning I woke up before my alarm went off and I felt like a little boy waking up on Christmas morning. I’ve been waiting to have this lunch date with Violet since she left my office last week. And even though I knew I’d see her later today, I couldn’t help myself and came to the coffee shop to order my breakfast. I just needed to see her. She looked so beautiful with her hair down framing her gorgeous face. She was also wearing a touch of makeup that highlighted her natural beauty, making it impossible to look away.
I wonder, if she wore the make up for me. Or I'm probably just full of myself.
The morning flies by as I work with different clients, finalizing details on various projects. But my mind keeps drifting back to Violet and our upcoming lunch. Finally, noon rolls around, and as I make my way to the Warehouse Bistro where I’ve made reservations, I receive a message from Violet. My heart races when I see her name on my phone.
Violet: Josy needs help at the coffee shop and I can’t leave. Is there a way that we can meet here?
Me: Sure. I will be there in a few minutes.
Violet: Thank you. See you soon.
I walk into the coffee shop right on time. I see Violet immediately, looking even more stunning than I remember from this morning.
“Hi, Austin,” she greets, taking a seat at a table toward the back of the shop.
“Hi, Violet. I’m glad you texted me,” I say, trying to look calm while on the inside I am burning just by having her close to me. “Shall we order first, and then I can show you the plans? I’m hungry and can go for a chicken wrap.”
“That’s fine by me,” Violet answers.
We stand from our table and walk to the counter to place our orders. I feel my excitement building; I’m about to reveal the plans I’ve worked so hard on.
Once our food arrives and we’ve had a chance to start eating, I pull out the folder containing the preliminary plans. I lay them out on the table, watching Violet’s face intently as she studies them.
“I’ve tried to incorporate everything you mentioned,” I begin. “Here is the cozy living room with a fireplace, the spacious kitchen, here are the four bedrooms, and I also added three bathrooms even though you only mentioned two. I figured that one more wouldn’t hurt. And, of course, a space for a soccer field and a future pool.” I point at each section while I mention them.
Violet’s eyes widen as she takes in the details. “Austin, this is incredible. It’s everything I envisioned and more.” She smiles the widest, happiest smile, and I know then and there I will never forget this moment.
I smile, relief and pride washing over me. “I’m glad you like it. We can make any adjustments you want, but I wanted to capture the essence of what you described.”
“It’s perfect,” she says, her voice filled with emotion. “I can’t wait to see it come to life.”
As we continue to discuss the plans, tweaking a few details and sharing our visions for the project, I start to ask personal questions.
"Are you from North Carolina?" I ask, genuinely curious.
“Yes, I’m from Sweet Springs,” she replies.
I nod my head in acknowledgment. “I know where that is. I love their hiking trails, but I haven’t been in a long time.”
“The view from the top of the mountain is gorgeous. I used to go with my high school friends and hang out at the top,” she says, her eyes lighting up with the memory.
“What brought you here instead of your hometown?” I ask.
“I was planning on going back home. My parents and siblings are there, but I wanted to start fresh. If I moved back home, I would have to stay in my parents' house, and even though I love my parents with all my heart, my mom can be a little too much for me. So when Josy told me that we could move to her guest house, I didn’t hesitate,” she explains.
“So, Josy is your best friend? When did you guys meet? I know that Josy is from here. We went to the same school. I was three grades up, but I always knew who Josy was,” I say, feeling a bit more connected to her through our mutual acquaintance.
“We met in college. We were stuck as roommates our freshman year, and from there we became best friends,” she says with a smile.
“Roommates in college, huh? I bet you have some interesting stories,” I say with a chuckle.
“Oh, you have no idea,” she replies, laughing. “We had some crazy times, but she’s always been there for me. Moving here was the best decision I could have made.”
“I’m glad you did. This town is better with you in it,” I say, my voice softer.
Violet blushes even deeper at my compliment, her eyes sparkling with a mix of surprise and amusement.
“Thank you, Austin,” she murmurs softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Of course. I also wanted to tell you that you have a beautiful smile,” I say, unable to resist the urge to flirt a little.
Her cheeks flush even more, and she looks down at the table for a moment before meeting my eyes again. “Are you flirting with me, Mr. Caldwell?” she asks, a hint of teasing in her tone.
I grin, feeling emboldened by her response. “Does it bother you that I’m flirting?”
She shakes her head, her lips curling into a small smile. “It doesn’t. I just don’t understand why?”
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued by her question. “What do you mean why?”
“Why are you flirting with me?” she asks, her expression earnest.
I pause for a moment, searching for the right words. “Why wouldn’t I?” I reply honestly. “Have you seen yourself in a mirror? You are a gorgeous woman, and I hope I’m not being too forward, but I’m extremely attracted to you. Since the moment you spilled coffee on me and I got a glimpse of you, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
Her eyes widen in surprise, and I hold my breath, waiting for her response. This is it—the moment of truth.
"Really?" Violet's says in disbelief.
"Yes. I was hooked from the first moment."
A soft chuckle escapes her lips. "I guess that Josy was right."
"Right about what?" I ask, curious to hear Josy's insights.
She hesitates for a moment. "She told me that you come to the shop every morning and that you are always paying attention to me, and..."
I lean forward slightly, waiting for her to finish her sentence. I need to know what Josy has been saying about me.
“Well, Josy said that I was blind if I didn’t notice that you were attracted to me,” Violet admits, her cheeks flushing slightly.
I chuckle softly, feeling relieved. “I guess Josy did notice. I have not been very subtle.”
Violet laughs, a sound that fills the air with warmth and lightness. "I'm glad she did. It's nice to know that I wasn't imagining things."
"Definitely not," I assure her with a smile. "I've been looking forward to this lunch date all week."
"Me too," she admits, her eyes meeting mine with a newfound confidence. "And I have to say, it's been a while since I've felt this excited about something."
All of a sudden, I see her face and body language change, almost tense and very pensive.
"Then I'm glad I could be a part of it, "I reply sincerely, trying to maintain the connection. I stare at Violet’s beautiful eyes and give her a small smile. But her posture doesn’t relax; it’s like she just realized that I am flirting with her or she said something that she wasn’t supposed to.
She straightens herself and says, “So, what happens next?” changing the subject. Did I do something wrong? I thought she was flirting with me, but she just did a 180.
We sit in silence for a moment, the connection between us growing stiffer. Then I break the silence with a gentle smile. "The next step is to talk a little more about your dream home. I want to make sure it's perfect for you and Adrian."
Violet's smile returns, more genuine this time. "Yes, let's do that. I can't wait to see what you've come up with next."
As we dive back into discussing the plans for her new home, I can't help but feel more determined than ever to make this work. Not only the house, but also making sure that I am the one that gets to see that smile each day.
When we are almost wrapping up our meeting, Violet's phone rings. She picks it up from the table. I can't hear whoever is on the other side, but I can see that Violet’s face is now filled with worry.
“Okay, I will be there in a few minutes,” Violet says to the caller and starts to stand up. She hangs up the phone and says to me, “I have to leave. The school nurse just called to let me know that Adrian is not feeling well and that he was vomiting. I am so sorry.”
“It’s okay. We can meet later and finish discussing the changes we just talked about.”
“Sure. Call me and we can set up a time.”
Violet gives me a smile and then walks over to Josy, presumably to let her know that she needs to leave. She goes to the back, and then returns with her purse, giving me one last apologetic look before heading out the door. I stay seated, taking deep breaths and trying to understand what just happened. As I gather the papers and place them back into my folder, Josy sits down in the chair that Violet just vacated.
"Hey, Austin," Josy says, giving me a knowing look. "Rough meeting?"
"Yeah," I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "She seemed really excited at first, but then she just...shut down. I don’t get it."
Josy nods sympathetically. "Violet’s been through a lot. It’s not easy for her to let her guard down."
"I just want to make this perfect for her and Adrian," I say, frustration creeping into my voice. "And maybe get to know her better in the process."
Josy takes a deep breath and leans in closer. "Austin, there's more to Violet's story than you might realize. She's been through hell and back with her ex-husband, Taylor."
I frown, intrigued and concerned. "What do you mean?"
"Taylor wasn't just unfaithful, he was emotionally abusive," Josy explains, her voice low but firm. "He tore down her self-esteem bit by bit, made her feel like she wasn't good enough. Violet gave up a lot for him, including her own dreams. By the time she finally left, she was a shell of who she used to be."
My heart aches at the thought of Violet going through such pain. "I had no idea. That explains a lot."
"She’s strong, but she’s still healing," Josy continues. "She's hesitant to trust, especially with someone she might feel attracted to. You just need to be patient and show her that you're different."
I nod with renewed determination. "I really like her, Josy. I want to show her that she's worth it, that she deserves to be happy."
Josy smiles warmly. "I know you do, Austin. I saw it from the first day that she started working here. Just take it slow and be there for her. She needs someone who can see her for who she truly is, and that her past doesn’t define her."
"Thanks, Josy," I say sincerely. "I appreciate you telling me this. It helps me understand her better."
"Anytime," she replies, standing up. "Now go finish your work. You've got a house to design."
As I head back to my office, I can’t shake the image of Violet’s worried face. There was so much depth in her eyes, a mix of determination and vulnerability that tugged at something deep inside me. Spending time with her today was more than fun—it was eye-opening. What I told Josy is true, I really like Violet.
But it’s more than that. It’s not just her beauty, though anyone with eyes can see how stunning she is. It’s something else, something harder to define. From the moment I first saw her, there was this quiet pull drawing me in. At first, I thought it might just be curiosity, but it’s more. Every interaction we’ve had, no matter how brief, has shown me another piece of who she is.
She’s kind, and not in a surface-level, just trying to be polite way, but deeply, genuinely kind. She treats everyone she meets with warmth and respect, always buzzing around with that smile that knocks the wind out of me every single time. But today, I saw another side of her.
Violet is strong. Stronger than I think even she realizes. Raising a son on her own? That takes courage. Walking away from an abusive relationship, starting fresh in a new city, building a new life for herself and Adrian? That takes strength and tenacity that I can’t help but admire.
I’ve always been drawn to resilient people, those who face life head-on despite its challenges. Violet is the embodiment of that, and it makes me want to know her even more. To understand what drives her, what makes her laugh, what makes her feel safe.
I know I have to be patient. She’s been through a lot, and I’d never want to rush her into something she’s not ready for. But I also know that I can’t give up—not on her, and not on what I’m beginning to feel.
One day, I’ll spend every moment proving to her that she deserves to be loved without conditions, without fear, and without limits. I’ll make her and Adrian happy, so happy that they’ll never question their place in my life. I can’t wait to meet her son. I just hope that I can be what they need and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it a reality.