Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Violet
Evander and I arrived at his house for the second time in not many hours. He’d driven, but I felt like I was floating. I had gratefully let him lead me out of the rental house after he told Chad off. He’d made my landlord face a reckoning, and god, that was hot . Evander had laid into him without violence. He hadn’t had to boast to make others think he had more influence or power. He’d stated facts and outlined what he expected Chad to do.
Willis would’ve stood back and made me handle it all. Then he would’ve critiqued how I did while taking all the credit. He wouldn’t have changed for a kid.
When it came to parenthood, I was secure. Evander would be a good partner.
Longing bloomed inside of me. I wanted him as more than a co-parent.
He put the pickup in park. “I need to go check on Mom and Dad. He needs a hand with the fencing around the winter pastures while the temperature climbs above freezing.” He leaned over the console. “Get some rest. You’ve dealt with enough. That jackass can do all the work he never did for the last four months.”
I nodded, numb, except for that yearning. A million tasks filtered through my head. I didn’t have a home. Again. I had a job, so there was that.
Oh no. The nursery. “Do you think all the furniture got wet?”
He shuttered his gaze, and that told me everything. “We’ll have to see.”
Tears gathered in my eyes. “That wood is too cheap, and it’s been wet now for hours. I’ll never be able to get it clean enough.” Between the moisture and the damage to the base that supposedly supports it all? I’d never be comfortable with its safety. “You and Dad did all that work for nothing.”
“It was a good bonding experience.” He gave me a slight smile.
I basked for a moment under his attention before the despair crept back in. My vision went cloudy.
“Hey,” he said softly and captured a tear that ran down my cheek with his thumb. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get you back on your feet.”
On my feet. By myself again. Because I turned the best guy away. For what?
Miss Independent?
I was really fucking dependent right now. I struggled to gather myself. He didn’t need to baby me. His parents were waiting for him. “I’d better let you get going. I’ve got to look for open rentals.”
A flash of something flitted through his eyes. Disappointment? Or was he hiding his relief that I wasn’t going to infringe on his bachelor pad again?
The stress and weariness caught up to me. I yawned widely, covering my mouth. My whole body shook.
“Let’s get you in.” He hopped out and came around to my side before I climbed all the way out.
We went through the side door this time. In the light of day, the work he’d done on the mudroom was easier to see. He’d painted the space a light and welcoming gray. A new coat rack and bench seat ran along one wall across from the washing machine and dryer. The torn-up linoleum had been replaced with new stone-patterned flooring. Durable enough for a mudroom but nice enough to complement the hardwood.
“You’ve redone this whole space,” I said as I shrugged out of my jacket. I hung it on a hook. Wistfulness washed through me. This small room was more inviting than my entire rental had been.
“I like to stay busy.”
I could’ve kept him busy. You had your chance.
I turned my back on him and blinked back tears. “I’m going to go lie down.” In his bed. Surrounded by his scent. All my items sat in a pile on his floor. Temporary. Just like last time. A consequence for being too proud.
“I’ll call you when Chad delivers your things.”
“Thank you.”
The door opened and closed. He was gone, and I was alone in his house.
I didn’t get a chance to see the interior when he carried me in last night, but he’d made some changes. My heart sank further as I noted each one. The walls were still bare, but he’d removed the big coffee table. An end table was also gone, and the glider rocker no longer stood in the corner. My throat burned.
The acid seared hotter up and down my esophagus. I veered back into the kitchen for a glass of water. After a moment of admiring even cabinets with doors that closed all the way, I opened a cupboard. It was half-full of dishes. Enough for more than one person.
A tear rolled down my cheek, and I sniffled. If my house hadn’t flooded, I’d be oblivious to this. Nothing like salt on a gaping wound. The urge for water gone, I trudged past the closed guest room door and paused. What changes had he made in there?
I scratched the back of my neck. If he was moving another woman in, wouldn’t she go in his bedroom? It’d only been almost a month since I turned him down, but maybe things went hot and heavy. Maybe I was the “Good Luck Chuck” of relationships. Men had to deal with me before they met the loves of their lives.
Ugh. I was working myself up while fatigue was pressing me down. My hips ached, and my pelvis threatened to crack apart like a wishbone.
I went into his bedroom. The smell of him immediately massaged away some of my anxiety when it should be doing the opposite. I nestled in the covers, but my mind refused to shut off.
After two hours of dozing on and off, I dug out my phone and called Lily.
“Hey,” she answered. “How ya feeling?”
“Itty-bitty,” I confessed and told her everything.
“Oh my god. You’re okay?”
“Yeah.” No. “I have to find somewhere to live. Think I’ll be able to see some places this weekend?”
“I’m sure you can, but there’s no rush. You’re with Evander, right?”
Hadn’t she heard a word I said? “Yes, but he’s sleeping on the couch. And he might be seeing someone else.”
“From everything you said about him, he doesn’t strike me as a guy who moves that fast.”
“Willis is married.”
“What?” An indignant gasp echoed over the line. “That bastard. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you’re not married to him, but he played games with you. Honestly, he probably still is.”
Her insight helped a little. I had to quit letting him get to me. I had to quit using him as an excuse. “Maybe I’m a good luck charm. Once Evander was free of his obligation toward me, he could find someone he really clicked with.”
She made a tsking noise. “You’re putting a lot of thoughts in a man’s head. Does he know all this?”
“It’s not my business.”
“Look, I get the whole pregnancy paranoia. I don’t think I would’ve caught Carter cheating on me if I wasn’t pregnant at the time. Already, I can tell I’m worried Eliot’s going to wake up one day and tell me, ‘Welp, that’s all for us.’”
“That man will never betray you.”
She giggled. “My point is that I’ve already talked to Eliot. My first marriage absolutely dissolved after I learned I was pregnant with Kellan. I’m at about the same stage as when I had to move back in with Mom and Dad. Eliot wakes up every day, tells me how much he loves me, and tells me his plans for every second of the day. I didn’t ask him to, but I talked to him about my fears. Have you talked to Evander?”
“You and Eliot are married.”
“And you’re in love with Evander.”
I snapped my mouth shut. My pulse spiked, my heart throwing itself against my sternum. “I’m not.”
“I think you have been for a while.” She was almost apologetic. “You just haven’t admitted it to yourself.”
No. I hadn’t. I was in love with Evander. And it had scared me. Each breath was like sucking through a straw. I loved Evander.
“It’s too late,” I said, miserable. “I swear he’s moved on. If there’s no one else, he’s still just as far away. He’s doing all this for the baby.”
“Just maybe he’s doing it for you too.”
“How will I know?” My chest ached for Lily to be right. “I was so wrong before, and I wasted years of my life.”
“You did it because no better option presented itself. As soon as you saw an example of what you wanted, you went for it. Then you stopped because you’d been hurt before.”
I’d been terrified. “What if he’s not really?—”
“What if he really is? What if he feels the same way about you?”
I pursed my lips. “So I’m guessing you’re not going to tell me if you know of any open rentals in town?”
“I actually know of one. One of the vets at the clinic, Doc Julio, owns an apartment complex by the pool in Crocus Valley. Can you talk to Evander?”
“We’ll see” was all I could give her. Evander and I were on a good path for parents who weren’t a couple. Would I ruin it if I told him that I wanted take backs? I’d turned him down and then changed my mind?
After she hung up, I stared at the shadowed ceiling. The phone buzzed. Buzzed again.
Did Lily know more than one rental place? I squinted at the screen. A series of pictures came through from my landlord. Please send receipts so I can reimburse you.
Horror filled my gut as I looked at the images. A picture of the changing table. The squared-off bottom was already warped. I had chosen that style not because it matched the crib, but because I thought the design would be sturdier for when the baby got older.
The crib was better, but the legs I could view in the picture looked the same as the crib. They’d been wet for too long. The moisture had crept through the finish.
The cheap rocker that Dad and Evander had assembled was in another photo. Chad had tipped it on its side in the driveway. The runners were made of better wood. It could probably be rescued and sanitized.
Next were pictures of the couch and loveseat Alder bought. The bed, which had been on a metal frame. My dresser. Some I could save, some maybe not.
I sighed, clicked the screen off, and put the phone face down on the nightstand. Pressure was building behind my temples, and I didn’t care to make more decisions today.
I sat up and swung my legs down. I was not going to get rest while my mind tumbled like it was. I opened the blinds a few inches to let in natural light. His room was painted the same light gray as the mudroom. His black and charcoal gray bedding fit the rest of the vibe of the house.
My clothing taunted me. I checked the closet. Room could be made for my things, but it seemed invasive. Lily was right. I needed to talk to Evander. How would I even start? Guess what? I changed my mind! I’d be the manipulative woman he feared.
My mind circled round and round. I needed something to do, or I’d cry all afternoon.
I sorted through my clothing, mentally noting everything that needed a space until I found another rental. I unearthed my crochet basket and the blanket that had been draped over the arm of the couch. I ran my hand over it, touched he’d taken the time to grab it.
Did he know that blanket was for him? The gunmetal gray was a few shades darker than his couch and would pair nicely with the throw pillows.
Why had he grabbed those? They weren’t essentials.
He’d done it for me. Because I’d made it. He didn’t have to tell me in his deep voice.
The contents of the small basket on top stopped my world from spinning. Inside were coloring books, colored pencils, pens, and markers. The designs in the books were flowers.
My crochet supplies were there too. He hadn’t needed to rescue any of that. But he’d come for me.
After I had moved, he’d brought the kittens to visit me.
A whole line of cars for the pumpkin party, but he’d left my spot open. The chocolate silk pie. If I looked in the fridge, would I find it chock-full of milk and orange juice?
All along, he’d been caring for me. He’d been considerate of me. Outside of being the baby’s mom, he’d seen me. I’d soaked it all in and made excuses.
Yet he’d still put himself out there. For me .
Tears streaked down my cheeks.
He’d shown me who he was, and I’d pushed him away. And now I was afraid it was too late.
Evander
Violet wasn’t answering her phone. She must be resting. I quietly let myself into the house. Her landlord said he had sent her pictures of all the water-damaged items in her house, and he hadn’t heard back.
If she’d seen them, she was likely upset. I didn’t want to risk making her feel worse with what I had to talk to her about, but it was all related. I told Dad I had to knock off early. The rest of the week was supposed to be slightly above freezing. I’d help with the fence then.
Moaning sobs reached me. Alarm pumped through my blood. I didn’t bother with my boots.
Darting through the kitchen, I followed the sound. “Violet?”
She was in my bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed, hugging the gray crocheted blanket I’d grabbed from her crappy rental.
“What’s wrong?” I dropped to my knees in front of her. She sobbed harder.
Was it the stress? All the ruined furniture? If it was something else, I’d take care of it.
I wrapped my arms around her. “Talk to me, wildflower. ”
“I-I’m sorry,” she said with halting gasps. “I’m so sorry. I-I messed it all up.”
“What do you mean? How?”
“You’re perfect, and I rejected you.”
I gently eased her hands away from her face. Watery blue eyes met mine. “What in the world are you talking about?”
“The cats. This blanket. You don’t laugh at my crocheting. You put my cat couches in their shed.”
“You made them.”
“Exactly!” More tears spilled out of her eyes. “And this!” She flung her hand toward the phone sitting next to her. “You sent me pictures of the sunset.”
My concern was giving way to confusion. “Is that bad?”
“Yes. It means I’m an idiot.” She pressed her palms to her eyes. “I convinced myself you were doing everything for the baby. That you could change your mind, that you have, and moved on.”
“Moved on where?”
Her body shuddered. “Not where, who. Like whoever you’re redoing your guest bedroom for.”
Shock squashed the confusion swirling in my brain. “You think I’m getting the guest room ready for a woman?”
She nodded, her pretty face red and blotchy.
I gawked at her. “Why wouldn’t I put this other woman into my bed if I was moving on?”
“It could be an office. Or a craft room.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “I don’t know why guys do what they do.”
Her tone was loaded with hurt and betrayal. The way that asshole had treated her left her scared, just like what I had been through had left me jaded. But Violet had made me work through it because she was worth it. I’d do the same for her and work like hell to be worth it for her. “Violet, there’s been no one but you since before you.”
She screwed her face up. “Really?” She started sobbing again. “Willis got married, and his wife made sure to send pictures to our friend group. I’m sure she forgot I was still in the group,” she said bitterly. “I thought if he could move on so fast, you could too.”
That dick. Was there time to drive to California and kick his ass and slap the camera out of his wife’s hands?
I lifted her chin and waited until she caught her breath. Tears continued to flow down her face. I swiped at her cheeks, but it was like a twig stemming a broken dam. “Really.” I caught a tear with my mouth, and her lips parted. “I want to show you something. I wasn’t sure if it would upset you or if you’d think I was being pushy. But Mom said I had to decide what I wanted to do about my feelings for you. So I did.”
She blinked and sucked in a shuddering breath. “Did what?” she asked, sounding all cute and stuffy.
“I decided to give you as much time as you needed to trust me. I’d stay in this house until I finally won you over, and if it wasn’t before your aunt had to sell, then I’d buy it. And keep waiting.”
“That’s years away.”
“I’m a hurry-up-and-wait kind of guy.”
“Oh, Evander.” She ran her hand over my cheek, and her palm brushed down my stubble. “I’ve fallen so in love with you.”
The world started spinning again. Everything I wanted just happened. Violet Duke said she loved me. The smartest, most stubborn woman I knew fucking loved me. I had gotten up this morning hoping to make her day easier, to help her stress less and get her on her feet.
Instead, she had made my goddamn day. I placed a hard, quick kiss on her mouth and rose. “Come on.” I held my hand out to her. “I want to show you what I did for the woman I’m in love with.”
“Evander…” She stared at me, then her gaze dropped to my outstretched hand. “You love me?”
“So damn much. Let me show you.”
She slipped her soft fingers through mine and stood. This was the moment we were on the same page for the first time. We were together. She wanted me, and I wanted her. Nothing more. Nothing less. Everything else was a bonus, and I had a gift I’d been working on here. For her. For the baby. For all of us.