Can't Help Falling in Love Read online

  Great.

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant…”

  “You’re attracted to this woman. What’s the big deal?”

  “It’s not a big deal because you’re way off base. I admire her because she did something nice for my son. That’s all. So whatever it is you’re thinking, forget it.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine,” Hunter mimicked.

  And immediately knew that was all too easy. Kyle was usually like a dog with a bone when he thought he was right. So why did he give up so fast? And did he really want to push his luck and argue it out with him?

  Hell. No.

  Luckily, they were pulling up to his house and had to unload all the boxes and furniture in the garage so they could meet up with the rest of the family back at Dean’s.

  “I think we should put the furniture in the garage and the boxes in my room so I can go through them later and sort it all out. For all I know, there’s broken toys or duplicates of ones he already has here.”

  “If you have any duplicates, you should give them to Dad to keep at his place. You know, for when Eli sleeps over and stuff.”

  “Wow. Color me impressed,” Hunter said as he climbed down from the truck.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Just that it was a logical and practical suggestion.”

  “I’m not a complete moron, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know. But you’re usually a bit of a dufus, so…”

  Groaning, Kyle opened the truck hatch and began pulling out parts to Eli’s bed. Hunter grabbed a few of the boxes and carried them into the house. They met back up at the truck and repeated their tasks. On the third trip, they moved the small dresser together, and then they were done.

  Hunter locked everything up and met Kyle back in the truck. “What’s Dean making for dinner? Any idea?”

  “I think I heard him saying Courtney decided on Italian,” Kyle replied. “Personally, I was hoping for some steaks on the grill, but…I’m just happy I’m not the one cooking.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “Hey! I happen to be a decent cook!”

  “Sure. If by cooking you mean frozen pizzas or macaroni and cheese.”

  Frowning, Kyle came back with, “I happen to be a whiz with the grill. My friends have even called me the grill master!”

  “And how many beers did they have before they called you that?” he teased, laughing.

  “You’re an ass. Just…shut up and drive.”

  “Gladly.” Luckily, Dean lived right up the road so they were there in a matter of minutes. Kyle was out of the truck without a word, and Hunter knew he was going to pout for a little while because he hated to be picked on.

  And yet…he made it so easy!

  Laughing to himself, Hunter walked into Dean’s house and made his way around saying hello to Dean and his wife Courtney, his sister Scarlett and her husband Mason, his father, and his grandfather. When he turned around, Kyle handed him a beer, and he figured they were all right.

  “Hey, everyone,” Kyle called out. “Hunter’s got a crush on a gymnast who’s Katie’s best friend and got Eli talking!” And with a smug grin, he took a pull of his beer while everyone around him started talking at once.

  Five

  Okay, so if Violet had to pick one thing she had learned while hanging out with a very pregnant woman, it was that living with one was like watching a ticking time bomb. There were little winces and sounds that made her feel like Katie was going to have the baby at any moment. It was utterly nerve-wracking!

  It was the end of her second week in Magnolia Sound, and she had to admit, the town was amazing. Every day they went out, and either hung out at the beach or the park or just walked around the downtown area to shop and eat. There was a little home décor shop that she knew she was going to end up spending way too much money in and bringing stuff back to Nashville with her.

  But it was the food in this little town that was seriously becoming a problem because she found herself eating way more than she usually did.

  And Hunter Jones was partially to blame.

  Those damn cupcakes were like crack to her and she found herself at Henderson’s Bakery more times than should be allowed.

  They had seen each other every day this week, and Violet had made sure she spent time outside with Eli daily so they could continue to work on his tumbling. Not only was he doing great with his balance and coordination, but he was really starting to come out of his shell and talking with her as much as Kira did! When Hunter showed up each afternoon, she would tell him all the new things Eli had learned, and then Eli would come over and repeat most of what she said before putting on a little performance for his father.

  It was the sweetest thing in the world and quite possibly her favorite part of the day.

  The kids were napping right now, and Violet had set up her office on the back deck today because it was too lovely to stay inside. Behind her, the glass door slid open, and she turned to see Katie walking out.

  “Hey,” she said. “Mind if I interrupt?”

  Closing the laptop, Violet nodded. “Not at all. You doing okay?”

  With a small groan, Katie sat on the chaise beside her. “I’m good. Just ready to not be pregnant anymore.” She laughed softly. “I can’t wait to hold this baby in my arms and not in my belly.”

  All Violet could do was smile and nod because she had a feeling she’d be the same way.

  “So listen, I have an awkward request.”

  “O-kay…”

  “My friend Julie just called and invited Kira and me to a playgroup dinner,” Katie explained. “We’re part of this group of moms and kids and we normally try to get together a couple of times a month and between Rose showing up here and you moving in, I guess it slipped my mind.” She sighed. “Kira really loves going, so I was wondering if you’d mind going solo tonight.”

  Stay calm.

  Don’t look too excited.

  With a serene smile, Violet waved her off. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I know how social your daughter is and I don’t expect you to entertain me 24/7. Go and have fun!”

  “Are you sure? I feel kind of guilty leaving you by yourself…”

  “It’s fine, Kate. I promise! You forget I’m used to living alone. It isn’t a big deal.”

  “But we were going to go and grab a pizza, remember?”

  “And I still can!” she reassured. “Maybe I’ll eat there, or maybe I’ll bring it home…or maybe I’ll say screw it and have ice cream for dinner while I walk along the pier!”

  “Well…only if you’re sure…”

  Taking one of Katie’s hands in hers, she squeezed it. “I’ll be fine. I promise. Go and have a good time.”

  “We’re not leaving right now. Once the kids are up from their naps and Hunter picks up Eli, then we’ll be on our way.”

  “Okay, then.” They sat side by side, enjoying the sun, and Violet was feeling incredibly relaxed. “You know, I never saw the appeal of living near the beach, but I’m definitely starting to get it.”

  “I know, right? It’s way more crowded right now since it’s the summer and it’s tourist season, but the rest of the year it’s damn-near perfect.” Turning her head, Katie smiled. “Walking on the beach in the fall and winter when you have it basically all to yourself is kind of glorious.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “I know you’re a bit of a nomad, but would you ever consider moving this way permanently? Or at least semi-permanently?”

  With a shrug, Violet replied honestly. “I never really thought about it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying myself here, but this has been a little like a vacation. My place in Nashville is right in the heart of the city and there’s always so much going on. Plus, most of the time, I’m living out of a suitcase so I don’t pay too much attention to whether or not I want to move.”

  “Because you’re essentially always on the move.”

  “Exactly.
”

  “Wow. I don’t know how you do it.” She paused. “I mean…I know why you started traveling, but I never thought you’d make a career out of it. For years you talked about going into advertising and…”

  “What can I say? After planning those first few trips, I found I was good at it. Plus, if you think about it, I’m still into advertising. I market and promote not only myself and the agency, but the destinations I recommend to my clients.”

  “You know Morgan would have loved working with you,” Katie said quietly after a minute.

  “Yeah. I know.” Feeling the first sting of tears, she said, “I have a feeling she would have been more than happy to do nothing but travel the world non-stop; just renting a closet with one of us to keep random stuff.”

  “Like her assortment of 80s metal CD’s.”

  “And her collection of Minnie Mouse figurines.”

  They both went quiet. Violet knew they were both thinking about the friend they’d lost too young. Morgan had rounded out their trio in foster care. They had spent years talking about going to college together, getting an apartment together, and all the places she was going to travel to. Her dream had been to see the world. Her whole life, she’d never left Tennessee. At eighteen, she’d been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. She died less than a year later.

  One of the last conversations Violet had with Morgan, she had promised she’d go and visit all the places Morgan never would.

  “I’m keeping my promise,” she said softly, and Katie squeezed her hand.

  “I know.”

  “Mommy! I gotta go pee!” Kira called from inside the house.

  Violet jumped up and helped Katie get to her feet. When she was by the door, she turned to Violet and smiled. “Just be sure you remember that it’s okay if you don’t see the whole world, Vi. More than anything, she wanted you to be happy.”

  She was a little too overcome with emotion to do anything but nod.

  Once Katie was out of sight, Violet turned toward the yard and let out a long breath. She wasn’t lying when she said she loved what she did. It really was like she’d found her niche.

  Did she ever think about doing anything else with her life? Not really.

  Did she look at the life Katie had–married to a great guy and having a couple of kids–and feel a little envious? Sometimes.

  The thing was, Violet had no idea how to do what Katie did. She didn’t have the faith in herself–the confidence–to believe that anyone would want to do the whole happily ever after thing with her.

  So travel was something safe for her. It was the perfect excuse to keep her from getting too seriously involved with anyone.

  And at the end of the day, there was comfort in knowing she was the one who was leaving and not the one being left behind.

  And just as that dark thought was starting to take hold, she heard tiny feet running toward her.

  “It’s time to flip, Vi!” Eli called out as he leaped into her arms.

  Saving her.

  Hunter pulled away from his father’s house with an enormous amount of guilt.

  Not that it was anything new.

  Tonight’s guilt was because his father and Eli were having a sleepover. It was something they did at least once a month, and typically Hunter had no problems with it. With the way things were currently going, however, he felt guilty for every moment he wasn’t with his son.

  His father encouraged him to go out with his friends for drinks or to call up a pretty girl–his father’s words, not his–and go out on a date. Sadly, all he wanted to do was grab something to eat, take it home, and crash in front of the TV.

  “It’s official. I’m completely lame,” he murmured as he turned onto Main Street. “When grabbing takeout is more appealing than taking out a woman, there’s a serious problem.”

  But apparently not enough to make him reconsider his plans.

  “Pizza. I want a large pizza with pepperoni, peppers, and mushrooms. And maybe even a beer or two.” Then he had to stop and think if he even had any beer in the house. He didn’t drink when Eli was staying with him, but considering it was now a full-time thing, he figured he’d probably have to stop and pick some up.

  Pulling into the parking lot of Michael’s Italian Restaurant, he planned on ordering his pizza and then walking across the lot to the Publix grocery store and grabbing a six-pack of beer. He’d bring whatever was left over to his father’s tomorrow and leave it with him.

  Feeling good about having a plan, he parked and climbed from the truck. He waved to Sam Westbrook who had just stepped out of the restaurant with a pizza and then said a quick hello to Mrs. Henderson from the bakery who was also leaving with her dinner. He was about to open the door to Michael’s when someone stepped up beside him.

  “Here,” he said, smiling, “I got it.” When he turned, he saw it was Violet. “Oh, hey, Violet! Picking up dinner for Katie?”

  She smiled and saw her cheeks flush slightly. “No, just for me. There was some playgroup get-together that she and Kira went to, so I’m on my own tonight.”

  They stepped into the restaurant, but neither made their way to the counter to place their orders.

  “You didn’t want to go with her?”

  Laughing, Violet shook her head. “As much as I love kids, going to a mommy and me thing really didn’t seem like someplace I belonged.”

  “I can understand that,” he said, grinning. “Although I bet you could have gotten a whole new group of kids doing cartwheels and somersaults.”

  “As fun as that would have been, I’m kind of looking forward to a kid-free night.”

  “Yeah, I imagine it’s not easy living in someone else’s house and being surrounded by kids all day–and kind of all night with Kira–when you’re used to being on your own.”

  “It hasn’t been bad at all. Although…” She moved in like she had a big secret to tell. “The worst part is the incredibly uncomfortable bed in Katie’s guest room. It’s the worst.” Putting a little more space between them, she laughed.

  The image of Violet in bed flashed through his mind–not for the first time if he were honest–but this time, it was a little more vivid.

  “Anyway,” she went on, “because of what I do for a living, I’m used to not being in my own space and my own bed, but usually the beds are way more comfortable than this.”

  His tongue was completely tied. Why did she have to keep saying bed?

  “The day I first starting doing the tumbling with Eli? I had initially gone outside to do yoga so I could stretch and get some of the kinks out of my back.”

  She arched her back and moaned for dramatic effect, he was sure, but all it managed to do was add a little more clarity to the scene playing out in his head.

  “Instead of getting dinner, I tried to book myself an hour-long massage at the day spa around the corner, but they didn’t have any open appointments.” She sighed. “So I’ll have to settle for pizza and hopefully find a comfortable position to eat it in back at Katie’s.”

  An idea came to him.

  Leaning in, he asked, “What do you like on your pizza?”

  “I love it all,” she admitted. “Okay, wait. That’s not completely true. I don’t like olives or anchovies or pineapple. I mean, I like pineapple, but not on my pizza. I am, however, partial to pepperoni.”

  Nodding, he then asked, “Are you a beer drinker?”

  Her smile was slow and sweet, and he hoped she realized what he was leading up to.

  “I’m not a huge beer drinker, but I happen to enjoy it occasionally–and usually only with pizza.”

  “Could I interest you in sharing a pizza with me? And maybe a beer or two?”

  People were coming and going all around them, and the noise level was going up, but Hunter knew this was a typical Friday night during peak season. What he wanted to do was invite her back to his place, but he didn’t want to seem forward.

  “I think you could,” she said. “But I do have a requ
est.”

  It was stupid how happy he felt at that moment. “Name it.”

  “Can we get the pizza to go? It’s just so loud in here, and I was really looking forward to a much more relaxing dinner.”

  “Violet, you have no idea how alike we think.” Nodding his head toward the counter, he added, “Let’s go order.”

  “Great!”

  Within minutes he shared his idea of going over to the Publix to grab some beer–which she was entirely on board with–and then suggested they grab some dessert.

  “Dessert, huh? Tell me, Hunter, what kind of desserts do you usually go for?”

  And if that wasn’t a loaded question, he didn’t know what was.

  “Wait, is the bakery still open?” she asked, almost frantically looking around to see if they were anywhere near it.

  “Sorry, but no. Henderson’s closes at five. I’m sure we can find something good in the store.”

  They walked into the grocery store before Violet stopped and faced him. “No. You’ve completely ruined me for all other cakes. I have found an excuse to go to Henderson’s just about every single day since you brought those cupcakes over.”

  “There were a dozen cupcakes in the box. How fast did you guys go through them?”

  “Are you forgetting that Katie is extremely pregnant and emotional? Or that Kira likes to lick the icing because that’s her favorite part?” She was smiling and chuckling as she said it, so he knew she wasn’t overly upset.

  “The pregnant and emotional, yeah. The Kira thing? That is brand-new information. Remind me to bring her her own box next time.”

  They strolled around the store and scanned the bakery without either of them feeling particularly enthused. After grabbing a six-pack, Violet asked, “Where are we planning on taking the pizza to? Katie’s? We can eat out on the deck.”

  He thought about it for a minute and decided to be a little bold. “Actually, I was thinking about my place.”

  Her eyes went a little wide for just a moment.

  “But if you’re not comfortable with that…” he quickly added.

  “No, no, it’s fine. Great, actually. I have no idea what time the girls are going to get home and I’m sure they might appreciate not having an audience as Kira gets ready for bed.” She bit her bottom lip and Hunter wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or if maybe she didn’t want them to be interrupted.