Page 74 of Always a Bridesmaid
He gestured to Trouble. “When it comes to training a new litter, I always remind myself the dogs are only mine for a short while. I just don’t want you to get too attached and end up hurt. That’s all.”
A hint of anguish radiated from Violet as she fondly scratched between Trouble’s ears. “I’ll do my best.”
An argument about doing better than that was on the tip of his tongue, but she’d promised to do her best, and that was all anyone could ask anyone.
At the archway that led from the living room into the kitchen, Ford paused and took in the scene again.
Violet relaxing on the couch, Trouble curled up in her lap while Tank warmed her feet.
Pyro on the floor next to the couch as Nitro used him as her own personal climbing course.
Well, his living room certainly looked fuller with Violet in it. Suddenly he was beginning to see what all the hype was about.
Do you have a sweetheart? Someone who makes your life worth that much more?
Maybe somedayin the future, when life’s not so hectic and I have time for that kind of thing,he told himself before he got carried away.Violet’s only here temporarily, anyway.
Which was why, as he pulled ingredients out of his fridge, he thought he should point that warning about not getting too attached right back at himself.
Chapter Fifteen
“Somebody’s awfully happy for six thirty in the morning,” Maisy said as Violet skipped into the bakery, humming a song that’d include cartoon birds if her life were a Disney movie. “Especially since that same someone got home super late last night.”
Violet propped her forearms on the counter opposite her sister. “I didn’t wake you, did I? I tried so hard to be quiet.”
“No, I slept like a rock—Isla didn’t even get up once. But you weren’t home when I went to bed, so I sleuthed my way to the getting-home-late conclusion.” Maisy tapped her temple. “Elementary, my dear Watson.”
“I’ve been framed,” Violet said, throwing her arms up in a surrender stance. “It wasn’t me. It was…Professor Firefighter, in the shower, with a…very large candlestick.”
Maisy scrunched up her face, but thebeep beepof a timer sounded. She straightened and headed around the wall that separated the storefront from the kitchen, gesturing for Violet to follow. “I assume you were with Ford?”
All the smiling began to hurt Violet’s cheeks, but it was an ache she’d gladly endure. “Mm-hmm. He took me mud bogging. Have you ever been?”
“Does Dolly Parton sleep on her back?”
Violet blinked. Then the lightbulb snapped on and she laughed.
“Oops, that sort of popped right out.” The sweet scent of muffins filled the air as Maisy opened her slightly-worse-for-wear oven. “Thanks to Mama, I’ve had all the proper debutante training and etiquette lessons. But you don’t live in the sticks without picking up what Mama would deem inappropriate language or getting your feet dirty.”
Maisy snagged the knitted pink oven mitt off the wall, and Violet flinched as her sister retrieved the muffin tin, afraid she’d get burned through the holes. When she’d asked about the yarn mitten the other day, Maisy informed her the Craft Cats had gifted it upon the reopening of the bakery, along with hand towels, dishcloths, and the tea cozy that transformed the kettle into a big cupcake.
Who in town even drank tea, except the iced, overly sweet kind? They’d never brought out that costumed kettle, not once.
Maybe I should start.Violet had read green tea was one of the healthiest beverages on the planet. Lots of antioxidants, lowered your risk of cancer, along with a myriad of other benefits. “Do you have any green tea?”
The muffin tin hit the counter with aclinkas Maisy tilted her head. “Are you avoiding the subject on purpose?”
What subject?“No?”
The fist went to her hip, which meant Maisy was about to whip out the thick southern accent—she tended to save it for when she was short on patience. “I need me some deets. Yesterday you wouldn’t stop caterwaulin’ about delivering the cupcakes to the ball game because you didn’t want to see Ford. Then I find out you went mud boggin’ with the guy.”
Maisy tossed aside the mitt. “I’m guessin’somethinghappened between Points A and B.” Suddenly her spine went stick straight. “Shower. Very large candlestick.” Her eyes flew so wide, Violet feared they’d pop right out of her head. “You had sex with Ford McGuire.”
Even though no one else was there, Violet glanced around before excitedly nodding. “We fell in the mud, and then we kissed a little—more like a lot. Naturally we needed to clean ourselves off. One thing led to another…”
“And you had sex,” Maisy said, her voice pitching at the end.
A flutter careened through Violet, swelling into a torrid wave as their shared shower replayed in her mind. “Supah-hotsex.” Violet closed the distance and grabbed her sister’s shoulders. “We’re talking the kind where I left my body for a minute and I was, like, looking down at us having sex as the water poured over us. Then I thoughtwow, that’s so freakin’ hot. I should jump back in my body to finish.And I did. Twice.”
