Page 23 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
“Svelte?”
“Do you get what I mean?”
He grinned. “Yes—I just think ‘svelte’ is a very peculiar word choice. Archaic. I know I’m the one who doesn’t leave my house, but your references feel outdated. Next you’ll be telling me to come hither.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Violet chuckled, lifting her arm in a dramatic fashion. “Come hither and rest yon weary bones on ye olde couch.”
Jasper shook his head, smiling as he brought his mug to his mouth and faced forward once more. A small part of Violet had been serious. She’d been visiting him for a month, and it almost felt as if he was intentionally maintaining a healthy distance between them. They’d been so close when they were young—both emotionally and affectionately. It had been an easy, comfortable thing, like slipping your feet into a pair of warm, fuzzy house shoes.
“Someone broke into the greenhouse last week and stole all of Gram’s marijuana.”
Jasper flipped his head toward her so quickly, she thought his glasses might fly right off. “Are you being serious?”
“Yup. Broke through the glass, unlocked the door and took every last bit of that section. They also tried to take Gram’s chest, but it’s heavy and they couldn’t get the padlock off. They took some basil, too—like they planned to make some spaghetti after smoking the weed.”
“Why didn’t you say something sooner? Did you call the police?”
“Um,no,” Violet said. “Who calls the police about stolen, illegal marijuana? And it happened a week ago. What should I do?”
“Hm, I suppose… Well, it’s gone now, so it’s not like they would lock you up over something you don’t technically possess? And that greenhouse has been there for decades. Why would someone do this now?”
“The town has expanded in recent years. We have new transplants…”
“Maybe,” Jasper said, frowning. “How would they know about your weed?”
“Word gets out? There’s also Freddie. He’s come by the cottage twice now, banging on the door and saying he wants to talk with me.”
“Why would Freddie steal your weed?”
“Why would Freddie want to talk to me? And stop saying ‘yourweed.’ It’s not mine. I didn’t grow it.”
Jasper laughed openly, tilting his head back. “It was bequeathed to you.”
“You tease me about ‘svelte,’ then turn around and use ‘bequeath’?”
“Touché.”
“Maybe because Gram, the official weed keeper, is gone? He felt bad stealing from an elderly woman, but doesn’t mind stealing from me—whom he hates. Eternally.”
“I don’t know, Vi. Yes, you and Freddie have a checkered past, but it doesn’t make sense for a person of enough moral standing to refrain from stealing from old ladies, to turn around and steal from a single woman living alone. It doesn’t add up.”
“Well, I’m not writing it off. I don’t trust him. Never have and never will. He’s a bully and a pig.”
“I won’t argue that,” he said, his eyes softening. “Are you really okay?”
Standing again, Violet grabbed her cold, empty mug from the low table. “I’m alright. It was unsettling—a kind of violation, you know? Someone broke into my safe space. But the last two nights have been quiet, and I got the doors fixed pretty quickly. I don’t think they’ll come back since they cleaned the marijuana out. And some of the basil.”
“If… if you need help with something, let me know,” Jasper offered. “I can’t leave the house for too long, but I want you to feel safe.”
Violet smiled, something in her heart glowing dimly, like a firefly. “Thanks, Jas. I’m okay, but I’ll let you know.” She tilted her head, watching him. As usual, he shifted his eyes away, resting his fingers against the laptop keys. She moved around the table and took a few steps toward him. He looked tired, actually. A little too pale and a tad gaunt.
“Hey, how about next week I make us some lunch? I made lasagna a few weeks ago and it turned out really well. I could change the recipe and make it vegan or veggie for you?”
He looked at her from the corner of his round eyes. “Why vegan or vegetarian?”
Violet smirked. “BecauseJasper, I shop for you. You never put meat on the grocery lists, and when we were little, you were so into animals and bugs. Of course you don’t eat meat. Or bugs?”
He chuckled. “No, no bugs. I’m not strictly opposed to meat but I do tend to avoid it. You don’t need to do that, Violet, I’m fine—”
