Page 95 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
“Freddie, just—relax, okay? Nobody is marrying anyone—”
“Why? He’s been in love with you since we were kids. You’re back here for good and you love him, right? What’s the problem?”
“I—” Violet opened her mouth, then closed it, heat rushing to her cheeks. She might not hate Freddie anymore but she was a long way off from having heart-to-hearts with him about her private relationship with Jasper. “First of all, you need to mind your own business. Second, that’s enough for today. Thank you for the tart. It was delicious.”
He grinned. “Are you telling me to get out?”
She mimicked his smile. “As politely as I can manage.”
39
February
“Ican’t tell you how much it makes my heart smile to have you both in my little café.” Simone grinned, standing over their table. “You’re looking radiant and well-rested, Mr. Jasper.”
“Right?” Violet chimed in, pulling her chair closer to the bistro table. “It seems like his eyes are even brighter.”
“Ah—please…” Jasper shook his head, skin flushed.
“Oh, we’re embarrassing him. He looks like my Roseberry tea.”
“Jas,” Violet leaned in, “you have to try it. I told you about it, remember? It doesn’t have any peppermint, so you should be good?”
He nodded. “Sure, okay.”
Violet lifted her fingers. “Two cups, please—and I’ll have a croissant.”
“Anything else for you, Jasper?” Simone asked, batting her eyes. “I might have made a fresh fruit tart last night that I would be willing to cut into, just for you.”
“You indulge me.” He smiled.
“I’m happy to. I’ll be right back.”
As Simone walked off, Violet folded her arms against the table and cast her gaze out the floor-to-ceiling picture window at their side. The clouds were thick and billowing in every hue of gray—pewter and slate, ash and dark shadow. Something in it felt romantic to Violet’s mind—images of a stone castle perched on a jagged mountainside, the dark ocean tumultuous and swirling underneath the cliff's edge.
Their view was nothing like that, but she could imagine it. Some faraway place she’d love to visit and sketch, then paint with a rich blue, gray and black palette.
She and Jasper were together at a café. Finally outside the house (and not in the woods). Violet peeked at her companion and found him staring off into the distance as well. A quiet worry or maybe even uncertainty rested in his soft expression. He looked healthier than ever—since the first time she’d been reunited with him as an adult. He wasn’t dusty anymore. No dark circles under his eyes or a mild strain in his brow.
Even so, something wasn’t right. Violet cleared her throat. “Thank you for coming here with me,” she said.
“Thank you for inviting me. Simone’s shop is beautiful. It smells like heaven.”
“It’s an excellent ‘first café’ experience. It honestly doesn’t get much better than this… I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Violet smoothed her thick hair back, lifting her chin. “I quit my full-time job.”
Jasper’s eyes went wide. “You did it.”
“I did.”
“When?”
“Yesterday. I did all the math like I told you I was going to, and combined with my savings and the orders I have coming in for the artwork, it works out. Jasper, I’m free! I’m going to pursue this with everything I’ve got.”
“You already have twice as many orders as you did in January. It’s only going to get better and better. Soon you’ll need to hire someone to help manage the back-end stuff.”
