He smiled, and Violet laughed. It was a glorious sound.

“Why didn’t you tell him?”

“He was already stomping away in his righteous indignation. Why take that away from him?”

“This is crazy,” she whispered. “Does anyone have a normal family?”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Come on,” she pulled his arm, “let’s get cleaned up.”

J.P. followed Violet up the stairs to the bedroom. She turned, wrapping him in her arms and pulled him down for a kiss. The sensations bringing out a carnal need to touch her bare skin. He slid a hand up her soft thigh under her dress, taking him back to the elevator that night. Now, there was a familiarity in her touch and taste, but that hadn’t diminished the desire. Apparently, “cleaned up” was code for making love. And he was onboard with that.

They lay together in tangled sheets in the afterglow of pre-dinner activities, his muscles putty and tension gone. He dozed on and off in a state of bliss with Violet curled up beside him. Life was perfect for this moment. If only she wasn’t leaving midday Monday. He pushed reality from his mind. His next plan was to move back to Nashville as soon as possible.