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He took a drink. “Do you doubt it?”
“Don’t laugh, but I’ve intercepted looks of longing when they think the other one doesn’t see.”
“Unrequited longing isn’t amusing.” He took a drink of his water. “How about you, Violet? Are you happy withourfriendship the way it is?”
She lowered her gaze. Even for Hayden, such bluntness was unexpected.
Setting his glass on the table, Hayden twisted on his chair to face her. Their knees bumped under the table, but neither one moved away. “Let me put it this way: forty or so years from now, are we going to be stealing looks at each other, wondering whatcouldbe?”
“I treasure our friendship, Hayden. If you’d asked me even two months ago, I couldn’t have said that.”
“To know me is to love me?”
“Not when you put it likethat.” Violet shifted on the chair, putting a little more distance between them. “Truth, Hayden. Are you, or are you not, going out with Miss Perfect?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you . . .? How could you …?”
“Call me sneaky, but I wanted to get your reaction.”
Violet shook her head. “Are you trying to confuse me? What are you talking about?”
Hayden stretched his arm along the back of her chair. “My neighbor is Mrs. Borgnino. Ring a bell?”
“Yes, I’ve known her for years, assuming it’s the same woman.”
“I’m sure it is,” he said. “Seems Mrs. B. ran into your mom a few months back and asked after you. Then decided that you and I would be a perfect match.”
Relief swept through her.“You’re right. Youaresneaky.”
“We need to iron out a few things.”
“Such as?”
“Number one, early on, I overheard you call me ‘pretty boy’ once,” he said. “And ‘pampered and privileged.’” His blue eyes met hers. “No self-respecting man wants to hear those things from a beautiful girl.”
Violet’s heart pounded, her self-respect puddled in a pool of shame beneath her chair. “I’m sorry, Hayden. I’ll admit I might have thought those things at first, but I don’t anymore.” Where had he heard such a thing?
His lips curved. “I’m happy to hear it.”
“When did you hear me say that?”
“You were talking to yourself in your office and left the door open. I was walking by at the time.Noteavesdropping. Want to know what I thought about you?”
Her mouth gaped, but she closed it quickly. “Um, not really, no.”
“I’ve always thought you were beautiful, Violet. The epitome of the perfect Christian girl.”
“Oh, I’m nowhere near perfect,” she said quietly. “Uptight, untouchable, maybe.” The words slipped out, not that she hadn’t heard them before. “Not to forget judgmental. Maybe even legalistic.”
Hayden’s blue eyes narrowed. “Violet, doyouhonestly think you’re any of those things?”
“Not now, but I can admit I’ve been guilty of them in the past,” she said. “God’s working on me,inme.” Violet twisted her fingers together on her lap. “After college when I was on my own for the first time, I came face-to-face with how easy it’d be to do things I’d always been taught were wrong. So, I went too far the other way and pushed some really great people out of my life.”
“Too farwhichway?” The corners of his mouth curved. “Violet Simmons, were you wild?”
She half-choked. “No, no. By the time I started at KGOLD three years ago, I’d learned to love people where they’re at. Like you’ve said before, most people want someone to listen. They need empathy, not preaching or judgmental attitudes.”
