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“That’s accurate, although she’d deny it.” Maggie sealed the second yogurt. “Sometimes I feel the same way. Trapped, that is. I want my own practice but can’t afford all the equipment on my own. And Vi…”
“She thinks she’ll be happy once she has tenure.” Coop clutched his bag of fruit and waited for what he hoped would be Maggie’s blessing and not a lunge for his lips.
She put the two yogurts into a cardboard tray, shaking her head. “I’m not saying I’m in your corner. But I don’t disagree with you about Vi either.” Maggie handed the tray to Coop. “She said she’d be waiting at the pool. What was your name again?”
He took the yogurts slowly, processing that a moonlight visit with Vivi was being presented to him and trying to keep his real name from crossing his lips.
“You can call me Shakespeare.” He smiled at Maggie’s startled look. “It’s what your sister calls me.”
*
“Did someone order yogurt?”
Violet recognized that deep voice coming from the side yard. It wasn’t Maggie making a delivery.
She closed her laptop and turned, making out Chuck’s outline as he emerged from the shadows wearing that cheap suit that fit him so well. “Don’t tell me you have my sister’s phone number, too.”
“Nope. We bumped into each other in the yogurt aisle. She looked beat and I’d just finished a shift so…” He sat down at the table next to Vi, close enough to make her heart start pounding faster. “Since you don’t take enough personal time, I thought I’d bear witness to this yogurt craving of yours.” He removed a lid and handed her a yogurt and plastic spoon. “I like you when you’re in intellectual mode. But I also like you when you take time to chill.”
“Did my sister try to…”
“Kiss me?” Chuck grinned. “Yeah.”
Jealousy clogged Vi’s throat.Shewanted to be the only Summer sister he kissed. “And…”
“I passed on the opportunity.” Oh, there was mischief in his eyes as his gaze glanced off her lips. “But so did that loser who broke your heart. I thought I’d put that out there before you did.”
Violet sat back in her chair and took a spoonful of yogurt. It was refreshingly chilled, like most of her conversations with Chuck.
“How goes fate versus free will in the book?” He angled his body toward her, filling his spoon with yogurt.
“It’s a slow chapter.” Oh, he pretended to concentrate on eating, but she could feel his attention upon her. And she liked it! She’d like it better if he closed the distance between them and kissed her.
He chuckled, and instead of Simon’s startling sound, Chuck’s laughter soothed her. “You’re stuck writing that section about fate for a reason. It’s because we—”
“Oh, no you don’t.” She shook her spoon at him. “I told you. I don’t believe in fate. And it has nothing to do with this chapter. It’s challenging, that’s all.”
Chuck shrugged, running his spoon around the rim of the yogurt cup. “If you say so.”
“If I say so,” Violet muttered before taking a big bite of yogurt.
“Let’s not argue. You’ll believe in me and fate someday.” He stood, staring down on her warmly. “Come on. I’ve had a long day and I want to put my feet in the pool.” He moved to the pool without waiting for her, setting his yogurt aside while he removed his shiny black shoes and thin black socks. He rolled up his pants legs and dipped his feet in the water. “Ahh. So good.”
Violet joined him, bringing her unfinished yogurt. How could she not follow him? She was as drawn to Chuck as she was to a dessert buffet. “You have proof of this fate of ours?”
“Yes.” He kicked his feet slowly in the water.
“And…”
He gave her a brief, considering look. “Today isn’t the day to prove it to you.”
“That’s a cop out.” She ate more yogurt.
“You know, I’m not tied down to living in the Hamptons. I suppose where I land next will depend upon what I decide to do with the rest of my life.” A furrow passed over his brow. Here and then just as quickly gone. “I could go back to Texas… Or discover if there’s anything for me in Boston.”
Vi finished her yogurt and set her cup to the side. His talk of moving was opening that door to a relationship again. And for some reason, she was reluctant to close it. “Have you discovered something you’re passionate about? Work-wise, I mean.”
“No.” He moved his cup a few feet away and turned to face her. “Vivi…”
