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With the formidable frown that he’s worn most of our lives, Dad offers Harrison his hand, then shakes mine in a punishing grip. “The deal is done.”
With that, he lumbers out, not bothering with any other sort of pleasantries. That’s our father for you.
I glance at Harrison to gauge his expression. He appears stunned. “I can’t believe he did that. Just gave us a price and agreed to the deal.”
“Gaveyoua price,” I correct him.
“Whatever,” my brother gestures dismissively. “That did just happen, right? I didn’t dream it?”
I chuckle at him. “No, you didn’t dream it. Seems like the old man is finally going to give you what you’ve been asking for all this time. When are you going to have the website up?”
“Soon,” he grins at me. “And I’ve been thinking of changing the name. Trina likes Walcott’s Apparel. Sounds more modern than haberdashery, don’t you think?”
“By about half a century,” I agree, mostly because my brain has started thinking about Violet. I’m determined to speak to her, make sure things are solid with us.
“Hey, man, thanks for coming,” Harrison says, slapping me on the shoulder.
“All I did was stand here.”
“Still, I think it helped. Maybe it came across as solidarity to Dad and helped convince him to move ownership to our generation.”
“Maybe. But I’ve gotta get out of here.”
“Later, then.”
Because I’m a bit of a shit, I respond, “Later, loser.”
He flips me off, I do the same back, and I head off to go see my lady love. I halt in my tracks once on the sidewalk. Never in all my extensive years of dating have I ever thought of any woman as my lady love. But Vi is different. We’ve been dancing around each other from the second she returned to Oak Valley, and she’s special to me.
Always has been.
Unlike Mindy or my other endless gaggle of female friends, hookups, and purposely temporary girlfriends, Violetmatters. When I ask her to go out with me, I’m not shitting around, even if I’ve been trying to keep things fairly light. That night when I stayed over was more than hot, it was meaningful.
So, I need to speak with her, be real with her. Right now.
Six
Landon
I intentionally arrive shortly prior to closing, but I don’t seek Violet out or make my presence known. Instead, I order a drink—just a glass of sweet iced tea with lemon this time—and wait. I need a clear head as well as a clear conscience. More importantly, I need her, and though I don’t want to scare her off, I need her to know that I’m serious.
I have no idea whether Harper, Jeremy, or Perry have given her a head’s up, but even if they have, I’ve received no indication from her. This suits me just fine. I’m going to hash all this out with her, one way or another.
“Place empty?” I ask Jeremy as he drags once of those manual sweepers along the carpet between the tables.
“Except for you.”
“She in the kitchen?”
“Don’t think so. Brenda, our new kitchen manager is doing the clean up and close down tonight. Violet’s in her office.”
I’ve never visited Vi in her office, but I know where it is. It’s upstairs and all the way down a corridor with a sign specifically marked, “Private.” This is all the better. It’s encouraging to know we’ll be alone, and her being up here means I’ll have a captive audience for at least a minute or two. I knock on her six-paneled door.
“Yes?”
“Can I come in?”
There’s a pause, and I feel a lead weight drop into my gut. I attempt to ignore it, though.
