“Of course. It’s the language of love.”
“There are many languages of love. Music is another. So is touch.”
“You’ve got all the bases covered, don’t you?”
“You’re the best judge of that.”
She put her hand over his where it rested on the console. “Will your sister be in town?
“No. She’s with Sage. They were in Paducah, Kentucky, yesterday.”
“You told me that Carl is a music agent. Does he manage Sage?”
“Yes, he does. I thought you realized that.”
“I probably should have. It makes sense.”
“Carl and his wife Judy are also out of town this weekend. They took their daughter Tracie and one of her friends to some mall in Minnesota.”
“The Mall of America. I’ve heard about it from Rachel. It’s got over 500 stores.”
“I get nauseous just thinking about that.”
Violet traced the outline of his fingers, sending jolts of electricity up his arm. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not that fond of shopping. If I’m going to travel that far, I want to see more than the inside of a mall.”
“You’re a girl after my own heart. By the way, this won’t be the only trip to Nashville you’ll be making this year.”
“Oh, really?”
“Carl and Judy are having an anniversary party in November. They’re planning to renew their vows.”
“How sweet and romantic! Will Sage be performing at the party?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think to ask Willow. Carl has an impressive list of clients so there could be any number of country music stars present.” He sent her a quick sideways glance. “You’ll get your first taste of mixing with celebrities.”
“I’m not sure I can handle meeting all those famous people.”
“All you have to do is smile and nod. I have to give a speech. I still have no idea what I’m going to say.”
She squeezed his fingers. “Whatever you choose to say will be the right thing.”
“I hope so. Carl will never forgive me if I mess up his big moment. Have Rachel and Pierre finalized their wedding plans yet?”
“Rachel has had her wedding planned for years. It’s going to be at Callaway Gardens next May. At last count, her guest list was up to a hundred and fifty.”
He whistled. “May? That’s a long time to wait.”
“This is the only wedding she plans to have. She wants it to be special.”
“Special means different things to different people. You’re no less married if you say your vows in front of hundreds of people or just each other.” He heard Violet laugh. “What’s so funny about that?”
“I was remembering the day I said something similar to my mother. You’d think I just announced my intention to move to Antarctica. Apparently, it’s selfish to even think about eloping. You’re cheating your family out of sharing the most important event of your life.”
“That’s just the point. It’s the bride and groom’s big day. It should be what they want.”
“I think you’re in the minority.”
“Not according to Jetta. She keeps track of all these random statistics. Elopements are gaining in popularity. Aside from the romantic aspect, they’re much less expensive. It leaves the couple more money to put toward a honeymoon.” He turned to look at her. “Now there’s an event that can never be long enough.”
Her lips twitched. “I had a feeling you were going to say that.”
This conversation was interrupted by the ringing of her phone.
Jackson smiled as he listened to her talk to Summer. Violet might be the youngest member of her family, but she was the glue that held them all together. Her generosity and caring seemed to have no end. He’d found that out for himself.
The seemingly insignificant things are never unimportant, and chance meetings have little to do with chance. If he’d arrived at the rest area a few minutes earlier or later, he wouldn’t have met Violet that day. And if that hadn’t happened, then the second meeting in the music store would have played out differently.
Just the thought of not knowing her made him sad. She’d become the most important person in his life; the woman he wanted to be with until the end of time. He couldn’t imagine living the rest of his life without her.
* * * * *
The closer they got to Nashville, the more tense Violet became. In meeting Jackson’s parents, she had more to contend with than the normal ‘Will they like me?’ worries. The memory of the other time he brought someone home would be on the minds of everyone for varying reasons. Along with that was the awkwardness of knowing something so intimate about his parents’ marriage. These weren’t the ingredients for a relaxed, fun-filled visit.
By the time Jackson was pulling into the driveway of a Tudor-style two-story house, she was a bundle of nerves. She knew it had to be ten times worse for him.
He reached over to unbuckle her seat belt. “Remember when you told me that sharing bad things is when you need someone the most?”
“I remember.”
“This is one of my bad things. Thank you for being willing to share it with me.”
She put her hands on either side of his face, loving the feel of the soft bristles lining his cheeks. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
He leaned his forehead against hers before lowering his lips to brush against her mouth gently and then with rising passion. “I love you, Violet. Never forget that, okay?”
“I won’t forget, and I love you, too.”
The arched front door was opened by a thin man with graying hair. His heavily lined face broke into a welcoming smile as his glance went from Jackson to Violet.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hello, Jackson. And Violet, too. Come inside, both of you.”
They hadn’t taken two steps into the wood-paneled foyer when they were joined by a woman. She had Jackson’s light brown hair, high cheekbones, and gray eyes.
“You made it,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck.
He laughed as he returned her hug and kissed her cheek. “Yes, we did.” Then he put his arm around Violet’s waist. “Mom and Dad, I want you to meet your future daughter-in-law.”
Anything else he might have said was drowned out in his mother’s exclamations of delight.
“You’re engaged? How wonderful! When did this happen?” she asked as she turned to hug Violet. Not giving him a chance to answer, she went on, “That’s just like Jackson. So impatient. It’s nice to meet you, dear.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Mrs. Redmayne.”
“Don’t be so formal. You’ll be calling me Mom soon enough.”
Jackson’s father held out his hand to her. “Welcome to the family, Violet.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Walter, help Jackson get their things out of the car. I’ll take Violet into the living room.”
Jackson dropped a quick kiss on Violet’s cheeks. “Where she’ll proceed to ask you a hundred questions.”
His mother slapped him on the arm. “Enough of that. You’re not so big that I can’t put you over my knee.”
“That would be an interesting way to start this visit.”
She gave him a push toward the door. “Get going.” After Jackson and his father left, his mother turned to Violet. “We’re going right through here,” she said, pointing to a large room decorated in deep red and gold. “Have a seat anywhere you like. Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine right now.” Violet walked to the opposite side of a rectangular glass coffee table and sat down on the loveseat. Jackson’s mother sat down on the chair adjacent.
“How was your trip? It’s almost six hours, isn’t it?”
“I believe it is that long, but it didn’t seem like it. Riding in the Land Rover is like traveling in luxury.”
“Are you from Columbus originally?”
“Yes, ma’am. My parents were bo
rn there, too.”
“What kind of work do you do?”
Violet smiled. “At the moment, I’m working for my sister at her consignment shop. I also help a friend of mine with a catering business.”
“Two jobs? You and Jackson certainly like to keep busy. How do you have any time for yourselves?”
“Don’t worry about that, Mom. We definitely make time for ourselves,” Jackson answered for her as he came into the room and took the seat next to her.
With the focus off herself, Violet found her discomfort with the situation easing. Up until a few minutes ago, she would have said that Jackson had more of her sympathy. Now she wasn’t so sure. No amount of makeup could disguise the lines of suffering on his mother’s face. Behind the smiles was a woman who carried not only the guilt of what she’d done to her husband, but also the knowledge of what her actions had taken from her son. She would never know a moment’s peace regarding the secret she was keeping. Violet could only hope that this visit would give her some measure of relief.
* * * * *
As Jackson listened to his father talk about his latest composing project, he realized that most of what he’d dreaded about coming home hadn’t come to pass. He hadn’t been inundated with flashbacks from that terrible day four years ago. In fact, he’d hardly thought about Carmen at all. His concern had been for Violet and his mother.
He was astounded by the change in the latter. He’d noted the happiness in her voice on the phone when he told her about Violet; now he was seeing the evidence firsthand. Guilt washed over him. If he hadn’t been so focused on himself, he would have realized how great a toll the situation had taken on her.
When his mother got up to make coffee, he followed her into the kitchen. Hearing him behind her, she glanced over her shoulder.
“You didn’t have to leave Violet. I can manage this.”
“I know, but I wanted to help you,” he said, wondering where to start on a subject neither of them liked to talk about.
“You can slice the apple cake for me. It’s in the Tupperware container by the stove.”
“Apple cake! My favorite,” he said, reaching into the cabinet for the serving plates.
“I’m not sure it matters to you,” she went on, “but I like Violet. She’s a sweet girl, and so in love with you. It shines out of her eyes and radiates out of her smile.”
He put down the plates and walked over to stand next to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Of course it matters, Mom. I wouldn’t have brought Violet here if it didn’t matter.”
She shifted slightly to look at him. “You deserve some happiness after all you’ve been through.”
“You deserve happiness, too. I’m sorry for my part in making this worse for you.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “You didn’t do anything. All of this is my doing.”
He absently took the pot of water she looked in danger of dropping and poured it into the coffee maker. “Not all of it. I’ve allowed my resentment to infect our relationship, and I blamed you for something you couldn’t possibly have foreseen. You had your reasons for what you did; I don’t need to know them. It’s time to close the door on the past once and for all.”
She put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. “It’s been so hard knowing that I’m the reason you lost Carmen,” she said, her voice thick with tears. “I knew I would never be happy again as long as you were alone.”
Jackson drew back and kissed her forehead. “You can be happy now. I’m not alone.” Grabbing a napkin, he started drying her face. “Dad and Violet are going to think we snuck out the back door.”
She laughed shakily. “Your father won’t have noticed.”
Jackson walked back over to the cake container. “I’ll take in all this stuff. That’ll give you time to finish repairing the damage.”
When he returned to the living room, it was empty. Putting down the heavy tray, he followed the sound of voices to the music room. There he found Violet being given the grand tour. Knowing his father could go on for hours, he figured he better rescue her.
“The coffee and cake are ready,” he said, coming further into the room.
Violet turned toward him. “Jackson, I’ve never seen so many different kinds of guitars.”
“Outside of a museum you probably won’t.”
“It’s fascinating. Do all of them still play?”
“Yes,” his father answered. “I have a rotation set up.”
“Which he’s been faithfully following for as long as I can remember,” Jackson added. He heard footsteps out in the hall and then his mother appeared. Gone was all evidence of what had happened in the kitchen.
“Come on, you guys. The guitars can wait. The coffee can’t.”
His mother had made good use of her absence. Along with doing her face, she also unearthed a stack of photo albums. Jackson would have preferred almost anything to looking at old pictures of himself. Violet apparently disagreed. She sat glued to his mother’s side looking at page after page of his very uneventful and boring childhood. This activity was briefly interrupted by the approach of dinner, but it was resumed afterward.
It was late by the time everyone was ready to call it a night. He and Violet headed upstairs first. Jackson stopped outside what used to be Willow’s room.
“This is where you’ll be sleeping. And if you’re wondering about me, my room is on the opposite end of the house, as far away from this room as possible without actually being outside.” He shook his head. “It’s a little over the top, but I’ll probably be the same way with our kids.”
“Our kids. I like the sound of that. I hope they look like their daddy.”
“You can say that after seeing all those pictures of me.”
“You’ve been adorable from the beginning until now.”
“I’m not the only adorable one. You made a hit with my parents.”
“I’m glad they like me. It’ll be nice to come here on holidays. I’ve only seen snow a few times.”
He drew her against him, bringing his face close to hers. “Who says we’re coming here? I might want to spend the holidays with just you.”
Her hands slid up his chest to rest on his shoulders. “Holidays are for family. Long weekends and vacations will be for us.”
A shiver ran through him as her fingers caressed his neck. “We’ll have to take that up on a case-by-case basis.”
“I argue my points like I play chess. Very aggressively.”
“Then we should have some great arguments.”
Chapter Seventeen
The drive back to Columbus was a blur of long looks and stolen kisses. Weeks ago, Violet had told Jackson what she thought love was. She hadn’t been wrong, but having experienced it, she could now add something else. Being in love was growing so close to someone that you could be with them, and you didn’t even have to talk. You already knew what the other person was thinking. This is how she knew without him saying a word that he’d made peace with himself and with his mother. The weight on his soul had been lifted, and with it the ghosts of the past had been banished.
They were a few miles from his house when he turned to her and asked, “How soon would you be willing to marry me?”
The question brought a grin to her face. “I’d be willing to marry you tomorrow, but it’s not possible. How about a month from yesterday?”
He laughed. “Don’t play around with me, Violet. It’ll make it all the more disappointing when you tell me that you want to get married next summer after Rachel.”
She moved closer to the console and ran her fingers lightly up and down his arm. “I wasn’t playing around. I’m fully capable of putting together a wedding in four weeks.”
He waited until he drew up in front of his house. “I don’t doubt that, but I want you to have the wedding day of your dreams. I don’t want you to feel rushed or have any regrets.”
“As long as you’re there, it will be the wedding day of my dreams.”
<
br /> This remark resulted in several minutes of blissfully exciting kisses.
Jackson laughed as he let her go. “Let’s continue this in the house where I don’t have a console jabbing into my ribs.”
“When is Austin bringing back Abbott and Costello?”
“Later on this evening.”
They were walking toward the house when he stopped suddenly and snapped his fingers. “Oh, yeah! I almost forgot. I’ve got something to show you in the garage.” He swung them in the opposite direction. “There are so many things I love about you: the way you give yourself so unselfishly to others, your quirky sense of humor, your positive outlook on life, but one of the things I appreciate most is your capacity to attach yourself to adults, children, animals and even to your car.”
He pushed a button on his remote. The middle door of the three-car garage began to move. Violet was totally confused. At first all she could see were tires, then a gleaming bumper, and then a bright red car that looked suspiciously like Leonie.
Letting go of his hand, Violet walked slowly around the car, unable to believe what she was seeing. “It’s incredible. Leonie looks brand new. Is this really her?”
She heard him laugh from where he stood watching her. “Yes. Mitch performed this miracle makeover.”
“I thought Leonie was only going in for a tune-up.” Violet looked at him across the distance of ten or so feet. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you,” he said softly.
As she ran into his arms and pulled his face to hers, she remembered her thoughts upon first meeting him. Theirs wasn’t a story about a plain Jane getting a hot guy. It was a story about two people discovering that what they need most is each other.
Epilogue
Violet was outside on the deck with Abbott and Costello when Jackson got home. He stood for a moment at the door watching her. His mind slipped back to their honeymoon seven months before. He would never forget the long, cool days spent exploring Glass Beach and birdwatching at Mackerricher State Park in California. Nor would he forget the nights when she’d loved him with such passionate intensity that he’d been left shaken in her arms.
Mine for a Day (Finding Love Book 8) Page 18
