When she stood, he couldn’t make himself move. Bending down, she kissed him on the cheek and lingered there for a moment.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t regret falling in love with you, Hunter. Thank you for letting me into your life and letting me be a part of yours and Eli’s world for a little while. I’ll never forget you.” She looked toward his son’s room. “It’s probably for the best that he’s not here. I don’t think I could have said goodbye to him without crying.”
She was killing him.
Standing, he walked up behind her, his hands gently resting on her shoulders. “Don’t go.” His voice was low and gruff and he barely recognized it.
Turning, Violet looked up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Give me a reason to stay, Hunter.”
He could tell her he loved her.
He could tell her he’d try to change.
But it was hard to change a lifetime of behavior, and he had a feeling his promises would be empty, and he’d end up hurting her in the long run. It was better to let her go so she could find someone who would travel the world with her and encourage her to fly and chase after her dreams.
Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her. It wasn’t meant to seduce; there was only tenderness. The kind of kiss that said a million things that he couldn’t.
Namely, goodbye.
When he lifted his head, he tasted the salt of her tears and saw them streaming down her cheeks. Violet’s hand reached up and wiped at his lips. “Take care of yourself, Hunter Jones. Be happy.”
And then she was walking away, and Hunter had no idea if it was for the best or not, but he was ashamed of himself for simply letting this end. For someone whose job was being brave, he just proved he was anything but.
Seventeen
“Thank you so much, Frannie! I know this is going to be an amazing trip! Take care!” Taking her headset off, Violet stood and stretched. She’d been back in Nashville for two weeks and luckily had been incredibly busy. It looked like all the advertising and promo she’d been doing on social media was really starting to pay off. Her sales for this month alone were her highest ever, and with the networking she’d been doing, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that she was going to double what she made last year. This was everything she’d dreamed of and yet…she was miserable.
There wasn’t anyone to talk to about her day, and it just seemed wrong to call up Katie for the sole purpose of bragging about herself.
Besides, they both knew she’d end up asking about Hunter and Eli just like she had every time she’d called her friend.
Which was almost every day.
Sure, she made a good play of making it seem like she wanted to make sure Katie was feeling well, that Brian was adjusting to life at home, and that the kids were both okay. Inevitably, Katie would ask her if she wanted to know how Hunter was, and because she was a glutton for punishment, she always said yes. Apparently, Brian had gone over to help Hunter with the deck, and they’d been hanging out more and more.
Which made getting her daily dose of torture much more convenient.
“Okay, no calling Katie. I’m sure I have emails to answer.”
And she did.
Most people who were looking for quotes on a vacation reached out via email first so she could work out the numbers for them before they hopped on the phone. It made the process much easier, but unfortunately, not everyone was tech-savvy, and occasionally she had inquiries where they forgot to leave their name or phone number. Emailing back and forth always felt impersonal, but sometimes it was the way things had to be.
Like now. This was the second time the same person had filled out the form on her website looking for recommendations for a romantic getaway. No dates were given, no specific locations.
After a couple of back-and-forth emails, she finally had a place to start. It felt like she’d already run a marathon, so when her phone rang, she was thankful for the distraction.
Katie’s face was smiling up at her, and Violet happily scooped up her phone. “Hey! How’s my favorite family doing today?”
“Girl, I am exhausted!”
“Oh, no! What’s going on?”
“My sweet Benjamin has turned into a bit of a terror. He’s got his days and nights mixed up and I swear he’s looking for you.”
Her smile grew. “Is it wrong how I love that so much?”
“Yes! I know I didn’t want to admit it while you were here, but you really were like the baby whisperer with him. Can you come back for a few days so Brian and I can sleep?”
“As tempting as that sounds, I think I’m going to pass,” she said with a small laugh.
“Wow, I guess we found there are limitations on this friendship.”
Violet knew she was teasing and figured she could tease too. “Well, I always knew this day would come. Of course, the fact that you haven’t booked a vacation with me since your honeymoon has made me wonder if you don’t trust me…”
“Ooo! That reminds me!” Katie excitedly interrupted. “Brian wants us to plan a trip!”
“Kate, I was just kidding! I know you guys have a ton of other things on your plate right now–like a newborn. We’re cool. Really.”
“No, I’m totally serious right now! He wants to take us to Disney!”
“Really? When?”
“Next month.”
“Oh, sweetie. No. Don’t do it.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s too much with an infant.”
“Rose will be with us to help out! Trust me, it’s going to be great! We want to go the end of next month since school starts the first week, we figured most people wouldn’t be taking vacations at the end. Lower crowds and maybe better deals. Plus, you know, military discount. Can you work something up for us?”
“Of course! You know I’d love to do that for you. Text me the dates and I’ll have some numbers for you by tomorrow.”
“You are the best!” she gushed. “So how’s business? I know you said it’s been busy, but I hope you’re taking some time for yourself and not overdoing it.”
“Kate, I work from home in my pajamas most days. Trust me, I’m not overdoing it.”
“Still, I worry about you.”
I’m glad someone does…
“I’m thinking of not doing daycare anymore.”
“What?!”
“Yeah, like I said, Ben’s just struggling with a schedule right now, and I’m exhausted. I seriously underestimated how much having a second child would affect our lives. And even with Brian being home, he’s got to go to work and needs his sleep too. I just think it’s best for us as a family for me to let the daycare go.”
“But…what about the families? I mean, I know some of them found other options, but…what about…you know…?”
“Hunter?”
Dammit. “Yeah. Have you talked to him about it? Could you maybe just handle having Eli?”
“It’s too soon. Believe me, I am agonizing over it. Brian’s over at Hunter’s now talking to him because I’m too much of a chicken to do it.”
“Obviously there are other daycares in town. I’m sure he’ll find something.”