“Yea, well one of these days you’re going to make a joke you can’t come back from,” I tell him. I love my little brother fiercely, but he needs to get serious.
“I doubt it,” he says before we get back to work.
We continue putting up the fence, Wyatt cracking jokes and me complaining about his joking as per usual when my phone dings again. Trying my best to play it cool, but probably failing miserably, I pull it out and see a message on my phone from Georgie. “Oh, it’s just Georgie,” I say as I open the notification.
“Why is Georgie texting you?” Wyatt asks, and when I look up and see the glare on my brother’s face, I smile and waggle my eyebrows.
“Jealous?” I ask. Wyatt isn’t the only one who can joke around, and the opportunity to give him shit is too good to pass up.
He scoffs, but I can see the truth in his eyes. I just wish he would face it and spare the rest of us the drama. Between Sawyer’s girl getting pregnant without him knowing it and Brooks’ girl having amnesia for a good stretch of time, the ranch has had enough relationship issues to last a lifetime.
“I’m not jealous,” he says petulantly, but I barely hear it since I’m too busy reeling from the message on my phone screen.
Georgie: Hey, Mav. You have a visitor. She said her name is Violet. She’s real pretty.
Georgie hadn’t needed to add that last part for me to be a nervous wreck, but knowing that Violet is here and she’s good looking has me feeling even more anxious about my own appeaance. It doesn’t help that I’m covered in dirt and dust and my white shirt is clinging to my skin from all the sweat of the day.Shit.
What is she doing here already? I told her I wanted to see her as soon as possible, but I didn’t think she would take me literally. I need time to prepare, to figure out how to get her to fall in love with me because, damnit, I am already in love with her. I fell in love with her after that first email and it’s only deepened since them. She’s so kind and sweet. How am I ever going to get herto love an ugly grump like me? My phone dings with another message.
Georgie: She’s looks kind of nervous. You might want to hurry or I think she might bolt.
That message kicks my butt in gear and I spin on the heel of my boot and start heading towards the car. After the short drive over to the homestead, I make my way inside through the back, diverting over to the downstairs bathroom to wash my hands and face and try to make myself look somewhat presentable.
My dark hair is soaked with sweat and falls in weird looking curls, but I figure that’s the least of my worries as I take in the scars on my face and neck. Well, there’s nothing I can do about those now except hope that she’s really the person I’ve come to know over the last two weeks. Violet wouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I still try to temper my expectations as I grip the handle to the bathroom door. After one last deep breath, I spin it and head down the hallway to the family room.
My steps falter as I take in the absolute goddess of a woman sitting on the couch chatting with Georgie. Violet’s hair is a braid of icy blonde that cascades over one shoulder, her skin is a beautiful porcelain color and her heart shaped face is the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen in my life. I would be beyond lucky to go to bed every night and wake up every morning looking at that face.
When her eyes move up to meet mine, my heart skips a beat at the sight of the most vibrant purple eyes I have ever seen, andher name makes all the more sense now. Not only are her eyes violet, but the look in them is delicate like a flower.
“Wow,” I breathe out, rubbing my hand on the back on my neck. I knew she would be beautiful, but I my imagination failed to conjure a woman as stunning at the one in front of me.
“Maverick?” She asks, and her melodic voice is music to my ears. I’ve never felt one way or the other about my name before, but hearing it said so sweetly has me thanking my parents for naming me after a character in their favorite movie. My feet finally start moving again, and I make my way over to Violet until I’m standing in front of her. The top of her head comes just up to my chest, her head tilting back to look at me.
Georgie stands, her head looking between the two of us with a smile. “I’ll leave you two to get acquainted,” she says before disappearing up the stairs.
I try not to shrink away under Violet’s gaze, but it’s tough as I see her eyes widen and her mouth form a little ‘o’ of surprise. “Wow,” she breathes out, and I brace myself for the inevitable, an expression of pity or worse, disappointment. “You’re so much more handsome than I thought you would be. I mean, I thought I had a pretty good imagination, but damn.”
This time it’s my eyes that widen in disbelief at her declaration, and a slow smirk plays over my face as her cheeks turn a shade of red. “Oh my god, I am so sorry. Here I am coming to visit without telling you and now I’m ogling you in your own home,” she says, looking chagrined. “I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to kick me out.”
“Kick you out?” I ask incredulously. Even before my accident, I’ve never had a woman look at me with such awe and wonder as she is right now. I knew she would be a keeper, and in the face of her beatific expression, all of those doubts I had seem pretty damn silly. “Honey, I’m too busy trying to figure out where you’ve been my whole life.”
She giggles, causing my heart to swell with joy. “Oh, I’ve been around. Though if I had known there were such good looking guys out in Oklahoma, I would have come west a whole lot sooner.” She bites her lower lip and damn if my dick doesn’t take notice and start thickening in my pants, but when I see the apprehensive look on her face, my mind shifts from desrire to concern. “I hope you’re not too disappointed,” she says, shifting uncomfortably.
My brow furrows. “Why would I be disappointed?” I am so far from disappointed I wouldn’t be able to point it out on a damn map.
Violet shrugs a shoulder. “You know,” she says, waving a hand at me and then herself. “There’s a whole lot of hard muscle going on over there. Mine’s a tad bit squishier than that.”
Anger starts to boil up in my chest, not at her, but at anyone who ever made her feel less than. “You’re perfect,” I practically bark at her, causing her to startle.
I wince.Try to be less of an asshole, Mav, I tell myself. Instead of shying away from me, Violet smiles shyly and steps closer, sending some of her wildflower scent wafting my way. She smells like the most perfect spring day, and visions of laying her out in a meadow so I can worship her body come to mind.
“You really think so?” I close my eyes and inhale her scent once more, nodding my head because at the moment, I can’t find the words to express just how at peace I feel. “Well, I think you’re pretty perfect too,” she says, her voice huskier than before as she reaches out and places her hands on my chest.
My body tenses slightly, then eases into a more relaxed state than I think I have ever felt. It’s been years since someone touched me like this, and I forgot just how wonderful it could be. Of course, I know now that part of that is Violet making me feel whole, complete in a way I didn’t ever think I would.
My eyes open and I look down to see a dreamy look on her face, and even though we just met, I feel like I’ve known her my whole life. My head tips down to hers just as she’s leaning up to me. Our lips brush for the briefest of moments when the door slams open, Wyatt stomping inside.
Violet steps back, looking embarrassed, but I see the longing in her eyes. We have a whole week to determine whether or not we want to go through with a marriage, but I don’t need a week. I knew the moment she emailed me just like I know now. Violet is mine. Now, I just have to convince her of it.
