"Yeah, I can do that. Have to move some things around, but I'll make it work." In other words, I wouldn't be working on Violet's barn this weekend. Damn it! "Lemme finish up here, and I'll be right over."
"Ok. You gonna call her, or you want me to tell her?"
"Nah, I'll call her," I promised.
Which I did. Faith swore she could be ready in half an hour, and I believed her. As I was pulling onto the main road, I dialed the next person on my list. The phone rang only twice before Violet answered. Even over the phone, that woman sounded like temptation.
"Violet Dawson."
I chuckled. "Hey, princess. Got some bad news."
"Luke?" she asked.
I realized I hadn't introduced myself and, until now, she hadn't known my number. "Yeah, sorry. Something just came up so I won't be able to swing past your place until Sunday after church. That ok?"
"Yeah, sure." She sounded distracted. "Movers should arrive with the rest of my stuff in the morning, it looks like, so do what you need to do. I'll be busy with that."
"You sure?" The idea of her alone in that big house didn't sit well with me. "Save my number and call me if there's any problems."
She laughed softly. "I've moved a few times before, cowboy. Pretty sure I can manage to do it on my own... again."
Yeah, she might not need my help, but damned if I didn't want to be there anyway. The idea of some long-haul trucker hitting on her? Or if the movers decided to try to rip her off? I knew it was stupid, but something deep in my gut said that I should be protecting her. She might not need it, but I wanted to make sure that no one messed with her. Not now, not tomorrow, and not ever.
"Just promise me," I damned near growled. "Text me when they get there, and when they leave."
"No." She paused, the silence making her point more than raising her voice ever could. "Enjoy your day off, Luke. I'm still not some damsel in distress. Get used to it."
And that was it. She wasn't giggling because I was showing an interest. She wasn't angry because I was trying to take charge. Violet just hung up on me with the sweetest attitude I could imagine. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. This wasn't how women acted around me, but as soon as I reached the driveway to Meredith's trailer, the entire ordeal was out of my head. Sitting on the front step was the one thing that made Violet seem unimportant: my daughter.
Her dark hair was tied back into a braid and she had on a pastel shirt and baggy jeans. She'd given up wearing shorts when the girls in her class called her Thunder Thighs. Not that Faith was fat, but she still had that youthful roundness typical of preteen girls. I knew it bothered her, but she didn't like to talk about it. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to make it better.
My truck was barely stopped before she grabbed her backpack and ran toward it. I whipped off a text to Meredith, letting her know Faith was with me while the kid buckled herself in. I didn't want to see my ex-girlfriend, so this worked out just fine.
Backing out of the drive, I asked, "Heard you haven't eaten. Bev's sound good?"
"Can we go somewhere else?"
"Sure." I looked over, well aware that she'd been sad too often lately. "What sounds good?"
"Nothing. I'm not really hungry, Dad."
And I knew that was bullshit. Her problem was that she hoped not eating would make her skinny and popular, but it didn't work that way. Granted, giving her a lecture wouldn't do much good either. Faith had already mastered the art of tuning her father out when it suited her, but the last thing I wanted her to do was starve to fit in. Maybe I could convince her to eat something healthy? The memory of Violet's reaction in the grill sprang to mind.
"Whatcha say we stop and get some groceries and I'll cook. I was thinking about a chef salad? Not that I'm much of a chef, but sounds nice and refreshing, and it was a scorcher today."
"Ok. A salad would be kinda cool. Did you have to chase the cows off the road again or something?" The smallest hint of a smile touched her face. Evidently I was on the right track.
"Nope," I told her. "You remember Vera Dawson, out at Southwind?"
Faith nodded. "Yeah, stupid lesbian, right?"
"She was not. Vera was a really nice woman, and it's none of your business who she loved. Don't be judgmental like those girls at school."
"Oh," was all she said, but I could see she was thinking about it.
I kept going. "Well, Vera's granddaughter moved in. I helped her get the air working." I paused, hoping to make my next comment sound casual enough that Faith wouldn't think much about it. "You know, they used to pick on her in junior high, too. She went away for high school and turned into some very fancy lady, but all the people who said those things are still living in Cats Peak doing the same thing they always did."
"Did you know her back then?" Faith asked.
