had about her over the years. Only this time I let the image fly, smiling at her as the imaginary kiss reached its fruition.
“Do I even want to know what you’re thinking about?” she murmured as her cheeks tinted pink.
“Probably not,” I confessed. “Let’s talk about the gala.” My one-track mind was about to get lost in a fantasy and now was not the time. All the control I had built up over decades, all the feelings I had tied up in their intricate knots, were rapidly becoming undone as I gazed at her, sitting there across from me with no idea what I contemplated beneath the surface of my smile. The things I wanted to do with her, for her, to her . . .
She cleared her throat with a nervous little cough. “Good thinking. Um, do we need a theme? Do you have a place in mind? My mother said you two would usually meet twice a week when you were planning stuff. Will that work? Maybe we’ll need more time together than you do with her?”
I chuckled. “Yes, to all of that. Your mother suggested ‘An Evening Under the Stars’ as the theme in order to keep it simple—”
“Ahh, to keep it cheap?” She laughed. “My mother is great at getting the most bang for her buck.”
“Exactly,” I confirmed. “She suggested the rooftop deck on the Sweetbriar Hotel as the location since we won’t have to pay for the stars to be there—free décor—and they’re already prepared for outdoor parties. They have space heaters, fire pits, a tent for rain cover, cabanas—everything we’ll need.”
She leaned across the table, placing her delicate, red-tipped fingers lightly on my forearm. I shivered, wishing I had removed my jacket when I got here and rolled up my shirtsleeves so I could feel her touch against my bare skin. “That sounds perfect. But I want to tell you something before we get started.”
“You can tell me anything, Violet,” I murmured.
Her eyes darted down to the table before she reclaimed my gaze through the lovely fan of her dark lashes. “I really admire you. Starting this charity, sharing your story . . . You’re so brave. I mean, a long time ago, Tom told me a little bit about how you grew up. Um, I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t bring this up, this isn’t my business—”
“No apologies, Vi,” I soothed. “My dad was an asshole. It’s not some big tragic secret. He was a liar and a gambler who treated us all like shit, cheated on my mother constantly and flagrantly, and refused to grant her a divorce. We were too poor to afford an attorney to fight him. He’d pop in and out of our lives whenever he needed money or a place to crash, mess everything up, smack us around, and then leave again.”
“That’s terrible.” Her hand slid down my arm to place her palm in mine.
I inhaled a sharp breath. “It was, until my older brother grew big enough to throw him out and keep him away. But it’s over, and now I’m in the position to help others. So that’s what I’m going to do. I just wish she were here to see it.” My mother had died of cancer almost three years ago.
“I think you’re wonderful,” she reiterated.
“I’m no hero. But I thank you anyway. So, speaking of helping and throwing out exes, do you have legal representation? Tom isn’t going to go off gently into the night, you know. He’s not the type to give you a fair deal, and you’re entitled to support, part of the house, and maybe even part of his business. You are a large reason for his success, Violet. He wouldn’t have graduated college if not for you working to support him. I was there, remember? I know how hard you worked back then. You and the boys deserve more. I know his attorney. She’s a real shark, and I don’t want to see you get taken advantage of.”
“My mother called her attorney. Everything is going okay so far. Tom is being pretty reasonable, I think.” She stopped talking to knock on the table with her free hand, I grinned at her superstition. “I’m not in the market for a shark—they’re usually expensive. As it is, I might have to take help from my mother to pay hers, which I hate.” Her eyes lowered to the table as her hand slipped from mine to grab her napkin and place it in her