Page 27

"That is a terrifying thought," I muse, taking in all things Violet beneath the muted lights above our heads and fake candle flickering on the table.

She has a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and I never noticed before, but her small ears are double pierced. But it's the scar at her temple that slashes into her eyebrow that draws my gaze and keeps it there a second or two too long because Violet shifts uncomfortably in her chair.

Before she can ask me another question though, I say, "Tell me about growing up with Jas—after you tell me your birthday."

A second passes before she lets go of the tension caused by my perusal, but she inhales and says, "September. And Jas is and always has been a character. You never know what she'll say or do."

"The guy she's with. Do you like him?"

Violet nods and shrugs. "So far, so good. He seems head over heels for her so, yeah, I do. At least until something happens to change my mind."

"Where did the scar come from?"

She seems taken aback by the sudden change in topic after I'd asked about Jasmine's boyfriend, and I can't blame her. I'd meant to move on and keep things light. But here we are.

Violet goes silent, and I see her mind whirling behind her gaze. How much to tell me. What to tell me.

"Childhood injury?"

She flattens her mouth in a tight line but shakes her head, her gaze shifting to something behind my shoulder. "I fell. Hit the edge of a countertop. Here comes our food."

I get that gut-punch of unease where she is concerned, but the arrival of the waitress delivering our meals ends the conversation.

Vi digs in with relish as though starved, and I love the fact she's not "date eating." Then again, she can't answer questions with her mouth full, so there's that.

We eat in silence for several long minutes and between bites, I try to engage her again. "Where are your parents now?"

She blinks at me as she chews and swallows. "Oregon coast. Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport. That general area. The pictures are amazing."

"I've always wanted to travel out there." We make small talk about their adventures as we eat, and Violet relaxes once again, but this time, there is a wariness in her that I blame on my earlier question about the scar. The topic is obviously a touchy one, and now I'm fuming because I want more information.

Did she fall into the counter? Or was she shoved?

"So," I try again, "what does Violet want to be when she grows up? Do you plan to stick with the burger bus, or is that a stepping stone to something else?"

She pauses to take a drink.

"Jas and I hope to expand soon. Get a second bus going. That's why I'm working multiple jobs. To pay off debt and save up. We thought we had a backer, but they wanted too much control over things. It made us realize we really want to do things our own way, but that means being patient a while longer."

"Does Jasmine work as much as you do? Two jobs?" The questions pop out before I can hold them back, but I can't help it. Vi's running on fumes, but I've only heard of Jasmine working the bus.

"She doesn't have to."

My curiosity must've shown on my face because she goes on.

"The food truck was my idea, but when it came down to financing it, Jas was the one who made it happen. A second truck is on me, but I need to clear some debt before I'll get approved for a loan."

"How much longer do you have to work two jobs to do that?"

"As long as it takes," she says, giving nothing away.

"Burning out isn't going to help you succeed."

"Hard work never hurt anyone. And I'm fine."

She avoids my gaze as she takes another drink. Her eyes shift to something over my shoulder once more, and emotions I can't comprehend flicker across her beautiful face.

"Look, Sully, I appreciate your… What I'm trying to say is… You know, maybe we should call it a night. I'll pay for dinner, and you can get a drink at the bar and take one of those women home since they've been eyeing you our entire dinner."