Razors Ice 04 - Hot Ice by Rachelle Vaughn Page A

Violet preferred something more modern for herself. Besides running out of gas the one time, the Jetta had been reliable. But that didn’t stop her brothers from giving her a hard time for not wanting a classic. They said it looked bad for business and promised to give her a good deal on a ‘Stang or a ‘Cuda.
    On the far end of the garage, Dale was bent over the tool bench with a screwdriver in his hand. His hands were calloused and rough from working on engines his whole life. When they didn’t smell like grease or oil, they smelled like the gritty soap he washed them with.
    “Hey Dad, ” Violet said gently, careful not to startle him.
    He looked up from the birdfeeder he was tightening the screws on and smiled warmly at his only daughter. The hair her mom kept cut short had started to gray at the temples, but he was as handsome as ever. His green eyes were the same brilliant hue as her own.
    Violet went to him with open arms. He always gave nice strong hugs that made everything feel right in the world again. Today she needed one of those hugs in the worst way.
    When h e pulled back and squeezed her shoulders Dale asked, “How are you, pumpkin?”
    “Good.”
    “Where’s Phillip?”
    “He was called to the hospital.”
    “Anything serious?”
    “ Emergency hernia surgery.”
    Da le nodded in approval. “He’s a good man, Violet. You did good.”
    “ Yeah,” she agreed halfheartedly.
    He r father studied her face and frowned. “You look tired, sweetheart.”
    Violet smiled weakly. “Thanks, Dad. You really know how to make a girl feel good.”
    He gave her shoulder a pat. “Is Patricia working you too hard?”
    “It’s paying off, though ,” Violet answered with a shrug. “We have more clients than ever.” Hockey players, too, she thought to herself. And I almost kissed one of them and I don’t feel as awful about it as I should , she wanted to confess.
    “Why aren’t you in side watching the game?” she asked. Hockey was always a neutral topic with her family. Except when it involved Jace McQuaid, she thought wryly.
    “Oh, your mother’s been hounding me to fix this birdfeeder from the backyard.” He tightened a loose screw on the bottom and set the screwdriver down. “And I figured I ought to stop putting it off. She seems to think that all the birds in August County will starve to death without it,” he griped.
    Violet heard the love in his voice and smiled to herself. He r father might pretend to complain, but she knew her parents were still deeply in love with each other even after all these years. A long-term marriage was a rare thing to find these days and it made Violet question her relationship with Phillip all the more. Phillip couldn’t stand to be in the same room with her unless they were around other people now . How were things going to be between them twenty years from now? Every time she tried to talk to him about their crumbling relationship, he brushed her off, changed the subject, or started talking about her father. And that just made her feel guilty for doubting him in the first place. Because if it weren’t for Phillip…well, Violet hated to think what would’ve happened to her father.
    “Dad?”
    “Yeah, punkin’?”
    “Are you disappointed that I haven’t given you grandkids yet?”
    He chuckled and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Your mother’s been yappin’ at you again, hasn’t she?”
    Violet shrugged like it didn’t bother her. Disappointing her parents ranked up there with the Razors not making the payoffs every year. Disappointing, yet inevitable. Violet hadn’t become a rock star, she didn’t want kids and she hadn’t provided anything newsworthy for her mother to put in the annual family Christmas letter. One colossal disappointment after another.
    “I’ve never been disappointed in you a day in your life, Violet ,” Dale told her and gave her shoulder another squeeze.
    The words warmed her heart and father and daughter stood there