smiling at each other in the middle of the garage.
“You’ve got a long time before you need to start thinking about having kids ,” her father reassured her.
Violet made a frustrated noise and her shoulders slumped. “According to Mom, I should have at least three by now.”
“ Violet, don’t let what your mother says get to you.”
Easier said than done.
Violet grabbed two beers for her brothers and one for herself and followed her dad back inside the house.
When she saw them come in, Janie whipped around and squealed and clapped her hands together. “You finally fixed the finch feeder!”
Da le winked at Violet and she smiled in return. She left her parents in the kitchen and carried the beer into the living room. The Razors were losing 2-0. Typical.
“This wouldn’t be happening if McQuaid wasn’t still on IR,” Brayden complained.
So much for not thinking about Jace.
“Yeah,” Tanner agreed. “And our defenseman can’t play for shit.”
Violet was reminded of the look in Jace’s eyes when he spoke about hockey. It must be killing him to sit out and watch the game from afar. Where was he right now? Was he at home watching on his big screen TV? Was he in the players’ lounge? Or was he watching from a fancy booth at the NorCal Center?
Her thoughts were interrupted when her mother called from the kitchen. “Violet, come help me with the hors d’oeuvres!”
She obediently obeyed and went back into the kitchen. Dale had gone outside to hang the finch feeder in its spot in the backyard. Violet looked at the spread on the counter and shook her head. As always, her mother had gone all out. She’d made a meat, cheese and veggie tray and baked hockey puck-shaped cookies which ironically were just round cookies.
Janie clasped her hands over her heart. “It’s so nice to have everyone together. If only Jeremy could be here. I spoke to him yesterday, you know. He sends his love. He & the band are in Atlanta. I can’t wait for him to settle down with that sweet little Cassidy St. Claire.”
Violet made a face that a n eight-year-old would get a kick out of. “Mom, that’s not going to happen. Jeremy and Cassidy aren’t even in love.”
“Well, they should be ,” Janie replied. “They’d make such a cute couple.”
“ Jeremy’s in a rock band, Mom. The last thing he wants to do is settle down.” And the last person he wanted to settle down with was Cassidy St. Claire. They were close friends and bandmates and nothing more.
“Anyway, he sure is busy ,” Janie added with a wave of her hand. “They’ve sold out their next ten shows. And they’re playing one of those music festivals this summer.”
“Rock bandapalooza.”
Janie nodded. “A sea of people as far as the eye can see,” she said dreamily. So successful,” she clucked.
“Speaking of successful,” Violet replied, “Pats and I have been referred some Razors players.”
“That’s nice, honey. Ooooh, that reminds me. I told Jeremy we’d all go to a game the next time he’s in town. I sure hope that’s before the season ends.” She frowned and then quickly replied with a smile, “I already set some cookies aside for Phillip. He’s probably starved after being at the hospital all day. When are the two of you going to set a date?”
Violet sighed. “I don’t know, Mom ,” she answered and shoved a cracker in her mouth.
Janie frowned at the cookies she was carefully arranging on a plate. “It’s been so long since the proposal. I think it’d be lovely to have a spring wedding. Or maybe sometime in the summer so you could have the ceremony outdoors.”
“Mom, spring is only a couple months away.”
“Precisely.”
Violet grimaced and dumped the rest of the crackers onto the serving platter. She didn’t understand why her mother spent time on presentation when her brothers were going to devour the food without a second glance like a pack of feral animals.
“I’ll talk to Phillip,” was all Violet
“You’ve got a long time before you need to start thinking about having kids ,” her father reassured her.
Violet made a frustrated noise and her shoulders slumped. “According to Mom, I should have at least three by now.”
“ Violet, don’t let what your mother says get to you.”
Easier said than done.
Violet grabbed two beers for her brothers and one for herself and followed her dad back inside the house.
When she saw them come in, Janie whipped around and squealed and clapped her hands together. “You finally fixed the finch feeder!”
Da le winked at Violet and she smiled in return. She left her parents in the kitchen and carried the beer into the living room. The Razors were losing 2-0. Typical.
“This wouldn’t be happening if McQuaid wasn’t still on IR,” Brayden complained.
So much for not thinking about Jace.
“Yeah,” Tanner agreed. “And our defenseman can’t play for shit.”
Violet was reminded of the look in Jace’s eyes when he spoke about hockey. It must be killing him to sit out and watch the game from afar. Where was he right now? Was he at home watching on his big screen TV? Was he in the players’ lounge? Or was he watching from a fancy booth at the NorCal Center?
Her thoughts were interrupted when her mother called from the kitchen. “Violet, come help me with the hors d’oeuvres!”
She obediently obeyed and went back into the kitchen. Dale had gone outside to hang the finch feeder in its spot in the backyard. Violet looked at the spread on the counter and shook her head. As always, her mother had gone all out. She’d made a meat, cheese and veggie tray and baked hockey puck-shaped cookies which ironically were just round cookies.
Janie clasped her hands over her heart. “It’s so nice to have everyone together. If only Jeremy could be here. I spoke to him yesterday, you know. He sends his love. He & the band are in Atlanta. I can’t wait for him to settle down with that sweet little Cassidy St. Claire.”
Violet made a face that a n eight-year-old would get a kick out of. “Mom, that’s not going to happen. Jeremy and Cassidy aren’t even in love.”
“Well, they should be ,” Janie replied. “They’d make such a cute couple.”
“ Jeremy’s in a rock band, Mom. The last thing he wants to do is settle down.” And the last person he wanted to settle down with was Cassidy St. Claire. They were close friends and bandmates and nothing more.
“Anyway, he sure is busy ,” Janie added with a wave of her hand. “They’ve sold out their next ten shows. And they’re playing one of those music festivals this summer.”
“Rock bandapalooza.”
Janie nodded. “A sea of people as far as the eye can see,” she said dreamily. So successful,” she clucked.
“Speaking of successful,” Violet replied, “Pats and I have been referred some Razors players.”
“That’s nice, honey. Ooooh, that reminds me. I told Jeremy we’d all go to a game the next time he’s in town. I sure hope that’s before the season ends.” She frowned and then quickly replied with a smile, “I already set some cookies aside for Phillip. He’s probably starved after being at the hospital all day. When are the two of you going to set a date?”
Violet sighed. “I don’t know, Mom ,” she answered and shoved a cracker in her mouth.
Janie frowned at the cookies she was carefully arranging on a plate. “It’s been so long since the proposal. I think it’d be lovely to have a spring wedding. Or maybe sometime in the summer so you could have the ceremony outdoors.”
“Mom, spring is only a couple months away.”
“Precisely.”
Violet grimaced and dumped the rest of the crackers onto the serving platter. She didn’t understand why her mother spent time on presentation when her brothers were going to devour the food without a second glance like a pack of feral animals.
“I’ll talk to Phillip,” was all Violet
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