Sprawling across the lounger and Ryder Carlex in the same thought caused her neck to break out in a sweat.
Violet climbed on the swim platform and balanced the pole behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the hook wasn’t near anything, than aimed in the water, a guideline she was sure she wouldn’t get anywhere close, and swung the pole above her head...just like she’d watched Parker and Sophia do.
The baited hook dangled in the air directly in front of her, nowhere near the water.
What had she done wrong?
She did it again and ended up with the same result.
Well, this was ridiculous.
Violet had a broken pole. Sunbathing and reading were looking better by the second. Ryder had given her a broken pole and left her only two options. She could stand here and stare out at the water until lunch or she was going to have to face Ryder again.
Violet turned.
She caught Ryder leaning against the side of the boat behind her. His legs were crossed at his ankles and his arms crossed covering his chest...good because that gave her eyes a reason to find his.
Ryder was smirking at her, obviously entertained by her attempt to fish with a broken pole, that he’d given her. Had he known the pole was broken? The grin on his face sure said he did.
Violet mustered up the words to talk to him. “I have a broken pole,” she stated and his widened smirk made her wonder exactly what he knew that she didn’t.
Chapter Nine
RYDER WAS GOING to bust a gut laughing. He couldn’t help it. Watching Violet attempt to cast her line, without pressing the release button, was priceless. Twice. Not once, but twice and the confusion that danced across her face was precious.
These were the moments in life that his mother had always talked about. The moments when work escaped your thoughts and worry was temporarily pushed away, leaving you with only the now. And right now...was perfect.
Not only was Violet sensitive about harming worms, like his mother, but she fished as badly as his mother too.
When Violet’s blazers and makeup, another quality she shared with his mother, were stripped away, there was the foundation of the real Violet. And apparently the real Violet didn’t know how to fish. His guess was she’d never done it a day in her life.
Laughter was on the tip of Ryder’s tongue. He grasped at every ounce of strength not to laugh, afraid it would send that confused and accusing look across her face into a fit of anger.
“Are you going to get me another pole or stare at me all afternoon with that dim-witted look across your face?”
Her question was an insult, but damned if he found it as attractive as the rest of her. Ryder had to admit, he’d never had a bossy girlfriend before.
Girlfriend? Girlfriend!
Violet was not his girlfriend. Violet wasn’t even girlfriend material. And, furthermore, Ryder was not looking for a girlfriend. His life was too full now that his mother was gone, his dad’s sanity was gone, and he was re-constructing the Carlex chain of stores. That left no room for a girlfriend. There was no room left in his broken heart for a girlfriend.
Ryder pushed up to his feet, but didn’t walk to her. “Am I getting this straight?” he asked, unable to keep from teasing her.
Teasing her was better than the alternative...kissing her, touching her, staring at her like a fool looking for love. He was not looking for love.
“ Thee Violet Caliendo, has never been fishing?” It was beyond obvious.
Violet didn’t say anything. She simply stared.
Stared!
He was finished staring with Violet.
“And now, Violet Caliendo is speechless,” he teased further. Teasing was good.
“I am not speechless,” she said right away. “I am trying to figure you out.”
He wasn’t expecting that type of honesty in her. And she wasn’t the only one. He was trying his damndest to figure her out too and at the same time himself, while everything else was telling him not to.
“And what is with
Violet climbed on the swim platform and balanced the pole behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the hook wasn’t near anything, than aimed in the water, a guideline she was sure she wouldn’t get anywhere close, and swung the pole above her head...just like she’d watched Parker and Sophia do.
The baited hook dangled in the air directly in front of her, nowhere near the water.
What had she done wrong?
She did it again and ended up with the same result.
Well, this was ridiculous.
Violet had a broken pole. Sunbathing and reading were looking better by the second. Ryder had given her a broken pole and left her only two options. She could stand here and stare out at the water until lunch or she was going to have to face Ryder again.
Violet turned.
She caught Ryder leaning against the side of the boat behind her. His legs were crossed at his ankles and his arms crossed covering his chest...good because that gave her eyes a reason to find his.
Ryder was smirking at her, obviously entertained by her attempt to fish with a broken pole, that he’d given her. Had he known the pole was broken? The grin on his face sure said he did.
Violet mustered up the words to talk to him. “I have a broken pole,” she stated and his widened smirk made her wonder exactly what he knew that she didn’t.
Chapter Nine
RYDER WAS GOING to bust a gut laughing. He couldn’t help it. Watching Violet attempt to cast her line, without pressing the release button, was priceless. Twice. Not once, but twice and the confusion that danced across her face was precious.
These were the moments in life that his mother had always talked about. The moments when work escaped your thoughts and worry was temporarily pushed away, leaving you with only the now. And right now...was perfect.
Not only was Violet sensitive about harming worms, like his mother, but she fished as badly as his mother too.
When Violet’s blazers and makeup, another quality she shared with his mother, were stripped away, there was the foundation of the real Violet. And apparently the real Violet didn’t know how to fish. His guess was she’d never done it a day in her life.
Laughter was on the tip of Ryder’s tongue. He grasped at every ounce of strength not to laugh, afraid it would send that confused and accusing look across her face into a fit of anger.
“Are you going to get me another pole or stare at me all afternoon with that dim-witted look across your face?”
Her question was an insult, but damned if he found it as attractive as the rest of her. Ryder had to admit, he’d never had a bossy girlfriend before.
Girlfriend? Girlfriend!
Violet was not his girlfriend. Violet wasn’t even girlfriend material. And, furthermore, Ryder was not looking for a girlfriend. His life was too full now that his mother was gone, his dad’s sanity was gone, and he was re-constructing the Carlex chain of stores. That left no room for a girlfriend. There was no room left in his broken heart for a girlfriend.
Ryder pushed up to his feet, but didn’t walk to her. “Am I getting this straight?” he asked, unable to keep from teasing her.
Teasing her was better than the alternative...kissing her, touching her, staring at her like a fool looking for love. He was not looking for love.
“ Thee Violet Caliendo, has never been fishing?” It was beyond obvious.
Violet didn’t say anything. She simply stared.
Stared!
He was finished staring with Violet.
“And now, Violet Caliendo is speechless,” he teased further. Teasing was good.
“I am not speechless,” she said right away. “I am trying to figure you out.”
He wasn’t expecting that type of honesty in her. And she wasn’t the only one. He was trying his damndest to figure her out too and at the same time himself, while everything else was telling him not to.
“And what is with
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