Page 8 of Icebound Hearts
“Yeah!”
We settle into the game, taking turns rolling our balls down the lane. I keep an eye on Jake and Violet as we all play, taking note of how he acts with her. He’s not really a shy kid, and he tends to get along with most people, but it can take him a while to warm up to them, especially if they’re adults.
But he seems to warm up to Violet quickly, cheering her on and even giving her a few pointers since she hasn’t bowled in a while.
When she gets a strike mid-way through the game, Jake bounds out of his chair to throw his arms around her. Laughing, she picks him up under his arms and spins him around, both of them squealing excitedly.
As soon as she puts him back on his feet and I see him beaming up at her, I know I’m in trouble.
Because they’re a perfect fit. I couldn’t have asked for or imagined someone better for the job—not that I’m terribly surprised by that. Violet has always been one of the sweetest, bubbliest people I know, and she hasn’t condescended to Jake once. She keeps meeting him on his level, literally and figuratively.
And I’d be a damn liar if I said I didn’t like what I see.
By the time the game is over, Jake is the clear winner, but I don’t think it’s because either of us let him win. He’s getting legitimately good at the game, no doubt from all the practice he’s been getting lately. And with Violet, he seems like he’s having the best time he’s ever had here at Strike Zone.
After we turn in our balls and shoes, I pull Violet aside for a moment while Jake carefully ties his shoes.
“So what do you think?” I ask her in a quiet voice.
She smiles, brushing her blonde hair over her shoulder. “I think Jake is amazing. He’s a great kid, and he’s way funnier than anyone should be at his age. I can see why everyone loves him so much. You’re doing a great job with him, Sawyer.”
Her words make something warm expand in my chest. It’s like she knows exactly how much Jake means to me, and how badly I want to be a good dad to him, all just from playing a round of bowling with us.
So while this isn’t exactly the nanny situation I imagined for Jake when my teammates started pressuring me about it, now that I’ve seen him and Violet together, I realize I’d be crazy to pass up this opportunity that seems to have just fallen into my lap.
It may be a little awkward for Violet and me at the start, at least until we fully move past the whole “oops, I saw you naked” thing. But I think we’re getting along well too, and that’s equally important to me. I need someone I trust for Jake, and she’s more than meeting the mark.
Jake finishes up with his shoes and comes over to join us, gripping my leg like he’s about to climb a tree as he looks up at me. “Daddy, is Violet gonna be my all-the-time babysitter like you said?”
Violet’s big hazel eyes shoot to mine, and she raises her brows at me, waiting for an answer. After today, there’s no way I can say no, especially now that Jake seems to be practically begging for it.
“Would you like that?” I ask him, and he releases my leg to attack hers instead.
“Yeah! You’re fun, Ms. Violet. And we can go bowling every day until you’re as good as me.”
Violet smiles at him and ruffles his dark brown hair. “Well, as fun as that sounds, I think you’ll have to go to school some of those days. But we can play sometimes for sure. You can give me more tips.” She turns her gaze to me. “What do you think? I’m in if you are.”
I nod, a smile tugging at my lips. “Then the job is officially yours.”
I offer her my hand, feeling like we need some gesture to seal the deal. As soon we shake on it, Jake lets out a whoop and starts doing the dance moves he learned at Becca’s studio opening, shaking his shoulders and waving his hands in the air. But all I can focus on is the feeling of Violet’s soft, delicate hand in mine. The warmth of her palm is almost a shock to my system, as if I’ve been frozen in ice for years.
Clearing my throat, I release her hand and step back.
“You can move in tomorrow afternoon if you’re up for it,” I say. “I’m not sure if that’s too soon, or?—”
“No.” She shakes her head quickly, her hair gleaming like gold in the bowling alley’s dim light. “Not at all. I’ll only be here for a few months, so I’d love to get started as soon as possible.”
“Okay, great.” I scoop Jake up into my arms, and he wraps his legs around my waist, holding on to me. “Come by around five or so tomorrow. That will give me time to get the room ready for you. We’ve gotta head out, buddy. But we’ll see Ms. Violet soon, okay?”
“Yay!” He squirms excitedly in my arms, making both Violet and me chuckle.
We all head out to the parking lot together, and I make sure that she gets to her car before I strap Jake into his booster seat in mine. As I pull out of the parking lot, turning in the opposite direction from Violet, I can’t help but glance at my rearview mirror to watch her car disappear into the distance.
Jake chatters away happily, wondering what it will be like to have Violet live with us, planning what games they’ll play together, and declaring that he’ll have to introduce her to all of his favorite stuffies.
I nod along as I listen to him with half an ear, lost in my own thoughts about the change that’s about to sweep through our lives in the form of a bubbly, beautiful woman.
God, I hope this isn’t a big mistake.