No one was surprised when Jay chose nineteen-year-old Trudy Figg, the prettiest girl in Sugar Bend, as the latest Friendly’s Girl. Not even Violet was surprised, though her guard was up and strong. She had seen guys like this shower their attention and affection on Trudy countless times before, and Trudy never seemed to understand that some men needed much more than a woman’s soft hand and gentle smile. And if they didn’t get what they wanted as an offering, they’d take it with force. Violet and Trudy had seen it up close with their parents, but that didn’t stop Trudy from thinking every man who tripped over his words or feet on his way to talk to her had a heart as pure as her own.

Jay Malone didn’t trip though. He didn’t flirt shamelessly or act like a puppy in front of a bowl of food. Jay was different. Older than Trudy by seven years, Jay showed his maturity in a quiet demeanor, a number of well-cut suits, an immaculate red Chevy Monte Carlo, and his apparent awed fondness for the lovely Trudy Figg. From the moment Trudy first donned the trademark dress and tall white boots and smoothed the crochet cap over her long blonde hair, Jay was a goner. And as soon as he directed his deep, soulful eyes and dimpled grin her way, so was Trudy.

For the first time it appeared that maybe Trudy’s string of bad boyfriends had broken. Jay sent flowers and bought her clothes, took her out to fancy dinners and for long drives along the river. He even once invited Violet to have dinner with Trudy and him, and when they arrived at his house, he pinned a camellia blossom to each of their blouses and led them to a picnic he’d set out on a blanket in his backyard overlooking the river. They spent the evening eating and laughing and watching the sun creep into the blue horizon.

Having been Trudy’s stand-in parent for the last two years, after their father had finally drunk himself into a stupor and driven his car straight into a water oak, Violet couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief that her sister’s heart had been captured by someone as kind and true as Jay Malone.

It wasn’t until one night a couple months later, at the grand opening of yet another Friendly’s shop, that Violet saw Jay’s illusion of perfection begin to slip. He was supposed to pick Trudy up for the event, but he never showed up. He didn’t even call. So out of character was it for Jay that Violet drove Trudy there herself. He was there when they arrived, but he was agitated. It seemed a newspaper reporter was supposed to have met him for an interview before the ribbon cutting, but a last-minute scheduling conflict had caused the reporter to cancel the interview.

“It’s okay.” Trudy took his hand and pulled him close, her feathered blonde curls haloing her face. “You don’t need a newspaper article to bring people in. Look around. They’re already here.”