Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Julia took a deep breath. Beside her, Hazel reached over and squeezed her hand. Hazel’s wavy dark blonde hair was pulled back into a French twist, and she didn’t quite look like herself. Julia squeezed her hand back. They were seated in the front row of the church, waiting for the funeral to begin. Vivian was still talking to some of their friends and family members near the casket, her eyes glistening with tears but a smile on her face.
Julia let her eyes roam around the room. Soft violin music was playing over the speakers and the tune sounded both nostalgic and sweet. She felt comforted by the presence of so many of their loved ones around them, but she knew that she and her siblings and their mom were all carrying the added weight of knowing about Frank’s secret gambling habit. Her sadness was deeper because of that, and she knew her family felt the same way.
The service began. She and her siblings and Vivian cried and laughed as people shared memories of Frank and spoke about their sorrow over his passing. Music was played, and words were read aloud. Julia felt comforted by having other people sharing in her grief with her.
After the service, they carried the casket out to the graveyard behind the church. That was in many ways the hardest part, but when it was over, Julia felt a sense of relief. The gravestone they’d picked out for Frank was beautiful, and they laid a colorful floral wreath at the base of it.
When the service was finally over, everyone went back inside the church for the reception. There was a long table covered in food, since almost everyone attending the funeral had volunteered a delicious dish to share. The large room adjoining the kitchen was filled with round tables, where people sat and began to eat their food.
Julia made her way along the potluck line slowly. Everything smelled and looked incredible, but she had little interest in eating. She made herself a plate, taking small portions of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and seven-layer salad. When she reached the end of the line, instead of going to sit down at one of the tables, she looked around the room for her mother.
She caught sight of Vivian standing in a corner with Hazel. They were both holding plates of food as well, but neither of them seemed to be eating. She made her way across the room toward them and gave them both a sideways hugs with her free arm.
“How are you holding up, Mom?” she asked. Her mother looked pale, although she was standing tall and appeared to be calm. Her eyes were dry at the moment, but there were faint tear streaks still visible on her cheeks.
“It’s all so difficult.” Vivian took a deep breath. “I want to feel as though now that the funeral is over, things will get a little easier, but I think it will be the other way around.”
Julia nodded, her heart aching for her mother. “I’m going to stay with you,” she told her, squeezing her shoulder. “I’ll stay here in Rosewood Beach and help you for as long as you need.”
“Oh, no, Julia.” Vivian shook her head. “You don’t need to do that.”
“You’ve got a job to go back to in the city,” Hazel said, a look of surprise in her eyes. “Dean and I are already here in town. We can help Mom out. There’s no reason for you to jeopardize your career.”
Julia felt a sense of panic rising in her. She felt an urgent need to be useful, to do something constructive and be able to help. She knew that her mother and Hazel meant well, but being pushed away, back to New York, was the worst thing that could happen to her at the moment. She wanted to be there with her family, helping to make things right.
“I want to help,” she insisted. She struggled to get the words out. She knew that to her mother and sister, her insistence didn’t make any sense, but she had to say it. She knew that what she needed was to stay there in her hometown and help her family get through their crisis.
Hazel, always observant, cocked her head to one side slightly as if she’d realized that something was up with Julia. “But what about your job? Have they said they can spare you for that long?”
Julia found that she was starting to cry again. She took a deep breath, determined to hold herself together.
“Julia,” her mother asked gently. “Is there something you haven’t told us?”
A couple of the tears spilled out in spite of Julia’s best efforts. “I don’t have a job,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. “I—I got fired just before I heard about Dad. There’s no career for me to go back to. Nothing’s in jeopardy.”
Vivian and Hazel stared at her in stunned silence. She couldn’t blame them for being shocked, but the fact that they weren’t saying anything made her stomach twist with a feeling of shame all over again.
“So I can stay here.” She swallowed. “I want to stay here.”
“Honey, I’m so sorry.” Vivian reached out and gave her daughter a hug. “You shouldn’t have to be dealing with all of this at once. I’m so sorry.”
“They must have been really stupid people if they fired you.” Hazel’s eyes gazed at her sympathetically.
Julia shook her head. “It’s fine. It’s just a job. Honestly, in a lot of ways the timing worked out well. It allows me to just focus on being here.” She could tell that they felt bad for her and she wanted to brush it all aside so they could talk about something else. She wanted to change the subject as soon as possible, since she was in danger of really starting to cry. The truth was that it was all too much at once. The double whammy of losing her job and dealing with worrying about her mother and the family business made her feel as though she couldn’t find solid footing in her life. She didn’t know what the future was going to hold, and it all felt overwhelming.
“It will all be okay.” Hazel reached out and gave her a hug, almost as if she could sense Julia’s thoughts. “Everything’s going to work out fine.”
Julia nodded, smiling at her sister and feeling grateful for her support. For a while, the three of them stood together in companionable silence, slowly and half-heartedly eating their food. Although Julia still didn’t feel hungry, the food was delicious and it helped steady her nerves and give her a renewed energy.
The reception continued, and many people came to talk to Vivian as well as Julia and her siblings, offering them support and condolences. After a while, Julia felt as though she needed a moment to herself. She was grateful for all of the people around them who were showing them love, but at the same time, having so many conversations in a row was beginning to feel too draining, especially when she felt as though she had so much to think about.
She waited for the end of a conversation with Vivian’s next-door neighbors, and then she slipped quietly through the door that led into the kitchen. From there she made her way into the church lobby and out onto the sidewalk.
It was raining slightly, but she didn’t mind. It felt like fitting weather for the day of her father’s funeral. She stood underneath a tree outside the church, hugging her arms and staring up at the sky.
Everything’s going to be all right , she told herself. My family is here for me, and I’m here for my family. We’re going to get through this together.
But she couldn’t stop the tears from falling anyway. As much as she tried to tell herself that everything was going to be okay, she felt frightened by the idea that she didn’t know what was about to happen in her life.
Cooper whistled a little as he strolled down the sidewalk, a plastic bag swinging in his left hand. Inside the bag was his to-go lunch that he’d ordered from The Salty Spoon. It was a chicken sandwich, mashed potatoes with gravy, and coleslaw, and he’d ordered it once before and knew that it was going to be particularly delicious.
Even though it was raining a little, he was in good spirits. He hadn’t gotten a great deal of sleep the night before, but he’d gotten more than he usually did, and that felt good. He felt full of hope for the future in a way he couldn’t quite explain.
Although the day was damp, it wasn’t overly cold, and he had the sleeves of his work shirt rolled up to the elbow. He was on his way back to work, enjoying the fresh, green smell of the spring wind, when he slowed down in his walking, looking ahead in surprise.
He saw Julia Owens standing outside the church under a tree. She was wearing a black dress with long sleeves, black nylons, and another pair of fancy heels. She was standing with her arms crossed, looking up at the sky. As he got closer to her, he could see tears on her cheeks and a pained grimace on her face, making it clear that she’d been crying.
His heart jolted with concern for her, and he hurried over to her side.
“Julia,” he said softly, and she turned toward him in surprise.
“Oh.” She wiped her face and smiled almost shyly at him. She blinked. “It’s you.”
“Hi.” For a moment, he felt completely tongue-tied and had no idea what to say. Even though she’d been crying and her makeup was smeared a little, he thought she looked strikingly beautiful. Then he snapped out of it and asked the obvious question. “Are you all right?”
She shrugged, forcing a smile. “Oh, yes, I’m fine.”
“Um.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but you’re clearly not. You’re standing under a tree in the rain crying. There’s got to be a reason for that.”
“Well—it’s—no, really, I’m fine. Thank you for being concerned for me.”
“No need to be a hero,” he said gently, smiling at her. He gestured to a stone bench that was placed underneath a nearby willow tree. “Would you sit there with me for a while and tell me what’s upsetting you?”
“I—” For a moment, she frowned as if she was about to say no, then unexpectedly she smiled at him and nodded. “All right.”
They walked across the lawn of the church and sat down under the willow tree, which offered an excellent shelter from the light rain. It was a hushed and half-hidden spot, almost a world of its own. It smelled fragrantly of the rain and the willow branches, and the wind gently rustled the leaves all around them.
“You can tell me what’s going on,” he said. “Is it about your father?”
She nodded, taking a deep breath. She wasn’t looking directly at him, but her body was turned in his direction as she sat next to him on the bench. “It’s my father’s funeral today.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He felt a renewed rush of sympathy for her. “Do you need to get back?”
She shook her head. “No, not right away. It’s the reception now, and I’ve already talked to everyone I know who’s there. I just needed a moment to myself.”
He fought off an impulse to take her hand. “It must have been a difficult day.”
“Oh, it was.” She let out a long sigh. “It’s hard to see how sad my loved ones are on top of everything else. But in a lot of ways, it was beautiful and healing to hear everyone talk about my dad. But that’s not really why I’m out here.”
He waited, wondering if she was going to say more. He didn’t want to pry too much, but he also wanted her to know that whatever it was, she was free to tell him.
“I just had a conversation with my family.” Her voice was shaky, and she blinked a couple of times as she spoke. “I should have told them days ago, but I’ve been procrastinating it. I feel ashamed, and I don’t want sympathy, and—” Her voice trailed off, and he leaned forward, concerned for her.
“What is it? You can tell me. I won’t judge you.”
“I—just before I came back here from New York, I lost my job. They claimed it was because of cutting my position, but it turned out that it was mostly because one of my coworkers lied about me behind my back and they never asked for any kind of proof or for my side of the story.”
He sucked in his breath. “I’m sorry. That must really sting.”
“It does. And my family kept saying, ‘Wow, I can’t believe they can spare you from work this whole time, I know you’re really indispensable to them’ and I was just keeping my mouth shut, wincing over how wrong they were.”
He nodded, understanding how difficult her situation must be for her. “I’m so sorry. Did you like your job?”
“Oh, I—I mean, I was good at it. I was very good at it. And sometimes I was stressed, and I didn’t have time for much else besides working, but I really thought I was moving up. I’ve been working hard at my career ever since finishing school. So in a lot of ways, it doesn’t just feel like I lost my job. I feel like I’ve been climbing a mountain and somebody just hit me with a baseball bat and knocked me all the way back down to the bottom of it.”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s not that bad. You must have a very impressive resume. I bet you can get a wonderful job somewhere else.” Inside, he felt a squirming urge to wish for her to get a new job there, in Rosewood Beach.
She gave him a weak but grateful smile. “Thank you. I don’t even have the energy to think that far ahead right now. For now, I need to just focus on—well, supporting my family and The Lighthouse Grill.”
He nodded sympathetically. “I almost ordered my lunch from there today. I’ve been wanting to check it out. But when I called, I heard that it was closed today. Now I understand why.”
“Yeah, everyone from the pub is here at the funeral today.” She offered him a sad smile. “We’re like a family over there. And we’re literally a family over there—my parents and my siblings and I have all had some part in working at the pub for years. Not so much anymore now that we’re grown, but we were there a lot growing up. It really is the family business.”
She sounded upset, as if more was grieving her than the fact that her father was no longer running The Lighthouse Grill. He wondered if she felt sad because her family had decided to sell the pub after Frank Owens’ passing. He remembered what Judd McCormick had said about he and his sons buying the pub, and he wondered if that’s what she was thinking about. He didn’t want to ask her, however, since he was there to cheer her up and he had a feeling that dwelling on the subject would only do the opposite.
She took a deep breath and then began to cry again, covering her face with her hands. He placed the palms of his hands on his knees, resisting the desire to give her a hug. He watched her with sympathy, thinking to himself that sitting there under a tree in a fancy black dress, even though she was crying, she looked beautiful.
“It will all be okay.” His voice was soft, and he wished he could do more to help her feel better. “Would you like half my sandwich?” He held up his to-go bag, smiling at her.
She shook her head, returning his smile and wiping some of her tears away. “Thank you, but I’m all right. We have food at the reception.”
“Yeah, but you barely ate in there, right? Too many people. Everyone’s sad and most of them are looking at you and wanting to make sure you’re okay. I bet you’re the kind of person that doesn’t have an appetite under those circumstances.”
For a moment, she blinked at him, looking surprised. Her reaction seemed to say that his guess was right, and he nudged her gently with his shoulder.
“Come on. I’ve got too much food in here for one person. Eat half my sandwich?”
She offered him a watery smile and nodded. “Okay.”
Grinning, he opened his bag and took out the to-go box. He handed her half of the sandwich in a napkin, and she took it delicately.
“Thank you. You’re being very kind to me.” Her long, thin fingers held the sandwich perfectly still in mid-air for a moment, and then she took a small bite.
He shook his head. “People need to band together and support each other. People are good at that here in Rosewood Beach, and I’m determined to be a valuable member of this community.”
She laughed a little through her first bite of the sandwich. “Well, I applaud your efforts.”
“Why thank you. How’s your sandwich?”
“It’s good. The Salty Spoon?”
“Clearly you are a restaurant professional. It is indeed from The Salty Spoon.”
She smiled, and then they were both quiet for a few moments, sitting side by side and munching their halves of the chicken sandwich.
“I know today is hard,” he said softly after a while, and she turned to him. “It’s all going to be hard for a while, and I’m so sorry you have to go through this. It’s so difficult to handle these huge upheavals in our lives, but you just need to trust that there’s good around the corner, waiting for you. Things are going to get better.”
She nodded and looked straight ahead at the gently-swaying willow branches. A bird chirped cheerfully in a nearby tree.
“I know how you’re feeling.” He sighed, remembering his own battle with grief, which he was still struggling with. “My wife passed away recently, and very unexpectedly. I have to believe that there’s some kind of redemption coming after the loss, and that things are going to be okay. I still haven’t seen it fully, but I want to believe that there’s something good coming. I have to believe that in order to get through it all.”
She turned to him again, her eyes wide with sympathy. “I’m so sorry.” He nodded, and she added, “Thank you. That’s very good advice.”
“I hope it helps you get through this. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”
“You’ve already given me half a sandwich and some very encouraging words. I don’t think I could possibly ask for anything more.” She laughed lightly and then added, “Honestly, thank you for your kindness. It means a great deal to me.”
They looked inside each other’s eyes for a moment, and he realized that his heart was thumping in his chest.
“I’m perfectly happy to help. You know, when I mentioned meeting up with you again—when we were at The Salty Spoon—even though I said it awkwardly, I meant it.”
She shook her head, and his heart sank, thinking she was about to say no. “You didn’t say it awkwardly.” She hesitated, and then smiled at him. “I’d like that.”
He grinned at her. “You would?” His heart jumped up and seemed to be running around in circles like a terrier puppy. “How about getting some ice cream with me on Friday afternoon? Macey will be in daycare then. We could go for a walk while we eat it?”
She nodded, offering him the first happy-looking smile he’d seen from her that afternoon. “I would like that.”
For a moment, all he could do was sit there and grin at her, and she smiled back at him.
“So.” Her voice was soft, and there was something in her eyes that hadn’t been there a few moments ago. “Friday afternoon.”
“Friday afternoon.” He nodded decisively, his grin widening.
They sat next to each other, finishing their sandwiches in silence for a while. Finally, he glanced at his watch.
“Ah, I should go.” He stood up regretfully. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
“No need to apologize.” She stood up as well. “I should get back to the reception. Thank you again for the sandwich, and for… well, just thank you.” She smiled at him, and his chest filled with butterflies.
He walked her back to the door of the church and watched as she slipped quietly inside. She gave him a wave from behind the glass doors, and then she disappeared around a corner.
He stood there, feeling dazed for a moment. A raindrop splashed across his ear, rousing him from his reverie. He turned and started to make his way toward work, his thoughts focused on his anticipation for Friday afternoon.