Chapter 16
JULIA
J ulia’s jaw hurt from clenching it so tightly as she growled out her answer to Grant’s ridiculous question.
How could he ask her that? She wasn’t the one with the track record of being in and out of relationships.
She wasn’t the one who was on her fifth husband with likely dozens of others in between the semi-committed relationships.
“We are still married,” he said to her.
Before she could stop herself, she let the words tumble out. “Yeah, well, maybe we shouldn’t be.”
That surprised even her. Had she just made a choice? She didn’t know because anger roiled within her. She whipped around on her heel and stormed from the kitchen. He pounded behind her, his voice booming. “Where are you going?”
“Out,” she shouted, her features stony as she shot him a glance over her shoulders.
She tried desperately not to let him see her shaky hands as she grabbed her keys and flew through the door.
She climbed into her Jeep, her hands still trembling as she reached for the start button.
The second the car sprang to life, she stomped on the accelerator, sending the SUV flying out of the driveway.
She adjusted the vent to blow cool air on her as she threaded through the familiar streets. As the anger burned through her, a mix of frustration and confusion replaced it.
Why was she so upset? Was it only because he’d accused her of sneaking out, of hiding things, of cheating? Was it her pride that he’d hurt or her heart?
Why did he care?
“We agreed to no extramarital affairs,” she repeated in a snarky tone.
She slammed a hand against her steering wheel in frustration. Her knuckles whitened with the force, a physical manifestation of the frustration boiling inside her.
Her mind flashed back to her encounter with Luke last night. She’d felt so guilty. Even this morning, she’d felt awful. She’d intended to be apologetic when they spoke, but that accusatory tone left her hurt and hollow.
She bit her lower lip as she refused to give in to the tears stinging her eyes. Her mind raced with conflicting emotions. Why did his words cut so deep? Was it more than her pride? Did she care that much what Grant thought of her, or was the unfinished business with Luke still tearing up her heart?
She paused at a stop sign, recognizing the irony in her own crossroads as she sat idling at this one.
She flipped on her turn signal and turned toward town. As the police station passed on her right, she slowed, contemplating turning in and crying on her sister’s shoulder. She knew the answer she’d get. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it.
Instead, she bypassed it, heading to her favorite coffee shop. She parked on a side street and walked to the small shop, ordering a hot tea and a pastry.
“Rough morning?” the young barista asked.
Julia managed a weak smile, glad the girl was young enough not to remember her. “Something like that.”
The cozy little cafe buzzed with the gentle hum of conversation. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon offered a stark contrast to the chaos in Julia’s heart.
She shuffled to a quiet corner and slumped into a leather armchair. The steam from her tea curled in front of her like her tangled thoughts.
As she sipped her tea, two familiar voices argued their way to the counter to order coffee. She smiled at them, a little of the weight lifting from her.
She studied the two brothers, now older, but still the same in almost every other way. The Hoppers had provided her with her initial writing opportunity at the town's newspaper. She rose from her seat and approached them, reaching forward to tap both of their shoulders at the same time.
They twisted to face her, both sets of eyes going wide.
“Juju!” the twin men exclaimed at the same time.
She wrapped an arm around each of their necks and hugged them both. “Hello, Bob and Bill.”
“We’d heard you were in town,” Bob, the shorter twin said.
“Yes, we heard,” Bill, the taller twin added. “But Ally said something strange.”
“Oh?”
Bob’s eyes went wide as he grabbed her hand. “Bill, look! It’s true.”
“Oh, no, Juju,” Bill said with a shake of his head. “Ally said you married the worst man ever.”
Julia’s shoulders slumped. “Ally is being a little dramatic. He’s not the worst man ever.”
Bill leaned closer to her, his voice lowering. “From the city.”
Bob matched his brother’s stance, his voice lowering, too. “Came here as tourists.”
Bill’s eyes got wide. “An outsider.”
Bob shook his head. “With a temper.”
Julia’s eyebrows knitted before a smile spread across her face. “I have missed you both.”
They grinned at her.
“Then why don’t you stay around?” Bob asked.
“Yes, yes, leave that ogre of a husband behind and stay in town. Luke misses you.”
The mention of his name shot a tremor through her heart. “I know. I’ve seen him.”
“Poor Luke,” they said at the same time.
“Now, fellas, come on,” she said, her tone playful but chiding.
“No, Juju, you come on. You should be here,” Bill said.
“With us,” Bob added.
Bill patted her shoulder. “You can have your old job back with The Herald.”
Bob nodded. “And we’ll give you plenty of time to write your books still. I know they’re getting popular.”
Heat rose in her cheeks as they complimented her books. If she ever got back to writing them, maybe they’d continue their rise to popularity. “That’s a lovely offer, guys, but–”
“But nothing. Now, come on, Ms. Julia,” Bob said, taking one arm as Bill took the other. “We’ve still got your old desk.”
“And that typewriter you loved,” Bill said.
“And we got a new coffee machine,” Bob added.
“And–”
“You two wouldn’t be strong-arming our little Julia into anything she hasn’t agreed to, would you?” a voice boomed behind them.
Julia smiled as she recognized the voice of Charles Whitmore.
Bob and Bill spun to face him, their eyes wide. “Hi, Chief,” they said simultaneously.
“We were just reminding Julia,” Bob began.
“Of what she was missing out on here,” Bill said.
Bob raised a finger in the air. “The paper.”
Bill mirrored the action. “Her friends.”
Bob stuck up a second finger. “Her family.”
Bill arched an eyebrow. “Luke.”
“You fellas didn’t hear she got hitched?”
“We did,” they said together, then Bob added, “but he’s an outsider.”
Charles bobbed his head up and down as he reached for Julia, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. “I heard. Even met him.”
“Really?” they both said in unison.
“Uh-huh. Now, don’t you two fellas have a paper to run?”
“But–” Bill began.
Charles waved them toward the door. They nodded before they backed their way toward it.
“Nice seeing you, Juju,” Bill called.
“Think about our offer,” Bob shouted.
They disappeared through the doorway as Charles squeezed her shoulder. “You looked like you needed a rescue, sweetheart.”
She grinned up at him. “Thank you. They can get a little overzealous.”
“I know,” Charles said with a wink. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said with a nod, her eyes trained on the floor.
“Grab your tea. Let’s take a walk.”
She considered declining, but she wanted the distraction. She raised a finger in the air before she slipped from under his arm and hurried back to her seat, grabbing what remained of her tea. He wrapped an arm around her again as they strolled from the cafe.
“What’s on your mind, sweetheart?” Charles asked as they strolled through town.
“Nothing,” she answered with a shrug.
He chuckled at her. “We both know that’s not true. Is it that bad?”
She sucked in a breath, allowing his comforting tone to soothe her. But it made her want to cry all over again. “Maybe.”
“Aw, honey, I bet it’s not.”
“I made a huge mess of things,” she said, a sob escaping her.
He squeezed her shoulder. “I doubt that, Juju.”
Her features twisted as she fought the urge to cry, preferring not to sob her way through town.
He guided her to a quiet bench in the park at the center of town.
Leaves rustled overhead as she tried to keep her emotions in check.
The cooler air, indicative of a storm blowing in, sent a shiver up her spine. It mirrored the storm in her heart.
“What’s wrong, Julia? Is it this guy? Are you having second thoughts?”
“Second thoughts? I’m having ninth and tenth thoughts at this point about everyone and everything.”
“You always were too thoughtful.”
She puffed out a laugh through her tears. “Is there such a thing?”
“Yes,” he said. “And I’d bet if you just let yourself breathe, you’d know the answer.”
Julia wiped at a tear that clung to her chin. “What if I make the wrong choice, Chief?”
“Impossible.”
“Are you sure?”
He smiled at her, sliding his thumb across her cheek to wipe away a tear. “Yes, I am.”
She blew out a breath, balancing her elbows on her knees. “No matter what I do, someone’s going to get hurt.”
“And what about you, Julia?” He rubbed a hand along her back.
She snapped a confused glance at him. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve got a stake in this, too. Why are you acting like this decision involves everyone but you?”
She shook her head as she patted her palms together. “I’m not. But I don’t know what to do, Chief. I really don’t.”
“You do what your heart says, Juju.”
“My heart is…pretty awful at making decisions.”
“No, it isn’t, sweetheart. It’s always been pretty good at making decisions. Have faith in yourself. You’ll make the right choice for you.” He rose and kissed the top of her head. “And on the off chance you don’t…you’ll fix it. Everything can be fixed, Juju. Everything.”
She pressed her lips together as she sniffled before she reached for his hand. “Thanks, Chief.”
He studied her for a minute. “I think you already know the answer. Maybe you don’t want to face it. Maybe you’re scared to face it because it’s not easy. But I think you know the answer.”
She chewed her lower lip. Did she? Or was he putting too much faith in her?
“Take your time, sweetheart. Don’t let anybody rush you. And don’t let the Hopper brothers put you behind that desk again. You’re too good for that.”
She chuckled at the words as she wiped away her remaining tears. “Okay. No job at the Herald.”
“Take care, Juju. And don’t wait so long before you come home again, okay?”
“I promise,” she said before she rose and tugged him into a hug.
She sank onto the bench again, watching as he departed with a deep, calming breath.
She chewed her lower lip, needing space.
His words echoed in her mind, stirring memories of a simpler time.
She found herself longing for the days when life’s choices seemed so straightforward, a stark contrast to the complex web of emotions she now faced.
She rose from her seat, tossed her cup, and headed for her car. Leaving the town behind, she threaded through backroads before she pulled off to the side. She disappeared into the forest. Pine needles carpeted the barely-there trail she followed, stepping over large roots and sidestepping rocks.
When she emerged from the trees, she stared out over a small rocky beach. The water slapped against the rocks before dragging them back toward the ocean in a natural song of clacking pebbles.
She closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the music of nature before she picked her way across the beach to a rocky outcropping.
She climbed on top of it and sat down, staring out over the rolling waves.
She tracked the progress of a small sailboat in the distance, memories of her midnight sail with Luke floating through her mind.
She contrasted it with the argument this morning with Grant. As confusion swirled within her, she laid back against the hard stone, staring up at the blue sky. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, indicative of a nasty storm blowing in. But for now, blue skies still covered Harbor Cove.
Her thoughts drifted between the comforting past with Luke and the tumultuous present with Grant. Memories of laughter and shared dreams with Luke clashed against the stark reality of her life with Grant, leaving her heart torn in two.
Another cool breeze whipped past her, bringing with it the scent of rain.
Was the Chief right? Did she already know the answer to her problem? After this morning, she thought she did. But she was reluctant to accept it. Reluctant to make a mistake.
Her eyes slid closed as thoughts, questions, and doubts bombarded her.
No, the Chief was wrong. She had no idea what she was doing. And she wasn’t certain she ever would.
The distant rumble of thunder grew louder, mirroring the turmoil within her. A sense of foreboding filled the air, the storm’s approach reflecting her own brewing storm of emotions.
The chime of her cell phone broke the ominous silence. She pulled herself up to sit, digging her phone from her pocket.
She expected Ethan or Alicia after her conversation with the Hoppers, then the Chief. Grant’s name, though, surprised her. Sorry to bother you, but Sierra’s missing. We can’t get a hold of her. She stormed off into the woods after an argument with Lydia. I’m worried about her with the storm coming.
Her heart skipped a beat. Worry over Sierra replaced every other emotion that swirled within her. What had happened to her, and would they find her before the storm hit?