Chapter 23 Jules
JULES
“See you tomorrow, Serena.”
“Have a good night, Jules. Make sure you have that man rub your feet for you tonight.”
I smiled, shaking my head, and waved.
If there was one thing that I knew to be true, it was that husbands were required to rub the feet of their pregnant wives.
But in this case, it wasn’t like I’d reached that point in my pregnancy where I was carrying around an extra twenty or thirty pounds.
Serena’s advice was given merely because she knew I was going through it.
When I returned to work after the disastrous Fourth of July gathering, I shared the news of my pregnancy and recent nuptials with my friends.
Both Birdie and Serena had been ecstatic—albeit shocked—to hear the news.
I wanted them to know what was going on not only because they were my friends but also because I intended to start putting out the word that I’d be hiring someone else.
Serena, thankfully, was more than willing to switch to full-time hours and help pick up the slack wherever she could until we had enough help.
My work and those two women were among the very few things that now felt good in my life.
I couldn’t remember a time when I’d ever felt so terrible, like I was carrying around this massive weight and at the same time I felt so empty inside.
The last week had left me feeling so incredibly sad. The situation with my family had not improved at all.
Beau had been wonderful, doing anything and everything to cheer me up while also caring for me. He listened when I wanted to talk, he held me when I needed to cry, and he didn’t force me to do anything, to make any decisions about how or when to address things with my family.
As for them, it had mostly been quiet.
The day after everything went down, I was back at work. Skye had stopped in that day, and I immediately noted the regret in her expression. She didn’t hold back the apology when I took a moment out of work to talk to her.
“I’m so sorry,” she’d said. “I feel awful for how everything happened yesterday, and I’m horrified that I never even managed to congratulate you, especially when you’ve always been there to cheer me along with everything that has happened in my life.”
I held myself back from telling her that my response was the way family was supposed to be.
Skye had never been outspoken, and she really was the sweetest woman in the world.
I wasn’t going to hold my brother’s behavior against her, even when she insisted that she had faith Cooper would eventually come around.
So, I thanked her for stopping by to see me and got back to work.
The next night, Ava had called me to check in and see how I was doing.
She avoided talking about Tate’s response to my news, but she had shared the reason why she and Tate were at the doctor’s office to begin with.
I’d known that my brother and his wife had been trying to have a baby for a while.
I hadn’t realized the extent of their struggles.
After two years of trying, it had finally happened for them.
She wasn’t quite as far along as I was and hadn’t told anyone to that point.
Ava revealed that they’d likely visit and tell everyone individually in the following days.
I was happy for her, understanding she’d struggled to get pregnant, and I could admit I wished Tate had been able to be just as happy for me in return.
Since then, I hadn’t heard from anyone else. Not even my mom, not even Ivy.
It was now the end of the workday, the bakery was closed, and after having said goodbye to Serena, I was making my way to my car with a box of leftover treats from the day.
Beau never turned them down, and since he appreciated them so much, I started bringing extras home for him.
He insisted he had to stay out skating longer than normal just to work it all off.
“Jules!” I was nearly to my car when I heard my sister-in-law’s voice.
I spun around and saw Layla making her way toward me. Layla also worked here at Westwood’s. We’d recently added an event center to the campus, and she was in charge of running the show.
“Hi, Layla.”
Coming to a stop in front of me, she opened her arms and hugged me. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay. Finally getting out of the stage where I’m constantly feeling so exhausted all the time.”
“That’s great news.”
I shrugged. “It’s about the only good news I’ve got right now.”
She frowned. “I’ve been thinking about you all week. My heart breaks for you and Beau. I wish there’d been more excitement for the both of you, and I hate that he wasn’t given a warmer welcome.”
Nodding, I murmured, “Me, too. But I appreciate that you didn’t hold back that day to give that to us yourself. It was nice to have at least one person on our side.”
Layla reached for my free hand. “I know it probably doesn’t seem that way right now, but they are on your side, Jules.”
“It sure doesn’t feel that way.”
“I know. I think… Well, I don’t want to make excuses, because I do think it’s just terrible how they all responded. Even Liam. I know he didn’t come out and say anything, and maybe that’s worse than letting it all spill the way Wyatt, Cooper, and your dad did, but he’s devastated.”
“Because I’m happy?”
She shook her head. “No. No, I think he wants you happy more than anything. He’s just hurt. He never thought he’d miss out on the opportunity to be there for you on the most important day of your life. I guess it hurts for him, for all them, to think you didn’t want them there.”
I rubbed at the ache in the center of my chest. “They could’ve said that.
I would’ve been able to understand that, even apologized to them for it and explained why I did what I did.
Instead, Liam shut down, and the others thought that attacking Beau was the best option.
I could’ve been understanding of them being hurt if they’d just handled it differently.
Instead, they all did what they did, and since then, not one of them has approached me to make amends for it.
Nobody besides you and Skye and Ava has reached out to try to make it right. Not even my sister. And you know what?”
“What?”
“I’m hurt now, too.”
“I know you are. You have every right.”
I sighed. “I won’t hold a grudge forever, Layla.
It’s not who I am. But I also won’t apologize for doing something that made me happy.
They are my family, and they’re supposed to be there to love and support me the way I’ve supported all of them.
I love them, and if they extend that olive branch to me, to us, Beau and I will grab hold of it.
But if not, I guess this will be how it is. ”
Sadness washed over her. Layla clearly wished there was something she could do to fix this. No doubt she’d try whatever she could to make it happen. “This family won’t be the same if you’re not in it.”
“Then my family needs to figure out how to make this right.”
My sister-in-law nodded her understanding and reached for my hand. “They’ll come around. They have to. And until that happens, please know that I’m always going to be here for you.”
I squeezed her hand in response. “Thanks, Layla.”
With that, I let go of her and moved to my car. Then I drove home to see my husband. But when I pulled into the driveway and came to a stop, my phone rang.
Ivy’s name was on the display.
Maybe Layla had gone to my sister and tried to reason with her.
“Hello?”
“I got to your place a few minutes ago, and you aren’t here. Are you almost home?”
In all that I’d managed to share to turn my family’s world upside down a week ago, evidently, I’d inadvertently left out one additional piece of information. “I… I don’t live there anymore, Ivy. I’m living with Beau.”
Silence came through the line for a few beats before I heard some rustling and the distinct sound of a car door slamming.
“Wow. You really have done everything without sharing. I don’t understand, Jules.
I thought we were closer than this. What kind of man did you marry that he’d rip you away from your family like this? ”
I opened my mouth to respond, but the line went dead.
It was like none of them realized I was just as responsible for where I was. Beau hadn’t forced me to do anything. Everything that had happened was because I’d asked for it, in one way or another. And Beau had been happy to give it to me.
Unable to shed another tear, I grabbed the box of desserts, got out, and went inside.
Beau was overjoyed to see I’d brought goodies, but he was even happier to see me.
Of course, it didn’t take him long to recognize that something was weighing on my mind.
So, after we ate dinner, which he cooked, we curled up on the couch, enjoyed dessert, and I spilled what was weighing on my heart.
We still hadn’t said those words to one another, but I wondered if we needed to. Because they said that actions spoke louder than words. And right now, Beau was proving to me what was important in ways that the people who claimed to love me weren’t.
How could I not feel myself falling harder and harder for him with every day that passed?
BEAU
“So, where have you been, man?”
At Talon’s question, my lips twitched. Unfortunately, before I could share the news, Jamie interjected, “He must’ve had good luck getting the girl, and he’s been so caught up in her that he forgot about us.”
Technically, he wasn’t wrong. But my friend didn’t know all the details.
And when I told them everything, they would likely lose their minds.
Talon and Jamie would be shocked but happy.
Vic would be devastated, if only because that’d leave him as the only guy not interested in settling down any time soon.
“It could be that,” Vic reasoned from the opposite end of the couch. “Or perhaps she turned him down, and he’s spent weeks sulking. I mean, it’s been nearly a month now, hasn’t it?”
“Four weeks since we got back from the tour,” I confirmed.