Chapter 27
A month later, Julia and Macey were at the park with Hazel and Samantha, enjoying the warm weather and the golden sunshine.
“It’s such a nice day, isn’t it?” Hazel leaned back against the bench that she and Julia were sitting on, letting out a luxurious sigh. “This breeze off the ocean is delicious. And look at those two.”
“I know.” Julia grinned as she watched Samantha play with Macey on the playground. The older girl was taking special care of the toddler, and both of them were clearly having a wonderful time. “I was planning on bringing Macey over to Cooper’s office when he finishes work, but I might ask him to meet us here. I think he’d love to be out in the sunshine for a while.”
“Careful, Macey!” Samantha said, following the little girl up the playground steps. “You can sit on my lap while we go down the slide.” She looked up at her mother and aunt and mouthed, she’s so cute .
Julia laughed and called out, “You both are!”
Samantha bowed and settled Macey on her lap before carefully going down the slide.
“Samantha loves being around her,” Hazel said, watching them fondly. “She really has a knack for taking care of kids.”
“Perfect, sounds like Cooper will have a babysitter backup when Callie goes off to college.” Julia chuckled.
“Yeah, and he might have you as backup too.” Hazel grinned at her. “Sounds like things are going very well between the two of you.”
“They are.” Julia let out a happy sigh. “He’s—well, he’s just amazing. I feel like I like him better and better every time I see him. Ever since we had so much fun at the concert together, it’s like we’ve reached a new level in our relationship. We’re learning a lot about each other and how to manage having Macey be a part of our relationship.”
“Are you officially official yet?” Hazel asked, clapping her hands.
“I guess that depends on how you define official.” Julia laughed. “We haven’t decided on anything solid yet, we just know that we definitely want to keep getting to know each other and seeing how this can work out.” Her heart felt light as she contemplated the future.
“Mmm. But you’re smitten, clearly.”
“Okay, enough about me! Have you talked to Jacob since the fundraiser?”
“No,” Hazel said, flushing bright pink immediately. “I’ve thought about reaching out once or twice, but I don’t know; he’s so busy.”
“Girl, come on, you’ve got to make a move,” Julia teased, grinning at her sister.
Hazel blushed a deeper shade of pink and brushed her hand through the air, dismissing Julia’s comment. “I’m okay. I don’t really know that I’m up for trying to date again, if I’m being honest.”
Julia nodded, smiling at her sister, but her heart twisted a little in sympathy. She guessed that Hazel was scared to make a move, because it had been such a long time since she’d been in the dating scene. “I know it can all seem scary, but I think making an attempt would be worth it.”
Hazel bit her lip. “I’m not sure I’m ready to take that leap and face the possibility of rejection.” She let out a long sigh, and Julia wondered if she was thinking about how long she’d had a crush on Jacob. “But I’m glad things are going well for you!” Hazel’s brisk tone made it clear that she was cheerfully trying to change the subject. “You’re doing so great with Macey. It’s not easy to get used to caring for little kids, but you really seem to have gotten the hang of it.”
“Oh, that’s sweet of you to say. I do feel like I know what I’m doing now—well, for the most part.” She laughed. “And I have to admit, it’s been a lot of fun. She’s such a sweetheart, and she says the funniest things sometimes.”
She watched Macey as she spoke, feeling a surge of fondness for the little girl. She could hardly believe that she’d grown so used to having Macey around. The relationship between the two of them was different than what she’d expected, and it was wonderful.
At that moment, her phone buzzed with a text from Cooper. She started to read it eagerly, and Hazel laughed.
“Ooh, a text from the man! What does he say?”
Julia finished reading the text before answering. “Well, there’s a bit of a hiccup. He says he has to go and check out a job last minute, so he said we should head home instead of meeting him in town like we’d planned. But then he suggests that instead of eating dinner at his place, we get a sitter for Macey so he can take me out for a romantic evening.”
“Aww, that’s sweet! It sounds like Cooper is getting more flexible and comfortable in your relationship too. He’s learning how to balance dating with being a single father.”
Julia nodded, happily. “I think so too.”
“And Samantha and I would be happy to watch Macey tonight. We’ll make some mac and cheese and watch kiddie movies. It’ll be a party.”
“Thank you!” Julia reached over and gave her sister a hug. “She always has a great time with you guys.”
“We love it when she visits.”
Julia grinned at her sister and then turned back to her phone to text Cooper. Her heart felt light as she typed the words, and the warm spring breeze ruffled her hair.
JULIA: We’re on.
The series continues in Sea Glass Serenade !