Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Julia stepped inside Seaside Sweets Bakery, enjoying the cheerful sound of the bell jingling over her head. The air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee and the sweet smells of baked goods, and Julia took a deep breath.
She was feeling much more relaxed than she had been, although her concerns about Cooper’s parents visiting were still not far from her mind. She had planned to meet up at Seaside Sweets Bakery for coffee with Faith and Alexis, and she was looking forward to spending time chatting with her girls.
I bet it’ll help take my mind off this whole thing, she thought to herself as she looked around for Faith and Alexis. Maybe they can help convince me that what Cooper said is true.
She’d kept reminding herself what Cooper had told her in her mother’s kitchen, that she should just be herself around his parents and he was sure that it would all turn out great. She wanted to accept his words and not give the matter another thought, but she was having trouble believing that he was right.
Faith and Alexis didn’t appear to be in the bakery yet, but a moment later they stepped inside, both smiling and laughing about something. Julia grinned and hurried over to them.
“Hey!” She gave them both a hug at the same time. “How are you ladies doing?”
“Good,” Alexis sang out. “I’m craving a peanut butter caramel brownie like my life depends on it, and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into one.”
“Mmm, that sounds good.” Faith grinned. “I’m doing well also. How about you, Julia?”
“Good,” Julia said cheerfully, leaving out the “feeling unreasonably stressed and insecure” part.
The women stepped up to the counter and ordered their drinks and pastries. Alexis got a raspberry steamer and her prized peanut butter caramel brownie, Faith got a caramel macchiato and a lavender lemon scone, and Julia got a peppermint mocha with a jelly-filled doughnut. Once they had their goodies, they found a table in a corner next to a window which offered a beautiful view of the ocean.
“How was everyone’s Friday night?” Alexis asked, eagerly pulling her brownie out of its white paper bag. “Do anything fun?”
Julia shrugged. “Cooper and I watched a movie and ate some leftover venison for dinner.”
“Venison?” Alexis echoed, sounding alarmed. “Why would you do that?”
Faith and Julia exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.
“I’ve had venison before, it’s good,” Faith offered.
Alexis shook her head. “I couldn’t do it. I feel too bad for the poor little deer. And besides, Julia, I know I’ve heard you say you don’t like gamey meats.”
Julia sighed, realizing she was going to have to explain herself to her sister. “I bought it so that I could learn how to cook it, although Cooper ended up being the one to prepare it. It’s… um… .it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”
Alexis shook her head, seeming to be able to see right through her sister. “You hate it, don’t you?”
Julia winced. “It’s… well, it’s not my favorite. But Cooper really did do a good job of cooking it, and it’s sweet that he made it for me.”
“But why did you buy it in the first place if you don’t like venison?” Faith asked, confused. “Did Cooper ask you to?”
Julia shook her head, trying to ignore the knowing look that Alexis was giving her. “I—well, I thought that maybe Cooper’s parents would like it. I wanted to buy venison before they got here, so I could practice making it. I wasn’t sure how to cook it. Cooper taught me how, though.”
Alexis shook her head. “Julia, they’re going to love you. I thought you were over this whole trying to pretend you’re outdoorsy thing. Have you told Cooper you’re feeling like this?”
Julia nodded. “He said what you guys have been saying. That I should just be myself and it’ll all be fine.”
Faith’s eyes danced. “Sounds like solid advice.”
“You just need to stop thinking about it,” Alexis said, patting Julia on the back. “Take another bite out of that gorgeous-looking doughnut and we’ll talk about something else. How was your Friday night, Faith? I bet it’s hard to find fun things to do in town here if you’re used to living in the city. Rosewood Beach is a far cry from a city with night life.”
Faith coughed gently. There was a sheepish look on her face as she said, “Actually, I went on a date last night.”
Julia and Alexis squealed simultaneously.
“You what?” Alexis cried. “With who?”
“That mysterious guy?” Julia said, leaning forward eagerly and talking at the same time as her sister. “The one you’ve been interested in this whole time? Who is he?”
Faith turned an adorable shade of pink and cleared her throat. “Um, his name is Ryan.”
“Cute name,” Alexis said gleefully, leaning forward. “Is he cute?”
“Yes.” Faith laughed. “He’s very cute.”
“When did he ask you out?” Julia asked. “I thought he wasn’t in town anymore.”
“Well, he wasn’t, but then he came back.” Faith’s eyes were sparkling. “I ran into him at Ocean Breeze Café right after he came back into town. We talked for a little while, and then he asked me out to dinner.”
“Wow, right to dinner?” Alexis chuckled. “If he skipped coffee, he must really like you.”
“Well, we kind of already had coffee,” Faith said. “We kept running into each other, and—well, it was kind of surprise coffee, and we never said it was a date, but I think it kind of counted.” She spoke a little breathlessly, clearly giddy about the whole thing.
“Sounds like you both really like each other.” Julia felt thrilled for her cousin. She hoped that Faith would find love in Rosewood Beach and choose to live there, so that she could be an immediate part of their lives indefinitely. “How was dinner?”
“Well, dinner was amazing—we got sushi. But before that he took me to a museum.”
“That’s so thoughtful!” Alexis gasped. “Does he know you like museums?”
“He does.”
“I want more details!” Julia laughed. “Tell us all about this museum date.”
Faith grinned. “Well, I’d told him that I miss Boston’s museums, so he decided to recreate an aspect of Boston for me by taking me to this museum that’s supposed to be like the Boston Museum of Science.”
“That’s awesome!” Alexis paused a moment before asking her next question. “Do you really miss Boston?”
Faith shook her head. “The museums are wonderful there, and I do have some pretty good lawyer friends there that I want to check up on now and again. But overall, no. Going to that museum made me even more sure that I don’t want to go back to Boston. It showed me that areas like this have all the things I really need—good people, a slower pace of life, and even impressive museums.”
“That’s the spirit.” Julia laughed. “I feel that way too. There are some people in New York that I’ll make the time to visit now and again, but everything I really need is here. Especially family.” She gave Faith a warm smile, wanting to be sure that she knew she was included in that family.
“Is Ryan from the city?” Alexis asked.
Faith shook her head. “Not really. He’s been living in cities for a while, but he’s from here originally. I guess, though, that he’s got a city-person energy like I do. Maybe that’s what made us bond so quickly.” She paused for a moment, smiling thoughtfully. “Then again, maybe what really made us bond was the fact that we both don’t want to live fast-paced lives anymore. Ryan and I are different from the other people in Rosewood Beach, like you guys, but we love it here. I mean, I get along really well with all of you Owens and we’re all so different. Our differences don’t divide us, they make us more interesting to each other.”
Alexis nodded. “We can show each other new perspectives and ways of doing things. We help make life more interesting for each other.”
Julia felt her heart lift up as she listened. Faith’s words really spoke to the way she’d been so worried about her differences from Cooper’s family. She felt suddenly hopeful that they would be able to like her despite how different she was from them.
This makes me feel braver about their upcoming arrival, she thought, taking a sip of her peppermint mocha and smiling to herself. I’ve been so worried about making a good impression, but maybe I’ll be able to make a good impression on them after all.
She knew it was the advice her family had been giving her all along—that she just needed to be herself, and Cooper’s parents would love her. She finally felt able to believe that it was possible.