Chapter 5
Chapter Five
S tanding once more on top of the lighthouse, Juliette looked out over her town and the great Pacific. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky today, but the strong wind blowing up from the cliff’s edge cut their outside time short. She had removed her jacket earlier when she’d been working in his kitchen to heat up their breakfast.
“You’re very lucky,” she told him once they were back behind the thick glass walls. “To have this view. It’s… unique.” Her eyes ran over Brook and Ryder’s property off to the side. Ocean View was one of the prettiest homes around Pride. It was original in design and the fact that it had almost the same view as the lighthouse property made it a sought-after commodity.
“It is,” he agreed. “And I am very lucky.”
She turned away from the view and looked at him. “You need more sleep. In a proper bed. From what I saw there are plenty of rooms for you to choose from.”
He shook his head. “They’re going to start sanding and staining the floors next week. After that, it’s patching and painting walls and checking and replacing all outlets and fixtures. Not to mention the mess knocking out all the tile will cause.”
“And you’re going to film it all? Why aren’t you outside now?” she asked. She felt stupid when he touched his head. “Right. I can help, like I said?” she suggested, needing a reason to stick around. When he gave her a look, she sighed. “Listen, my favorite pastime is watching those remodeling videos online. What can it hurt? You get some more rest and if what I shoot sucks…” She shrugged. “Delete it.”
He rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath. “If you’re sure?”
She smiled and pulled him back down the stairs. “Leave it all to me.”
An hour later, she stood in the mud holding a camera that was probably worth more than her car. It had taken her a few moments to figure out the best angle and then set up the tripod for the shoot.
Palmer and his men were using a large piece of equipment they called a Ditch Witch to dig long ditches that criss-crossed the land between the house and the barn.
She asked why they were going through the trouble for a barn, and Palmer informed her that Max wanted power and plumbing to the building so he could turn it into a workshop.
After finding that out, she set up the camera and strolled through the barn. It was stacked with what appeared to be every piece of furniture that had been in the main building. Some of it was barely more than splintered pieces of wood, while other pieces were in wonderful shape.
She could imagine the massive barn being turned into a film studio but wanted to talk to Max about his vision.
She wondered about his plans for the rest of the property as she filmed. It was fascinating to watch, and she thoroughly enjoyed filming the progress.
When it was time for lunch, she drove into town and grabbed some food from the restaurant and brought it back for the guys. She sat out on an old picnic bench with everyone and ate lunch in the sunlight. Max had woken up while she’d been in town and had joined them outside. He looked better than he had before. His coloring was back and he actually joked and laughed with everyone as if the pain was gone.
When the men went back to work, he helped her set up the camera again and even walked her through the barn, filling her in on his vision of splitting up the massive space. Half of the building would remain a barn, where he could house a couple of horses, some hay, and tractors or mowers. The other half he wanted to turn into a studio with a space for writing and also a film studio for the stop-motion work he wanted to do. He was hoping Sophia would want to collaborate on a project with him.
“If you’re interested, I was wondering if you’d be interested in joining in on the fun around my place full time?” Max said while they watched the men work, surprising her.
“Full time?” she asked. “Like filming?”
“Sure. I have a few other projects in mind, but they’ll have to wait until this”—he motioned to the mess of his yard—“gets a little more stable.”
She leaned against the barn door and enjoyed the sun on her face for a moment.
“What kind of projects?”
“I have a few ideas have been brewing in my mind for later.” He leaned against the door next to her. “But to start with, I want to do what we talked about, filming the construction progress around my place and then posting it on social media.”
She nodded. “If you want, I can start a few new social media pages. I’ll edit what I’ve filmed today and post it, along with a walk-through of the place. I’ll want to take before-and-after photos, if you’re okay with that?”
He nodded and her interest spiked.
“If you want to take charge of this project…” He smiled and then he surprised her by switching the topic of conversation. “My younger sister, Faye…” He took a slow, deep breath. “We almost lost her when she was less than a year old.”
“Sophia mentioned she had health issues,” she said when he didn’t continue. “Was she in some sort of accident?” She couldn’t remember any details Sophia had given her.
“No.” His eyes moved to hers. “She was almost killed by our father when she was just a baby.”
“I’m so sorry.” Her heart broke for him and her anger spiked. Anyone who abuses another was scum in her book.
She’d been lucky enough to be raised by parents who hardly ever fought. Love had filled every part of her and her brother’s lives.
“When she was a few months shy of her first birthday, she was rushed to the hospital. It took a while to figure out what had happened, but after the second surgery, they realized it was abuse. She’d been left in his care while our mother had been at the store, and they put two and two together.”
“What happened?” she asked, only wanting more details if he felt comfortable talking to her.
His eyes moved away from the workers and scanned the horizon, as if he was looking for answers there.
“He was arrested. He adamantly denied any wrongdoing, but the bruises on her body and statements from me and my older sister sealed his fate. My parents divorced and, after a year behind bars, my father was released and he disappeared.” He turned back towards her. “Faye has had more than two dozen surgeries in her life. She’s slowly losing her hearing, among other health issues, and at this point, there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”
“I’m so sorry.” She touched his arm.
“She’s damn strong.” He nodded his head a few times, as if trying to convince himself. “Stronger than my older sister, Ally. Last year she went through a divorce after giving birth to my niece, Charlotte. Her husband decided he didn’t want a woman whose body wasn’t perfect after childbirth.” He rolled his eyes. “I still want to punch the man, but I’ve made several promises I won’t. Anyway, Ally took things hard and moved back in with my mother and Faye. It’s been a year and she still hasn’t managed to recover. I know that some women go through depression after childbirth, and being abandoned would only add to that. But Ally…” He shook his head. “There are days she won’t even get out of bed. My mother and Faye are currently caring for Charlotte.”
“Depression can be debilitating,” she offered.
He nodded. “She refuses to seek counseling. We’re not sure what else to do for her. I know I shouldn’t, but it’s hard not to compare the two of them. Faye is losing her way of life forever and continually struggles with health issues and still manages to hold down a full-time job, while my other sister refuses to change her own daughter’s diapers.” He let out a long slow breath.
“She’ll recover.”
He nodded. “I was hoping she’d come visit here, after it’s ready. Maybe a change of scenery will be helpful.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.” Juliette smiled. “With this many bedrooms and all this space, you could open up a bed and breakfast,” she joked.
He chuckled. “I have too many plans already. I doubt I’d have enough time to run a B&B.”
“Oh?” She stood up and nudged his shoulder. “Plans like marrying me?”
He groaned and rolled his eyes. “I was hoping I’d hallucinated proposing to you.”
“Twice.” She held up two fingers and smiled at him. “You proposed twice.”
He laughed. “Well, maybe next time I ask you, you’ll surprise me by answering with a yes.” He nudged her back playfully.
By the time she drove home that evening, her skin was warm with the beginnings of a sunburn, and her hair was a tangled mess from the high winds that had crossed the yard.
After a long, hot shower, she slipped into her favorite flannel pajamas and headed downstairs to have dinner with her parents. Watching them together, she was struck by how lucky they were, and how lucky she was to witness the kind of love they shared.
She had heard the story of how they met more times than she could count. Her mother had been on the run, fleeing the weight of her own guilt after a tragic accident. She had been behind the wheel the day that her younger brother, Nate—the namesake of Juliette’s older brother—had lost his life. Though the accident hadn’t been her fault, she had never forgiven herself for letting the young boy sit in the front seat. In her mind, he had been too small, too fragile, and that decision had played a part in his death.
Overcome with grief and convinced the police were after her, she had taken off, desperate to disappear. She had dashed into the Brew Ha-Ha to hide—and ran straight into the arms of Rafe, the man who would mend her heart and claim it for his own. Juliette’s dad.
They both said that it was love at first sight. She’d never really understood what that meant. Until she’d bumped into Max at the restaurant.
The following morning, with the sun streaming through her window, she groggily rolled out of bed, still replaying her thoughts from the night before in her mind. Love at first sight? It sounded ridiculous, but the moment she’d met Max, something had clicked.
Then she remembered the other night at his place. How he had proposed to her. Of course, the man had been practically concussed at the time, so maybe his feelings were more head trauma than heartfelt sentiment.
Shaking off the thought, she got ready for her shift at the restaurant. What she wanted to do was head to Max’s place and film, but she hadn’t worked out her schedule yet.
The moment she stepped inside, the scent of sizzling meat wrapped around her like a warm hug. The late-morning rush was already in full swing, and Sophia was balancing three plates while expertly dodging a rogue toddler who had escaped his booster seat.
“You’re late,” Sophia sing-songed, setting down the plates and spinning towards Juliette with a knowing grin.
Juliette scoffed. “I am not late. I’m just not as disgustingly early as you.”
Once her table was served, Sophia walked over and leaned against the counter, eyeing her suspiciously. “So, rumors have been swirling.”
“About?” Juliette held in a yawn.
“Oh, not much. So, how’s your fiancé this morning?” Sophia chuckled.
Juliette rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. How in the hell did that one get around? I haven’t told anyone and it was just the two of us there when he blurted it out?—”
“What? He really did propose—twice?”
“Yes, but only because he had a head injury! That does not really count,” she countered.
“I don’t know…” Sophia smirked. “Maybe the universe was just skipping ahead. Saving you both the time and the trouble.”
Juliette groaned but couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips. “Okay, enough of that. I actually wanted to talk to you about something real.”
Sophia’s eyes lit up. “Spill.”
Juliette leaned against the counter, lowering her voice as she grabbed a bottled water. “Max offered me a job—kind of.” She frowned when she realized she had no clue if she was going to get paid. “He wants me to help film the construction crew’s progress on his lighthouse project. And then, when it’s all finished, do another project he says he’s working on.”
Sophia’s mouth dropped open. “Shut. Up. That’s amazing!”
Juliette grinned. “Right? I mean, it’s totally up my alley. And, honestly, I’m really into watching the progress on the place. I think he wants you to help with the later project too.”
Sophia grabbed her hands, squeezing them excitedly. “Girl, you have to do this! Don’t even worry about your schedule here—I can move things around however you need. You wanna film all day and only work weekends? Done. You need mornings off to chase my man and his men around with a camera? Say no more.”
Juliette laughed. “You’re seriously the best.”
“I know.” Sophia smirked. “Now, tell me—has he proposed again? Because if he does it a third time, I think you’re legally required to say yes.”
Juliette rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the blush creeping up her cheeks. “I swear I’m never confessing anything to you again.”
“Oh, please,” Sophia said, waving her off. “I’m your bestie. It’s literally my job to be up in your business.”
Juliette chuckled, shaking her head as she tied her apron around her waist. Despite Sophia’s teasing, excitement bubbled in her chest. This project with Max—it felt like the start of something big.