9. Julian
JULIAN
I never thought I’d find someone so soon moving here.
Fate had over plans. Ellie is an amazing woman and the fact that she wants to go on another date scares me.
At some point, I will have to open up to her about my past. The real reason for my move to Lawson Ridge, but doing it too soon might backfire.
At the same time, I don’t want her to think I am keeping something from her.
I spend the day at work fantasizing about our date tonight. Despite my looks, I don’t normally sleep with women on a first date. My bed isn’t a revolving door either. Everyone sees tattoos and immediately dreams up this awful scenario.
And Ellie is different. There is a connection with her that I haven’t felt in years, maybe ever. I need to focus on tonight. Make it special.
When five o’clock hits, I practically sprint out, leaving the guys yelling after me.
“Hot date tonight?”
“Yup. Sorry you don’t.”
I hurry home, shower and change, opting for a button-down shirt that covers most of my tattoos.
At seven, she’s standing outside waiting for me. She takes my breath away in a simple blue dress that makes her eyes pop. Tonight is going to be more low-key. I still haven’t seen most of this small town, so I thought we could just walk through and take in the scenery.
“You look beautiful.”
She blushes, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you. You clean up nice yourself.”
We start walking down Main Street, our shoulders occasionally brushing against each other.
“So,” Ellie says, glancing at me, “how was work today?”
“Honestly? I spent most of it thinking about tonight.”
Her smile widens, and my chest tightens in that pleasant way that makes me want to keep making her smile.
“Me too,” she admits. “My coworkers noticed I was distracted.”
We stop at a small ice cream shop. After getting our cones, we continue our stroll, talking about everything and nothing.
“What made you choose Lawson Ridge of all places?”
“My life in the city became... complicated.”
Ellie studies my face, and I can see she senses there’s more. But instead of pushing, she simply nods.
“Well, I’m glad whatever complications brought you here,” she says, slipping her hand into mine.
Her touch is warm, grounding. Maybe I don’t have to keep running. Maybe, just maybe, Lawson Ridge could be more than just a hiding place.
“There’s a lookout point just up this hill,” Ellie says, pointing to a path that veers off from the main street. “You can see the whole town from there. It’s kind of my favorite spot.”
“Lead the way,” I tell her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
The path winds up through a small wooded area, the tree branches forming a canopy above us. Crickets chirp in the underbrush, and somewhere in the distance, an owl hoots.
“Watch your step here,” she warns as we navigate around some exposed roots.
When we emerge from the trees, I’m stunned by the view. Lawson Ridge spreads out below us.
“Wow,” I whisper, not wanting to break the magic of the moment.
“I come here when I need to think,” Ellie says, her voice equally soft. “Something about seeing everything from up here puts my problems in perspective.”
I turn to look at her. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
She meets my gaze, and there’s an intensity in her eyes that makes my heart race. “I don’t bring just anyone here.”
The weight of her words isn’t lost on me. This woman is trusting me with something special, something personal. And here I am, holding back the truth about myself.
“Ellie, I—” I start, then falter. “There are things about me, about why I came here...”
She places a finger on my lips, stopping me. “We all have our stories. Tell me when you’re ready, not because you feel you have to.”
Relief washes over me. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. She nestles against my chest as if she belongs there, and maybe she does.
“For now,” she murmurs against my shirt, “can we just enjoy this?”
I kiss the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. “Absolutely.”
We stand there for what feels like hours, though it’s probably only minutes, just holding each other as the town glows beneath us. There’s something so perfect about this moment—something I didn’t think I deserved after everything that happened back in Houston.
“Hungry?” I finally ask, breaking our comfortable silence.
“Starving,” she admits with a small laugh. “Diner is close.”
“Perfect.”
When we walk inside, everyone is staring.
“Well, look who’s here! And with a handsome stranger, no less.” Dottie’s eyes twinkle as she looks me over. “You must be the new guy in town?”
“Word travels fast,” I say, extending my hand. “I’m Julian.”
“Honey, in Lawson Ridge, if you sneeze on Main Street, someone’s offering you a tissue before you can say ‘excuse me.’” She winks at Ellie. “Your usual booth is open.”
As we slide into the booth, I can’t help but feel like I’m being evaluated by everyone in the diner. Not in a threatening way, but in that curious small-town way that reminds me just how much I stick out here.
“Sorry about that,” Ellie says, noticing my discomfort. “You’re big news in a small pond.”
“It’s fine,” I assure her, though part of me wonders if being noticeable is the opposite of what I need right now. “Just not used to it.”
Our burgers arrive and we talk between bites, and I find myself telling her about my childhood, my parents who still live in the suburbs of Chicago, my years playing football in high school. Safe topics. Nothing that would lead to the past two years.
It’s when Dottie brings us slices of homemade apple pie that Ellie reaches across the table and touches one of the tattoos visible at my wrist where I’ve rolled up my sleeves.
“These mean something to you, don’t they? They’re not just decoration.”
I glance down at the intricate design. “Yeah, they all have stories.”
“Will you tell me about them someday?”
I meet her eyes. “I’d like that.”
And then everything shifts when her ex-husband Miles walks into the diner, hell-bent on ruining our date by the looks of it. It doesn’t help that he’s the police chief. He comes and stands right next to Ellie, staring me down.
“Is there something you need?”
He shrugs, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops. “Just checking in on my favorite ex-wife. Making sure she’s in good company.”
My jaw clenches but I force myself to remain calm. Getting into it with the local police chief is exactly the kind of attention I don’t need.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine.”
Miles leans down, lowering his voice. “You know how you are with strays, El. Always bringing home the ones that need fixing.”
Something flares in my chest—anger, embarrassment, or maybe the recognition that he’s not entirely wrong about me being broken.
“That’s enough,” Ellie says. “Please leave.”
Miles straightens, a smug smile playing on his lips. “Just doing my job. Getting to know all the new faces in town.” His eyes lock with mine. “Especially those with interesting backgrounds.”
My blood runs cold. Does he know something? Has he run my name through some database?
“Have a good evening,” he says finally, tipping his hat before walking to the counter.
Ellie releases a shaky breath. “I’m so sorry about that.”
“Don’t be,” I say, reaching for her hand. “Not your fault.”
“He’s...” She hesitates. “He can be difficult. The divorce wasn’t exactly amicable.”
I glance over at Miles, who’s watching us from the counter while chatting with Dottie. His eyes never leave us for long.
“Want to get out of here?”
Ellie nods gratefully. I pay the bill, leaving a generous tip for Dottie, and we slip out into the night.
“I hate that he did that,” Ellie says as we walk. “He has no right to intimidate you.”
“It’s okay,” I say, wrapping an arm around her waist as we walk. “I’ve dealt with worse.”
“Still, he had no business treating you like some criminal. He still thinks in the back of his mind that we will be together again. So he’s...”
“Territorial?” I offer.
She nods, leaning into me. “Exactly.”
I brush a strand of hair from her face, letting my fingers linger on her cheek. I lean in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wants to. She doesn’t. Our lips meet. When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing harder.
We walk back toward her place, hand in hand, the tension from Miles’s interruption gradually fading. The night air has cooled, and Ellie shivers. I slip off my jacket and drape it over her shoulders.
“Such a gentleman,” she teases, but pulls the jacket tighter around herself.
“Don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my reputation.”
She laughs, the sound light and musical in the quiet street. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
When we reach her front porch, I hesitate. I want nothing more than to follow her inside, to spend the night learning every curve and plane of her body again, but I don’t.
“I had an amazing time tonight,” I tell her.
“Even with the Miles interruption?”
“Even with that.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “He can’t ruin what’s happening between us.”
She smiles up at me, her eyes reflecting the porch light. “And what is happening between us, Julian?”
It’s a fair question. One I’m not sure I have the answer to yet. “Something good,” I finally say. “Something I want to explore, if you do too.”
Instead of answering with words, she rises on her tiptoes and kisses me again, slower this time, more deliberate.
“Good night, Julian.”
“Good night.”
I wait until she’s safely inside before turning to leave.
As I walk back to my place, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m balanced on a knife’s edge.
On one side is the life I’ve been running from, the mistakes and consequences I’ve been trying to escape.
On the other is Ellie, and the possibility of something real and lasting.
The smart move would be to keep my distance, to protect her from my past. But I can’t.