It's Better This Way, page 10
Heath had heard enough. “That was years ago, and during a difficult and stressful time for everyone. I’m sure Julia’s daughters are as eager to put that unpleasant incident behind them as you are. Let the past stay where it is. Dragging it into the future will solve nothing.”
His sons stared back at him as if he were speaking a foreign language.
“Dad, Adam and I want you to seriously reconsider this relationship. Of all the women in the world, why did you have to fall for Julia? She’s bad news.”
Heath didn’t see it that way and said as much. “Situations change,” he insisted. “People change.”
“Not Julia’s daughters,” Michael said emphatically.
“We told Mom you were dating Edward’s ex-wife, and she was understandably upset.”
He raised his hand, stopping them from saying anything further. His ex-wife’s feelings toward whom he dated was none of his concern.
“Not my problem.”
“Maybe not,” Adam readily agreed. “But you need to know what Mom told us she did recently.”
Leaning back, his meal practically untouched, Heath waited for what was sure to be even more negativity.
“I didn’t realize until we spoke to Mom what Julia had done to Edward,” Michael said.
Heath admired how Julia had moved on following the divorce. He found it hard to believe she’d given her ex more than a cursory thought. “All right. Tell me what horrible thing Julia has done now. I’m all ears. However, before you give me a list of her sins, let me assure you I’m going to have a hard time believing she has a malicious bone in her body.”
Adam arched his brows as if to say his father had been brainwashed.
“Do you realize that Julia has kept her daughters out of Edward’s life? Mom said he was nearly in tears the other night after she called to rub it in that Hillary is engaged. She had to tell him, because her daughter wants nothing to do with her own father.”
Ah, so that was it. “Julia told me about that call,” he said, relief filling him. “The reason she phoned was so Ed wouldn’t be blindsided, should someone else mention the engagement.”
“Julia has kept her daughters out of their father’s life.”
“They’re adults,” he countered. “If Hillary and Marie want a relationship with their dad, it’s up to them.”
Michael adamantly shook his head. “You can believe that if you want. Personally, I don’t.”
“Me neither,” Adam added.
Michael’s voice rose again as he pressed his point. “Julia has her daughters wrapped around her finger to the point they feel disloyal to her if they speak to their dad. Did you know that neither of them has had any contact with Ed since that awful scene at the lake?”
“Also,” Adam added, “it’s been nearly six years and Mom refuses to go to Lake Sammamish because of all the bad memories associated with that day.”
Heath knew none of this.
“Dad,” Michael said, his voice low and sympathetic. “I know you like Julia. We understand this news came out of the blue. I’m sorry to be the one to disillusion you about her, but we felt it was important that you know.”
Adam agreed. “Michael and I felt you needed to hear the truth, so you know upfront the kind of people you’re dealing with. There’s a very good reason Edward wanted out of the marriage. Weren’t you the one who said there are always two sides to a story? It might be hard for you to accept his point of view, seeing that he’s the one Mom left you for.”
His son had given him something to think about.
“Edward loves his daughters and they both refuse to have anything to do with him, despite the countless attempts he’s made to open the lines of communication,” Adam reminded him.
Michael looked hard at Heath. “Mom said it’s breaking her heart to see him deal with one rejection after another. It’s even worse now that Hillary is engaged.”
Heath could understand how hard it must be to have his daughters reject him. As far as Julia was concerned, he chose to believe she had nothing to do with her daughters’ treatment of their father. That behavior was on them.
“Dad?”
Heath looked up and realized his sons were both staring at him.
“You aren’t saying anything,” Adam said.
“What is there to say?” Heath asked.
The two exchanged another look, one filled with regret.
“We understand this is the last thing you wanted to hear. This isn’t easy on us, either. It gives us no pleasure to be the ones to tell you these things.”
Heath appreciated how difficult this conversation had been for his sons.
“Whatever you decide, Dad, we’ll accept,” Adam assured him.
“Not easily, though,” Michael added, making sure Heath was aware of the consequences.
“After everything we’ve told you about Julia and her daughters, if you feel you want to continue with this relationship, you should know nothing will change between the three of us.”
Perhaps he’d misread his sons’ intentions; Heath was grateful for the reassurance.
“You should be aware that we would prefer not to have anything to do with Julia or her daughters, though.”
Adam concurred. “Not after everything they said and did to our mother.”
The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach intensified. “I’m going to need to think this through,” Heath said, his head spinning.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I really am. No matter what your feelings, I’m going to avoid any contact with her.”
“I understand,” Heath returned.
The server came by to collect their plates. “Is there anything else I can get you?” he asked.
Health glanced up and nodded. “I’ll take that whiskey sour now.”
Chapter 11
Julia sat at the kitchen table with her sister, her hands warmed by cupping a recently poured mug of coffee. Her heart weighed heavy in her chest as she struggled to make sense of the last three days.
“It’s over between Heath and me,” she said, unable to hide how difficult this was to admit. Julia arrived unannounced at her sister’s because she couldn’t bear to remain in her condo a moment longer. It was torture not to hear from Heath. She needed to escape. Her sister was her best friend, her confidant, the one person who knew her better than anyone.
“You don’t know that,” Amanda insisted, taking her own mug to the table and sitting down.
Julia had come to Amanda at the lowest point in her marriage to confess what she’d held tight inside her heart for months. Eddie was involved in an affair. Amanda had held her while Julia had wept and cried with her. It was Amanda who helped convince her the divorce was inevitable, and it was time to quit trying to save her marriage and let go.
“Have you talked to Heath?” Amanda asked.
“No…”
“Then you can’t say it’s over until you two have worked out whatever the problem is.”
“That’s just it,” Julia cried. “I don’t know what’s wrong. He’s avoiding me completely and that tells me everything I need to know.” Julia couldn’t understand how everything they had shared, the laughter, the morning coffee times, the promise of finding that special someone, had gone south so quickly. The worst of it was that she hadn’t a clue what had changed his mind or why. The fact that he’d left her completely in the dark was unacceptable. The last she’d heard, he was determined to connect with his son to ask about Michael’s reaction when introduced to Julia. It appeared that whatever he’d had to say had changed Heath’s feelings toward her. That he didn’t have the courage or the heart to come to her about it was unacceptable. Pride insisted she not seek him out after two failed attempts. He was the one with the problem.
“Heath isn’t exercising with you?”
“Not for the last two days,” Julia said. Naturally, her imagination had gone wild. Three days ago, they were on top of the world, dancing around his kitchen with hardly a care. Now this intense, awkward silence.
“Maybe he’s sick?”
Amanda offered a logical excuse, one Julia had considered herself.
“Too sick to answer a text?” she returned. She’d already sent him two texts, neither of which Heath had responded to. After being blatantly ignored, she refused to send another. Julia was determined to maintain her dignity. She got his message, painful as it was to accept.
Amanda shrugged. “Maybe he’s traveling. He might have been unexpectedly called out of town. Who knows?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know.” It seemed unlikely he would leave without telling her. No, whatever had prompted this silence had to do with something his son told him. Something he now chose to keep to himself, preferring to leave matters hanging rather than clear the air.
Amanda refilled her coffee. When she pointed toward Julia’s mug, Julia shook her head. Over the last few days, she had downed enough coffee to keep a navy fleet afloat. She couldn’t sleep, couldn’t work. At this point, she was caught between angst and anger.
Just then her phone dinged, indicating she had a text. Amanda looked at her expectantly as Julia read the text.
“From Heath?” her sister asked.
Julia bit her lip and nodded, reading the note a second time.
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense. What did he say?” She leaned closer, pressing her stomach against the edge of the table.
“He said he needed space and time to think.”
Amanda released a sigh. “At least he had the courtesy to answer you, even if it took him this long.”
Julia didn’t share her sister’s opinion.
“You know what?” she said, coming to a decision. “I don’t care anymore. If he wants space, he can have it. I’m through.” She knew when she’d woken from that nightmare that it was one of those dreams. She’d felt it in her bones. Heath was going to walk away from her, and she didn’t have a clue as to why.
“You know? Maybe it’s better this way,” Amanda said, straightening, stating the very motto their father had so often used.
“Maybe,” Julia returned softly. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought that herself over the last few days.
“I mean, if this is how Heath is going to treat you, then maybe it’s time to move on.”
Amanda was right. While Julia might claim she no longer cared, that was a lie. She did care, more than she wanted to admit.
“Meeting Heath has been good for you.” Her sister had a way of looking at the silver lining of a situation.
Julia wasn’t convinced. “I suppose it has.” Since she’d started seeing Heath, she’d felt alive again. Young, and carefree in ways she hadn’t been since Eddie had moved out of the house.
“Heath opened your eyes.”
That he had. She heard music again. Not the songs that played over the radio or that she had on her playlist. The music had come from within. Her feet hadn’t been able to hold still, her heart had beat to a strong cadence. She looked forward to each day with eager anticipation, knowing part of it would be spent with him. They hadn’t known each other long; what set Heath apart was that he got her. He understood her in ways no man had since her ex-husband. And possibly even more than Eddie had.
“Before Heath, you’d given up on ever meeting anyone.”
She couldn’t deny it—Julia had given up, and with good reason. The memory of some of her dates was enough to make her want to smile.
“You know what I think?” Amanda asked.
Knowing her sister, Amanda was about to tell her. “Please,” she said, gesturing across the table.
“I think you should meet Frank.”
“Frank? The guy you wanted to introduce me to a few weeks ago. That Frank?”
“Yes, that Frank. He’s a good guy, Julia. A really good guy.”
Julia automatically shook her head. “I’ve already met the man you considered a really good guy.”
Amanda held up her hand, stopping her. “I admit Joe was a mistake. I’ve already apologized. I blame Robert. Joe was his friend, so please don’t hold that fiasco against me.”
“What makes you think Frank is any better than Joe?”
“I know Frank personally, whereas I only knew Joe through Robert. I should have known better than to take my husband’s word for it. His idea of a great guy is someone he can play poker with.”
The experience had been a disaster from the start. “Joe thought a good idea for our first date was to take me deer hunting.”
Amanda cringed. “I know.”
“Then he invited me to watch him bowl. I learned he was in three bowling leagues, which only left a few nights in the week when he was available to do anything with me. And don’t forget he entered his antique car in some show, and I was stuck, sitting in the hot sun, with him there all day.”
“Please, don’t remind me of what a failure that was.”
“When I suggested a movie, Joe said he hadn’t been to a theater since the original Star Wars.”
“Like I said, Joe was a mistake.”
“I forgive you.”
“Which, in retrospect, is generous of you. I promise, Frank is nothing like Joe.”
Leaning back, Julia crossed her arms. “Okay, I’m listening. Tell me about Frank.”
Amanda beamed her a smile and, leaning forward, said, “He’s part of my quilting guild.”
“What?”
“That’s good, right? He’s artistic and creative and a lot of fun. He brings us girls homemade cookies. I mean, you can’t fault a guy who bakes cookies.”
“Widowed? Divorced?”
Amanda shook her head. “He’s never married.”
That should tell her sister something important. “Did he live with his mother until she died?”
“No. He worked as an underwriter for Pemco Insurance for over thirty years.”
“He has an interesting choice of a hobby.” Julia didn’t know many men who were into quilting. It wasn’t her place to judge, however.
“Are you sure he wants to meet me?” A man who’d remained single all these years would be set in his ways. He would be accustomed to being by himself.
“Yes,” Amanda insisted. “He isn’t looking to marry, which is something I thought you’d appreciate. All he wants is to meet someone with similar interests and companionship.”
“I don’t quilt.”
“He knows that. You’re creative, though. He was impressed when I told him about West Coast Interiors, and how you built that business from the ground up with your talent and drive.”
Massaging her temples, Julia was confused. “I don’t know, Amanda. If I hadn’t met Heath…”
“Only you did meet Heath, and he opened your eyes to the possibility of there being someone out there to share the rest of your life with.”
“Frank…”
“Frank is someone who will be a companion and friend. Isn’t that what you really want? You’re not looking for love eternal. You want someone to enjoy a movie with or go dancing.”
“Or a pub crawl.”
“Exactly,” Amanda said, finishing her argument. “Won’t you give Frank a chance?”
Julia could never doubt Amanda had her best interests at heart. Her sister meant well. What Amanda failed to recognize was that her heart was bruised, and she wasn’t ready to leap into another situation that had the potential of bringing more rejection.
“I’ll think on it.”
“Don’t hesitate,” Amanda advised. “A couple of the widows in the quilting guild have their eye on Frank. They could easily swoop in and steal him away.”
More power to those widows.
Chapter 12
Heath had spent two restless nights going over every aspect of his conversation with his sons. He didn’t understand how he could have been oblivious to the fact that Laura had married Julia’s ex. She had mentioned Eddie any number of times, and he hadn’t made the connection, mainly because Lee always referred to him as Edward. Frankly, he hadn’t paid much attention. Lee was out of his life, and he’d taken pains to move forward.
For the last three days, he’d been completely unfair to Julia. He should have sent her a text much sooner, rather than leave her in the dark. He hadn’t meant to be insensitive. His only excuse was he needed time to think. Needed to sort out what all this meant for their future together, or if they’d be able to move past this.
His sons had made their position clear. For all Heath knew, Julia might not want anything more to do with him if her daughters felt the same way that Michael and Adam did.
The following morning, he waited for Julia in the exercise room, needing to see her. She arrived the same time as usual, came into the room, and stopped cold, her eyes widening when she saw him. Without comment, she started to turn around and leave.
“Julia, wait.”
She shook her head. “I’m giving you the space you wanted. I’ll come back another time.”
“Please,” he said, softly, his heart in his throat.
“Please what?”
“Give me a chance to explain.”
Julia cocked her head as if considering his request. “When?”
“Can we meet for coffee?”
“Not this morning. I have an appointment.”
She wasn’t going to make this easy, and he didn’t blame her. He’d been an ass. “What about this afternoon. Say three, at my place?”
“I’d prefer the Busy Bean.”
He paused and shook his head. “My condo would be better. You’ll need to trust me on this.”
After a brief hesitation, she sighed, nodded, and then, before he could stop her, she left.
Heath watched her go, his spirits sagging. He may very well have ruined the best thing to happen to him in longer than he could remember.
