Chasing Julia (Rhode Island Romance #2) (5 page)

Audrey tipped her
head to one side, giving the question some thought. “A little of both?” she
ventured.

Julia did a quick
mental inventory of the venues she’d worked with in the past. And then a light bulb
switched on in her head. Which surprised her more than a little; her brain
still felt like it was taking a bath in vodka. “Don’t you have a factory in
Pawtucket?”

Audrey’s face
brightened. “I do.”

“Is it the kind of
space that could work as a venue for your party? Since you’re introducing a new
line and looking for new buyers, they might be very interested in seeing where
the jewelry is made. You could have demos set up and maybe give tours. Since
there won’t be a venue rental cost incurred, this will give us more options for
the catering and entertainment.”

Audrey clasped her
hands beneath her chin. She looked thrilled. “That’s
brilliant
. I knew
you were the best person to go to. Tony has raved about how smart and business
savvy you are.”

“He has?”

“Of course. He
talks about you all the time. Just last night he was telling us how much he
admired what you’ve accomplished since you took over this business from your
parents.”

“He did?” Julia
felt a brief glow of happiness that Tony had spoken of her so highly. Then she
swallowed. “Last night?”

Audrey’s smile
flattened into a look of remorse. “Oh, dear. Sorry. Yes, we all got together
last night to watch the show.”

It felt like a big,
cold lump of lead had lodged itself in Julia’s stomach. She didn’t want to
know. She didn’t want to ask. But she did. “We?”

“Tony, the
girls—Collette, Shirley, Mercy. Sylvie was there, too. And Joe and Willa, of
course. It was at Willa’s house.”

“I see,” Julia
said, a rasp in her voice.

Audrey leaned
forward, her expression curious. “Did you watch it?”

Julia nodded.

“That must have
been difficult for you.” The woman’s tone was sincere; her face was kind.

Julia shrugged one
shoulder. “It wasn’t easy.”

Audrey sighed. “I
apologize for prying. Will this be an issue for you? Planning my event?
Considering that Willa and Joe are my friends?”

“No.” The
conviction in her own voice surprised Julia, compelling her to sit up
straighter. Where had
that
come from? “No. I don’t allow my personal
life to interfere with my work.”

Audrey looked
relieved. “Good for you. So, it won’t bother you that they’ll be coming to the
party?”

A new kind of
energy infiltrated Julia’s veins. Would she have answered differently had this
conversation taken place before she’d watched the show? Probably. But she’d
made a promise to herself before she’d fallen asleep last night that it was
time to move on. Time to let go. “No. In fact, it’s time I met them face to
face. It’s been four months.”

“Good for you.”
Audrey’s voice rang with admiration. “I like a young woman with a strong
backbone. I’m guessing things haven’t been easy for you lately.”

Julia gave a small
huff of laughter. “To put it mildly.”

The older woman’s
expression turned shrewd. “Life has a way of shaking us out of our shoes every
now and then, just when we’re starting to get comfortable.” Her eyes locked
with Julia’s as her voice softened. “When I was a young graduate student at
RISD, I fell in love with a very successful local businessman. He treated me
like a princess. I had the best of everything. I thought that he was the man
I’d spend the rest of my life with. And then, out of the blue, he broke up with
me. I was absolutely devastated. I thought my life would never be the same. And
you know what? It wasn’t. It was better. I don’t think I would’ve done or
accomplished half the things in my life if I was still with that man today.
And, in hindsight, I realized that I wasn’t in love with him as much as I was
in love with the kind of world he lived in.”

Julia frowned. “So,
what are you saying? That I should be happy and content to be single for the
rest of my life?”

“If that’s what you
want. I certainly am. Personally, I don’t feel that a woman needs to be married
in order to feel fulfilled and happy.” Audrey shook her head. “But, no, that’s
not what I’m saying. What I’m trying to say, as trite as it might sound, is
that everything happens for a reason. You may not see it that way right now,
but later, maybe years and years later, you’ll realize that the break-up with
Joe was a gift, a blessing in disguise.”

Hannah had said
something similar a while back during one of Julia’s pity parties. But the
words seemed to resonate more strongly when spoken by this woman who had more
age and experience to back them up.

Julia attempted a
smile. “I get what you’re saying. And I look forward to that day. But, I’m just
not that far along in my recovery yet.”

Audrey’s smile was
kind. She reached across the table and placed her hand over Julia’s. “You’ll
get there. And, in the meantime, you focus on what you love to do. And you
gather people around you who are supportive and loving. Who knows? Maybe one of
those people will end up being the
real
true love of your life.”

Julia
woke up on Saturday morning feeling more refreshed and alive than she had in
months. After a vigorous workout on her elliptical machine, she washed her hair
and then painted her toenails a vibrant shade of hot pink. The color matched
her mood. She threw on a pair of khaki capris and a pretty, flowing cotton
blouse in multi-shades of autumn orange that seemed to intensify the color of
her amber eyes. 

She was glad she’d
gone with her gut and watched Joe and Tony’s show. She’d faced her lingering
doubts and questions head-on. Did she still feel hurt and bitter? Absolutely.
But she wasn’t going to allow those feelings to hold her down any longer.
Audrey was right; Julia needed to surround herself with the things and the
people that she loved in order to find the strength to move on.

Joe had been one of
those people. Maybe down the road they could return to the friendship that had
been the foundation of their relationship. She knew she’d have to see him at
some point. To continue avoiding him and the situation would only put a strain
on her friendship with his brother and sister.

Now, with Audrey’s
party, she had a concrete date to work towards. There wouldn’t be any
surprises. She’d be prepared to meet Joe and Willa together for the first time
with confidence and grace.

She was buttering a
piece of toast when the doorbell rang. She peered through the peep hole, smiled
and opened the door.

Tony braced one
hand on the doorjamb and grinned at her. His warm eyes assessed her from her hair
to her bare feet and up again. “Don’t
you
look colorful. I like it.”

She smiled.
“Thanks. Come on in.”

She walked towards
the kitchen as he closed the door behind him. “I wasn’t expecting to see you
today,” she called over her shoulder.

He followed her
into the kitchen and leaned one hip against the counter, watching as she spread
some strawberry jam on her toast. “I didn’t have any set plans for the day,” he
said. “How about you?”

She mimicked his
pose, facing him. She took a bite of toast, chewed and swallowed it down,
before replying, “Not especially.”

She felt a weird
fluttering in her lower abdomen when his eyes briefly dropped to her mouth
before lifting to hers again. What was
that
all about? She searched his
expression, but there was nothing there except casual regard.

“Good,” he said.
“It’s a beautiful day. Let’s get out in the sunshine.”

“And do what?”

“I have something
in mind.” His gaze landed on her blouse. “We might get a little dirty. Do you
want to change?”

“That sounds
ominous.”

“Not really. You’ll
love it. Just don’t want you whining later that I didn’t warn you.”

“I don’t whine.”

He chuckled. “No,
you don’t. That’s just one of the things I like about you.”

She narrowed her
eyes at him as she ate the remainder of her toast. She caught herself wondering
what other things he liked about her. Then she gave a mental shake of her head.
That was just her needing a boost to her damaged feminine ego. “I’ll bring
along another shirt if I need it. Sneakers or sandals?”

“Sandals are fine.
Don’t want to hide those pretty toes.”

She rolled her eyes
at him. “Save your flirting for another girl. You know it won’t work with me.”

Something seemed to
shift in his expression. “No? Guess I’ll have to try a little harder then.”

As her brows
knitted in a puzzled frown, his features relaxed into an easy smile. “Go get
your shoes. And bring a sweater, too. It might be cooler where we’re going.”

“Where
are
we going?”

“You’ll see.”

She heaved a big
sigh of consternation as she stomped past him and headed for her bedroom. But
it was all in jest. She was looking forward to spending a day outdoors, and
Tony was good company.

Since it was a
Saturday, he’d been able to park his pickup truck around the corner from her
building. He took her elbow in a gentle grip as he helped her climb up into the
cab. Through the windshield, she watched him stroll around the front of the
truck to the driver’s side. He was wearing tan cargo shorts and a black
tee-shirt that molded his chiseled torso like a second skin.

Eye candy,
indeed
, she thought, recalling
Hannah’s words from the other night. She arched her eyebrows at him as he got
in the truck, fastened his seatbelt and then turned the key in the ignition. “Whatever
happened to that girl you were dating back in April? Dana? Danielle?” she asked
casually.

He flicked a
curious look at her before he donned his sunglasses and directed his attention
to pulling out of the parking space. “Danielle. That fizzled out pretty
quickly. She wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier.”

She stayed quiet as
he expertly maneuvered the truck through the downtown streets and eventually
took the onramp to 95 South. He was a good driver—confident but not overly
aggressive. He maintained speed with the flow of traffic as they headed down
the busy highway.

“I bet now that the
show is out you’re going to collect some fan girls,” she surmised, breaking the
comfortable silence.

He grimaced. “Yeah.
I hadn’t really thought about that. Veronica wanted me to open a Twitter
account. I’m way too busy to spend much time online. I agreed to do a couple
live chats on the show’s Facebook page, but that’s it.”

Julia leaned
against the side of the door, angling her body so she could watch him as he
drove. “Does that page have a lot of fans yet?”

“Thousands. It’s
crazy. People are starting to recognize me. Some strange lady asked for my
autograph at Stop and Shop last night.”

“Some people might
find that flattering.”

He grimaced again.
“It’s all right when it’s the locals. Wasn’t expecting girls to be mailing
their panties to the office, though.”

Julia gave a shout
of laughter. “
What
? Has that really happened?”

His face turned
ruddy with embarrassment. “Sadly, yes. I don’t know why they think I’d find
that even remotely tempting. I’ve always been more attracted to the
old-fashioned kind of girl.”

He threw a quick
glance at her, but she couldn’t read his expression behind his sunglasses.
Nevertheless, she felt a curious, fluttery sensation pulse through her veins at
the way his voice had lowered a decibel on that last statement. She looked
away, forcing her attention on the road before them. She was glad to hear the
casualness in her tone when she asked, “Any girl in particular?”

“Maybe.”

She shot him a
look. “Really? Who? Do I know her?”

“Maybe.”

She gave a huff of
annoyance. “You’re playing close to the vest. That’s not like you. You’ve
always told me about your girlfriends before.”

He shrugged. “It’s
still too early in the relationship.”

“Would I like her?”

“I think so.” His
mouth tilted in a secretive smile. “She’s a lot like you.”

She had no response
to that. She returned her gaze to the road, but her focus was inward. His words
had stirred a reaction within her similar to the one she’d felt the other night
when she’d watched him put his hand on Willa’s back as they’d been walking up
the staircase. Now she wondered if it wasn’t resentment she was feeling so much
as jealousy. Why should she feel jealous of this mysterious new woman in Tony’s
life? Maybe it was just because she’d enjoyed spending so much time with him
these past few months. He wouldn’t have as much free time for her anymore once
he had a fulltime girlfriend. Yes. That explained it.

“So, how was work
this week?” Tony asked, piercing her confused thoughts.

“Hmm? Oh, fine.
Busy. You?”

“Same. But not as
crazy as it was while we were taping the show. I can breathe a little easier
for a while.”

“Has the network
picked up the series for next season yet?”

“That won’t be
announced for a couple weeks. But Veronica is pretty confident it will be.”

She relaxed a
little in her seat as he eased them back into their normal camaraderie. “It’s
going to be a whole new life for you,” she observed, returning her gaze to him.
“I’m so happy that you and…your brother and sister will finally have financial
security. It’s long overdue.”

“Yeah.” He smiled.
“I wrote Joe a check last month for my share of the company. Now I can
officially say we’re business partners.”

“Congratulations.
But you know that didn’t matter to him. It’s always been your company, too.”

“It mattered to
me.” His tone was firm. “Now everything is fair and square.”

She studied his
profile. She was struck anew by how much he’d changed from the boy she’d known.

In the early years,
when his parents were still living, she’d merely thought of Tony as Joe’s
tagalong baby brother. From the moment he could walk, wherever Joe went, Tony
wanted to follow. And because Julia was the girl next door and Joe’s best
friend, that usually meant Tony was chasing after Julia, too.

She could almost
still hear his clear, piping voice as he raced to keep up with her, his little
legs pumping furiously.
“Wait for me, Julia! Wait for me!”

He’d been a sweet little
boy, a born charmer. Since he was almost six years younger, she’d usually made
him play the role of the baby or the student or the patient in the “Pretend”
games she’d liked to play. He’d always willingly gone along, just happy to be
with her and Joe.

But as she’d
entered her pre-teen and teenage years, she’d put those games behind her. Her
world revolved around her hair and her clothes and boys. She only had vague
memories of Tony during those years, flickering images of him kicking a ball in
the fenced-in yard between their houses or throwing pebbles at her window and
begging her to come out and play with him.

Then came that
horrible night when Tony was twelve years old, and the policemen arrived at the
Rossetti house with the shocking news that Frank and Sarah Rossetti had lost
their lives in a freak accident at an old warehouse Frank had been converting
into commercial space. There’d been something wrong with some pre-existing
electrical wiring inside one of the walls. The building had caught on fire; the
blaze had spread too rapidly for the couple to escape in time.

Julia had been
babysitting Sylvie that night. It was February, and Joe had left for college
the previous September. Tony had been playing video games in the front room
while Julia had been reading Sylvie a bedtime story. It was Tony who’d opened
the door to the police officers.

She would never
forget the look on his face when she’d walked into the front hallway—the
absolute heartbreak and devastation. She’d pulled him into her arms, holding
him tight as he’d wailed his grief. His lanky body had shaken with
gut-wrenching sobs. He’d buried his head against her neck, his hot tears
soaking her skin.

Memories of the
ensuing days and months were still enveloped in a fog. Joe had dropped out of
school and become the legal guardian of his brother and sister as well as the
owner of Rossetti Construction—a role he’d never wanted. Julia and her mother
had stepped in to cook and clean for the family. Julia had been working
fulltime at her parents’ business by that point, but she and her mother had arranged
their hours so that Diane was available to help the Rossetti’s in the
morning—fixing lunches and making sure Sylvie and Tony got to school on time—while
Julia returned home in time to keep an eye on them afterschool and fix their
dinner.

Although Julia and
Joe had dated casually in high school, their relationship hadn’t evolved into a
sexual one yet. They’d shared a few experimental make-out sessions in their
teens, but neither had been willing or eager to push things further. Her mother
had advised Julia that it was best for Joe to start college without a
girlfriend. “It’s tough to manage a long distance relationship,” she’d said.
“Let him enjoy his college years freely. You two are meant to be. He’ll come
back to you when all is said and done.”

Worry for her best
friend had kept Julia waiting long into the night for Joe to come home from
work. He’d been thrown into a business that was constantly in a state of flux,
dependent on the economy and the housing market. The company had been hovering
on insolvency, and the insurance money collected from the fire had barely
covered the bills. Joe put in long, backbreaking hours to keep things afloat.
Julia had waited for him to come home each night—most nights he hadn’t returned
until well past midnight. She’d greeted him with a warm dinner and comforting
hugs.

One night, not too
long after the accident, those hugs had led to something more. Joe had taken
her to his bedroom and made love to her. They’d both been virgins.

It was shortly
after that when Tony’s attitude towards her had abruptly changed. There’d been
a bittersweet interlude where he’d been extremely affectionate towards her.
He’d let her hug him when he came home from school or ruffle his hair as he sat
at the kitchen table doing his homework while she prepared dinner.