A Fresh Start for Two (16 page)

How Jake hated to see the fear in her gaze.

“We’ll get him. We’re going back to the inn, so there will be plenty of protection for you tonight. Okay? We’re not alone, babe.” He gave her chin a light squeeze. “Come on. I want you out of here.”

They got in their car and drove off, Ryan, Spence, and Dan directly behind them.

***

A couple of hours later, most everyone had gone to bed, including a very tired Maria, who had spent the day swimming. Julia, Lucia, and Jake were sitting out on the porch chatting, but after a while, Lucia let out a loud yawn and said, “I’m exhausted. Nice job on the presentation, teammates.” She kissed Julia’s cheek and added, “I’m going to bed, chica. Thanks for all you are doing for us, Jake.”

When she left, they were alone on the porch together. Julia loved this space and thought it was so beautiful with all the windows open. She could hear the hoot of the owls and the croaking of frogs through the screens, sounds that made her want to forget about the ugly realities of life and lose herself in this magical place. The lights in the cottages across the lake flickered like fireflies in the darkness, their numbers diminishing as time passed.

“You tired?” Jake asked. “You want to go to bed?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Stay out here with me for a little while longer?”

He nodded and pulled her close so she could rest her head on his shoulder. The two of them were almost lying flat on the chaise—the end piece of the couch.

“I know you won’t like this, but I have to ask you a question, Julia.”

She peeked at him through her lashes before answering. “Go ahead.”

“You told me this happened with Vincent on Sunday night, right?” He ran his fingers up and down her arm.

“Yes,” she replied in a small voice.

“And you didn’t tell me about it until Tuesday at the race track.”

“I know.” The light touch with which he caressed her skin was like a balm to her very soul.

“And when you told me, you were half crazed with the stress of keeping it to yourself. Am I right? Had you told anyone else at that point? Lucia?”

She curved her body in closer to his. “No, I hadn’t told anyone.” She didn’t want him to look at her; she just couldn’t bear to see him disappointed in her. He probably couldn’t understand why she’d do something like that. His life was so different. For him, there had never been a shortage of confidantes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because.” Tears pooled in her eyes.

“You were thinking of going back to him to protect me and Lucia, weren’t you?” His lips were so close to her forehead that she could feel the warmth of his breath.

“Yes.” She gripped his shirt in her hand, so afraid he would turn away from her. She had to keep him. She had to make him see.

“Why? Why would you not trust me to help you? Why would you give yourself to someone like that?”

“Because.” She sat up and crossed her legs, playing with her pant leg to avoid meeting his eyes. “You don’t understand. Everything in your life is so different from what my experiences have been.”

“So tell me. I want to understand why you would put yourself in danger like that. Why you don’t trust me enough to help you. Why you would give up like that… I thought you said you loved me.”

Julia could hear the frustration in his voice, but yet no matter what, she would never be afraid of Jake. He would never take his anger out on her.

“I do. That’s why. You don’t…” She scratched her forehead and reached for a tissue to wipe her tears away, though she didn’t know if she could stop them now that they had started.

“Try me.”

Her hands shook as she swiped at her tears. “I love you so much, I would rather die than let anything happen to you. I know this is really early in our relationship, and I don’t expect you to say anything in return, but it’s true. I have never had anyone help and support me the way that you do. You have believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. You have shown me such a different life. I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something bad happened to you because of me. It seemed as if it would be better to know you were okay even if I was miserable.

“But then I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted...that I wanted it all. I wanted to be in love, to have the chance to be in a good relationship. I wanted this thing I never before thought I could have.” She rubbed her forehead. “I’m not very good at explaining myself.”

He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand while she leaned down to rest her head in her hand, her elbow on her knee.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you without a fight.” Then she stopped for a moment and stared at the ceiling. “I even started to understand my mother.”

He gave her a puzzled look.

“What if my mother loved my father the way I love you? He was taken away from her so young. Their relationship didn’t really have time to blossom. Loving you has helped me realize that maybe she wasn’t really angry with me about losing my dad, just angry with the world. I think she’s been lost all these years. I never understood that before, but now I do.”

He pulled her down to kiss her—a deep, tender kiss that moved her soul. He cupped her face and kissed her again, teasing her with his tongue. Her breath hitched and she pulled back. “I never really loved Vincent, even though I thought I did. I was marrying him for my mother. But now that I know you, now that I love you, I can’t lose you without a fight.”

Chapter Sixteen

Friday morning had arrived, just one more day until Vincent would try to follow through on his threat. Julia showered and made her way down to the porch. She’d love to go for a jog, but she didn’t think Jake would go for that, so she grabbed a cup of tea and headed out to the porch. Lucia was already there working on her accounting. Lorraine was outside on the deck gardening in the flower boxes and pots.

She waved to her through the window and stuck her head through the opening of the door. “Julia, help yourself to whatever you’d like for breakfast. There’s cereal, toast, and fruit. If you need anything, let me know.”

“Thank you, Lorraine.” She headed into the kitchen and made herself a slice of toast and grabbed an orange, then down next to Lucia and stared out over the blue waters of Orenda Lake. “Wow, I could get used to looking at this view every morning. Isn’t it beautiful, Lucia?”

The two of them gazed over the water as the sound of motorboats running across the water echoed in their ears. “Yes. It is nice.” Lucia sighed.

“Where’s Maria?”

The imp burst into the room, “Now can I go, Lucia?”

Julia surveyed her clothing, understanding settling into her mind. She wanted to help Lorraine garden. She had put on casual clothes that could easily be cleaned.

Maria bounced from one foot to the other. “I can help Miss Lorraine, she said I could. I’ll try not to make a mess. I want to learn how to plant flowers. Can I? Can I go now?”

After giving her little sister a healthy eye roll, Lucia stepped over to the door and opened it all the way. “Lorraine, are you sure she won’t be a bother?”

Lorraine stood up from her flower box. “On, no,” she said with a wide smile. “She would actually be a great help. Maybe she could help me with the pots in the boathouse. Do you mind?”

“All right, Maria. Be a good chica and help her.”

Maria clapped her hands and lunged out the door. “May we do the boathouse now?”

Lorraine chuckled. “Of course. Will you carry the watering can down for me? You can water everything, too. It’s been a little dry out here.”

It was all the invitation Maria needed to grab the watering can and race toward the water.

Lorraine turned to Lucia and said, “How I wish I had half her energy.”

“Well, if she bothers you, please send her back.”

Lorraine sauntered off, waving over her shoulder at Lucia. “She’s a pleasure.”

There was a big grin on Lucia’s face as she returned to the porch and sat back down, but it suddenly struck Julia how much her friend’s life had been inconvenienced for her. She and her little sister couldn’t even go home.

“Lucia, I’m sorry my life has disrupted yours. I hope you don’t lose your job.” Julia fumbled with her own papers, trying to decide what she wanted to work on first.

“It’s okay. I had a week’s vacation coming anyway. And I’ve been thinking…maybe it’s time for you and me to start a new life once this situation is settled.” She leaned her elbow against the table between their chairs and set her chin in her hand, staring off into space. “The professor thinks we would have a real shot at making this business work. Could you imagine? You and I working together—regular hours, not a night shift. We could have a real life.”

She thought for a moment as she chewed on her toast. “That would be amazing, wouldn’t it?”

Her mouth stopped and she glanced up on the wall.

Lucia said, “What is it?”

“That picture of the angel.” She pointed to the spot. “She looks like the one at St. Luke’s in the stained glass window.”

“I guess. Why do you care, amiga?”

“I don’t know. It’s silly really, but I always imagined she was my friend when I was little.” She paused for a moment, then said, “Do you believe in guardian angels? Maybe she’s mine.”

“Maybe she’s ours.”

Julia smiled and popped another piece of toast in her mouth.

Lucia started giggling.

“What?” Julia peered at her friend.

“What if we opened our store and made enough money to buy our own house on the lake?”

Julia grinned and pointed at her friend. “No, two houses next door to one another. One for Jake and me, and one for you and your yet-to-be-found boyfriend.”

Lucia said, “As long as we’re dreaming, I’m going to marry a doctor. It’ll be someone who adores me the way Jake adores you.”

“You think so?” Julia whispered, peeking out the opening of the door to see if Lorraine was within hearing of them.

“Ay, chica. He loves you. He’s just a guy, so he doesn’t know it yet. They have to get hit over the head with love. But he will.”

Julia turned serious again. “I sure hope so, because I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

As if their words had summoned him, her text alert went off just then. Sure enough, it was Jake.

Jake
:
You up yet, beautiful
?

She smiled and grabbed the phone to answer him.

Julia:
Yes, having breakfast.

Jake:
Will you do me a favor?

Julia:
Sure.

Jake:
I’ll pick you up in about an hour.

Julia:
Ok, where are we going?

Jake:
To see your mom. She needs to know what’s happening.

Julia sighed before she answered him.

Julia:
Okay. I guess you’re right.

“What is it?” Lucia asked.

“Jake wants to take me over to see my mother. He thinks she needs to know.”

Lucia lifted her head from her book to gaze at her friend. “I think he’s right. Vincent did say he would be going over there tomorrow.”

“I know.” She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer, asking God to give her patience with her mother and to protect them all from Vincent. Halfway through the prayer, she opened one eye to peek at the angel. Hope flooded her heart.

***

Jake picked her up in his cruiser, and they met Ryan in front of Julia’s house. It surprised Julia to learn he would be there as their back up.

“It’s just a precaution,” Jake said. “Don’t freak out on me. There’s still been no movement at Vincent’s house. In fact, we found his flight records and you were right. He won’t be back in town until late tonight.”

Julia knocked on the door. When they entered, her mother was sitting at the kitchen table. Tiffany rushed over to embrace her, something she rarely did. “Are you home for good? I’ve been so scared, Julia. I don’t like this.”

Julia stared at her sister’s red eyes. This had been hard on her, too. It helped to know that her sister had thought about her, that she’d missed her.

“Mama’s miserable,” she whispered. “Please, please come home.”

She brushed Tiffany’s hair off her face. “I can’t, but maybe you should leave with me. Please sit down. We need to talk, and I want you here, too.”

Tiffany sat down across from their mother, clutching a clump of tissues in her hands.

“Hi, Mama.” Julia leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Are you all right?”

Her mother refused to make eye contact with her. “Yes. But Tiffany’s right. You need to come home. Your sister misses you.”

Jake spoke up. “Mrs. Ross, we need to make you aware of some things that have happened.”

“Oh, so you came over in your fancy uniform this time? Do you think it makes you more important?”

“No, I have my uniform on because I’m working today. This is my lunch break.”

“Hmph.” She turned her gaze away from them and stared back down at the table.

“Mama, Vincent is making threats against us.”

“Us? What do you mean, us?” That was enough to bring her gaze up to meet Julia’s.

“Vincent played some tricks on me at the restaurant on Sunday night, and he almost managed to get me fired.”

“What’d you do, Julia? You must have done something wrong.” Her mother glared at her, but she wasn’t going to let that bother her. She knew how her mother could be.

“Nothing, Mama. Vincent had a friend complain about me. Mrs. Brooks sent me home. If I hadn’t been working there so long, she would have fired me. He did it on purpose so he could get me in the parking lot alone to threaten me.”

“That doesn’t sound like Vincent to me. He loves you.”

“No, he doesn’t love me. I’m a pretty thing to have on his arm. He’s the type of man who’s only capable of caring about himself.”

Jake took hold of Julia’s hand. “Mrs. Ross, Vincent told Julia that if she didn’t go back to him by tomorrow, he would hurt both Lucia and me.”

“Lucia? Why would he hurt, Lucia? Oh, no.” She pulled her phone out. “I have to call him. He can’t hurt Lucia. What has she done?”

“Mama!” Julia reached over and snatched her mother’s phone away. “Listen to you. Vincent does not have the right to hurt anyone, Lucia or Jake or me or anyone. He’s sick. Can’t you see that?”

“Julia, I don’t know what to think anymore. I guess I have to admit the truth. Vincent is starting to make me nervous. You should probably tell your fellow to do what he has to in order to make sure Lucia is safe.”

“Mrs. Ross, I’m right here. You don’t need to talk about me as if I’m not. I have strong feelings for your daughter, and I know you do, too. The issue is that if he is willing to hurt Lucia and me, he’s capable of hurting your daughter or anyone else who is willing to stand in his way. What makes you think that he won’t do so much damage to Julia that she’ll end up in the hospital? He’s trying to control every move she makes.”

Julia said, “I know you miss Daddy, and I understand how much it must have hurt when he died.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “But so much time has passed, and we need to let him go… It’s time for you, me, and Tiffany to have a better life.”

“I know, Julia. But I thought that better life was with Vincent. Wouldn’t you like to have a new flat-screen TV or a new microwave? Look how old this carpet is. He could have changed our lives for the better, but I guess I was wrong. I’m tired of living the same old life.” Her voice crackled on that last sentence, as if she could hardly get it out. “I’m sure your sister would like some new things.”

Tiffany whispered, “No, I’d rather have my sister back.” She reached across the table for her sister’s hand.

“I understand you were grasping for anything, but Vincent is not the answer to our prayers. Jake is.” She swiped at her own eyes when she saw the tears flowing down her mother’s cheeks. “He’s a kind, smart, and hard-working man. He protects me while Vincent hurts me, in more ways than one. Did you ever think that I might be able to one day earn the money to give you some nice things? Maybe it doesn’t have to come from a man at all.”

“Oh, Julia. You’re so young and naïve. I was like that once.” She turned her gaze to Jake. “Protect my daughters. I couldn’t bear to lose either of my girls.” She stared at her hands, kneading them while she thought. Finally, with a deep sigh, she said, “He has sent me a couple of texts that sounded strange…it made me worry that he wasn’t quite right in the head.”

“Mrs. Ross, could you be more specific, please?”

She pointed to her phone in Julia’s hand. “See for yourself. I don’t think he’s coming home until late tonight. So please take my girls somewhere safe.” She got up and grabbed several tissues.

Jake took the phone and turned to Tiffany, who’d been silently listening to the conversation. “Why don’t you go pack a bag? There is extra room at my house. In fact, Mrs. Ross, you may not be safe here alone. You should come with us, too.”

“Thank you, but no. He won’t hurt me. But take my girls away from here.”

As Tiffany ran upstairs to grab her things, Julia stood up and hugged her mother. “I’m sorry, Mama,” she whispered to her mother. “I love Jake. I never really loved Vincent.”

Mrs. Ross patted her daughter’s hand. “I know. I can see it in your eyes…and his. I must admit I never did see much emotion in Vincent. Go and be safe.”

“Mama, please come with us?”

“No. I’ll stay here. Text me, please? I worry when I don’t hear from you two.”

Tiffany ran downstairs with her bag. Jake took it from her after he handed the phone back to Julia’s mother. Both girls hugged their mother again before heading toward the door. On his way out, Julia heard Jake make one last attempt to get her mother to come with them. “Really, my parent’s house is huge. You can have your own room. We’d be happy to have you stay with us.”

“No, but thank you for loving my daughter. Take care of her, please?”

Julia smiled. He hadn’t said it, but even her mother could tell he loved her.