Lights and Shadows (Oregon In Love) (27 page)

And Brian thought this was
helping?

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The following morning, Marc arose early and decided to
go for a run before beginning the itinerary of the day. After
dressing in shorts, T-shirt, and running shoes, he went down the hall
and raised his hand to knock softly on Julia’s door. When he found
the door standing open, he peeked inside and saw she still slept.
Seeing her sprawled diagonally on the bed with the blankets half on
and half off was an amazing sight for someone who seemed the epitome
of poise when awake.

Marc went into the kitchen, left her a note, and headed
outside. An hour later after an enjoyable run, he returned to the
house and went upstairs. Unable to resist checking on Julia once
again, he peered into her room where she continued to sleep. It
suddenly dawned on him she was in the exact same position she’d
been in when he left.

His heart thudded duly in his chest as an awful thought
entered his brain. Marc pushed open the door and crossed to the bed.
He reached out to check for a pulse. Suddenly, she emitted a small
groan and shifted, covering her eyes with her arm.

Breathing heavily, Marc backed out of her room and went
into the guest room. Despite the fact Julia wasn’t recovering from
a life-threatening illness, for a split-second he’d imagined the
worst. And it suddenly brought to the fore his foolishness for not
confessing his love for her while he had the chance.

***

The tantalizing aroma of fresh cinnamon rolls must have
roused Julia, because she ventured downstairs shortly after they
arrived. Marc thought she looked fairly rested and as usual,
incredibly lovely when she entered the kitchen.

“
I’m adapting to life in Southern California quite
well,” he said, hoping to coax a smile out of her.

“
Oh, really? And how’s that?”

“
I called a bakery using the speed dial on your phone
and violá, these arrived as if by magic at the front door.”

Julia smiled and nibbled her lip, raising her brows when
she saw the box of rolls on the counter.

“
Don’t you know how unhealthy those things are? I
suppose at home you eat Lucky Charms and Fruity Pebbles.”

Marc grinned, thrilled he’d achieved his objective.
“These are made from whole wheat flour.”

Julia didn’t seem convinced. “They sure are messy,”
she said, watching him lick the sugary frosting off his fingers. She
approached him and gently ran her finger along his chin. “You have
frosting on your face,” she said softly.

Marc stared at her, wanting nothing more than to snake
his arm around her waist and kiss her until she was as breathless as
he felt. But he held back, worried it might be too much, too soon. He
wanted to be sure of her. He wanted a guarantee she would take him
back.

Coward
.

“
Julia,” he said, his voice deeper than usual.

Quickly stepping around to the other side of the kitchen
counter, she sent him a guileless look. “Yes?”

“
Was there a specific time you wanted to leave?”

She glanced at her wristwatch. “How about now?”

***

Julia wondered if she’d run mad. That little episode
in the kitchen this morning with Marc was over the top. What had she
been thinking? Where were her principles? What happened to her
decision to not push him in any way?
Obviously, it’s easier said
than done.

Crossing her arms over her chest to keep from reaching
out to Marc, she peered up through her lashes at where he sat behind
the wheel of the Infinity. They were en route to a small get-together
hosted by her boss, Lawrence Steiner, the senior member of her now
ex-consulting firm. Earlier in the day, she’d gone to the office to
clean out her desk. The task had been surprisingly easy, accomplished
with little regret. Julia had to admit to a growing excitement at the
new direction her life was taking. And while she wasn’t yet sure
where that direction would take her, she knew God was in control.

They pulled alongside the curb in front of Mr. Steiner’s
home and parked, and once again Julia found herself admiring the man
beside her. He wore a black sport coat over a black shirt, open at
the neck, along with black slacks. The shagginess of his hair gave
him a slightly raffish air and Julia suddenly wondered if the other
women at the party would think he was fair game. She frowned at the
thought.

Marc came around to the other side of the car and helped
her out. As they walked up to the house, his fingertips brushed
against the small of her back and she longed to lean up against him,
to once again experience the feel of his arms around her. Julia
chastised herself.
You’re only hurting yourself thinking like
this
. She stood next to him, waiting on the porch after ringing
the bell, nervously pleating the fabric of her jade silk dress and
adjusting the fringed wrap around her shoulders.

She chanced a glance up at Marc. His eyes seemed to burn
like coal as he regarded her. She caught her breath and felt herself
sway toward him...until she heard the door open and the voice of Mr.
Steiner’s wife.

“
Julia! Come in. Don’t you look lovely!”

With Marc’s hand at her elbow nudging her inside,
Julia blinked in the light and finally found her voice. “Mrs.
Steiner, I’d like you to meet Marc Dorin, a...friend from Oregon.
Um, Marc, Mrs. Gloria Steiner.”

“
Delighted to meet you, Mr. Dorin. And while we’re
sorry to see our Julia leave us, I’m beginning to understand her
motivation in moving.”

Julia felt her face flush crimson. Leave it to her
boss’s wife to mortify her this way. After hearing Marc murmur
something noncommital in response, she gave a travesty of a smile and
plucking at his sleeve, urged him into the living room. Hopefully to
more polite company.

As it turned out, the general consensus of her friends
and co-workers agreed with Mrs. Steiner’s assumption, regardless of
Julia’s firm denials. To her dismay, she and Marc were soon pulled
in two different directions and remained that way throughout the
evening. Julia was unable to keep her attention from roaming
restlessly around the room, in search of his dark figure, half-aware
her actions gave lie to her denials. As the evening wore on, she
realized she no longer cared what anyone thought. She just wanted to
be with Marc.

They left after midnight, Julia alternating between
exhaustion and elation. Much of the exhaustion dissipated once she
removed Marc from the grasp of the cloying women who’d clung to him
all evening. Now she had him to herself.
Not that he seems to
notice
, she thought glumly.

Once they arrived back at her house, Julia went into her
bedroom. She opened the drawer of her nightstand and shook a sleeping
pill into her hand from a bottle prescribed by Dr. Granger. Without
it, she feared she’d get little rest that night.

***

The next day, during the drive to Julia’s mother’s
home, Marc noticed Julia seemed edgy and that she’d taken more care
with her appearance. Her outfit was almost formal, her hair perfect,
and her words clipped.

While he drove, Julia pointed out a few landmarks in a
quiet voice—the high school she attended, a clothing store where
she worked after school, the mall where she met with friends.

“
And that’s the church where...”

Marc looked over at her when her voice trailed away.

“
Where you what?” he asked curiously.

Averting her eyes in the opposite direction of the
church, she said, “Where I was married.”

Marc couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say.
Julia had told him all about her marriage and the tragic way it
ended. He longed to reach across the seat and take her hand. The fact
that he didn’t have the privilege frustrated him.

Julia pointed to the left. “Turn here,” she said
briskly.

After threading his way through traffic from Del Mar,
Marc turned down La Jolla Village Drive and soon found himself in one
of the most exclusive neighborhoods he’d ever seen. Sprawling
mansions, surrounded by lush, immaculate landscapes and coastal
vegetation, boasted BMWs, Mercedes and Jaguars in their long, winding
driveways.

They stopped in front of a contemporary home, walled
with glass and fringed with stark, dramatic shrubbery. When they got
out of the car, Marc could hear the roar of the ocean in the near
distance. Julia led the way up to the front door. After ringing the
bell, a small, dark woman in a light blue uniform answered the door.
She gave Julia a broad smile.

“
Julia! How are you? You’ve been away too long!”

They exchanged hugs. “It's so good to see you.
Rosemary, meet my friend Marc Dorin.”

“
Hello, Mr. Dorin,” she said, stepping back to allow
them to enter. Rosemary led them through a cavernous foyer and into
what was ostensibly a living room filled with ultra-modern decor.

A tall, elegant woman strolled over to meet them. She
was followed by a man in his forties with a ponytail, an oversized
silk shirt, and a lazy slouch.

“
Mother, Gregory, this is my friend Marc Dorin. Marc,
Eleanor and Gregory Chandler.”

Eleanor gave Marc a smile as cool as her handshake.
Gregory said, “Hey.” His grip was firm and his countenance,
friendly.

What a happy family reunion
, Marc thought dryly.
They were led to a piece of furniture Marc assumed to be a futuristic
adaptation of a couch. Eleanor turned to Rosemary and ordered
refreshments to be brought in. The housekeeper silently slipped from
the room on her errand.

After being seated, Eleanor turned to Julia. “How did
you find the greenery at the house? I told Josephine she’d lose her
job if any of those plants died.”

“
They were all very healthy.”

“
And there was a fruit bowl?”

“
Yes, thank you. That was very considerate.”

Eleanor smiled thinly, then produced a folder and spread
out several pieces of paperwork on top of the chrome and glass coffee
table. “You realize you still have two months left on the lease?”

Julia opened her purse and drew out her checkbook.
“What’s the total amount due?”

Marc was shocked at the figure her mother stated. Julia
calmly wrote out the check and handed it over. Then she signed
several sheets of paper where her mother indicated each signature
should go.

“
I’ll have the keys sent over on Thursday,” Julia
said.

“
That sounds fine. Now, can I get you two something to
drink?”

Rosemary returned with a tray of iced tea with lemon
slices. Feeling obligated that Rosemary had gone to so much trouble,
Marc accepted a glass. Julia sipped from a glass as well, her
attention roving around the room as if looking for a way of escape.

After a few more minutes of perfunctory conversation,
Julia finally set down her glass and stood. “Well, I have some
packing to do.”

“
Yes,” said Eleanor, rising from the ‘couch’.
“And I have a meeting to be off to. Thanks for stopping by.” Her
chilly gaze swept over Marc. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr.
Dorin. Have a safe return trip.”

Gregory echoed her words while they all walked to the
door. Rosemary appeared and opened the door, winking at Julia as they
left. Once back on the road, Marc noticed Julia sitting rigidly in
her seat with a distraught expression on her face.

“
I know what you’re thinking,” she said.

“
What am I thinking?”

“
That my mother was unfeeling. That she obviously
married Gregory for his money. And wasn’t it touching that she
charged her daughter for two extra months although I won’t be
living at the house? I was even required to pay for it for all the
months I was in Oregon, but hey, she never was one to let family get
in the way of money.”

Julia’s angry tone surprised Marc. He didn’t know
what to say. “I assumed you owned the house.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s one of the many
properties she now owns in the area. I’m just another tenant.”
Julia closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry. It’s hard for
me not to be harsh. Every time I see my mother and Gregory together,
I’m reminded she dumped my father for some music company executive
who zooms around in one of four foreign sports cars.” She
swallowed. “You probably think I’m horrible to say such things.
And you’d be right.”

Marc stared straight ahead. What could he say? Julia was
being no more judgmental than he'd been. He’d made quick
assumptions about her based on circumstantial evidence and was
quickly discovering the error of his thinking.

“
My mother,” she went on bitterly, “never did want
kids. I found out later that I was a complete mistake and when she
became pregnant with Brian two months after I was born, my dad had to
talk her out of having an abortion.” Julia hugged her arms around
herself as if warding off the cold. “We were one big happy family.”

When Marc saw tears dribbling down Julia’s cheeks from
under her sunglasses, he couldn’t bear the thought of her feeling
so bleak. After pulling off to the side of the road, he reached for
her and gathered her into his arms.