Tart (27 page)

Even as he’d traveled and enjoyed having sex with other people, he’d wondered. He hadn’t connected with anyone else really, not emotionally, not apart from business.

But then he’d come back and Jules had shown up at the farm. The way they worked together had underlined that it didn’t matter at that point whether he had or hadn’t tried hard enough. It mattered that he had something real and lasting with someone he deserved to be with.

What he had with Jules and Cal was so totally different from what he’d had when he was married that he’d realized the most important lesson. He was capable of a real, lasting love with someone without hurting all the time. When he was with Jules they clicked. She didn’t need his attention every moment. She didn’t need to be taken care of. So much that it annoyed him sometimes when he wanted to fix her and she insisted on doing it herself.

When he spoke, she listened. When he needed her, she was there. Cal was the same.

It wasn’t important, whatever he’d done, or not done. What was important was that he’d found people who completed his life without trying to take it over. And the love he had now was so much stronger and better; he could tell the difference from day one.

“What’s she want?” Patrick came inside to put the coffee mugs in the sink.

“Doesn’t matter. I’ve got what I need and she’s got nothing to do with my life anymore.”

“That’s the truth. Glad you see it.”

•   •   •

Jules had eaten dinner at the Whaleys’ kitchen table countless times. Jeanne had been a lot more like a mother to her since the divorce than her own mother had been on several occasions. She adored the woman and her quirky and sweet husband.

And yet this time was different. She wasn’t there as Mary’s friend, she was there as Cal’s girlfriend. Sitting next to Cal’s boyfriend. The whole thing was surreal.

Jules sucked it up and knocked and then a thought occurred to her. She’d planned to bring something sweet, but occasionally Jeanne liked to bake so she didn’t want to step on toes. And then she got a little panicked, thinking maybe they expected her to bring something. After all, she usually did. But before she could run back to Tart, Jeanne answered with a big smile and a genuine, warm hug once she’d finished pulling Jules inside.

“Juliet! You look so pretty.” Jeanne stood back after the hug to look her up and down.

“Thank you. Gillian actually
made
this dress for me a few years ago.”

“That woman, I tell you. She’s good at everything. Well, come on in. Calvin isn’t here yet. He was nearly a month past my due date too. I hope you won’t hold all that tardiness against him. That and his messiness. You’d never know to look at him that he can’t hang a shirt up to save his life.”

She relaxed a little. “He’s picking Gideon up. Gideon’s truck is in the shop.”

Mary came into the room and hugged Jules. “Hey you. You need a drink.”

“Do I look that nervous?”

Mary laughed. “You look like you’re about to run out the door.”

“Nervous? What on earth for?” Cal’s mother said it like she truly had no idea why.

“Well, not everyone’s family responds so positively to the news Cal gave you. I . . . I don’t want you to think poorly of me.”

Jeanne snorted and waved a hand. “Poorly? Whatever for? Honey, you’re like one of my own kids. We already love you. I’m Cal’s mom, it’s my job to kick his butt when he’s being dumb, but also to support him when he’s being smart. Picking you at long last is smart. As for the other stuff, don’t hurt my boy and we’re fine.” She linked her arm through Jules’s and strolled her through to the kitchen. “Now, Mary, get Jules here a beer. I’m having one too, you know, just to be a good hostess.”

Mary handed them both a beer. “She is selfless that way.” She winked at her mother and Jules felt a lot better just for the banter. Jeanne Whaley was an imposing woman who loved her family fiercely. If she’d been opposed to the relationship Jules had with Gideon and Cal, she’d have said so. Cal reminded her of this only that morning. She certainly wouldn’t be having dinner at the Whaley house otherwise.

“So I take it from your comment about family responses that yours is having some trouble?”

She gave Jeanne and Mary an edited version of what had happened with her brother. “I haven’t told my parents yet. My mom is in Italy for a month and my dad has two young kids; it’s not like I have to tell them right now anyway.” Though it had entered her mind that perhaps Ethan might tell them himself, but that wasn’t something she could worry about right then. There was only so much she could deal with at once. Two bossy men and a business to run meant drama fell to the bottom of the list.

Jeanne sighed, tipping the beer back to take a drink. “Worthless as a tit on a boar, the both of them.”

“Mom!” Mary put her hand over her mother’s mouth.

Jeanne took the hand away. “Someone’s got to say it. Anyway, Jules, dollbaby, you’re always welcome in this house. I think you have very good taste, as it happens, to have been in love with my son for so long, even before he figured out how much he loved you too.”

Jules grinned. “It’s actually pretty easy to love Cal.”

“That’s what a man likes to enter a room and hear.” Cal swooped into the room and kissed Jules soundly.

Gideon came in, a little more hesitantly. “Hello, Mrs. Whaley.”

Jeanne got up and pulled Gideon into a hug. “I’ve told you a million times you can call me Jeanne. Now, we were just having a beer. You two want one?”

“I’ll get them. Sit down, Gideon. Where’s Dad?” Cal looked around as he got the bottles and popped the tops.

“He ran to the market to get some wine. He’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Jules knew he’d come to Cal’s workplace and had talked with him a long time about Gideon and Jules and their relationship. Cal just told her they’d worked through a lot and that his father supported him. Which was the important part.

“He’s been marinating the chicken and prawns all day. Made potato salad, pasta salad and roasted some vegetables too. He only does that for family. So you’re all right.” Mary patted Jules’s arm.

Cal’s dad was a big griller. He didn’t care much about the kitchen, but the barbecue was his domain. All spring and into the fall he’d grilled every single weekend when they were kids.

Gideon sat next to her and she put her head on his shoulder a moment, both of them nervous, she knew.

“I like that dress.” He nodded at her.

“Thank you. It was a gift from Gillian, the sewing queen. How’s the truck?”

“Fuel pump is out and they don’t have the part.”

“You can borrow my car if you need to.”

He smiled at her and Cal came to sit on her other side. “That’s a mighty fine offer, ma’am, thank you. I should be all right. Granddad has a car if I need to run errands and it can’t wait.”

“So how is this going to work? Where is it you’re all going to live? I imagine you won’t all three keep your own places.”

“Here’s my mom! She’s very shy.” Ryan came in with his dad and paused to give Jeanne a kiss. “Hey, Jules, Gideon.”

Jules laughed.

Mike Whaley came through the door, his arms full. Jeanne gave him the eye. “What on earth did you buy? I thought you were only getting wine.”

“We needed ice cream.” He put things away and Jules saw some chips and crackers too.

“He’s supposed to be cutting out junk. But every time I turn my back he’s shoving Doritos into a hidey-hole he thinks I don’t know about.”

Jules liked the two of them together. Mike was a man of few words, but he loved his family and he’d always been good to Jules.

“Evening, Ms. Juliet. How are you tonight?” He ignored his wife’s poke about potato chips.

“Not bad. Even better now that I know there’s ice cream.”

Jeanne laughed. “I made pineapple upside-down cake; it’ll go well.”

“Really? It’s my favorite.”

“I know, that’s why I made it.”

“Oh and thank you, Jules, for the cherry walnut bars. They were mighty fine with my hot tea last night.”

She knew it had been a way to hopefully soften the news that their son had gotten himself involved with two other people, but it never hurt to butter people up with something sweet.

“Glad you liked them.”

They all adjourned to the huge back deck where the table had been set for dinner. The evening was warm, especially for late June. It was perfect out. The flowers in bloom in the garden just below scented the air.

“You asked us about our living situation earlier. My granddad asked me the same question today, Mrs. Whaley, I mean Jeanne.” Gideon blushed. “Turns out he’s signed the farm and the farmhouse over to me and he wants me to make myself at home and live in it. With Cal and Jules.”

Wow
. Wasn’t that something you said to your girlfriend in private before you announced it to all and sundry at a backyard barbecue?

It was clear Cal already knew of this as well, which only annoyed her more. Of course she wanted to live with them. She loved that old farmhouse, especially the kitchen. But she wanted to be asked, for goodness sake. It felt like they’d done all this planning, patting her on the head and not remembering she liked to know things like that before a decision had been made.

Mary gave her a look that told Jules she wasn’t alone in her thinking.

There was silence for long moments until Cal spoke. “There’s actually a mother-in-law suite on the basement level at the house. It’s a daylight basement with its own entrance, kitchen and all that. Patrick wants to live down there in exchange for all the cherry turnovers Jules can make him.”

Which was a lovely story and all, but when had all these discussions taken place and why was she hearing about them this way?

Gideon turned to look at her and jerked a little when he saw the look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly as Cal continued to blather on and on about the farmhouse.

“I don’t want to do this here.” She kept a smile pasted on her face while she spoke in an undertone. She didn’t want to ruin the evening with a spat.

“Are you mad?” Gideon asked, as if he was totally clueless.

“Yes.”

Apparently he was. “About what?”

“What part of
I don’t want to do this here
was confusing? We’ve shared enough with Cal’s family for one day, don’t you think?”

“Hey, have you seen the new water feature?” Mary spoke up, interrupting this little moment between Jules and Gideon.

“Oh!” Jeanne nearly beamed. “I did it all myself. Bought a kit and everything. Cal, go show it to them. I’ll be over here drinking beer and awaiting your compliments.”

“She’s smooth,” Cal said under his breath as they followed him down the steps out into the yard.

“Why do you have that gleam in your eye? You make me nervous when you look that way.” Gideon glanced at her as they took a path to the left.

“Your mother is an amazing gardener. I can never get my roses like this.”

Cal started to speak, stopped himself and then tried again. “It’s the exposure here. Great sun all day. She does this custom mix for the soil too. You should tell her you like them, she’s insanely proud of her roses.”

“I will.”

The water feature was quite lovely. Wide, flat stones rimmed a pool, probably about two feet deep or so. Two little waterfalls made lovely music as well.

Gideon watched her carefully. She was clearly pissed off so he gave her space.

“Spit it out, Juliet.” Cal was clearly less patient. Gideon sighed. No finesse. It never worked to go straight at her like that. It only made her dig her heels in more.

Sweet Juliet Lamprey with her soft fabrics and gourmet coffee could totally be stubborn. She could out-stubborn most anyone else he knew. Even Cal, the second most stubborn person he knew.

And Cal was so intensely focused on her, had such a long history with her that he still spoke to her like he did when they were just friends. But Jules knew the difference and Cal did too when he wasn’t agitated.

She raised a brow at him.

“If this was in my yard, I’d sit out here with my feet in the water on hot days. Maybe add a margarita to make it perfect.” She looked up at them both. “Just because I don’t like deep water doesn’t mean I can’t dip my toes.”

Cal started to speak again and Gideon reached out to pinch his side and shut him up. Cal glared and Gideon glared right back.

“So when was it you two planned to include me in all this moving-in-together stuff? Patrick knows. Cal’s entire family knows. You two have talked about home office space for Cal and yet no one bothered to run any of this by me.”

Oh. Shit.

Cal sucked in a breath. “Christ. I’m sorry. It wasn’t that we talked about it behind your back. Not together. I went out there yesterday to have him sign the final paperwork. He and I had been discussing it. I didn’t tell you because he’s a client and it was his to share or not. When I went to pick Gideon up just a while ago, Patrick told me he’d discussed things with Gideon. We all chatted a little. That’s all.”

“And I was so excited about it and we’d just talked it over with Granddad so I got excited to share it with Cal’s family, you know to let them know we were serious and it was . . . I’m sorry. We should have talked with you.”

She might be a fury when she was mad, but she never stayed that way long. She shook her head and sighed. “Lordamighty, you two are an awful lot of work. It’s a really lucky thing you’re both so handsome and good in bed. In the future, excited or not, I want you to talk to me first, before you announce big stuff to the world. What if I’d said no?”

Cal, bless his heart, gave a look as if the very concept of such a thing was inconceivable. “Do you want to say no?”

“Probably not. But the point remains, Calvin. Does it not?” She stuck her chin out and Cal’s spine lost its rigidity and he sighed.

“Yes, it does, baby. I promise to try my very hardest.”

“Such a lawyer answer. But it’ll do.”

20

J
ules lit her candles and sat quietly, trying to breathe through monster cramps and a lot of general crankiness.