“They want nothing to do with me.”
Again, he didn’t deny it.
Burying her face in her hands, Julia looked as if she was about to break into tears. Eating up the distance between them, Heath drew her into his arms and held her tightly.
“Oh Heath, what are we doing?”
“We’re falling in love, that’s what we’re doing.”
“But your boys.”
“It was a shock. Deep down, I know they want me to be happy. And you, Julia Jones, make me extremely happy. They were willing to look the other way when their mother sought her own happiness. In time, once they’ve grown accustomed to us being together, they will come around.”
Julia trembled in his arms and he kissed the top of her head.
“You need to realize this is only the first hurdle,” he whispered.
She looked up. “How do you mean?”
He closed his own eyes and exhaled sharply. “You have yet to tell Hillary and Marie.”
Julia went silent.
Heath had a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that the worst was yet to come.
Chapter 13
This was supposed to be a happy occasion. Instead, Julia’s stomach had twisted into knots tight enough to dumbfound a sailor. Hillary had asked her, Marie, and Carrie to meet her at the bridal shop to help her choose her wedding dress.
Afterward they planned on lunch at Alice’s, a local seafood restaurant that was a longtime family favorite. Julia knew she couldn’t delay telling her girls that Heath’s ex-wife had married their father, especially knowing how strongly they disliked Laura. Julia prayed Eddie had taken her advice and reached out to Hillary when he learned of her engagement.
They all met at ten, the appointment time Hillary had been given by the shop. They were seated in a private room and offered champagne before Hillary was ushered into a dressing area. Before they arrived, Hillary had previewed several dresses online and selected five within her budget.
“This is exciting,” Carrie said, as Hillary followed the sales representative into the dressing room.
Julia sat between Marie and Carrie and shared her niece’s enthusiasm. This was a happy day, or would be, once she was able to clear the air about Heath’s relationship to the stepmother they refused to acknowledge.
“I’m happy for Hillary,” Marie said, crossing her legs and settling back in the comfortable chair. “Did she tell you she heard from Dad?”
“She didn’t.” Julia was pleased to hear it, hoping that Eddie had taken her words to heart.
Looking surprised, Marie said, “I wonder why not.”
Julia sighed, and was admittedly surprised. “I’m sure she has her reasons.”
Marie shrugged. “It’s no big thing. Dad called me first.”
That would be just like Eddie. He had a habit of going through the back door when he wasn’t sure what would greet him if he was direct.
“He believes I’m less stubborn than Hillary,” she explained. “I guess I must be, because I decided to talk to him.”
Carrie bent forward to look at her cousin. “So what happened? Don’t keep us in suspense. What did he want?”
Marie shrugged, indicating it was no big deal. “Unfortunately, it was the same song, different verse.”
“What does that mean?” Carrie asked, pressing for more details.
“You know,” Marie said, as if bored with the subject. “He’s more interested in us accepting Laura than anything else. He couldn’t keep her name out of the conversation. It was Laura this and Laura that, as if I was eager to hear the updates on their wonderful life together.”
Julia had a hard time understanding how her ex-husband could continue to be this insensitive.
“To be fair,” Marie added, “he asked how Hillary and I were doing and if I was seeing anyone. He said he heard that we were both enjoying our jobs, you know, that sort of thing.” She turned to Julia. “You must have said something?”
“I did.” She didn’t make a habit of contacting Eddie. In their last conversation, she’d filled him in on both girls, letting him know how well they were doing.
“Then Dad asked me to relay his congratulations to Hillary.”
That was a step in the right direction, and hearing it encouraged Julia, although she wished he would have reached out to Hillary directly.
Before she could say anything more, Hillary stepped out of the dressing room in a gorgeous wedding gown that suited her beautifully. She stood on a small platform and looked at them expectantly, silently seeking their opinion. Her gaze automatically went to her mother first.