Seeing him, Julia hesitated before stepping into the room. “Morning,” she said casually.
He nodded in return.
She got on the treadmill next to him and put her earbuds in and started her routine. He finished and moved to the exercise bike. Julia walked three miles, and he was still going at the bike, leaning his well-defined upper body forward and pumping his legs at a furious pace.
* * *
—
The next morning and for the following three, they exercised side by side, never exchanging more than a simple greeting. She felt him glance her way on occasion, as if he wanted to start a conversation. Julia discouraged it, as she was there to exercise. Nevertheless, she noticed him, probably far more than she should. When he didn’t show on Friday, she was surprised to realize she was disappointed. Without exchanging a word, he inspired her to work harder and longer, and she missed the challenge.
* * *
—
When she arrived Monday morning of the following week, he seemed to be waiting for her. He stood next to the treadmill, a towel around his neck, looking more appealing than ever.
“Heath Wilson,” he said.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’m Heath Wilson. I thought it was time I introduce myself.”
“Julia Jones.”
“I figured if we were going to exercise at the same time each morning, we should introduce ourselves.”
She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Heath.”
“Have you lived at The Heritage long?” he asked.
“A couple years. You arrived last year, right?”
“Right. A friend of my son’s lives here. Eric Hudson. Do you know him?”
Julia shook her head.
“Not surprising. Eric has a home office and works odd hours since he has several overseas clients. I don’t think he’s attended any of the condo functions. I’ve only attended a couple myself.”
“I love living here. It’s a fresh start for me.”
“Me, too. I hung on to the house following my divorce thinking I wanted to keep it. That was a mistake. So many memories and more room than one person would ever need. I decided it was time to move on.”
“I hear you. I’m divorced as well, over five years now.”
“About that long for me. Did you hold on to your house?”
“No. I needed to sell, as it was part of the settlement.” Putting her home on the market had been one of the hardest aspects of the divorce for Julia. “It was probably for the best.” Like Heath, the house held a lot of memories, and would have been a constant reminder of all that she’d lost.
Plugging in her earbuds, she set about her routine. When she’d finished, she gave a wave to Heath and headed back to her condo to shower. She intended to stop by the shop to advise the new owner at some point that day, and thought she’d head out early before it was too hot to walk the seven blocks to West Coast Interiors. Since Julia hadn’t taken time to eat breakfast, she decided to stop on her way for a latte at the Busy Bean, a tea and coffee shop next door to The Heritage.
Three people were in line in front of her. Her phone beeped, letting her know she had a text message. Taking it from the outside pocket of her purse, she saw it was from her niece, Carrie.
Can u talk?
Julia called and Carrie answered right away.
“You okay?” Julia asked.
“Not really.” She sounded as down as Julia could remember. Carrie was generally upbeat and happy.
“You want to tell me what this is about?”
It wasn’t uncommon for Carrie to seek Julia’s advice. Her niece was like a third daughter. Carrie was the same age as Marie, and the three girls were tight, having grown up together. Carrie often claimed she had two mothers.
“I’d rather do it in person.”
“Great. How about lunch tomorrow?” Her niece had been on her mind ever since last Monday’s conversation with her sister. And when Heath had introduced himself, she’d gotten an idea. The condo was looking to hire another concierge, and Carrie would be a perfect fit. Plus, a small apartment was offered with the position.
“Sure, I can do lunch.”
“How about the Thai place,” she suggested, knowing it was Carrie’s favorite. “Noon?”
“That would be perfect. Thanks so much, Aunt Julia.”
If this panned out, it would solve a big problem for Carrie, and her sister and Robert.
Chapter 2
“What’s got you so down?” Marie asked Carrie.
Carrie sat with her knees bunched up beneath her chin in the middle of her cousin’s apartment. “It’s Mom and Dad,” she said, releasing a slow, frustrated breath. Rarely had she been more depressed.