“Please stay for cake.”
“How about we take some and leave you two alone?” she suggested.
Carrie dished up the cake—coconut, Julia’s favorite—and the two women left. Heath handed her a flute along with Julia.
“You arranged this?” she asked her niece.
A smile lit up Carrie’s face. “All part of the concierge service. Happy birthday, Aunt Julia.”
It was by far the best birthday surprise of her life, and Heath had made it happen.
Chapter 22
Julia had rarely been this nervous. She hadn’t told anyone where she was headed, least of all Heath. He would do his best to dissuade her if she had been foolish enough to mention what she intended. Nor was she tempted to tell Hillary or Marie, knowing they would strongly disapprove. After the confrontation at the hospital, she knew she had to do whatever was necessary to find a way to reach Heath’s sons and end this tension between their families.
The office building was walking distance from The Heritage, and the fifteen-minute hike gave her time to sort through her thoughts of what she would say. By the time she arrived, her hands were moist and her mouth was dry. Her throat already had a lump and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to swallow past it to talk.
After entering the high-rise, she approached the receptionist desk and announced herself as if she were a long-standing client.
“Julia Jones for Adam Wilson.”
The man behind the desk reached for his phone and called up to the office where Adam was employed. Heath had casually dropped the information weeks ago, proud that his sons had followed in his footsteps and gone into the investment field.
The man at the reception desk jerked his gaze to her. “You don’t have an appointment?”
“No. Will you please ask Mr. Wilson’s assistant if he has time to see me?”
Julia was instructed to wait. Walking over to a lobby chair, she sat on the edge of the seat while she awaited Adam’s response. She chose to approach Heath’s younger son, hoping he would be more amenable to hearing her out than Michael would be. She was left to wait for five minutes.
Five of the longest minutes of her life.
Five minutes in which she wondered at the wisdom of what she was about to do.
Five minutes in which she debated walking away and forgoing the hope that she might reach an understanding with Heath’s sons. But she knew the best way to accomplish this was likely through Adam.
The receptionist motioned to her. As Julia rose, she noticed her knees were as unsteady as her resolve. With her head held high, she walked back to his desk.
“Mr. Wilson will see you.”
“Thank you,” she said, and hoped none of her apprehension showed in her voice. After giving him her identification to copy, he handed her a badge that read Visitor and a code for the elevator.
Security was tight. It might have been easier to visit Fort Knox, and certainly less stressful!
A woman stood by the elevator when Julia stepped off. “Hello, I’m Tamera from Mr. Wilson’s office. Please follow me.”
“Thank you,” Julia said, as Tamera led her to double glass doors. She entered a code at the small panel on the wall, which allowed them to enter.
As his assistant escorted Julia down a long hallway, she glanced into the offices of men and women working at their computers and phones.
Adam had one of the smaller offices. His desk was massive, with two oversized monitors. He looked up when she entered. Only it wasn’t Adam. Instead, she faced Michael.
When she hesitated, he motioned for her to take a seat. “Adam asked me to meet you,” he explained. Seeing that Julia had come this far, she wasn’t going to back down now. She’d hoped to speak to Adam, but it seemed she’d been outsmarted. This was the first time she’d had the chance to get a good look at Heath’s oldest son. He was a younger version of his father. They even wore their hair in the same style.
“I’ll admit this is a rather unexpected surprise,” he said, looking none too pleased to see her.
“I imagine it is.” She was well aware neither of Heath’s boys would welcome her with open arms. Knowing this hadn’t stopped her; she felt she had to try.
“I’ll admit I’m curious.”
That was what she’d been counting on.
“Why are you here? Because if you’re looking for an apology for what I said at the hospital—”
“I’m not,” she said, cutting him off.
“Okay, then kindly fill me in?”
Looking down at her hands, Julia nervously smoothed her skirt. She’d dressed professionally, as if she was headed to work, wanting—no, needing—to look her best.