Patience and waiting, Heath decided, were the two worst words in the English language.
Chapter 24
Julia spent three days at the beach. On the one day it rained, she found a cute coffee shop, called Bean There, on the main street running through town. As the raindrops bounced against the large window, she sat and enjoyed a vanilla latte and a homemade cinnamon roll. While she was there, a man arrived, and the lovely young woman behind the counter immediately brightened. Her name tag identified her as Willa. She came around the counter, and Julia could see she was pregnant. The young man, clearly her husband, ordered a coffee and the two of them sat together, their heads close, whispering animatedly. Seeing the love they shared nearly brought tears to her eyes. She’d felt that same devotion and love from Heath…
Once she finished her breakfast, she strolled down to a quaint bookstore and purchased a book by one of her favorite authors, C. S. Lewis. The rest of the day was spent reading on the hotel balcony, tucked back from the wind and the gloomy gray clouds. While enjoying the book, she stumbled upon a passage that connected with her heart, something that wasn’t unusual when she read C. S. Lewis.
He wrote about his time at the ocean, and she suspected it must have been after the death of his wife, Joy. He spoke of how he viewed the sea as a lifeline that connected him to things that were temporal. Julia was sure this comfort, the solitude and silence, the steady pulse and current of the waves, was exactly what he’d needed. What she needed now.
Spending time at the ocean with only the sounds of the wind, the rain, and the water filled her heart. It offered her strength to face the future. This calming connection she felt with nature reminded her that this pain in her heart would pass in time.
The morning of the fourth day, she packed her bags, checked out of the hotel, and loaded up the car for the drive back to Seattle. While at Oceanside, she’d turned off her phone, not wanting to be distracted. Before leaving the hotel parking lot, she checked her messages and found several from Heath, a couple from her sister and her two daughters, and another from Eddie. Rather than deal with any of them right then, she decided to wait until she was back home.
The drive out to the ocean had passed in a haze; she’d badly needed to get away. She hadn’t reached any earth-shattering decisions, nor did she have clarity on how best to proceed with Heath and his family. The wasplike sting of Michael’s determination to never accept her was a constant reminder of what the future would be like between him and his sons. The one positive that came with their meeting was the assurance that she had done what she could to heal the rift between their families.
As she walked into The Heritage from the basement parking garage, she found Carrie at her desk. When her niece saw Julia, she leaped from her chair and raced around to hug her, as if Julia had been away far longer than those three full days.
“Aunt Julia, you’re back!” she cried.
Julia returned the hug. “Did anything happen I should know about?” she asked. Carrie was always full of information.
“How can you ask me that, Aunt Julia? Heath has hardly been himself since you’ve been gone,” Carrie said. “I certainly hope you’re going to put that poor man out of his misery.”
“I’ll let him know I’m back right away.”
“Good. I don’t think Hillary would be able to hold him back another day from setting out to find you.”
“They’re talking?”
Carrie nodded. “Every day, and more than once, I suspect. Heath met with both Hillary and Marie one night and treated them to dinner. He invited me, too, but I was with Eric.”
Julia grinned, pleased to know the relationship between her niece and Eric seemed to be blossoming. Once she spoke to Heath, she’d find out more about what happened between him and her daughters. Hillary and Marie agreeing to have dinner with him was a positive sign and instantly cheered her. Hearing this gave her hope. Fragile as it was, still it burned inside her and lightened the burden she carried.
Once back in her condo, Julia unpacked her suitcase, set a load of wash going, and then called Heath.
He answered on the first ring. “Julia? Thank God. Where are you?”
“I’m here. I’m home.”
“I’ll be right there.” The line was immediately disconnected.
By the time she got to the front door, Heath was stepping off the elevator. He waited until they were inside the condo and the door closed before he brought her into his arms and kissed her. His mouth nearly slammed against hers, as if he’d been dying without her. She tasted his hunger, his worries, his need to protect and shelter her from the wounds his son had inflicted. After several passionate kisses, his large hands framed her face, and he looked into her eyes before touching his forehead to hers and taking in several ragged breaths.