Chapter Five

Julia smiled across the table at Gwen and Lily. They were seated in a booth at the Mountainside Inn, waiting for their drinks to be served. The Inn was a landmark in town, owned by the third generation Delaney family.

The main part of the Inn was a traditional log style home, but on a grand scale. There were outlying cabins scattered on the vast acreage, most of them with a view of the mountains. The main building had an impressive two story lobby and a dining room that spanned the length of the back of the Inn. Leather booths, wide-planked floors, and oversized hanging lanterns added a moody feel to the rustic dining room. Red poinsettias lined the bottom of the massive windows and an oversized pine wreath hung over the mantel of the floor to ceiling stone fireplace. White candles flickered in rustic lanterns throughout the room. It was Julia’s favorite restaurant in Shadow Creek.

The week had passed by quickly and she’d been kept busy negotiating real estate deals with Marlene Mayberry. She was thrilled that the deal with Chase’s house was so close to being finalized and now the deal for the chocolate shop was also finalized. She had been a go-getter in the city, pouring herself into her work. Being busy with work kept her from thinking about everything she’d lost, everyone back here in Shadow Creek. It had left her exhausted, unfulfilled, and empty, but that’s all she’d wanted. She didn’t take vacations or spend her money on luxury. She had put it all in the bank, never really caring about the numbers. She made large donations to her favorite charities, but didn’t have anything else to spend her money on. Back here for two weeks, she already felt more fulfilled. She was helping people she loved move forward with their lives. She had also spent quite a bit of time with Chase. Sure, she had spent time with him in the past, but this was different…

“So this is really going to happen, isn’t it?” Lily said, taking a sip of her red wine after their waiter had left with their dinner order.

“Yes! Let’s toast to you both,” Julia said, holding up her glass and smiling at her friends.

“And to you, best agent and sister-in-law ever who negotiated for free rent for three months for us against Marlene and won,” Gwen said.

“You are so welcome,” she said, taking a sip of her wine. “Okay, now that we’re finally getting together and catching up, I want you to tell me what’s going on in your lives. Tell me something good,” she said. She had kept in touch with both of them, but she knew things were different now that she was back home. She wanted to use this time to get to know them again. She’d missed them more than she’d realized. Denial could convince a person of a lot of things.

“I would, except there’s nothing. Absolutely nothing going on in my life,” Lily said with a sigh.

Gwen reached for the wine and topped up her glass. “Yup. Nothing.”

Julia leaned forward. She wasn’t buying that for a second. “Come on, there has to be something.”

Gwen gave her a pointed look and placed her wine glass back on the polished tabletop. “Well, neither of us have been seen around town with the hottest sheriff in the state.”

Julia choked on her wine and they both laughed. “Chase and I are…friends.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Right.”

She crossed her arms and tried not to look suspicious. “Seriously.”

“Why don’t you spare us the agony of having to drag out the truth,” Lily said, topping up her own glass.

Julia twirled the stem of her wine glass and focused her eyes on the roaring fire and thought of Chase. Well, she always thought of him, in so many different ways than she had before, but what was she supposed to say? She had a crush? Was she sixteen years old? “Okay, so the truth is I don’t know what the truth is. I don’t know…”

“Let me try and sum it up for you.” Gwen took a deep, dramatic breath before continuing. “Both of you are attracted to each other and you’re scared, and you think you’re not going to stay in Shadow Creek so you don’t want to start something.”

Omigod. How did Gwen know all this? Julia blinked, trying to look as though she was contemplating what Gwen had just said.

“And stop pretending you don’t already know this!”

Julia covered her face, her elbows on the table, and shook her head. “Fine,” she said, her voice coming out muffled. “You’re exactly right.”

“I knew it!” Lily said.

Julia raised her index finger. “But I don’t know what he thinks.”

“I can tell you what he thinks,” Gwen said.

Julia made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “Please do.”

Gwen gave a nod. “Chase wants you.”

Don’t blush. Don’t smile.

“Your smile and blush totally gave it away,” Lily said, leaning forward.

“Hey, I hope you know everyone wants to see you happy. No one wants you to spend the rest of your life alone, sweetie. You’re too young for that. And we all love Chase. He’s like my third brother, just as irritating as my other two,” Gwen said with a smile and gave her hand a squeeze.

Julia sunk down in the booth and groaned. “I know. Thank you. It’s not…I don’t know…I haven’t dated anyone.”

Lily leaned forward. “In five years? There was no one in the city? I mean, not that I’m judging, it’s not like my personal life has been stellar, or even remotely hopeful.”

Julia shook her head. “Nope. There were men, but none I was interested in.”

“Ah, yes. So you mean there were no men like our rugged but tenderhearted and sensitive Sheriff Donovan,” Gwen said, trying hard not to laugh.

“Are you the leader of his personal fan club? You’re about as subtle as Marlene’s makeup.”

“Did I hear my name?”

Julia could have sworn they all gasped as they looked over at Marlene who was staring down at them, hands on her red, sequined-wrapped hips. Clearly, the woman hadn’t heard her comment because she was grinning at them, her lips the same color as her glittering dress.

“Oh, Marlene, what a pleasant surprise.” She didn’t dare look over at either Gwen or Lily, but she did hear wine being choked on.

“Well, I do like to be unpredictable. It keeps my opponents guessing!” She reached inside her purse and pulled out a stack of papers. “I do think this is what I call fate. Now I don’t have to go home and fax this signed offer to you. Tell the sheriff he drives a hard bargain,” she said, slapping down the real estate offer.

Julia placed her hands on the stack of paper and slid it over and placed it on her lap. First off, she could practically feel the heat of Lily and Gwen’s stares. Chase had sworn her to secrecy and now thanks to Marlene she was going to have to tell them about the house. But she was thrilled that this meant he was going to get the home. “So this is it? Your clients accepted?”

Marlene pursed her lips. “Yes, they did. It was wonderful doing business with you, dear. Just make sure we get the sheriff’s signature on that ASAP before they change their mind.”

Julia nodded, still avoiding eye contact with her friends. “I’ll get that for you tonight.”

Marlene nodded. “Excellent. Well, I must run. I have a business dinner. It’s quite the demanding life being married to the most successful mayor in Shadow Creek history as well as being a real estate mogul. Being a power couple is so demanding!”

This time it was Lily who choked on her wine. Marlene didn’t seem to notice.

“You’re an inspiration to us all,” Gwen said, lifting her glass in Marlene’s direction.

Marlene’s chest swelled. “Thank you, dear. We women have to stick together in business,” she said with a fist pump on the table that sent the water in their glasses overflowing slightly.

“Ta-ta for now,” she said, before twirling in a dizzying array of sparkles and perfume.

As soon as she was out of earshot they burst into uncontrollable laughter. After a few minutes, all attention was turned back to Julia. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“Wow, I didn’t think power couples actually referred to themselves as power couples, in public anyway,” Julia said, hoping she would distract them by keeping the conversation on Marlene.

“All right. Spill it. Chase. Negotiations. You.”

Julia rolled her eyes and tried to make it like there was so nothing going on. “She’s exaggerating.”

“Now,” Lily said.

Lucky for her, their shared appetizers arrived and she sat quietly avoiding their intense stares as a platter of stuffed mushroom caps, spinach and artichoke dip and tortillas, and baked brie was placed in front of them.

“This looks so good,” she said, busying herself with loading her plate.

Gwen grabbed her plate, laughing. “No food until all details are dished.”

Julia sighed. The cat was out of the bag. She knew Chase wouldn’t mind her saying anything, especially since the deal had gone through. “Okay, but you have to keep it quiet. He wants this to be a surprise for Maggie. Also? Hand me back that plate. I need that dip.”

Gwen slid the plate across the table. She loaded up her tortilla and ate it while they filled their plates.

“Okay, so here’s the deal. Chase wants a new house for the two of them and asked for my help.”

Gwen smiled, her mushroom paused in the air, as though she had just received the answers to all of life’s questions. “And you delivered?”

“It looks that way,” she said, taking a long sip of wine before diving back into her food. She would go over there right after dinner and surprise him. She was also aware of how happy that made her, seeing him smile, being able to help him like this.

“So you’ve had to spend a lot of time with him these last two weeks?”

She rolled her eyes and stabbed her fork into a mushroom. “Just as I have with you.”

“Except she’s not Chase,” Lily said with a wink.

“And during that time things have been strictly platonic?”

“Of course.”

“All right I’m going to cut to the chase, good one, isn’t it? Everyone can see the chemistry you two have. Please tell me you’re not going to ignore that.”

“I will admit that Chase is…hot. And I will admit that I’m attracted to him on many levels. I love Maggie. But what’s the point in any of that? In three weeks I’ll be long gone. I can’t get attached to him and I can’t let Maggie get attached to me. Those two have had so much disappointment and it will kill me to hurt that little girl.”

“What if you didn’t go back?” Gwen said softly. “Don’t you miss it here? I thought when you left it would be temporary, but I always pictured you coming back for good.”

Julia finished the rest of her wine and tried to wash down the guilt and the ache that Gwen’s words brought on. “I know. I’ve gotten used to my life out there.”

“But you’re all alone.”

She shrugged. Alone, in a lot of ways, was easier. “I’ve gotten used to it.”

“You’re too young for that. Besides, if I had a man like Chase after me—”

“First off, Chase isn’t after me.”

“He’s been after you since the night you came home. I saw the expression on his face when he hugged you and whispered something in your ear in that deliciously deep voice of his. He looked like he wanted to inhale you.”

She poured the last of the wine from the bottle into her glass. “You’ve been reading way too many romance novels. ‘Deliciously deep?’” Okay, so she wasn’t about to admit that that was the perfect description of his voice and that she remembered the shiver that had rushed through her when he’d whispered in her ear.

“That’s actually what his voice sounds like,” Lily added, not helping her at all.

“I think we’re supposed to be talking about the improvements you wanted to make to your new unit,” she said, sliding the file folder filled with design ideas she’d brought along with her across the table.

Gwen snatched it and slid it to the other end. “That can wait. What cannot wait is you admitting what you’re really afraid of so that we can tell you not to be afraid and then convince you to stay.”

She leaned back in her chair and eyed her sister-in-law, wondering if she’d always been this nosy. “I’m not afraid. I’m a realist.”

Lily groaned. “Just talk. I can’t take this torture anymore.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “Nothing is happening. It’s not just me. Neither of us are on the market.”

“Chase is in the market. You’re peering through the market doors and frankly if he is the produce, you should be adding him to your cart.”

Julia stifled her laugh at Gwen’s analogy. She couldn’t encourage this.

“That man is like the finest piece of beef.”

Julia held up her hand, choking on her wine. “You guys are ridiculous. What am I supposed to do? I’m not staying here. He doesn’t need someone walking into their life only to leave in a few weeks.”

“So that means if you weren’t leaving in a few weeks this would be a possibility?”

She leaned back in her booth and stared at the pine boughs hung on the doorknobs. She couldn’t keep denying that she had feelings. “Okay, fine. There is something there.”

“Obviously.”

“He deserves someone like you.”

She folded and unfolded her napkin a few times. “What about other women in his life?”

“What women? After Sandy left that was it.”

Her heart stopped for a second, thinking back to what he’d said at the house. She thought he meant there was no one now. Not…ever. “That was four years ago.”

“Yup. That’s not for want of trying from every single, and not so single, woman in the county, mind you,” Gwen said. She pushed her plate away. “Okay, I need to stop eating.”

“But this dip is sooooo good,” Julia said, loading up another tortilla.

“The best in town. These are partly to blame for my twenty-pound weight gain,” Gwen said with a laugh that didn’t exactly sound funny.

“Don’t start again,” Lily said, dipping a chip into the creamy dip.

“Gwen, you look great,” Julia said.

Gwen frowned at her. “Sure. Which is why I haven’t been out with a guy in like…years. Years!”

Lily rolled her eyes. “It’s not because of your weight.”

Gwen wiped her mouth and frowned at the platters of food and then took another tortilla chip and dipped it in with a theatrical sigh. “Of course it is.”

“Or maybe it’s because you aren’t confident anymore. You wear baggy clothes and are always making fun of yourself.” Lily softened her words by placing her hand over Gwen’s.

Gwen’s eyes filled with tears but she waved her hand, complete with loaded tortilla, in front of her face. “Stop it.” Globs of artichokes fell onto the tabletop as she spoke. “I know what I am and it’s a problem.”

Julia leaned forward. “I don’t know why you’re making it sound like you’re so repulsive. You’re gorgeous, Gwen. Big deal, you put on a few pounds.”

Gwen rested her half-eaten chip down on her side plate. “Twenty.”

Julia shrugged. “Yeah, so what? You wear them well.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “No one who is 5-5’ can wear twenty extra pounds well.”

“Stop, you’re being ridiculous and way too hard on yourself.”

“Really? Well, why didn’t either of you put on any weight? You both had it just as hard. Julia even harder.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “I couldn’t eat. Besides, I think the problem is your parents. Since I’ve been back in town, what two weeks, I’ve gained five pounds!”

They all laughed.

“It’s true. That house…after everything happened…I think we all turned to eating. I mean, the house was suddenly empty. Our lives were empty. It was just the three of us, night after night. Then Dad with the cancer. It was so depressing. All of it was overwhelming and I had no time for myself anymore to walk or work out. I was so focused on taking care of them that I forgot to take care of myself.”

“You made them a priority, and you should be proud of that. Don’t be so hard on yourself. I should have been around to help you out.”

Gwen shook her head. “No, Jack should have been around.”

The table went silent. She glanced over at Lily who was looking away. “Yes, he should have been around. Coming back home for Christmas is too little too late. I’m sorry, Gwen. I know you’re all looking forward to him coming home.”

“Don’t apologize. If I were you, I’d be ready to strangle him the second he walks back into town.”

Lily gave a little laugh that didn’t really sound all that happy. She took a sip of her wine. “I might have to do that,” she said, with an edge to her voice.

“How about you and I start walking in the morning before the day starts getting busy?” she said to Gwen. Her sister-in-law smiled and raised her glass to toast.

“Okay, let’s do it. Here’s to a great Christmas and fresh starts.”

The three of them clinked their glasses.

“Now, enough about me. I’m supposed to be convincing you to take the plunge with Chase, and then move back to Shadow Creek.”

Julia almost spilled the contents of her wine glass. “Oh, is that all?”

Gwen nodded. “Yep.”

“Me too. Move back. Look how much fun we’re having. We can do this every Friday night if you moved back. Tell me you met better friends back in the city?”

She tapped her index finger on her chin and tried to keep a straight face. “Well, there is Sarah and Theresa from the agency.”

She burst out laughing when Gwen threw a bread bun in her face. Thankfully, it missed her wine glass. “Fine. Joking. Of course there was no one better than my two nosiest friends.”

“And no better guy than Chase,” Lily said, raising her glass.

“Very sneaky of you, already raising your glass.”

“You’re a tough one to fool.”

She reluctantly raised her glass as well, hating that they were right. She glanced at her watch, her stomach flipping over gently at the thought of seeing Chase tonight.