Part Of The Deal: The Brides Of Sugar Cove

by Lakewood, Anna

  “But then his investments in a tech company made him millions—he calls baby Ava his good luck charm,” Virginia elaborated.

  Julia was in awe, this man was only a few years older than her, and he already had a child and was a billionaire. It seemed like a lifetime separated them, and Julia instinctively wondered how Ava had taken this change.

  “That’s so nice. He seems so lovely to Ava. I haven’t gotten to speak with her yet. She seemed a bit shy.” Julia worried that she was already failing in her new job. Luis and Virginia, for the first time that night, looked solemnly at each other. There was no playful comment or jab. Instead, they seemed anxious, upset even. Julia’s stomach dropped, hoping this silence had nothing to do with her.

  “Oh, Ava...she’s a doll. She really is.” Virginia offered in a cautious tone.

  “You’ll get to know her, don’t worry. But Ava was a very different child last summer. I wish you could’ve seen her then.” Luis looked forlornly at Virginia, who was staring intently at the tile floor beneath their feet.

  “What do you mean?” Julia asked, intrigued by the sudden shift in mood. She hoped nothing bad happened to this little girl she barely knew. Ava did seem sweet.

  “Well, last year she would’ve been chatting up a storm. She was loud and carefree. She had an imagination fit for a princess. Her artwork and her paintings were brilliant. But this year, some things have changed.” Virginia nodded when she was finished, but it wasn’t enough to satiate Julia’s curiosity.

  “Like what?” Julia responded.

  “Mr. Greene has been seeing someone named Christina Austin,” Luis said gingerly, waiting for Julia’s reaction. It was exactly as he was expecting. Julia's mouth opened in sudden recognition of the name.

  “Christina Austin?” Julia repeated, wondering how this could be true. Christina was well known for her wealth and southern social status, but also her reputation for being a lot to handle. How could the kind, warm, and welcoming man she met be seeing someone like her?

  “I’m afraid so,” Virginia responded. "Ava had enough to worry about when her biological mother left them years ago."

  "I had no idea," Julia said quietly.

  "Well, now you know." Luis held up his beer and took one last drink.

  Chapter 3

  Julia woke the next morning to the searing sunlight bouncing through her sea-facing window. Shrugging the sleep off quickly, her mind was ready and anxious for her first real day of work at Greene Manor.

  Julia bounced out of her large four poster bed and shuffled to the open window. She felt a hint of saltwater tickle her nose as the sea breeze floated through the window, causing the white, sheer blinds to billow around her pink nightgown. The rising sun made the blue-green waters look magical. The scene was out of a storybook. Julia reluctantly walked away from the window and toward her still unpacked luggage piled in a small mess on the floor beside the bed. She changed quickly into a sundress she had packed, not sure what she was expected to wear, and went to the mirror to put up her waves into a high ponytail.

  Downstairs, Ava was already at the dining room table waiting for breakfast to be served. Julia noticed the two small pups lying dutifully beside her feet under the table. The smell of bacon wafted through the warm morning air and invigorated Julia as she sat opposite of Ava. When the eggs and bacon were finally served Julia took the opportunity to learn more about Ava.

  “So, Ava, what grade are you in?” Julia asked, hoping the young girl might want to talk about school.

  “Second,” Ava replied shortly, and quietly. When Ava didn’t go on, Julia felt the need to press further.

  “Oh wow, you’re getting old.” Julia laughed. “Are you excited for the summer?”

  “Yeah,” Ava responded, again refusing to say anymore.

  “Do your friends from school live around here?” Julia didn’t know what else to say.

  “Some of them,” Ava muttered, looking at her toast. At least it wasn’t a one-word answer this time. Julia was about to give up and to concede by allowing Ava to eat her breakfast in silence when she felt a soft nudge of puppy fur scuttle along the outside of her sandals.

  “How long have you had Peanut and Pancake?” Julia asked suddenly, giving herself a mental pat on the back for remembering the dogs’ names from last night. She watched as Ava finally peeled her eyes off of her food and for the first time all morning, her sharp hazel eyes studied Julia carefully.

  “I’ve had them for a while,” Ava said, and Julia smiled at the shimmer Ava gave off when talking about her dogs. "About three years."

  “Oh wow, that’s a long time! Are the brothers or sisters?” Julia followed.

  “They’re sisters, but they look a little different. Pancake has a gray spot.” It was the first time Julia had heard Ava speak without muttering or shying away from looking at her. She was very eloquent for an eight-year-old.

  “And what do you guys like to play?” Julia asked.

  “We play a lot. We mostly play fetch. But sometimes we play tug of war together, or they like to chase things.”

  “That sounds like fun. Do they like playing on the beach?” Julia smiled at how the conversation had turned.

  “Yeah, they love the sand,” Ava answered, her dogs jumping up towards her knees at the mention of their names, causing Ava to let out a shy giggle.

  “Well, they seem like they want to play. Should we go out to the beach now?” Julia eagerly awaited her answer.

  “Yes! I just need to get their leashes.” Ava pushed her chair forcefully away from the table, grabbing half a piece of toast, and started quickly toward her room. Peanut and Pancake ran behind her, and Julia let out a sigh of relief.

  “Aye, so impressive.” Julia jumped out of her chair at the low voice that came behind her. She saw Virginia and Luis standing at the door, smiling.

  “You scared me. Where you two there the whole time?” Julia hadn't realized that she had an audience.

  “Yeah, and I gotta say that you were off to a poor start there for a minute.” Luis chuckled, saying it as if he was a sportscaster watching a championship game.

  “But y’all were talking up a storm at the end,” Virginia cooed, making her way over to envelop Julia in a tight hug. "Ava just loves those dogs of hers."

  “Virginia please," Luis said. "Don't squeeze her to death."

  “With her last nanny, Ava stayed in her room with her dogs all day, she never agreed to do anything with her,” Virginia explained. Julia felt a swell of pride consume her. It wasn’t too difficult to talk with Ava, and she suddenly felt a sinking feeling deep in her stomach when it occurred to her that no one must have ever tried hard enough.

  Their conversation was halted by the patter of Ava running down the stairs, with Pancake and Peanut by her side in matching pink leashes.

  “Do you want to hold Peanut?” Ava offered, which rendered Julia almost speechless.

  “I’d love to,” she exclaimed. After they had walked toward the glass doors that led from the dining room to the beach, Julia looked back over her shoulder to see Virginia and Luis giving her a thumbs-up.

  The warm air floated around Julia as she walked outside onto the Greene’s private beach. As Peanut danced over to Pancake, kicking up the salty sand with her paws, Julia’s eyes fixed on Ava. She could tell Ava was happy, and that was all that mattered to Julia. It meant despite her embarrassing first night, despite her worries, concerns, and her broken heart, she had succeeded. At least a little bit.

  Julia followed Ava down toward the water's edge and looked back to admire the sheer brilliance of the home she was now living in. Quickly, Julia caught a shadow in the upstairs window, and barely made out a face watching them both. It was Dylan. But before Julia could wave, or smile, he disappeared.

  Julia turned back toward the ocean and saw Ava begin to dip her feet in the water. An excited Peanut led her closer to Ava, splashing water all around, and in no time Julia was soaked. But she couldn’t care less. Hearing Ava’s
laugh was enough.

  “Look what I found!” Ava announced through the dogs’ yaps and splashes, as she held up a seashell.

  “Wow, that’s beautiful. Let’s see if we can find more.” The two began to dig for seashells as the dogs swam farther into the water, and Julia almost forgot that Ava had ever been shy at all.

  Chapter 4

  “Okay ladies, good news.” Luis stormed into the dining room. “Mr. Greene is coming home tonight, and he asked me to make a huge meal for everyone. So get your tummies ready, my friends.”

  Julia chuckled at the scene Luis made but looked across the breakfast table to see Ava’s face light up in anticipation of seeing her father. Julia tried not to ask too many questions about Dylan, but she hadn’t seen him since her first night at the manor.

  The rest of the day passed in slowly with Peanut and Pancake making a mess of the house. Everyone seemed eager for the arrival of Dylan. Even Julia, who had only shared one mortifying encounter with him, could see how his presence brought happiness to those around him. Julia was sitting in her usual spot at the table, across from Ava and the pups, when she heard the front door of the manor swing open. Ava practically jumped from her seat and ran to greet her dad, meeting him in a hug in the doorway to the dining room.

  “Wow, you seem so happy, munchkin,” Dylan remarked excitedly, making eye contact with Julia. She blushed slightly at the acknowledgment, and noted how the room seemed bigger and more royal when Dylan was there.

  “Virginia, Luis, come out here. I want this dinner to be with all of us tonight.” Dylan’s voice boomed, and Julia watched as the kitchen door swung open. Virginia gladly took off her apron and sat next to Ava.

  “Are you sure, Mr. Greene, I can still serve the food while—” Luis started, but was cut off quickly by a wave of Dylan’s hand.

  “Nonsense. Come and have a seat.”

  Luis reluctantly took the seat next to Julia and gave Virginia a suspicious look.

  As everyone began eating, Dylan cleared his throat quickly to make an announcement. The clinking of forks and knives on delicate china came to a halt, and the group looked up expectantly at Dylan. Julia noticed a slight quiver in his jawbone. All of a sudden, he seemed anxious.

  “Well, you’re probably wondering why I asked you all to dinner tonight, and, uh … I have something important to say.” Dylan started, but paused briefly, looking only at Ava.

  “What is it, daddy?” Ava asked sweetly.

  “I want to announce that Christina Austin and I are engaged to be married,” Dylan said, his hazel eyes fixating on his daughter.

  For a few seconds, there was just silence. No noise, no reactions. Julia too was fixed on Ava, and her heart sank when she finally saw the tears bubble in the little girl’s eyes. Ava's lip quivered slightly as she pushed out her chair and ran upstairs to her room with Pancake and Peanut right behind her.

  “Congratulations Mr. Greene,” Virginia finally said. Luis and Julia muttered their congratulations too. Julia was glad for the silence to be broken, but the rest of the dinner was dull. Dylan excused himself after a few moments. After Dylan was out of earshot, Virginia and Luis shared a panicked glance.

  “Yikes,” Luis said, as Julia stood to help the two clean up the barely eaten meal.

  “This is not good at all,” Virginia exclaimed.

  Julia nodded. She wasn’t sure of the whole history of Dylan and Christina. But judging by Ava’s reaction, she couldn’t help but agree with Virginia.

  After dinner had been cleared away, Julia excused herself too. She knew full well that Virginia and Luis would continue gossiping for hours, and she wasn’t feeling up to it tonight. Especially with how distressed Ava had seemed.

  After a few minutes of trying, and failing, to fall asleep, Julia got out of bed and decided that a seaside walk might settle her mind. She pulled a cardigan over her tiny gray tank top, put on some flip flops, and grabbed the emergency flashlight her mom had snuck into her luggage before heading toward the beach.

  The soothing laps of the waves against the dark sand caressed Julia’s anxious mind. She pointed her flashlight toward the water and continued to walk along the coast. Her mind and body rested as her feet walked forward. Julia kept walking until a shadow appeared out of nowhere directly in front of her.

  Knocking her painfully out of her spell and off her footing, Julia jumped back and gasped. But her fear dissipated when her flashlight revealed it was Dylan.

  “Oh my gosh,” Julia said aloud, trying to steady her breathing.

  “Hey, it's okay. It’s only me.” Dylan attempted to soothe her as he grabbed Julia’s hand to lead her to a bench in the sand, his hand caressing the small of her back.

  Julia gripped his strong hand in hers. The feeling of his warm, soft touch sent shivers down her spine, and she felt butterflies tingle in her stomach. Once seated on the bench together, Julia became suddenly embarrassed by her pajamas and felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She felt a little better when she noticed Dylan was wearing black sweats and a tight fitted t-shirt that just barely showed the outline of his sculpted arms in the dark of night.

  “I’m sorry for startling you. I like to take strolls out here at night, especially when I need to clear my head.” Dylan spoke calmly, allowing Julia time to finally get her breath steady and consistent.

  “No, it’s fine," Julia stammered. "It was my fault. I like to do the same. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone out here.” Her words came out a bit too fast, but Dylan just smiled at her, the whites of his teeth visible against the starry night sky.

  “I’ve been meaning to talk to you. I’m impressed with how much you’ve accomplished with Ava. She seems happier than she has in months. Thank you.” Dylan met Julia’s expectant gaze.

  “Oh, thank you, it’s no problem at all. Ava’s a great girl. Listen, I know I shouldn’t say anything, but Ava will come around eventually to the idea of your engagement.” Julia smiled. She couldn’t help but think how comfortable she felt talking to Dylan. For a second, it wasn’t like she was talking to her boss, but to a friend. She hadn’t felt this way about someone in a long time.

  “I hope so,” Dylan sighed, his body slumping forward a little. “I’m worried Ava and Christina won’t get along.”

  “They haven’t met yet?” Julia asked inquisitively, hoping she wasn’t overstepping her bounds.

  “No, not yet," Dylan said. "She’s coming to visit in a few days to have dinner with all of us. I just hope it goes well.” Dylan's eyes focused on the sand in front of him.

  “If it helps, I know how hard it can be for children to adapt to new situations. My parents got divorced when I was about Ava’s age.” Julia spoke quietly, and Dylan picked his head up and leaned toward Julia, listening intently.

  “I’m sorry, that must’ve been hard,” Dylan said, his body turning more towards Julia as she finished her story.

  “It’s fine," Julia responded. "The hardest part was seeing both of my parents with new people, and learning to love new stepparents. It’s challenging, and it takes time, but don’t worry. Ava will be okay.”

  Julia felt Dylan’s hand rest atop hers, his warmth circling through her veins. He looked at her with his heart visible in his eyes, and Julia suddenly felt a nervous energy float through her. Dylan leaned in closer so that Julia’s upturned face almost touched his. She waited, hoping that their lips would meet in a sudden embrace. But after a few breaths, Dylan pulled away.

  “Thank you," Dylan whispered, letting go of Julia's hand. "Thank you so much, Julia. That means a lot.”

  Julia sighed, frustrated and also relieved that their lips hadn't met. She loved her job. Even though Dylan was attractive, and they had a definite spark, she didn’t want to complicate things for herself. Not this early on in the summer.

  Chapter 5

  Julia woke up to the faintest smell of seawater wafting through her open window. Walking over to her now fully unpacked bureau, Julia picked out one of the nicer dresses she had.
A stunning, dark purple, lace dress that was cut with a scoop neck and tied in the back to cinch her small waist. With her hair hanging loosely around her face in waves, Julia tried to put her jitters about the day aside without much luck. Today was the day she and Ava would meet the future Lady of the manor, Christina Austin.

  Julia headed downstairs, the anticipation of the evening rising in her stomach as she saw Virginia and Luis preparing the house and the food for tonight. It was the busiest she’d seen the house since she got there. Virginia didn’t even come over and say hello. Everyone was focused and jittery, smiling about the new vigor that leaped in the manor. Everyone that is, except Ava. Julia noticed her immediately, sitting alone on the large, white couch in the living room. Ava's smallness was accentuated by the fluff of the cushions beside her where Peanut and Pancake patiently sat. Her apparent sadness made Julia’s heart melt, especially because she knew firsthand what all this change felt like.

  “Hey Ava, how are you doing today?” Julia asked, hoping desperately by some miracle Ava would open up to her about how she was really feeling.

  “I’m fine,” Ava replied with a heavy sign as Julia sat on the couch beside her.

  “Are you sure? You know, Ava, you can talk to me if you want.” Julia tried to comfort her. She didn’t want to push, but she did want to be there for the girl.

  “Thanks,” Ava replied, and Julia wasn’t surprised by her response. She knew if an adult had asked Julia the same question when she had been Ava's age that the reply would be identical. The forced stoic and strong demeanor would be the same. That’s why Julia also knew that Ava needed someone to be there with her, and someone to cheer her up.

  After a few moments of sitting on the couch in silence, Julia came up with a brilliant idea on how to cheer Ava up. She remembered that first night in the kitchen Virginia had told her that Ava used to love to paint. Maybe if she could get Ava to paint that would relieve some of her anxiety about tonight.