Hometown Hope: A Small Town Romance Anthology

by Zoe York

As I got in my car and drove back to work, I hoped I wasn’t wrong about Kayla warming up to me.

  Jackson

  By the time I got to the restaurant, I was practically skipping. It was Millie’s birthday, the first major event that we were celebrating together, and I may be hiding the best gift ever in my back pocket.

  I’d never been that great at gift giving. Julie never really collected anything, or made a big deal about presents. It wasn’t until Kayla got old enough to start unwrapping gifts and began to light up over every little thing that I became the gift-giving guru.

  And, I’d really outdone myself this time...

  I’d enlisted Dru and Tasha’s help, and based off of their feedback, Millie’s mind was about to be blown.

  I grinned as I approached the table at the Thai restaurant that Millie had chosen, and was pleased to note that she’d left the chair next to her open for me. I bent to kiss her softly on the forehead before taking my seat and saying hi to Dru and Tasha.

  “Sorry for being a few minutes late. I was waylaid dropping of Kayla.”

  After her reaction to being invited to Millie’s lunch, and subsequent grounding for rude behavior, I’d decided it would be best for everyone if I took Kayla to my parents’ instead.

  “You’re not late, we haven’t even ordered yet,” Millie assured me, and I couldn’t help but reach under the table and take her hand.

  The need to touch her at all times was almost overwhelming.

  “Great,” I said as I picked up my menu. I’d never been to this place before and had no idea what I was going to order. “You all ready for tonight?”

  “Yes, our minions are finishing up the decorations now. I cannot wait to see it,” Dru gushed, obviously excited. Then looked to her sister and said, “But, that’s for later, we’re here to focus on Millie now. So, come on, birthday girl, tell us the best part of the last year and what you most hope to accomplish in the coming year.”

  Millie looked to me and explained, “It’s a tradition for us. Mom started it when we were still in middle school. She always believed that you wouldn’t achieve success without goals, so she always wanted us to have them.”

  “She sounds amazing.”

  “She was,” Millie said, sadness crossing her features. “I wish you could have met her, she would like you.”

  “Me too,” I replied, then, hoping to bring her happiness back, I asked, “So, what was the best part of your year? Other than meeting me, of course.”

  I was happy when she blushed prettily at my joke, and said, “Of course. Um … I guess I’d have to say not only the success of Three Sisters, but that we’re doing well enough to grow our full-time employees and ease up on our hours a bit. In the next year, I’d like to see more of that. On the flip side, I’d also like us to start doing more of the upscale children’s party, like we discussed.” She squeezed my hand and smiled. “That idea came from you, and Kayla’s tea party.”

  “Glad we could help.” I grinned, thinking how lucky it was that she’d agreed to help me that day.

  “Can I get your drink orders?” the server said from next to me, causing me to jump in my seat, since I hadn’t heard him approach.

  “Thai Tea, please,” Millie said.

  “Make that three,” Tasha revised.

  I looked at the three of them, then up at the waiter and asked, “What’s Thai Tea?”

  “You’ve never had it?” Dru asked.

  “Oh, you have to order it,” Tasha added.

  “It’s really good,” Millie concurred.

  “Guess you can make that four, then,” I told the waiter, who nodded and took off to get our drinks.

  “Soooo, another one of our traditions is to get up earlier and do presents in bed,” Tasha started.

  “Which means, Millie and I already opened our presents from each other,” Dru added.

  “Guys,” Millie chastised, when she realized they were fishing to see if I’d gotten her something.

  Although, they weren’t fishing, they knew darn well what I’d gotten her.

  My face split with a grin, and I clapped my hands together in excitement, “Well…” But before I could do the big reveal, my phone started ringing.

  “Sorry, I’d better take this, just in case it’s about Kayla,” I apologized as I rose from my chair.

  “Of course,” Millie said sweetly.

  I took a few steps toward the side of the room, then stopped in my tracks when I saw it was Mick calling. Figuring I might need more privacy, I walked toward the exit as I pressed the button to answer the phone and held it to my ear.

  “Hello?”

  “Heeler? It’s Mick. Thought you’d like to know I found her,” he replied briskly.

  “Julie?” I asked dumbly, even though that was the only person he could be talking about.

  “Yeah.”

  “Where?” I asked, looking out over the street without actually seeing anything.

  “She’s in Hampton, about forty minutes away.”

  “Forty minutes?” I whispered with disbelief. “She’s been forty minutes away from our daughter this entire time and has never once tried to see her?”

  “Sorry, bro, she’s a piece … Living with some rich old dude in a fancy house. Cheats on him with her tennis instructor and the pool guy.”

  “What?” I asked, then had to clarify. “You are talking about Julie, right? Julie Heeler?”

  “The one and only. ‘Cept she goes by Julie Baker now.”

  Her maiden name. She’d reverted back to her maiden name and was living forty minutes away from our daughter, without so much as a god-damned Happy Birthday…

  “What’s the address?” I asked. “I’ve gotta swing by and get the divorce papers, then I’m heading over there. I need to get this done once and for all.”

  Mick gave me the address and clipped, “I’ll meet you there.”

  Then he hung up and I stood there, staring at nothing and wondering how Mick could be talking about the woman I’d been married to and had a beautiful child with, because the person he’d just described was an absolute stranger.

  Millie

  “Are you ready to order?”

  I looked up to see the waiter standing patiently next to me. Our drinks were in front of us, and it had been five minutes since Jackson had left to take his call. I looked toward the door he’d exited, hoping to see him walking back in, but he didn’t.

  “Just a few more minutes, please,” I replied, then looked at my sisters and said, “I’m going to go check on Jackson.”

  When I opened the door and stepped outside, I saw him standing on the curb staring off into space, his phone in his hand by his side.

  “Hey,” I began, causing Jackson to flinch and turn his head toward my voice. “Is everything okay with Kayla?”

  “Uh … yeah,” he replied, running his empty hand through his hair and letting out a deep sigh before turning fully toward me. Jackson lifted his hand holding his phone and said, “That was Mick, my PI.”

  “Oh.” I looked down at the phone, which now only showed a blank screen, and asked, “Did he find her?”

  Jackson’s face was pained when he replied, “Yes.”

  Not sure what to say, I waited, hoping he’d let me know what was bothering him, and honestly a little nervous about what his reaction to finding his wife was going to be. Would he want to go back to her after all, now that he knew where she was? Was he hoping for a reconciliation, if not for his sake, then for Kayla’s?

  I know Jackson meant it when he said he didn’t want her back, but will that change when he actually sees her again?

  “Julie’s in Hampton. Hampton. Do you know where that is?” Jackson asked, his voice rising.

  I nodded, because I did know where it was, and it wasn’t that far away.

  He took a deep breath. “I have to go see her. Talk to her … My lawyer has the papers drawn up, he said that he can give them to me right away, or serve them himself. But, I think I have to do it �
� ya know?”

  “I do.” And, I did. I knew he needed answers, because without them, he may never get closure, for himself and for Kayla.

  If closure is what they want…

  “You should go,” I told him, even though it made me sick to say it.

  “But,” Jackson began, looking miserable as he looked over my head at the restaurant behind him.

  “It’s okay,” I assured him.

  “Millie, it’s your birthday lunch, I’m not just gonna…”

  Putting my hands on his shoulders, I looked up into his sweet handsome face, taking in his disheveled hair, glasses, and the tell-tale lack of dimples.

  “You need to go handle this; it’s time. It’ll still be my birthday later, and I’ll see you at Dru’s party.”

  “Are you sure?” Jackson asked, obviously torn.

  “Positive,” I said with a nod.

  “Okay, but I will see you later, and we’ll celebrate your birthday after Dru’s party, just the two of us.” Jackson frowned, then leaned down to press his forehead against mine. “I really hate to do this to you on your birthday, but I have to see her, face to face, and now that I know where she is, I feel like I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else until I did, and that wouldn’t be fair to you either.”

  “I understand.”

  “You’re amazing,” he whispered, pulling back to look down at me as he smoothed my hair back in a sweet gesture. “I’ll save your present until tonight. I don’t want it to be tainted by this.”

  “Okay,” I agreed with a somewhat forced smile. “I look forward to it.”

  I stepped back, and could see Jackson still warring with indecision, so I pointed down the street and ordered, “Go, and I’ll see you tonight.”

  Jackson nodded, then walked away. I stood there watching, smiling for real when he looked back over his shoulder, then blew me a kiss.

  After a couple seconds, I went back in to the restaurant and sat at the table.

  “What’s going on?” Dru asked, looking over my shoulder for Jackson, then frowning when she realized he wasn’t with me.

  “His PI found his wife. He’s going to go see her and give her the divorce papers.”

  “Now?” Tasha cried. “Couldn’t it have waited until after lunch?”

  “He left your birthday lunch?” Dru asked incredulously.

  “You guys, I told him to go. He would have been thinking about confronting her, and I’d be worrying about how he was doing and everything. It’s just better that he goes and handles everything now. Get it over with. I’ll see him at the party tonight, and he said we’ll celebrate my birthday after.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Dru asked, her hand reaching for mine.

  I grasped it gratefully and admitted, “I’m happy he’s found her, and hopeful that he’ll get the answers and closure that he needs…”

  “But, you’re worried,” my twin guessed.

  “What if they see each other and realize they should still be a family?” I asked softly.

  “Then you’ll get through it, with us by your side. Together, we can do anything, right?”

  “Right,” Tasha confirmed.

  “Would you like to order now?” our waiter asked.

  “Yes,” I confirmed. “It’ll just be the three of us. Can you get me the Butter Chicken, and change this Thai Tea for dirty martini, extra dirty, with three olives?”

  “Yas!” Dru exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “Make that three martinis’ and I’ll have the curry.”

  “Me too,” Tasha said, and we all handed the waiter our menus.

  Inadvertently, my eyes drifted back toward the door, then I felt Dru squeeze my hand and Tasha grab my other one, and I turned my attention to my sisters.

  “It’ll be okay,” Dru assured me, and I prayed she was right.

  Jackson

  My heart was pounding, stomach cramping, and I felt a little light-headed as I followed the GPS to where Julie had been hiding for the past year.

  As I eased up to the curb, I noticed Mick getting out of a beat-up old Army Jeep. As his large body lumbered toward me, my gaze kept darting to the large house to the right of us. There was nothing homey or cozy about it; no, it was nothing like the home we’d build together. This one was flashy. Ostentatious.

  “She’s in there,” Mick assured me as he approached. “I saw her come back about twenty minutes ago and she hasn’t reemerged.”

  I nodded, unable to find my voice quite yet.

  “I’ll wait out here, unless you need me to come with you,” Mick stated, his eyebrow raised. I wasn’t sure if that eyebrow was him daring me not to be a wuss, or him simply waiting for my reply, but I took a deep breath and dug deep.

  “No, I’ve got it,” I replied, clutching the manila folder that held my key to freedom.

  Mick leaned against the side of my truck as I rounded it and walked slowly up the sidewalk, as if I were walking The Green Mile. I felt an adrenaline rush at the thought of finally having this confrontation, months and months of questions and a myriad of feelings swimming through me, as I approached the door and knocked.

  Nothing…

  I rang the doorbell and waited.

  Nothing…

  “Are you sure she’s still here?” I shouted back at Mick, who gave me a look like I should know better than to question him.

  A second later, I heard noise from the other end of the door, and was adjusting my glasses nervously on my nose when it opened. My breath caught, but it took me a full three count to realize that the woman standing in front of me was, in fact, Julie.

  Everything about her was different.

  She was wearing a string bikini, which showed off the fact that she’d had her breasts enlarged and that she was tiny, like really, really tiny. I could probably wrap my arms around her waist if I wanted to, which I didn’t. Her naturally dark hair had been bleached to almost a white blonde, and her nose looked different. Not a drastic change, but enough that I knew she’d had work done.

  Her skin was dark, tanned, which highlighted the stretch marks that had developed when she was pregnant with Kayla. Those marks, along with her eyes, were the only evidence that this was the Julie that I’d been married to.

  “Jackson?” Julie breathed out, her smile faltering. “What are you doing here? How’d you find me?”

  I looked over my shoulder at Mick, and Julie leaned to the side to see around me, then righted herself as I struggled to make the words come out of my mouth. To say I was shocked, flabbergasted, reeling, would be an understatement.

  “Well, at first I thought you’d come back,” I began, my voice scratchy as if I’d just woken from a long slumber. “Then I worried you’d been hurt. Eventually, I just stopped caring.” Her flinch told me that I’d hit my target, but even though I’d wanted to inflict pain on her, just as she had on me, I realized that this wasn’t why I was there, and it didn’t make me feel any better to hurt her. “Once I hired him,” I gestured over my shoulder at Mick with my thumb, “it wasn’t that hard. You’ve been here the whole time?”

  “Why don’t you come inside,” Julie offered, stepping back a bit and gesturing behind her.

  “I don’t want to,” I said, a little more forcefully than necessary. “I just came here for some answers, and to give you this.” I held the envelope up in between us, then dropped my hand again.

  “What’s that?” she asked, but I shook my head and said, “Answers first.”

  Julie sighed, as if I were the one being unreasonable, then stated, “I already told you when I left, I needed time to find myself. To be me.”

  “But you never said why, or how you weren’t already being you … I don’t understand, and Kayla surely doesn’t. Do you remember her, your daughter? She just turned nine, did you even remember it was her birthday?”

  My emotions were getting the better of me, and I couldn’t stop, even though I saw her flinch again at my rant.

  “How was I holding you back
? How was being a mother? I don’t get it? I never denied you anything, or told you no when you wanted to do something. Our relationship wasn’t like that, at least I didn’t think so. I thought we were partners, that we shared everything and used each other for support when we needed it. You totally blindsided me, Julie. One second I thought everything was fine, and the next, you were gone. What happened?”

  I realized I needed to actually breath and pause, to let her respond, and I needed to gain control before I embarrassed myself by crying in front of her. Or, God forbid, in front of Mick. Heaving with emotion, I watched her face. She crinkled her nose up, just like she always did when she was nervous, then shifted her weight from her left foot to her right.

  “I read this book, then watched a YouTube video, about settling. About becoming something you want for the sake of others, and I realized that I’d never gotten to live the life that I’d always dreamed of as a kid. I never sowed my oats, or went wild, or just, you know, lived. We never meant to get pregnant and married like that, neither of us did, but we did what we had to and you seemed to thrive, Jackson. It was obvious you loved being a father and a husband, and your job … you really enjoyed teaching. You were happy. And the happier you were, the more I began to resent you.”

  “Why?” I asked, the question coming out strangled.

  “Because I wasn’t happy. I loved you and Kayla, I did, I swear, but it felt like you were sucking the life out of me. And the more time that passed, the less of me there was. Reading that book was like waking up after sleeping for ten years. We only get one life, and it’s pretty short, and I knew if I didn’t leave, and go figure out what I wanted, who I wanted to be, I’d be lost.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that you felt that way? I would have helped you try and figure things out. I never wanted you to be unhappy,” I asked imploringly, because she was right, I had been happy and I’d had no idea that my wife wasn’t.

  “I don’t know, I just couldn’t. I’m sorry that I left like that, sorry that I hurt you, but I’ve found what I was looking for, Jackson. I am happy.” Julie attempted a smile, shifted again, and I knew she was as ready to be done with the conversation as I was, but I still had to ask…