Stay With Me, Julia

by Elle Linder

  “I will.”

  Luke went into his room after they returned from breakfast. The kids and Renee went up to the loft to put their things away, a welcomed reprieve. Not a shred of evidence from their sinful night was anywhere. Julia had left it spotless.

  He smiled as he texted her.

  Luke: Thank you for cleaning the room but you didn’t have to. I miss you.

  Julia: Yes, I did. Your kids shouldn’t see it in disarray. Kiss-kiss, I miss you too.

  Luke: Why don’t you come over and meet them before dinner? I need you.

  Julia: No, we agreed to meet at The Peak. I’m still trying to pull myself together after the invasion of your family.

  Luke: I’m sorry about that.

  Julia: I know, I’ll see you tonight.

  Luke listened to the voices of the kids and Renee upstairs. Why surprise him? Had she hoped to catch Julia at his place?

  Well played.

  Was this about Julia, or was there more? Renee liked to ruffle his feathers. Maybe she wanted to turn his life upside down? That had to be it. Shame on him for wanting to be happy while she was miserable.

  He put Renee out of his mind and went to take a shower. It would be a long day before he saw Julia again, and the thought of her made him ache. A shower would help.

  ***

  Renee made herself comfortable, as she always did, poking around Luke’s house for evidence of Julia. Why didn’t he talk about her openly? Why hide her after calling her his girlfriend? Could he love her? That didn’t seem possible given his resolute ideas about trust and honesty. But if he did, what did that say about the woman who had become his girlfriend?

  In the kitchen, she rifled through drawers, cabinets, and the pantry—nothing. She looked for anything that might be Julia’s, anything that would give her a clue about Luke’s secret girlfriend. And then she found several bottles of Merlot in the cabinet above the fridge. “Luke doesn’t drink wine,” she said under her breath.

  “What are you looking for?” His commanding voice startled her.

  She whirled around. Her eyes moved over his handsome face and fit body—barefoot, jeans, and a black T-shirt. She smelled him, and it did things to her as she stared at her sexy ex. “This isn’t yours.” She held up the bottle.

  “It’s in my kitchen. That makes it mine.”

  “Your girlfriend drinks wine—specifically Merlot? No beer?” He watched her. “That’s very refined of her. What else does she like, hmm? Stinky cheese and veal? Or maybe she’s a vegetarian and does yoga. Isn’t that what all Californians do?” She stood with her hand on her hip. “Say something!”

  “Are you finished? You’re being ridiculous. What’s wrong with you?” He crossed his arms over his chest. She knew the unyielding stance.

  “What’s wrong with me? I’ll tell you what’s wrong with me. I’m insulted that you won’t tell me a damn thing about her. Like she’s some secret.”

  “Why do you want to know about her? And why am I the bad guy for not talking about her—to you? We’re divorced. You didn’t give a shit about me while you cheated for our entire marriage. I owe you nothing!” he shot back.

  Her gaze dropped to her feet. What could she say to that? When she lifted her head, she had tears in her eyes. “It’s weird knowing you’re with someone. I don’t know why I thought you’d never settle down. I believed I screwed you up so badly that you’d never let anyone into your heart. But I see it in you—you’re happy. And I want to know what kind of woman won you over. Do you love her?”

  “I’m not having this conversation with you. You’ll meet Julia tonight and can judge for yourself. Just know nothing you say will change my opinion of Julia. So, if you think you can come between us, I’m telling you right now that it won’t happen. I want you to be decent for once. Be nice to her.”

  “Be decent? Nice? What kind of woman do you think I am?”

  “A decent and kind woman wouldn’t have cheated on her husband.”

  “You’re an asshole! You didn’t love me. You only stayed with me because I was pregnant with Heather! You would have been out the door that first year if I hadn’t been pregnant. But you stayed. You and your honor. Why didn’t you leave me and then we both could’ve been happy?”

  “Why didn’t you ask me for a divorce? Instead, you paraded men in and out of my house, around my children while I was on missions fighting the enemy! If you were so fucking unhappy, why didn’t you divorce me? I would have signed the papers!”

  “Because I liked being married to a respected man. You made me look good. You validated me…poor, trashy Renee. I was respected because people respected you.” Her eyes welled.

  “What about earning people’s respect? But no, you wanted to screw around. You made your choices.”

  “So, she’s better than me?” His dark, hardened eyes were on hers. “She is, isn’t she? Just say it! She’s everything I never was… Say it!”

  “Why do you want me to hurt you? All I’ve tried to do is spare your feelings, but you push me to hurt you. Yeah, she’s fucking amazing. Is that what you want to hear? Do you feel better now? I’m done talking to you.”

  Luke stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Renee alone with the bottle of Merlot. She put it on the counter and went to the bathroom.

  The woman in the mirror disgusted her. Luke was right. She wanted him to hurt her because she couldn’t get past destroying their family. So if he hurt her in return, maybe it would make her feel better. It didn’t.

  To make it through the rest of the day and dinner with Julia, she needed a little help. She pulled a small vial out of her pocket, stuck her pinky nail in the glass container, and scooped out the white powder. Now, she wouldn’t care two licks about Julia. She snorted the emotion-numbing powder, then closed her eyes.

  All her stress and every care in the world would be gone. She opened her eyes, put the cap on the bottle, and slipped it into her pocket. She ran her fingers through her blonde hair. Was Julia a blonde like her?

  Were there any similarities at all?

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  The Ex and the Woman He Loves

  The Peak appeared packed when Luke pulled his truck into the parking lot. He hadn’t heard about a party tonight.

  “Hey, guys, maybe we could go have pizza instead.”

  “Nooo!” the kids cried in unison.

  “I love the country music here,” Heather said. “Please, Dad.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine, Luke,” Renee said, irritation dripping from her voice. She shook her head while staring out the side window.

  “All right, let’s go in.”

  He had never seen the entry filled to the brim with people waiting for a seat. Renee and the kids hung back while he went to see how long the wait would be.

  “How many?” the flustered hostess asked.

  “Five. What’s going on? The place is busting at the seams.”

  “New Saturday promo. Buy one get one free.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Looks like everyone in town is here for the free meal.”

  “You’re telling me. The wait is thirty minutes for the dining room at best,” she said.

  “Thirty minutes?” He frowned. Then he saw Bruce waving to him and pointing to a table on the bar side.

  “We’ll sit in the bar,” he told the overwhelmed hostess.

  “Sure. Help yourself to the first table you find.”

  Usually Luke wouldn’t have taken the kids into the bar side, but a thirty-minute wait would not go over well. And Renee’s impatience had been grinding on him since their talk in the kitchen, so he led his family to a table in the bar.

  “You guys take a seat while I go talk to Bruce and grab some menus.”

  “Okay,” Brice said.

  “Yup,” Heather said, staring at the dance floor. A few couples were dancing.

  When he looked at Renee, she only nodded, her arms crossed over her chest. It was best to leave her alone. Luke watched the door, keeping an eye out for
Julia. He had told her they would be in the dining room, so he didn’t want her searching for them.

  “Hey, man, what’s this I hear about a new promo?”

  “It was Julia’s idea.” He looked around the bar. “She said to run it on my slowest day, which I did Tuesday, and my sales were up fifty percent. Then I got a wild hair up my ass. Thought I’d test it out on my busiest day…today.” He shook his head.

  “Gotta be careful with those wild hairs. It looks like you’re doing better than you thought.” Luke laughed.

  “It’s been like this all damn day. My staff is about to fire me.” He scratched the top of his head. “I see you brought the family in. Where’s Julia?”

  “Yeah, Renee surprised us this morning with an unannounced visit. Brice barreled into my room while my girl and I were doing our morning workout.” He winked.

  Bruce’s eye brows shot up. “Are you shitting me? He saw you and Julia?”

  “My poor girl flipped out. She refused to meet them, but I convinced her it would be okay.”

  “Is it going to be okay?”

  “It has to be. My kids aren’t going anywhere, and I sure as hell don’t want to lose her.” Luke noticed Bruce’s gaze move to the entry. When he turned, he saw his lady walking toward him, but she seemed off.

  “Hi.” She flashed him a quick smile.

  He looked at her oddly. “Baby, why are you standing over there?” There were two barstools between them. He went to her and slipped his arm around her waist.

  “No, don’t do that,” she whispered, scooting away from him. Luke frowned at Bruce. “Hi, Bruce. Busy tonight, huh?”

  “Yeah. I ran the promo today. Big mistake.”

  She grimaced. “I’ll write up a plan for you so this doesn’t happen again.”

  “That would be great.”

  “Julia, you need to relax.” Luke pulled her back into him.

  “Luke, no PDA.” He growled as she stepped to the side. “Where are they? I don’t want to look around,” she whispered.

  “They’re by the dance floor. I told you, it’s okay.” He pulled her back and kissed her. When she tried to pull back, he deepened the kiss. Bruce laughed and walked off. “Mmm, that’s what I needed. You look beautiful, by the way. New boots?”

  “Mm-hmm, something more casual. Luke, I’m freaking out.” She looked up at him, and he kissed her again. He wanted to calm her down, but all the kissing seemed to make her more uncomfortable.

  “I can sense their eyes on me.”

  “No, I’m blocking their view. Baby, relax.”

  “I could if you’d stop pawing me.” She pushed his hands away.

  He sighed, frustrated. “Are you ready to go meet the kids?”

  She glanced at Bruce. “I’ll have a—”

  “Merlot,” he answered for her. “I’ve got you covered, sweetheart.” He winked.

  “Thanks, Bruce. You’re the best.” He nodded.

  Luke bent at the knees to look her in the eyes. “It’s going to be okay. And Bruce, two’s her limit.” He laughed…the laugh.

  Bruce chortled while Julia was unfazed by his antics.

  “Come on, baby.” He took her by the hand.

  The eyes she had felt on her appeared when Luke moved beside her. And it wasn’t only two sets of eyes. First, she noticed Brice smiling at her. He nudged Heather repeatedly to get her attention away from the dance floor. When she looked Julia’s way, her eyes bulged.

  At first impression, Luke’s kids seemed happy to see her. But the third pair of eyes were blue and glaring. She inhaled, squeezing Luke’s hand tight as they arrived at the table.

  “Heather, Brice, this is Julia, my girlfriend.”

  Their faces beamed with intrigue.

  “I’m so happy to meet both of you.” She bent slightly at the knees to be on their level. She’d read about doing such when meeting kids or talking to them. They stared at her with stars in their eyes. It was just what she needed to feel more relaxed.

  Luke gripped her waist, pulling her up, and she knew. Time to meet his ex.

  “Baby.” He froze.

  The air left her lungs after the word left his lips, but Luke regrouped quickly.

  “This is Renee. Renee, this is Julia Greene.”

  Julia extended her hand first. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “And it’s nice to meet you,” Renee reciprocated with a limp grasp.

  Meeting the ex-wife, ugh.

  ***

  Luke watched Renee. He’d known Julia’s youthfulness and beauty would shock her, although she would never admit it. The irritation on her face had moved to her hands. Drumming her fingers was her tell. That mixed with silence and a scowl wasn’t good.

  “Have you been here long?” Julia studied the table. “Nobody has a drink or appetizers yet.” She glanced at Luke with concern.

  His eyes smiled into hers as he took her hand. “We only arrived minutes before you, but I’ll get Bruce over here to take orders.”

  Julia nodded.

  “We’re on the other side.” He pulled her chair out like he always did, and she sat across from Brice and Heather. That put him across from Renee.

  While Julia situated herself, Luke hailed Bruce. Renee watched Julia’s every move. Luke’s body tensed. It unnerved him that her eyes would be on them all evening.

  But he also didn’t want to rub Julia in Renee’s face. That wasn’t the kind of man he was, nor would he ever be. Still, he wouldn’t hide the connection between them, which Lauren had told them was easy to see. Renee needed to accept them as a couple. It was as easy as that.

  “I love your leather jacket,” Heather told Julia. “I’ve always wanted one, but Mom said no.” She shrugged.

  Luke heard Renee do the motherly sigh. The one that said, Of course, now I’m the bad mom.

  “Thank you, Heather. Leather can be expensive. The care and upkeep alone can be a pain. Maybe when you’re older you’ll get one,” Julia responded.

  Julia’s quick response to Heather seemed to appease his young teenager. He loved how effortlessly she dealt with the kids, even though he knew her stomach had to be in knots.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Heather agreed.

  “Do you like country music?” Julia asked, tilting her head toward the dance floor.

  “I love it. Do you like country music?”

  “Eh, it’s growing on me.” She shrugged. “I usually listen to pop.”

  “Here you go, sweetheart.” Bruce placed a glass of wine in front of her. He also brought water for the table. “What else can I get y’all?”

  “Cheese fries and a Sprite,” Brice blurted.

  ***

  Julia smiled at Brice. He was a lot cuter in the current situation. He had blond, wavy hair, blue eyes, and a round face with one distinctive dimple in his left cheek. She still didn’t see any part of Luke in him, even in person. Perhaps Brice favored Renee’s side of the family. But Heather, she had Luke’s eyes and nose.

  What would their child look like? She shook the thought out of her head. She needed to stay focused and could daydream about a child with Luke another time.

  “What would you like to drink?” Julia asked Heather.

  “I’ll have a Mountain Dew, and can we get queso dip too?”

  “We sure can,” Julia answered and nodded to Bruce. Then she felt Renee’s eyes on her. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to answer for you.” Her whole body tensed from her faux pas. “At my job, I make the customers happy and give them what they ask for.”

  “It’s fine,” Renee said. The response burned Julia. Saying “it’s fine” meant it was no way in hell fine.

  Luke leaned into Julia. “You’re doing great.” She turned to him, their noses nearly touching, and recognized that the glimmer in his eyes was one of appreciation.

  “So, what is your job?” Renee asked, interrupting their flirting looks.

  “I own an inn and spa,” Julia answered. “We also hold a lot of events at
the inn, like weddings and reunions. I love planning weddings.” The second wedding left her lips, she felt Renee’s eyes on her. Julia slumped into her chair. How could she speak so freely and not think about what she was saying?

  Filter, filter, filter.

  “Oh, like Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner?” Heather excitedly asked. “Or what’s that guy’s name in Father of Bride?”

  “Franck,” Julia responded. “Those are two of my favorite movies.”

  “Mine too!”

  “That’s just movie magic where everything is exaggerated. What she does is plan parties,” Renee corrected as if an authority on Julia’s profession. “It’s not quite as glamorous as you might think with fancy weddings that cost an arm and a leg.” Renee rolled her eyes.

  “Oh,” Heather said disappointedly.

  “Actually, the events I plan are quite expensive and lavish. Some do cost an arm and a leg.” She winked at Heather.

  “Yes, Julia’s inn is one of the most sought-after venues in L.A.,” Luke said with pride. “Celebrities frequent the spa daily.”

  “So, are you rich?” Heather asked.

  Julia noticed Renee dialing in, but before she could answer, Calvin interrupted, saving her. She hated to talk about money, especially her money. By most people’s standards, she would be considered rich. It had taken her many years and a lot of hard work to make Azure Inn and Spa a success.

  “Hey, boss lady. I saw your Lexus out front when we pulled in. Man, you had to park way out in the boonies. I can’t believe how packed the joint is.” He scanned the room. “I saw a few closer spots. Want me to move your car closer?” He waggled his brows.

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind walking.”

  “Aww, come on. What if it starts raining? You might ruin your fancy get-up.”

  “Let the boy have fun in your car. You know he won’t stop pestering you until you give in.” Luke smirked, putting his arm around her.

  “Okay.” She pulled out her keys. “Just be careful.”