"Mama," he said, finding Sharon busy with her cross-stitch in her favorite chair in the living room. "I'll feel better if you're out of the house for a few hours. The fumes from the varnish may not smell too bad to you, but they're not good for you to breathe in all day. Why don't you come with me while I take back the sander, and we'll stop for lunch?"
"Oh, my old bones can't walk through that big store. I think I'll have you drop me off at Henry's. You can pick me up on your way back. I'm sure you can find someone else to have lunch with."
Her fingers never stopped moving and yet, J.R. was sure she was calculating his reaction. "Fine. You call him, and I'll load the sander."
Getting the floor sander back into the truck without Junior's help was no small feat, and J.R. struggled to catch his breath. He missed Junior's help. On the way back from the home improvement store, he planned to stop in at Charlie's to see if he could convince Junior to have lunch with him before he had to pick up Mama.
He hadn't realized Mama and Henry Johnson were such good friends. Maybe that was why Mr. Johnson always let him and Junior play around his property.
Mama came out and smiled. "Henry's pleased as punch to have some company." Showing off the loaf of frozen banana bread in her hands, she said, "I'll just take him a treat, too."
"Sure, Mama." J.R. opened her door and held the bread while she climbed into the truck. He really did need to get a running board. Either that or a folding step stool.
Dropping Mama off at Mr. Johnson's reminded J.R. again to talk to him about doing some fixing up at his house. He wondered if he liked living alone or if he had ever considered the same type of retirement home Mama had picked out. Mr. Johnson's house would be a great fixer-upper. With all the acreage in back, it would sell quickly, he was certain.
"Don't hurry back, J.R. I can keep Henry company all afternoon if I need to."
With the sander returned, new decking purchased and loaded in the back of his truck, and the new windows set up for next-day delivery, J.R. pulled into Charlie's just before noon. He knew Junior had been furious with the whopper Brad Taylor had told and he was just as puzzled to know why he had done it. Being out of the loop of community happenings and well, community gossip, firmly set him on the outside.
Until a few days ago, that's where he wanted to be, but now he wasn't sure. Coming home opened a whole new can of worms, or was it a whole new slew of possibilities? His feelings for Junior were growing every day. Once awakened, they seemed to be on a clear-cut course for the finish line. And did he know what the finish line entailed? Until he found out what happened in the past, how could he think about the future?
Striding into Charlie's, he grabbed a shopping cart and headed for the dairy section. If nothing else, they needed milk. Getting into Junior's lane, he was pleased to see her smile when she spotted him. He watched her unabashedly while she helped the two old ladies in front of him, taking time to visit a little and make the women feel welcome. It dawned on him that she probably knew all her customers. She may even know their children and all their troubles, like a hairdresser. It was one of those small-town things. He didn't always go to the same grocery store in Portland, and he never remembered the cashier.
"Have a fun time at the library, Mrs. Jenkins," Julianna offered as the elderly lady pushed her cart out the door.
J.R. put the gallon of whole milk on the conveyor belt and smiled at Junior. "How's it going?"
Julianna rolled her eyes. "The new assistant manager spends all his time in Brad's office. It's like he's scared."
J.R. laughed. "Brad probably warned him about you."
"Well," she said, raising her chin, "I've been just as pleasant as can be all morning."
He didn't miss the flash in her eyes, though. That was enough to scare any reasonable man. "I came to ask you to lunch. Do you get a break soon?"
Glancing up at the clock over the exit and then catching J.R.'s gaze, Julianna picked up the phone at her station. "Bobby, I'd like to take my lunch now. Can you come out and cover for me?" Her eyes never left his.
J.R. grinned.
While she waited for Bobby to come out from the back, Julianna rang up the milk. By the time J.R. paid for it, Bobby was logging in to the cash register one aisle over and Junior was untying her apron. "Let me grab my purse and I'll meet you at your truck."
"See you there." J.R. suddenly wondered if the milk would spoil, but the temperature was cool enough, he figured if he left it in the back of the truck, it would be okay.
Julianna didn't waste any time.
As she slipped into the cab, she turned to J.R., her excitement hardly contained, "You would not believe the drama going on at the store!"
CHAPTER ELEVEN
J ulianna set a timer on her phone so she wouldn't lose track of how long they stayed at lunch. She was thrilled that J.R. had stopped and invited her out. Pushing aside the thoughts of what happened in the past, she vowed it didn't matter because no matter what was going on between them now, it wouldn't last. He would go back to Portland, and she would find another place for the trailer. Mama said it was hers to do with as she wished.
As J.R. pulled up to the neighborhood hamburger stand, he raised his eyebrows as if to ask if his choice was okay. She nodded. They had spent many an evening hanging out at this place and it brought back all the good memories. Those memories Julianna could handle.
"What was all that about when you got in the truck?" he asked.
"Well," she said, stringing the word out, "when I got there this morning, I found out that one of the reasons Brad called me back in was because two employees quit over the weekend. Kimberly and Joseph. Well, Joseph had given notice, so that wasn't a surprise, but Kimberly was next in seniority to me. I really wonder what happened to make her quit."
"Can you ask her?"
"I tried to call her on my morning break, but she didn't answer. I didn't want to leave a message. I'll catch up with her at church on Sunday."
J.R. stepped up to the ordering counter. "Do you want your usual?"
"You remember what I like?"
"Of course. I remember a lot of things, Junior."
"Except to not call me Junior," she muttered.
"Hey," he cajoled, "that's my special name for you now. I just can't call you Julianna."
"Why?"
J.R. didn't answer and turned to the cashier to place their order. By the time they were seated, he tried to change the subject. "Did you have a chance to call Brad on his lie?"
"Don't get sidetracked. Why can't you call me by my real name?"
The intensity in J.R.'s eyes frightened Julianna at first, but the more she held his gaze, the more she felt mesmerized. "It's just that...I don't know, I want to recapture what we had as kids. You were never Julianna to me. I don't know Julianna. I lo...like Junior."
"But I'm a grown woman now, J.R. Junior doesn't suit me anymore." She ignored the fact that he nearly dropped the "L" word.
"I suppose so."
"Look, I'll compromise with you. Can you just call me Julianna when we're out in public? You can call me Junior at home."
The way J.R. contemplated her offer, you would think the safety of the entire nation balanced on his response. "I'll try. That's the best I can do."
"Fair enough," she agreed. "For now."
"How does being two employees down affect the store?" he asked, returning to their previous topic,
"Well, it may mean I have to work longer hours until they hire someone new. But that can be good because since I didn't get the promotion, I could use the overtime."
"But if you're working overtime, you can't help me on the house."
"For someone who didn't want my help to begin with, that's kind of funny."
"You know I don't feel that way anymore, don't you?" He leaned over the table until their faces were only inches apart. "Don't those kisses mean anything to you?"
Julianna backed up against her seat. "Well, sure they do, but what kind of future could we have,
J.R.? You live in Portland, and I live here."
J.R. leaned back. "You could move to Portland."
"And do what?"
"Anything you want, Jun...Juli...an...na," he stumbled.
She smiled and silently applauded his effort.
"You'd be amazed at all the possibilities there: school, tons of jobs, vocational training, lots of stuff."
"But I like it here. This is my home. It's your home, too, if you want it to be."
"I don't know. I have a good business and a great apartment. I've made a couple good friends and connections at my church."
"But I have that here. Well, mostly."
"Tell me about you and church. You said Mama insisted you take her to church when you moved into the trailer, but I'm sure she didn't require you to get baptized."
Julianna couldn't tell him everything, but maybe she could skip some stuff and just talk about God. "I'd been through a rough patch, including Earl and Maureen kicking me out. They say you don't always allow the Lord into your life unless you've hit rock bottom, and I think that's where I was. I was only working at the store part time, barely got fifteen hours a week, didn't have any money and no place to live. People I thought were my friends—like Stacy—had disappeared. When I started going to the worship service with Mama, I had nothing to do but listen. What the pastor said got to me. I asked Mama what I had to do to learn more. She gave me a Bible and started teaching me about Jesus. Two weeks later I was baptized."
"That fast."
"It was the right thing to do. I knew it then, and I know it now. I couldn't believe how different I felt after my baptism. I felt clean and pure, and I made God a promise right then to live his commandments and stay on the path."
"I had no idea you would accept Jesus into your life so easily."
"It wasn't easy, J.R. I went through a lot to get to the point where I would even listen." Julianna stopped abruptly. She hadn't thought about that before. If she hadn't made such awful choices before, would she ever have felt the desire to find God?
"I'm proud of you. I went through some stuff myself after my dad died, and I'm grateful I didn't let go of the things I had been taught."
He took her hand. She felt the tingles and sparks run through her arm and down her body the same way his touch affected her when they were teenagers.
"Maybe we can figure it out, Ju...lianna. I don't want to lose you again."
She smiled. The name was getting easier. But when she thought about coming clean about senior year, she frowned. She didn't know if she could ever do that.
"Now, why the frown? Oh," he pulled back even farther into his seat, "you don't feel the same way, do you? I'm just wasting my time, huh?"
The idea of J.R. slipping from her grasp caused her heart to jump and crack. She squeezed his hand. "Let's just take it one day at a time, okay? I don't know if we can work things out, but I might like to try." Could she just never tell him?
When Junior's—Julianna's—phone alarm went off, J.R. was disappointed their time was cut short. Dang her job. Yet he knew they were nowhere near ready for her to quit. What was he thinking, anyway? She wouldn't come to Portland with him without a commitment. Was he ready for that? They needed to get the past sorted out before they could have a future. Maybe he could get her out for a walk later.
Pulling up to the front of Charlie's, J.R noticed the store's message sign for the first time. "That's new," he said, pointing to the sign. "Who's John?" The sign didn't have the usual list of items on sale posted. Instead it said, "Welcome to the family, John."
"Oh, John Wells. He's the new assistant manager. I guess Brad will leave that up until he gets back from..." Julianna lowered her voice and now dripped venom, "...from his mother's funeral." Tossing her ponytail over her shoulder, she brightened. "The town loves the sign. Brad allows people to put up personal messages from time to time, and it's fun. Like, last year, Tommy Bales and Cindy Colfax graduated with straight As and he put that up there the last week of school. I thought it was really nice."
"Hmmm. Fun," J.R. mumbled.
"See you later," Julianna said. "Thanks for lunch." She opened her door and started to slip out of the truck.
"Wait!" J.R. didn't exactly yell, but Junior jumped and froze. He hurried out of the cab and around to her door. Holding the door for her to finish getting out, he put his hand behind her head and drew her in for a quick kiss.
Julianna turned beet red and dipped her head. "You shouldn't do that in front of the store."
"Why not?"
"Because people will talk."
"About us?"
"Yes, they'll think we're a couple again."
"That's what I want them to think. Actually, I couldn't care less what they think. That's what I want you to think."
The smile she gave him was reward enough.
He grinned all the way home.
At dinner Julianna filled Mama in on all the happenings at the store, then they worked until late going over the next steps of the renovation.
Keeping Mama living comfortably during the changes that needed to be made downstairs had to be handled carefully. They needed the kitchen to be last, but because they were ordering new cabinets for the bathrooms, their plan had to include a strategy where they didn't end up without plumbing. J.R. decided to clear out of the upstairs bathroom and share with Mama downstairs. She agreed and the following morning, he cleared out the bathroom cabinet upstairs and started taking off the old, chipped laminate countertop. Thank goodness Mama didn't want to change out the tub or the tile surround. It was still in pretty good shape; just needed a good scrub.
When the front doorbell rang, he heard Mama get up and answer the door. Women's voices floated through the air, but he couldn't hear exactly what was being said. He hoped Mama had a visitor. He knew part of the reason she wanted to move was because she was lonely. When she called him downstairs, he smacked his hand with the crowbar and muttered a curse. He wasn't going to get anything done if she interrupted him. Still, she wouldn't call unless it was important.
"What is it, Mama?" J.R. asked as he hurried down the stairs, stopping cold when he glanced at who was standing just inside the front door.
Stacy's slick smile caused a shudder to run down J.R.'s spine. "Good morning, J.R., honey," she said sweetly as she zeroed in on J.R.
"Good morning. I thought I told you not to call."
Stacy's smile got bigger. "Well, as you can see, I'm not calling. I heard Julianna had her vacation cut short. I thought I would help out Sharon, and well, you, by taking her place."
J.R. suddenly realized she was dressed for what she probably considered menial labor; jeans, a flannel shirt with a few strategic buttons missing, and tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled back, but her make-up was flawless. "I don't need your help, Stacy."
Stacy took a deep breath and smiled again, but this time it was as phony as a wooden nickel. "Sharon said it was all right."
J.R. looked at Mama with disbelief broadcast across his face. Mama's face was totally blank, which meant she was hiding something. Excusing himself and Mama, he asked Stacy to wait by the door and took Mama into the kitchen.
"Are you crazy?"
"Why?"
"I just got her out of my field of vision, and you want to put her in the same room working with me?"
"You didn't accomplish what you thought you did. I'd bet my bottom dollar you only postponed the inevitable. I thought if she worked—really worked—with you today, she'd get tired of it or break a nail or something and that would get her off your back for good."
J.R. thought for a minute, weighing the help, or lack thereof, that Stacy would be to getting rid of her for good. He only hoped Junior didn't find out about it. If she did, she probably wouldn't speak to him again. "I'll see. But don't tell Junior. I think I'm making headway with her, and I don't need Stacy messing it up."
"I won't say a word to Julianna."
J.R. returned to the entryway. Stacy was still there. Darn it. "If yo
u really want to help, I'm tearing out the bathroom today. How good are you with a crowbar?"
"I'm great. Just watch me." Stacy headed for the stairs.
J.R. followed reluctantly. Before he started up the stairs, he said to Mama, "If she gets out of hand, I'll need you to chaperone."
CHAPTER TWELVE
K imberly Adams peeked in the sliding doors of the store and caught Julianna's attention before slipping away. The store staff called 3:00 in the afternoon the mid-day slump. Moms with kids in school were picking them up or waiting for them to get off the bus at home. Older women, like Mrs. Pauley always did their shopping early in the day. In about a half hour, the high school crowd would come in for their daily rations of candy and soda.
Julianna had been cashiering long enough to see the patterns. The closer they got to Halloween, the more candy on the shelves, and the more the kids would buy. Julianna cringed at the thought of their sugar highs. Letting Bobby know she was going outside for a short break, she keyed off her cash register and turned out the light above her station.
"I tried to call you earlier," Julianna said in a low voice as she casually leaned against the brick of the store front.
Kimberly hugged the wall of the store. "I know, but I didn't want to come when the store was busy."
"What happened? Why did you quit?"
"I just got fed up, Julianna. Mr. Taylor was acting weird and the new guy, John, didn't give me the impression he had ever worked in a grocery store before. When I told Brian, he told me to quit. He thinks he can get me a job near where he works in Salem. If I move there, we'll both at least live in the same area and maybe," she sighed, "closer to a more permanent relationship. Cross your fingers for me."
Julianna hugged her friend tight and wished her well. Kimberly had been a solid confederate in both the grocery store world and at church. Julianna would miss her, but she wanted only the best for her friend.
Slowly entering the store, Julianna wondered if she and J.R. would ever get to the point of a "permanent relationship." She still couldn't believe he'd kissed her in front of the store. Maybe that said more than words. No matter how he had behaved in high school, she knew he was a good guy—a good man. So why wouldn't he have a girlfriend in Portland?
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