by Ivy Sinclair
That night had not ended the way Julia or Mike intended. Mike rented a room for them at a bed and breakfast in a neighboring town. Julia thought that the time away would give her the chance to screw up the courage to tell Mike that things had changed between them. She didn’t want to disturb their time at the dance though. Those were supposed to be memories that she looked back on with fondness for the rest of her life. Instead, she frowned remembering how it all went down. As if pulled from her thoughts, the person who ruined her prom night emerged from the dining room.
Sarah’s eyes landed on her, and she moved in Julia’s direction. Julia sat up straighter hoping that Sarah was simply on her way to the bathroom. When Sarah stopped a few feet away, Julia knew her wish wasn’t going to be granted.
“There you are,” Sarah said, crossing her arms. “Your sister is wondering what happened to you.”
A sharp retort died on her tongue as Julia struggled with being polite to Sarah no matter what the other woman did or said. She could be the bigger person. It would be her penance for prom night and to prove once and for all that Julia was a real grown-up.
She held up her cell phone. “Work called. I had to tell my business partner that I was going to be unavailable for the rest of the weekend. Family takes priority.”
“Guess there’s a first time for everything,” Sarah sniffed. “I really don’t know what all the fuss is about with you coming back. I told Clary that I’d be her Maid of Honor and take care of everything, considering I was pretty much doing it all anyway.”
Julia stood up. Five years later, and Sarah was still looking down her nose at her. She had no idea what her sister saw in the woman, or Ben for that matter. Ben said there was nothing going on between him and Sarah, but Julia sensed she wasn’t getting the full story.
“Clary knows that I’m here to help. Seems like she’s the one who is pretty much doing everything from what I’ve seen,” Julia said through clenched teeth.
“From your perspective of what, a whole twenty-four hours?” Sarah said with a smug shake of her head. “Don’t worry, hon. Clary’s going to have the wedding of the decade. I’ll make sure of it, just like I’ll make sure that Ben has the time of his life this weekend.”
Sarah gave her a pitying look and then moved to scoot around her. Julia put out her hand and stopped her. “Thanks for whatever you’ve done for Clary. She seems to think you’re her friend, but so help me if you do anything that screws up her wedding I’ll kick your ass just like I did on prom night.”
Shoving Julia’s hand out of her way, Sarah smirked. “Really, Julia? Grow up,” she said. She pulled out of Julia’s grip and turned.
“Ben isn’t interested in you. He told me so. He’s just being nice to you because Ben is a nice guy,” Julia said. She knew that she should leave well enough alone, but she couldn’t help herself. The possessive side of her nature flared up at Sarah’s insinuation, and she wasn’t about to let the other woman think she stood a chance with Ben.
Sarah paused and looked over her shoulder. “I know you think you’re something special to Ben, but you are nothing but the past, Julia. I know it, and he knows it. That’s why I spend more time at his house than I do my own. Nice try at making me jealous. It won’t work.” Flipping her blond hair over her shoulder, Sarah walked away.
Julia saw nothing but red. She wanted to run over and yank every blond hair out of Sarah’s head while screaming at the top of her lungs that she was the one in Ben’s bed last night, but then a damning though crept into her mind.
What if what Sarah said was true? Was Sarah staying at Ben’s house as often as she said? What if Ben lied? There was no way that Julia could ask anyone without arousing suspicion. She wanted to believe Ben when he said nothing was going on with Sarah.
Julia felt like an idiot. She jumped into bed with Ben as if she did that kind of thing all the time. She practically threw herself at him, and she hadn’t dug deep enough to find out what was really going on in his life. It was possible that she was just a weekend fling. Now that he had finally gotten her in the sack and fulfilled some teenage fantasy, he was free to go on with his real life and a relationship with Sarah.
She had no hold over him. She had no rights to him. The idea killed her and changed all of her happy feelings into feelings of shame and doom. Julia walked back into the dining room and barely heard the conversation at the table when she took her seat again.
Clary reached over and squeezed her arm. “There you are! I thought you went off and disappeared on me again.” The comment made the rest of the women laugh and Julia tried to play it off with a polite chuckle. She expected some digs at her expense, although she hadn’t envisioned that Clary would be the one doing it.
Then Julia saw the tightness around Clary’s mouth and heard the fake tone in her voice. Something wasn’t right.
“Can I get you anything, Clary?” Julia searched her sister’s face for any sign of what was going on.
“Having you here is all I need,” Clary said with a too-bright smile. Her eyes focused across the room and then they widened.
Julia followed her look and saw Sarah walking in next to a pair of waiters pushing a cart with a three tier cake between them. Julia could see that the cake had a pair of booties sitting on top. Another waiter came behind pushing another cart that overflowed with gaily decorated packages.
“Surprise!” Sarah said in unison with all the bridesmaids except Julia. “We thought we’d combine the bridal luncheon with a baby shower. Especially since we were fortunate enough to have Julia here too.”
“Oh, that’s great,” Clary said slowly.
Julia could tell that her sister was processing what was unfolding in front of her. She couldn’t believe that Sarah was upstaging her with the baby shower and taking over all the maid of honor responsibilities in one fell swoop.
There was scattered applause throughout the room, and moments later women from around the room descended on Clary offering their congratulations. Clary, for her part, looked shell shocked. Julia understood that feeling. Most of the women who simpered over her now wouldn’t have given Clary the time a day a few years ago. Clary had crossed over and joined the sacred inner circle of Benton Hill society.
For an instant, Julia was thankful it wasn’t her but then that thought made her feel guilty. It wasn’t the life that she wanted, but it may be what Clary wanted. If that was the case, then Julia was happy for her. So she smiled and nodded when she caught her sister’s glance in her direction.
Julia felt the weight of another pair of eyes. She found that Sarah watched her with a raised eyebrow. Just like that, they were back in high school, circling each other like two wary opponents. Only this time, the stakes were a lot higher. She didn’t want to upset Clary, but when the other woman mouthed two words, Julia’s blood began to boil. There was no mistaking Sarah’s intention.
Two words, and Julia was ready to rip out every one of Sarah’s long blond locks.
Game on.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
His conversation with Sarah reminded Ben that he had itinerary activities to fulfill as well. The first stop was the tux shop. Mr. Haprin, who fitted Ben for his prom tux five years ago, handed over all seven suits with a clucking noise and a reminder to have them back by noon on Sunday.
Next on the list was Grayson Jewelers. Clary was self-conscious about the fact that her fingers were already starting to swell, so Mike suggested that she have her rings resized before the wedding. As Best Man, holding onto the rings was one of his most critical tasks outside of the reception toast. Clary offered more than once to go over the toast with him. He knew that it was a sneaky tactic to make sure he didn’t say anything inappropriate. He enjoyed making her squirm.
Ben was eager to see Julia again, and he felt a swell of pride that he was going to be the one walking her down the aisle. For all he knew, it could be practice for a day in the future. He wasn’t afraid of that possibility. He was a man who appreciated family, even thou
gh his own was driving him crazy at the moment. He looked forward to settling down and having his own kids someday.
Whistling a random tune, Ben strode into the jewelry store. He intended to head straight to the back, but he got distracted by the cases of engagement rings off to the side. His curiosity got the better of him. He stepped closer to the case, staring down at the assorted varieties of diamonds. He wondered what kind of ring Julia would like and if she was even a diamond kind of girl.
“Can I help you find something?”
Ben looked up and into the brown eyes of Maralee Abbott. Maralee was just a year older than he was, but her exploits in high school and afterwards were well-known in town. Everybody knew Maralee. She leaned over the counter, and he couldn’t help but notice the expansive cleavage that she had on display in a blouse that was a size too small.
“I, uh, hey, Maralee,” he stumbled around for an excuse and his mind blanked.
“I had no idea that you and Sarah were that serious,” Maralee said.
“We’re not,” Ben said and realized his mistake. “Sarah and I are not a couple,” he clarified.
Maralee winked at him. “Don’t worry, Ben. Your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell anyone. Absolute discretion here at Grayson Jewelers.”
Alarmed, Ben tried again. “There’s nothing to tell, Maralee. I’m here to pick up Clary Bell’s wedding set. I’m not looking at or buying anything else.”
“Sure,” Maralee said. She pointed back down at the case. “When I get back, you tell me which one you want to take a closer look at.” She put her index finger to her lips in a “Shhh” sign and then disappeared before he could protest her assumption again.
Given that Ben lived in Benton Hill his entire life, he could see the rumor mill spinning up in front of his eyes. Everyone was ready to marry him off to Sarah, and he still couldn’t figure out why. Apparently it wasn’t possible to have a one-night stand anymore, not that he had any before Sarah to compare it too.
Backing away from the jewelry case, Ben felt as if the walls were closing in on him. He wasn’t some high school virgin who didn’t understand the dynamics that enter into a relationship when two people have sex. He thought that he had been more than clear with Sarah, but the woman always listened to just the pieces she wanted to hear. He let his guard down one time, and he regretted it more than ever.
He felt like an even bigger ass for wanting to move things forward so quickly with Julia before he made sure that Sarah wouldn’t cause any mischief. He had Julia to thank for keeping mum on their encounter, and he hoped that he could maneuver the two women around each other during the rest of the weekend. Otherwise Ben was in trouble, and there was a good chance he’d lose his shot with Julia.
Determined to play it cool with Julia until he was sure of what she wanted, Ben gave a short exhale of relief when Maralee reappeared behind the counter with a small plastic bag. She shook out the rings and put them on a velvet surface for him to survey.
“Mike has good taste in diamonds,” Maralee said wistfully.
Ben couldn’t be sure if it was the diamond or the man who bought it that Maralee was most interested in with her comment. Knowing Maralee, it was both. Ben hated that the question crossed his mind if Mike had ever slept with Maralee. With everything that Mike had done for him, Ben didn’t like thinking that Mike had such a fatal flaw. No doubt it came from the fact that Mike got whatever he wanted.
Pulling the small box out of his pocket, Mike tucked the rings inside. “Thanks, Maralee.”
“What else can I show you?” Maralee said, spreading her arms wide on the countertop. A small shimmy drew his eyes up to her chest, which was no doubt her intention.
“I’m good,” Ben said, turning to leave. Watching Maralee work a roomful of men on a regular basis at the bar would have been enough warning for him even if he didn’t have Julia on his mind.
“So is it true that Julia Bell is back in town?” Maralee asked.
Ben paused warily. “Yes.”
Maralee drummed her fingertips on the counter. “She was spunky. I liked her.”
Not knowing where the conversation was going, Ben gave a quick nod.
“Plus her boyfriend’s hot. Lucky girl,” Maralee said.
“Boyfriend?” Ben didn’t mean to speak the word out loud, but it was as if his mind stuttered on its thoughts.
“Sure,” Maralee said. “My dad hangs out with her dad at the fire station. I was there one night when he was talking to her on the phone, and I heard him saying to bring her boyfriend home for the holidays. That had to have been right before Christmas.”
“Okay,” Ben said, processing her words. “So how do you know her boyfriend’s hot?”
“Oh,” Maralee said, as if she had forgotten her original train of thought. “They work together. Mr. Grayson called her up and asked her to upgrade the store’s website. Jack brags about her company to everyone you know. When Mr. Grayson checked out the company website, there she was with her boyfriend on the ‘About’ page.” Maralee pulled a nail file out from underneath the counter and started to file her nails. Since her business with Ben was done, she appeared to be taking a break.
Ben didn’t bother with a goodbye. He left the store and hurried to his car. Then he pulled out his tablet and googled Julia’s company name. Moments later, he was staring at the picture in question. The picture looked innocent enough. Julia and a man who was probably a few years older than her were standing back to back with arms crossed grinning at the camera. The guy’s name was Nate Anderson.
Frowning, Ben tried to think of any anecdotes that Jack or Clary mentioned about Julia in the past. Occasionally her name would come up, but both Bell family members skirted the topic of Julia in general. It would be unreasonable for Ben to think that Julia hadn’t dated a guy since Mike, but he thought she would have mentioned if she were dating someone now. Wouldn’t she?
Ben shoved down the irrational flash of jealousy. He would ask her, but until then he wouldn’t dwell on it. It wouldn’t do him any good. Ben glanced at his watch. It was twelve-thirty. He started the engine intending to head to the bar for a few hours before meeting up with Sarah when his phone buzzed. Mike.
“What do you need me to do?” he asked without a greeting. Mike was a habitual texter, and the only time that he used his phone for actual verbal conversation was when he needed to make a deal.
“Am I that transparent?” Mike chuckled.
“I’ve got the rings and the suits, so I’m done until dinner according to my itinerary,” Ben said, knowing that was about to change.
“Look, I’m supposed to pick up Jack’s sister at the airport in an hour, and I’m swamped. I have to finish this paperwork before I leave today since I’m going to be out all next week, and Clary and I have to meet the pastor at two. I need some help. C’mon. You’re my best man. I think you’re required to do everything I tell you to do.”
“Best man is different from slave, Mike,” Ben said. “How am I supposed to know what Jack’s sister looks like? Why don’t you ask Jack?”
“Clary’s got him over in Whitford picking up the cake.” The Whitford Bakery was famous across the state for their wedding cakes. It was a coup for Clary to have even gotten one since the wait list was so long. Sarah was able to pull a few strings for her. Whitford was two hours away though, so there was no way that Jack would be back in time.
“What about Julia?” Ben asked, but then a better idea flourished in his mind. “Nevermind, I’ll take care of it.”
“Sweet, thanks. I owe you,” Mike said.
Ben hung up and swung his truck in the direction of the country club. His idea was brilliant. He’d separate Julia and Sarah. The excuse would give Julia the perfect escape from the stuffy luncheon where he was certain she was miserable. But the best part was that he’d get to spend some unexpected but welcome alone time with her. They had a lot to talk about.
He pulled into the country club’s parking lot and immediately thought
about prom night. He remembered hauling Julia outside and letting her rant and yell until she finally calmed down. Unfortunately by the time that happened the principal decided to kick her out for fighting. He wasn’t sure that dumping a bowl of punch over the top of someone’s head counted as fighting and he still thought it was unfair that Julia got booted, but Sarah did not. Julia wouldn’t have dumped the punchbowl on her head if Sarah hadn’t tripped her. Julia got a black eye when her cheek bumped one of the tables going down, and her heel caught in the train of her dress causing her to rip the hem.
At the time, Ben was across the room with his date, Jacey Locke, wishing all the while that he had Julia on his arm instead. His eyes were drawn to wherever she was in the room, which was why he was probably the only person that saw Sarah’s covert trip operation. Everyone saw Julia’s retaliation. Since Mike was the prom king, it fell to Ben to take care of Julia and calm her down. He jumped in to help, just like he always did when Julia was involved.
Entering the dining room, Ben wondered if he was about to witness a repeat of prom night. Julia sat with her arms crossed in an outfit that made her look years older than her twenty-three years. Her brow was furrowed as she glared in Sarah’s direction. Sarah was taking pictures of what looked like an impromptu baby shower for Clary.
He felt confident he arrived just in the nick of time. Creeping around to avoid the attention of the twittering female crowd surrounding Clary, he knelt down behind Julia’s chair.
“Ready for a jail break?” he whispered.
Julia started and whirled around. “Ben! What are you doing here?”
“Ben!” Clary’s voice cut through the din of women’s voices. Now the other Bell sister had a furrowed brow as well. “What’s wrong?”