by Ivy Sinclair
“How did we get here?” Mike said quietly.
“We grew up,” Julia said.
Mike sighed and then pushed to his feet. He held out his hand across the table to Ben. Ben took it and shook it once.
“I’m happy for you. Really,” Mike said. “It feels weird to say that, and what’s even weirder is that I mean it. If I learned anything, it’s that when you find the person you want to be with, you don’t do anything stupid, and you don’t let go.”
“Mike,” Julia said, stepped toward him. “You just need to give Clary some time and some space. Maybe you can work it out.”
“It’s okay, Jules. You don’t have to say that,” Mike said. “I know how you feel about me right now, and I don’t blame you. It’s pretty tragic when you think about it. I had to lose Clary to realize how much she meant to me. I’m not giving up.”
Julia smiled, but it was a sad one. “In the end, it’s Clary decision, and I will support whatever she decides is best.”
“Fair enough,” Mike said. “I’ll leave you two to your morning. Guess I’ll see you around.” Mike turned and strolled away with his hands buried in his pockets.
Ben and Julia both offered small waves as Mike pulled out of the driveway and then he was gone.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Julia said.
“I can’t believe I didn’t get punched,” Ben said, drawing her into his arms.
“It would have been worth it though, right?” Julia said with a mischievous smile.
“Getting pummeled by my best friend? Only on one condition,” Ben said.
“Anything,” Julia said, pressing herself against him.
Ben’s mind short-circuited for a moment. He cleared his throat. “I want you to tell me once and for all how you feel about me.”
“You know how I feel about you,” Julia said. Her playful tone told him that she knew exactly what he wanted to hear.
“Then say it,” he pressed.
Julia took a step back but still kept her hands in his. The sun peeked out through the limbs of the huge trees of the backyard, bathing her in light. She looked radiant.
“Ben Miller, I love you. I love you so much that I feel like I’m going to burst from happiness every time I’m with you. I was a fool to run away from it. Now you are stuck with me if you’ll still have me.”
Ben nuzzled her ear. “Julia Bell, I have loved you since the day I first laid eyes on you. If this is what being stuck with you is like, then I hope to never be unstuck again.”
She threw her arms around his neck and grinned at him. “I’m sure we will find something to occupy our time.”
Ben picked her up and swung her around again while she laughed. It was a sound he decided that he would never get tired of hearing.
EPILOGUE
The next five months seemed to fly by. When Julia found out that one of the academic programs that Ben had been accepted into was in Minneapolis, she promptly asked him to move in. She thought that she might have given him a heart attack. Always the perfect gentleman, Ben had been taking things slow with their relationship, but Julia knew the day that she told him that she was ready for a real relationship with him that she was. To her it was pointless to wait, but Ben said there was no need to hurry, and she grudgingly agreed.
Once Ben moved in, even he admitted that it was a good idea. Between his classes and part-time job, and Julia’s erratic client load, their busy schedules meant that they often were passing each other. Still, she had Ben in her bed every night. Soon Julia couldn’t remember what her life looked like without him in it, and that made her blissfully happy.
Then one Saturday afternoon, Julia got the call she had anxiously been awaiting. She called Ben at work. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes to pick you up. Clary just went into labor.”
Since the wedding was called off, Julia and Ben tried to visit Benton Hill at least once a month. Julia could tell that Ben missed spending time with his family, and she was enjoying getting to know hers again. Clary decided not to move back in with their dad, and instead rented a small apartment above the hardware store on Main Street. With both his daughters out of the house, Jack asked Norma Beasley to move in with him. Julia still couldn’t quite wrap her brain around that one, but she saw how happy her dad was, and she was glad that he had someone in his life again.
Clary was the one that Julia worried about. She called her sister several times a week and it seemed like each time Clary was more listless. The only time her voice was animated was when she talked about the baby’s pending arrival. Clary decided not to learn the sex of the baby ahead of time. She said it was one of nature’s surprises, and so she wanted to wait. When she wasn’t working, the preparations for Baby Bell seemed to occupy most of her time.
Julia only asked about Mike once, and after Clary’s short rebuttal about Mike ‘going to hell’ and refusing to discuss it any further, she dropped it.
As anticipated, Mike neatly won the election for Sheriff of Benton Hill. Although he had only been in his new job for a few weeks, Ben told Julia that work was keeping him busy. Ben said it was good for him. Mike finally had a grown-up attitude to go with his grown-up job. The only thing Mike wouldn’t talk about was Clary. Ben told Julia that he tried to probe a couple of times, but Mike clammed up.
Pulling into the Benton Hill hospital parking lot, Ben reached out to squeeze Julia’s hand. “Crazy memories, huh?”
“Best and worst night of my life ever all wrapped into one,” she replied as she looked up at the building.
The air was chilly, and she could see her breath as they hurried into the entrance. Soon they were directed to the waiting room, and a sense of déjà vu swept over her as they entered and found Jack and Norma waiting on one side of the room while Mike and Betty waited on the other. Although an uneasy truce had been called between Mike and Jack, they still seemed to prefer keeping their distance from each other.
“Who is in there with her?” Julia asked after giving her dad a hug.
Mike trudged over to them and shook Ben’s hand. Julia could see that he wasn’t sure how to greet her. She gave him a break and offered her hand as well. As long as Clary was keeping Mike at a distance, Julia intended to do the same.
“She was asking for you, Jules,” Mike said. He looked down at his feet. “She didn’t want me in there with her.”
“You better go,” Ben said, giving her a little push.
Julia hurried to the nurses’ desk to ask where to find Clary. She heard her sister’s cries of pain before she even reached the door to Clary’s room, and it sent chills down her spine. When she pushed the door open, she found herself in the middle of a flurry of activity. Her sister was hooked up to an electronic fetal monitor and nurses hovered around her. A doctor was situated between her legs. It appeared Julia had arrived just in time.
“It’s time to push, Clary,” the doctor said.
“Jules! You made it!” Clary’s face broke out in a smile. She reached her hand out. Her forehead was damp, and tendrils of her hair stuck out everywhere, but Julia thought her sister had never looked more beautiful.
She rushed to Clary’s side and took her hand. “I told you I’d be here. What’s all this fuss about? Let’s get that baby out here to say hello.”
Clary nodded. Then her eyes squinted shut. She screamed from the effort of pushing and the doctor gave her a nod of approval. “Again, Clary.”
Julia let Clary squeeze her hand until it felt as if all the blood was cut off. She barely noticed. She stared in amazement at her baby sister. She thought of everything Clary had gone through and how she still managed to march onward instead of letting it break her. Now she was about to become a mother. Julia couldn’t have been more proud of her.
She coached Clary through the next round of pushing and the next after that. Tears squeezed from the sides of Clary’s eyes, but she didn’t let out more than a whimper. Julia could tell that Clary was finally digging in to get the job done. Clary closed her
eyes and grunted from the strain, and Julia thought for sure she was going to pass out.
Then a new, small cry ripped through the air. The doctor brought a small squalling body into view. “Congratulations, Clary. It’s a girl.”
Julia felt the tears start to fall from her eyes as she looked at her niece. She wrapped her arms around Clary’s shoulders and squeezed her tight. “She’s perfect, Clary. Just like you.” She kissed Clary’s forehead and held her tightly as Clary began to sob. Julia just hoped that they were tears of joy.
Wrapped in a soft pink blanket, the nurse laid the baby in Clary’s arms a few minutes later. Julia saw the look of complete adoration and love on Clary’s face as she touched her daughter’s cheek for the first time and she relaxed.
“Have you decided on a name yet?” Julia asked, reaching out and gently grabbing the infant’s tiny hand.
“Lily,” Clary whispered. “Lily Rose.”
“That’s beautiful,” Julia said. “You did good, Clare Bear. You are going to be an amazing mom. Little Lily here is lucky to have you.”
Clary looked up at her. “Thanks, Jules. Thanks for being here with me.” She paused. “Can you do something for me?”
“Anything,” Julia said.
Clary bit her lower lip. “Can you tell Mike that he can come in now?” she said reluctantly. “I guess he should get to meet her too.”
Julia smiled gently. “Of course.”
She started to turn away when Clary’s voice caught her. “He knocked on my door every day for a month. Then he sent me an email every day for a month after that. Then one night he showed up at the bookstore and insisted on walking me home even though my apartment is only two blocks away. He’s never once asked me to get back together. He just wanted to know how I was feeling and if the baby was healthy. I’ve heard around town that he stopped drinking. He’s just at the bar now to pick up the extra shifts to help dad out. Maggie said he doesn’t even look in the direction of a woman anymore.”
Julia sensed she knew what Clary wanted from her. She looked back over her shoulder. “He sounds like a guy who knows he made a mistake.”
Clary looked down at the baby in her arms. “Should I give him another chance? What would you do if you were me?”
“Only you can answer that, Clare Bear,” Julia said. “I think for right now, you should both just focus on that little girl in your arms and giving her the best life possible. I have a feeling the rest of it will all fall into place with time.”
Clary nodded. “Okay.” She seemed relieved.
Julia stepped out of the room. Mike had succeeded in making a chink in Clary’s armor. Now only time would tell if things could work out for the two of them. Mike stood up as she entered the room and wiped his hands down his jeans. He looked nervous.
“She’d like to see you, Mike,” she said.
Mike’s face lit up. “How’s the baby?”
“Your daughter is perfect,” she said.
Mike whooped in excitement. “A girl! I’ve got a daughter.”
Ben moved to shake his hand. “Congratulations.”
Mike embraced him and then gave his mother a quick hug. He gave Jack a short nod before dashing out the door, obviously eager to meet his daughter.
Ben pulled her into his arms, and she snuggled against him. She put her chin on his chest and looked up into his eyes. “I was thinking. After seeing Clary’s baby, I’m pretty sure I’d like one of those someday. Babies are pretty cute.”
Ben reached into his pocket, and Julia’s eyes caught the sparkle of the diamond before she even realized what was in his hand. “How about we start with this first?”
Julia mouth went dry as Ben took both her hands in his. “Julia Rae Bell, the last five months have been the happiest months of my life. I know I said we should wait, but right now I can’t think of a single reason why we should. I want you to be mine forever. I love you.”
Tears sprung in the corner of Julia’s eyes. “You better be asking me to marry you.”
“If you’re willing. I want you to be with me forever. Until death do us part,” Ben said softly.
Julia didn’t let him finish his sentence. “Then my answer is yes,” she said. “Forever and always, yes.”
Ben closed the gap between them in an instant. His kiss sent her head spinning. She didn’t care who was watching. In Ben’s arms, Julia Bell had finally found her way home.
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Note from the Author
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Julia and Ben’s story! If you enjoyed Bittersweet Junction, please consider leaving an Amazon review and sharing your thoughts. I'd also love to hear what you liked (and what you didn't!) if you'd like to drop me a line at [email protected]. As always, thank you for your support.
About Ivy Sinclair
Ivy Sinclair cut her romance teeth on classics like Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, and Sabrina. She is a firm believer in true love, a happily ever after ending, and the medicinal use of chocolate to cure any ailment of the heart. Ivy's guilty pleasures include sushi, endless Starbucks lattes, and wine. Readers of Ivy's stories can expect smoldering sweet stories of romance that tug at the heartstrings.
Connect with Ivy on Facebook by clicking HERE.
Other titles by Ivy Sinclar:
A Heart to Rescue
Cupid’s Cupcake
The Sleepover Seduction
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVEJulia
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
EPILOGUE