by Nancy Adams
“And does she feel the same about you? That you might be the one?”
“We talked about that the other night, and she admitted that she's had similar thoughts. The thing is, she just came out of a really bad breakup of an engagement, I mean to the point that her ex actually offered her a settlement to keep her from talking about the accident. He was driving, but he has political ambitions, so they want to keep it hushed up. She got her heart broken, so I'm not going to try to rush things with her. For all I know, she could be on the rebound, so I'm being cautious.”
Julie nodded. “Wise course of action,” she said. “Just do me one favor, okay?”
Rob looked at her curiously. “Sure, what is it?”
“If you decide things aren't working out there, then I want you to think about whether you might still like an older woman. Or maybe I should say, whether you still like this older woman. I'll be honest, Robbie—I mean, Rob—I didn't expect to have all these feelings rushing up at me again, but there was a time when I think I was falling in love with you, too.”
Rob looked at her, but his expression was blank. “Might've been nice if I had known that back then,” he said. “But then Jerry came along and…”
“Jerry came along at just the wrong moment,” Julie said. “You had just turned seventeen, and you were out of the wheelchair and walking with a cane. I looked at you, and I saw what a gorgeous young man you were, and a part of me just didn't feel like I was good enough for you. Jerry came into my life at that time, and he had enough of the bad boy in him that it reminded me of the way I had been before. He kind of swept me off my feet, and then kept me off them for a while. Couple months later, a pregnancy test said positive and I decided I wanted a father for my baby. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes. It was that simple, and within two months after we were married, I was regretting it.”
“Then why didn't you leave him? You could've come back here, and maybe things would have worked out between us, after all.”
“Robbie, you were just about to graduate high school, and you already had college all planned out and everything. How could I do that to you? If I had showed back up here, fresh out of a bad marriage and with a bun in the oven, one of two things would've happened. Either you would have thrown your future away to try to help take care of me, or your Aunt Kay would've seen just how bad that would go and tossed me out on my butt. Either way, it wasn't going to work out in my favor, and I knew it. All I could do was make the best of the situation I had, so that's what I did for years. When the marriage came to an end, it was amicable and without a big fight that traumatized our children. It worked out better this way.”
Anna came back into the room, and showed them the dolls she had selected. Ironically, Linda had named both of them after Julie.
“I asked her once,” Anna said, “how she knew which doll she was talking about whenever she said Julie, and she told me that it was easy, because Julie sounded different for each one. I never did figure out what she meant, but it was a pretty awesome explanation.”
“Linda was a pretty awesome person,” Julie said. “Now, is there anything else that we need to do today?”
Rob leaned back on the couch and ran a hand over his eyes. “Well, I need to call her daycare and let them know,” he said, “and of course I need to tell them about the funeral. Most of the people they take care of are elderly or with physical handicaps, so I guess it's possible that a few of them might actually want to attend. From what I understand, she got along with just about everyone there.”
“I'm sure she would,” Julie said. “I don't think she ever met anyone she didn't like, not as long as I knew her.”
“She never did,” Anna said. “She loved everyone, that's just the way she was.” She looked at Rob and Julie. “So, if I run these down to the funeral home, can I trust you two here by yourselves? Without a chaperone, I mean?”
Rob scowled at Anna. “Okay, that's about enough,” he said. “Maybe you're a little ticked off that I never told you about me and Julie before, but that doesn't give you the right to be rude about it now.”
Anna's eyes went wide. “Rude? I'm not being rude, I'm just trying to look out for your best interest. You got one of the best girls in the world crazy about you, and I don't want you to blow it just because an old flame showed up.” She looked at Julie. “I apologize if that sounded offensive; it wasn't meant to be. I'm just trying to get through to this big lug, because without somebody holding his hand, he'd walk right out in front of traffic.” She picked up the dolls, the stuffed cat and the dress, and started toward the door.
“No offense taken,” Julie said. “Trust me, I know this big lug, too, so I completely understand what you're saying. Don't worry, I'll behave myself, and I'll make sure he does, too.”
Anna paused for a moment and looked at her, then nodded once as she went out the door. Julie waited until they heard Anna's car start up before she spoke again.
“Your sister obviously really likes this new girl,” she said, “and she's extremely protective of people she cares about. I remember the times I had to scold Linda, and Anna would try to defend her. You're a very lucky man to have a sister like her, do you know that?”
Rob grinned. “Actually, I do,” he said. “However, it does get a bit annoying when she starts acting like she's the one who raised me, instead of the other way around.”
Julie shrugged. “I think you two raised each other. Besides, all she's trying to do is help you find happiness, and I certainly can't object to that, now can I? Isn't that why you let me go without a fight? Because you wanted me to find happiness, and believed my stupid claims that Jerry made me happy?”
“I saw you, back then,” Rob said. “You were pretty happy, even if it wasn't going to last, but nobody had a crystal ball to see the future. If I had known how things were going to turn out for you, I might have tried to tell you how I really felt. Do you think you might honestly have given me a chance, if I had?”
Julie stared at him for a long moment, then smiled. “Honestly? I don't know the answer to that. I do, however, know this: that the minute I saw you today, all of those feelings I had for you back then jumped right up and slapped me in the face.” She paused for a moment, just looking into his eyes. “Any chance that any of your feelings are still in there?”
“Of course they are,” Rob said. “But things are different now. I'm not a teenager with a crush, anymore, I'm a grown man and responsible for myself, and an awful lot of others, through my practice. The thing is, I really do like Katie Lou, and I really do think there's potential, there. There's a part of me that will always care about you, Julie, and maybe even love you, but the way that I love you has changed. Am I making any sense?”
Julie smiled. “Of course you are,” she said. “Don't worry, I completely understand. Just know that if that ever changes, I'd certainly like to know about it.” She winked at him. “Can I get away with telling you a secret?”
“Sure, of course.”
“Well, then I can tell you that you were the best I've ever had, and I'm talking about in every possible way. You are the sweetest guy I've ever known, and you were the best lover I've ever had.”
Rob burst out laughing. “Oh, come on,” he said. “Don't forget that you had to teach me everything!”
Julie shrugged, laughing along with him. “Hey, that's probably what made you the best. Since I had to teach you, I taught you what I liked most. Although, I seem to remember that you had some pretty good instincts, too. There were times when you touched me and just about made me explode!”
Rob sat there for a moment, looking at her, and then began to lean in her direction. Julie's breath caught, and she leaned toward him, as well.
Suddenly, Rob stood up and turned away. “Okay,” he said, clearing his throat, “I think it's time we change the subject. I need to start making some phone calls, so if you'll excuse me…” He took his phone out of his pocket, and started toward the dining room table.
Julie
watched him go, and let herself smile. She didn't know who the new girl was, but if there was one thing Julie could tell, it was when she was having an effect on a man, and Rob Christopher was feeling it. Apparently, the five-year age difference between them didn't matter any more to him now than it had when he was thirteen and she was eighteen.
She got up and followed him into the dining room and took a seat at the table that wasn't too close to his chair. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I didn't mean to stir up old feelings, and I should have remembered that you're probably pretty vulnerable, right now.”
“It's as much my fault as yours,” Rob said. “If I wasn't so emotionally torn up right now, it probably wouldn't have been a problem, so I'm the one who owes you an apology.”
Julie shrugged and grinned. “Okay, so we're even on that score, then,” she said. “What can I do to be helpful? Seriously, that's really why I'm here.”
Rob looked up at her, and a slightly mischievous grin spread across his face. “Well, there's one thing I could think of,” he said. “Just for the record, I really miss your spaghetti. Think you can make spaghetti for dinner for us all tonight?”
Her bright smile lit up the room. “I would be absolutely delighted,” she said. “Just let me go make sure you've got everything.” She got up and went into the kitchen, and was back a moment later. “Okay, well, you've got spaghetti, but if you want my sauce, we're gonna need to go by a grocery store. All you've got is the canned stuff.”
“Well, I guess we could go now, and get that out of the way,” Rob said. “It's pretty close to lunch time, though I can't say I'm really all that hungry. What do you say we just go hit the supermarket, then if the mood strikes, we can grab something at a drive-through?”
Julie got up, still smiling. “Sounds great to me.”
They left the house and got into Rob's car. The supermarket was across town, and they chatted and reminisced about old times as they made their way to it. Some of the old feelings between them were still there, even if not the same as they used to be, but the familiarity they had known settled onto them like a comfortable blanket.
“You know,” Rob said, “this is the first time we ever went somewhere together, just the two of us, when you weren't driving.”
Julie laughed. “That's because most of the time when we were dating, you didn't even have a driver's license. It feels kind of nice, now, though. Me sitting over here, watching you drive.” She slid her hand across and laid it on top of his, and he turned his hand over to intertwine their fingers without even thinking about it. “Yeah, it feels nice.”
Rob glanced over at her. “Yeah, it does,” he said. “If you had shown up a couple months ago, I probably would've been trying to pick up where we left off.” He grinned.
“Darn, I wish I had.” Julie smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “But it sounds like you've got some good things happening in your life, and I wouldn't want to mess that up.”
Rob nodded his head, and his grin got even wider. “I do,” he said. “It just sucks that this had to happen right in the middle of it all. I really think Linda would have liked Katie Lou, and I think she would have been good for Linda.” He looked over at Julie. “Did I mention that she's a psychologist? She's opening a practice of her own in my clinic, specializing in counseling for people with disabilities. She's got a good understanding of some of the things they go through, and I think it will be good for a lot of people to be able to talk to someone who knows what they're feeling.”
“Oh, that's wonderful,” Julie said. “So you'll even be working together, right? It must be pretty serious, then.”
And if it's that serious, Julie thought, then I'd better step up my game, or I'm going to lose him all over again.
8
“I think the cherry wood set was the prettiest,” Katie Lou said. “It would be ideal for my office, with the desk, credenza, bookcases and shelves.”
Kylie nodded. “I'd have to agree with you, I think that was definitely the nicest we saw today. What I really liked was that red leather couch that just about matched it perfectly. The one with the cherry wood accents?”
Katie laughed. “You think it will help my patients, if I'm working in an office that matches properly?”
Kylie laughed along, and shrugged her shoulders. “Can't hurt,” she said.
They were leaving the third office furniture store they had visited that morning, and talking about the office set they had seen at the first store as they made their way to Katie's car in the parking lot. It was getting close to lunchtime, though, so Kylie changed the subject.
“What do you want for lunch today?” Kylie asked. “I don't know about you, but I'm kind of in the mood for a burger.”
Katie Lou nodded, and pointed at the McDonald's just down the street. “That actually sounds pretty good,” she said. “A Big Mac and fries, that'd really hit the spot. Let's go over there.”
She started the car and backed out of her parking spot, then eased up toward the street. The way was clear, so she turned toward the fast food place, and pulled into its parking lot only a moment later. She didn't feel like getting the walker out to go inside, so she got into the drive-through line.
“What do you want? I'm buying,” Katie said.
“What you said, a Big Mac and fries. Oh, and get me a Coke.”
Katie Lou pushed the button on the intercom, and placed their orders, then pulled around to the side of the building where a teenaged cashier took her money and directed her to the next window to collect their food. Once the bag was handed over and double-checked, she pulled into a parking spot so they could eat.
“So,” Katie Lou asked, “what should we do next?”
“Well, you're going to need more than just furniture,” Kylie said. “I mean, what about computers, a copier, fax machine, that kind of stuff?”
Katie nodded. “Good point,” she said. “So we'll head back to the big office store, and see what they've got. I kinda wish Rob's clinic was open today, so I could get a better idea of what kind of system they're using there. We're talking about both of us using Anna as a receptionist and appointment clerk, so I probably need a computer that can work with whatever system they’ve got set up. Copiers and such we can go ahead and order, that won't be a problem.”
They finished eating pretty quickly, and headed for the office store again, just down the road in the big shopping center. As they were pulling in, Kylie suddenly looked up and pointed.
“Hey, isn't that Rob's car?”
Katie Lou looked at where Kylie was pointing, and spotted Rob's Chrysler coming out of the parking lot of the big grocery store. She smiled and nodded, then put down her window to try to wave and catch his attention. He was coming towards the same driveway entrance that she had just used, but he was looking to his right. Katie glanced at the passenger side of his car, expecting to see Anna, but was surprised to see a blonde sitting there, instead.
Rob never saw her, and a moment later he turned right and headed toward town. Katie shrugged, although she was slightly hurt that he hadn't seen her, then parked the car in the handicapped slot near the door of the office store. She looked at Kylie, who was staring at her with wide eyes.
“What?” Katie Lou asked.
“I'm just curious, but do you have any idea who the blonde lady was?”
Katie shrugged. “No, but it's probably just an old family friend, maybe even a relative. They just had a death in the family, remember? Rob's got a lot more on his plate right now than worrying about me, and there's no telling how many people he's dealing with.”
She got out of the car and made her way back to the trunk, then got Willie the Walker out and started toward the door. Kylie went ahead and opened it, and Katie thanked her. They went straight over to where the office equipment was on display, and it was only seconds before a salesman hurried over to help them.
Katie ordered a top-of-the-line copier that actually doubled as a printer for her computer, with a fax machine built ri
ght into it. That solved the majority of her office equipment needs, because she wasn't sure about what computers or phones she would need, yet. She got the salesman's card, and promised to let him know as soon as she had that information.
It only took about twenty minutes, but they really didn't have anything else to do, so they decided to head back home and just relax. Katie Lou was hoping that Rob would call, but she also knew he was trying to handle funeral arrangements and such, so he might not get time. She was the patient sort, however, and wasn't going to bother him.
They were on their way out of town, and got caught at a stoplight right in front of the Super Burger. Kylie had just said something funny, and Katie glanced over at her, laughing, and that's when she saw Rob's car parked almost directly beside them. He and the blonde were sitting in it, and had apparently just finished eating, but now they were laughing about something.
Kylie caught the strange look on Katie Lou's face, and turned her own head to the right, just as the blonde lifted a hand and caressed Rob's cheek. The two of them were looking into each other's eyes, and didn't see Katie Lou and Kylie, but the girls saw Rob reach up and catch the blonde's hand, wrapping it in his own, just as the light changed and the car behind them honked.
Katie turned her face forward and drove ahead, all signs of mirth gone from her expression. She didn't know what she had just seen, but for some reason, Rob didn't seem to be grieving as much as he looked into the eyes of the pretty blonde woman.
“Katie, don't get all…” Kylie began, but Katie Lou cut her off.
“I'm fine,” Katie said. “For all I know, that could be a cousin or something. I'm not gonna get all bent out of shape just because I saw Rob smile at someone else. That doesn't mean a thing.”