“Good. I’m sure she was thrilled to see you.”
“Not half as thrilled as I was to see her.”
The comment finally broke through the haze of attraction. He swiveled his head and stared in amazement. Julia was pretending to care about Sarah now? “Surprising, considering you haven’t bothered to come back in fifteen years.”
She reared back a little. “Well, I’m here now, and I’m going to be here awhile. I’m going to help Sarah with Marry Me.”
The surprises kept coming. Seth would have laid odds the prospect of planning weddings would make Julia run away fast enough to leave skid marks. “She talked you into it?”
Julia’s mouth pinched into a straight line. “I’m happy to do it.”
“I thought you weren’t a big believer in love and marriage.”
“You barely know me,” she said, through gritted teeth. “Where’d you get such an idea?”
“Remember when we had to read Romeo & Juliet in school? You said Juliet was an idiot for killing herself over Romeo. If she’d given it a few weeks the feelings would have gone away.”
Julia didn’t have anything to say.
Having made his point, Seth changed the subject. He didn’t want to get into an argument with her. “I assume you saw Grace, too?”
“Of course,” Julia said. “I didn’t realize how much I’d missed her, until I saw her come out of the house.”
Again, astonishment made him curt. “It would have been nice if you could have shown you missed her, by maybe coming to see her.”
Julia turned on him, blue eyes flashing, her glorious red hair practically standing on end like the mutant who could control the weather. “Look, I’m having a hard enough time dealing with my own guilt about Grace and Sarah without you heaping on a big helping of it. So, why don’t you back off? Aren’t you supposed to be this compassionate minister? Isn’t it in your job description to show mercy and forgiveness? If so, you missed a few classes.”
Seth’s jaw dropped.
She swiped a hand across her face and seemed to deflate before his eyes. “I’m sorry I lashed out. My only excuse is I drove all night, and I’ve been worried sick about Sarah and the baby. Plus, I haven’t had any decent sleep since I lost my job.”
Regret lanced through him. He cleared his throat. “No, I’m sorry. You’re right. I am supposed to show mercy and forgiveness. My excuse is I’ve become protective of Grace and Sarah. I know your relationship with them is complicated, and it means a lot you would put your life on hold to help them.”
You’re such a liar, Seth Graham. You lashed out because prickly, bitter, keep-your-distance Julia Richardson made you remember you’re still alive.
His apology seemed to knock the wind out of her sails. “All right then. Umm, I see Eric waving for you. It must be time to start.”
Seth started to open his mouth and try to explain, but what could he say? I’ve lusted after you since the ninth grade, and it’s made me insane? In the end, he gave her a weak smile and walked away, the image of mile-long legs stretching endlessly from body-hugging denim burned into his brain.
God? You know what? The testing? I think I’ve had enough now.
Chapter Two
Amazing what a good night’s sleep would do to convince yourself all is right with the world again. For instance, eight hours of sleep had Julia convinced she could run a wedding planning business. It was only flowers, food, and a dress, right? Couldn’t be too hard.
She was also convinced her bizarre reaction to Seth yesterday could be chalked up to the effects of a twelve-hour car trip and anxiety over Sarah and baby Mary, the future cancer genius. Right. It wasn’t an attraction. It was sleep deprivation. Julia wasn’t even sure she liked Seth, though he did have fantastic eyes. Light, clear blue like a husky’s. Edged with a circle of navy and framed by thick black lashes. Endless, piercing, simmering—
Ugh! Stop it, Julia.
Not to mention it was weird seeing as how he was Grace’s stepson and she was… whatever she was. A little too kissin’ cousins for her. Then there was the whole issue of his life calling. Never in a million years could she see herself with a minister.
Though, if all ministers looked as good in a pair of jeans, she imagined there’d be more of a following—
Julia! Quit it!
So, wouldn’t you know the object of her intense internal dialogue would be in the kitchen when she went down to breakfast? She rounded the corner, and there he was, at the table. Julia wasn’t expecting him to be there, so she let out a little, girly yelp.
One dark brow quirked in amusement. “Good morning.”
Julia decided to go with attitude. “Are you supposed to be here?”
“I live here.”
Hmm, seemed he was going with attitude, too.
“I thought you lived over the garage and rarely came to the main house,” she said.
“Sort of like a relative the family keeps hidden away in the attic?” he asked, with a nice touch of sarcasm she had to admire.
In spite of her own unease, Julia couldn’t help a slight smile. “Grace seemed to imply you were gone a lot on church business. Although, maybe she said that so I wouldn’t bolt. I’ve come to realize both she and Sarah have devious minds.”
The brow quirked again. “This is news to you? I’ve known since I was a kid. Especially Sarah. She looks so sweet and innocent—”
“So you don’t realize you’ve been bamboozled until after the fact.”
They both chuckled, and it seemed to ease the tension.
Seth pointed to the counter behind her. “If you’re hungry, Grace left a plate warming in the oven. There’s coffee, too.”
Julia pivoted and walked over to the oven. The smell wafting out of the oven when she opened the door nearly brought her to her knees. Even though she’d only been planning on grabbing a cup of coffee, she was suddenly famished. She took the plate out of the oven and peeled back the foil. Eggs, bacon, and a fluffy biscuit. Her mouth watered. She carried the plate over to the table along with a cup of the coffee. She reached for the biscuit first.
The first bite had her groaning in pleasure. “Mm, I’d forgotten about the biscuits.”
A grin tugged up the corner of his mouth. “They are pretty amazing. You strike me as a grab-a-cup-of-coffee-on-the-way-out-the-door kind of girl.”
She conceded his point. “Or a bagel. So, was Grace playing me? Am I going to be running into you all the time?”
“Actually, she wasn’t far off,” he said, as he took a sip of his coffee. “I am busy. We sometimes go all week without seeing each other, but I stop in for breakfast when I can. Today, I’m here to help look after my dad while she does some shopping.”
“Oh. Does he still need full-time care?”
“He did at first. He’s made a lot of improvement though. Have you seen him yet?”
Julia nodded, even as she took a bite of eggs. “Briefly, last night. Grace seems happy with him.”
“I know I’m prejudiced, but I think my dad is the best thing that could have ever happened to Grace. Especially after what she went through with—” He broke off, as if realizing what he’d been about to say.
“With my father,” she finished for him.
Seth flushed and cleared his throat.
Julia shrugged. “It’s all right. It’s not like what my father did is a secret. I’m certainly happy for Grace. Believe me, I know firsthand the destruction my father leaves in his wake when he decides to head for greener pastures.”
“I suppose you do.”
“Is it weird? Your dad married to another woman, I mean?”
It was his turn to shrug. “My mom died when I was in college. It was rough for both of us. I was still away at school when Grace and Dad went from neighbors to a couple. It was kind of strange at first, but if he’s happy, I’m happy.”
Julia looked down at her plate and realized she’d scraped it clean. “Wow.”
“There are more biscuits.
”
“No way,” she said, patting her full stomach. “If I eat like this all the time, I’ll be huge.”
“You’ve got a great figure. I wouldn’t worry.”
As if realizing what he’d said, he looked away. Not appropriate for a minister to comment on a woman’s figure? Probably not.
“I should get going,” Julia said, trying to be nonchalant. “I’ll clean up if you need to look in on your dad.”
“The nurse is here right now. I’ll go visit with him after she leaves. I can help you clean up. Grace would kill me if I left you alone with the dishes on your first morning. You rinse, and I’ll load the dishwasher.”
They stood side-by-side. The silence wasn’t as awkward as Julia might have expected. In fact, it was easy enough she felt emboldened to probe a little more.
“What made you move in here?” she asked, handing him a plate. “Grace told me it was because people felt awkward going to a single pastor’s home.”
Seth didn’t answer right away. “She’s partly right,” he said, as he fit the plate into the dishwasher. “In the end, it wasn’t the main reason though.”
They continued with the mindless ritual of rinsing and passing plates, glasses, and silverware. “What was it?”
The answer, when it came, was so soft she barely heard it over the running water. “I couldn’t stand living in our house by myself.”
“Because of your wife?”
“We moved in there when I came back to take over the church. Beth was…” he hesitated and took a deep breath. “She was healthy then. The cancer was diagnosed a year later.”
“And all your hopes and dreams were replaced with memories of her sick. There were lots of ghosts there, I suspect.”
He looked at her, and Julia could see he was surprised she had enough insight to guess anything about him. She was a little amazed by it herself, considering they didn’t know each other. Although, perhaps since she was a stranger she could see things someone closer to the situation might not.
Of course, the other option was he was so stunned by her sympathy he didn’t know how to react.
She gave him a small smile. “I’m not always an acid-tongued shrew. Sometimes I’m even capable of saying a comforting word or — dare I say — being nice. It’s so much work, though. Takes a lot out of me, you know.”
Laughter shook his shoulders. “Some people were uncomfortable at a single man’s house, so it was a good cover. As it turned out, I was here when Dad had the stroke, so I’ve been able to help out. I believe it worked out the way it was supposed to.”
“More chess playing from God? He’s been rather busy lately.”
Seth grumbled something which sounded suspiciously like “God forgive her” as he closed the dishwasher, but when she pinned him with a look, all she saw was an innocent smile.
Okay, now she understood. The whole family was sneaky and evil, even the ones who weren’t blood-related.
Julia picked up a pretty flowered dishtowel to dry her hands. “Well, I should be going. Gotta herd some brides.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks. I’ll need it.”
“Can I offer a small insight of my own?” he called out as she turned to leave.
Pausing, Julia glanced over her shoulder. “I suppose.”
“I don’t think you’re half as tough as you pretend to be,” He leaned back against the counter. “In fact, I think you’re genuinely a nice person. You turned your whole life upside down to help Sarah.”
“I kind of had my life jerked out from under me when I lost my job. It wasn’t like I had much to do back home. The soap operas and talk shows were starting to get annoying.”
“You can’t fool me, Julia Richardson. You put on a good act, but I think deep down you’re actually a sweetheart.”
Julia gave him her best evil eye. “If you ever tell anyone else, I’ll have to kill you. I have a reputation to consider, you know.”
Then the most amazing thing happened. He winked at her. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
****
Seth knew he’d gotten a glimpse of the softer side of Julia Richardson. An intriguing side, which hinted at depths beyond sarcasm and prickliness. He still couldn’t believe how easily she’d decoded his reasons for escaping the house he and Beth had shared. Not many people took the time to ask why he’d moved into the tiny apartment above the garage. Fewer still had the courage to ask about his wife and listen without showing pity or horror.
Which didn’t explain why he’d ended up flirting with her. Had he winked at her? That had to stop, because no matter how perceptive she was, he couldn’t forget her cynicism carried over to every aspect of her life, especially the faith part. It wasn’t exactly unusual. In fact, it was pretty common for people to deny God, but coming from Julia it cut deeper.
Exactly why, he didn’t want to examine.
Fighting back a groan of frustration, Seth went to visit with his dad. His father’s presence was always soothing, even if the conversation was halting. Once Grace returned from her shopping, Seth went back to the garage apartment to grab his keys. As he scooped them up off the dresser, his eyes fell on the framed picture of Beth. Sometimes when he looked at the photo the grief seemed to swallow him whole. Other days it was a dull ache. Lately, he’d even been able to manage a smile as he recalled a sweet memory.
Today, the grief seemed fresher, and it tore a new hole in his gut.
He touched the frame. “Miss you, BG,” he whispered, using the pet name he’d given her on their wedding night. The name he’d never tired of saying, Beth Graham.
Taking a deep breath, he turned and walked away. He had things to do. A church to run. People to save. Literally.
Seth got in the car and headed to the hospital. There were several people he needed to see. Hospital visits were one of his favorite duties as a minister. Some people might find it depressing, especially if the person in question was dying, but more often than not the visits turned out to be the sweetest and most uplifting time of his day.
Because when they — or a loved one — were ill, people allowed God to enter. On most other occasions people could pretend they had control of their lives. Illness had a way of reminding them life was not so easily managed. Many found God in those times, others became angry, blamed Him for the suffering, but either way it was Seth’s joy to minister to all of them.
His last stop was someone who’d become one of the most special people in his life.
“Hey, young lady,” he called from the doorway.
Sarah’s eyes drifted open, and she smiled. “Hi.”
He walked over to the bed and took her hand. “How are you?”
“I’m all right.”
“And how’s this little lady?” he asked, touching Sarah’s swollen belly.
“The doctor says she’s doing all right, too.”
“Good.”
Despite the brave smile, tears filled Sarah’s eyes. The minister in him felt it was about time.
The newly appointed big brother in him wanted to smash something, but all he could do was squeeze her hand. “It’s okay. Let it out.”
“I’m so scared,” Sarah sobbed. “How could this happen? We waited all this time. We gave up hope. This was supposed to be a miracle.”
Seth leaned down and stroked her hair. “It is a miracle. Mary’s still here. Still in there fighting.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“You pray.”
“I don’t want to pray,” Sarah said, her lips turning down in a pout. “I want this to go away. I want to walk out of here and get back to my life. My job. My husband.”
“This is your job right now,” Seth said, rubbing her stomach again. “And your husband isn’t going anywhere. It’s his turn to take care of you now. Let him do it.”
The bracing words seemed to have a good effect. She took a deep breath, and the sobs started to subside. “Okay.”
Seth chuckled at her quicksilver em
otions. Pregnancy hormones, he thought. Although, Sarah had always been one to switch from storm clouds to a sunburst in the blink of an eye, so it could be her natural personality.
He snatched a Kleenex from the box on the side table and handed it to her as he sat down. “I don’t think you need to worry about Marry Me either. You called in Julia as backup, remember? Though how you talked someone so cynical into running a wedding planning business I don’t know.”
Sarah wiped her eyes. “She’s just been hurt, so she acts cynical to keep people at a distance.”
Seth held back the snort of derision. “I always thought she was simply cold and unfeeling.”
The last of the tears dried up, as outrage replaced terror. “Seth, what a horrible thing to say.”
Yes, it was, especially since he’d been introduced to the nice Julia earlier this morning. “You’re right. Sorry. She gets under my skin.”
A little glimmer of a smile tugged up the corner of Sarah’s mouth. “Oh? Like she used to?”
“Don’t go there,” he said, giving her a stern look.
Sarah put a finger to the corner of her chin. “What was it you drew in the school book you dropped at the bus stop?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Julia’s quite the bombshell now, isn’t she?” she asked, refusing to give up.
“Sarah, cut it out,” he said. “I know exactly what you’re thinking, and it’s not gonna’ fly. We’ll be lucky if we don’t kill each other while she’s here. Besides, I’m not ready—”
The teasing light went out of her eyes. “You’re not over losing Beth. All right, I won’t tease you anymore. It was a silly thought.”
“It’s twisted anyway,” he said, standing up to leave. “I have to get to the church.”
She reached for his hand again. “Thank you for coming, Seth. And for letting me bawl on your shoulder.”
“It’s what I’m here for.”
“I can’t break down in front of my mother or Eric. They’d only freak out.”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’ve got news for you. I nearly did freak out. I can’t be Pastor Graham around you. You’re like my little sister now.”
Marry Me Page 3