by C. J. Urban
Sam reached up and kissed his sister on the cheek. “We’re gonna make you the best dinner in the world!” He exclaimed.
“No pressure here,” Gloria quipped, and took Sam’s hand. “We’ll see you two soon.”
Skye waited with Julie for the doctor to come and officially discharge her. “So, what are you going to do next?” He asked.
Julie’s smile faded somewhat. “I’m not sure,” she answered truthfully. “It seems as though we came up here, moved up here for a purpose, Skye. And now that it’s done, I’ve solved my cousin’s murder case once and for all, I’m not sure we belong. You know what I mean?”
Skye tried to hide his shock and hurt. “You don’t like it here.”
“I do like it. It’s just…” she searched for the right words, “It’s just so different. I really want to go to PI school, but there isn’t one in Dupont. And I don’t want to get stuck in just any old job.”
Skye nodded. He knew Julie was thinking of leaving, and didn’t know what to say. How could he explain to her how he felt? That for him, Julie and Sam made him feel even more complete, at home, than he ever had before?
Finally out of the hospital and heading home, Julie asked, “Where’s my truck?”
“It’s back at your place,” Skye told her.
Julie was struck by overwhelming gratitude for Skye. He really had taken care of everything. She leaned over and kissed him.
But the drive home was silent, and although Sam and Gloria had made Julie’s favorite dinner of roasted chicken, broccoli and mac and cheese, the dinner was quiet, too.
Sam pushed his empty plate away, full. “I haven’t played with my toys in a looonnng time,” he announced. “Can I go upstairs?”
“Sure, buddy,” Julie told him.
Skye remained unusually quiet even after Sam had gone. He helped her with the dishes, and they went into the living room.
Julie felt bad about telling him she was thinking of leaving. “Listen, Skye, it’s not you,” she told him, taking his hand. “I just don’t know what the best thing to do is. I have to think of Sam, too.”
Skye just nodded. She waited for him to kiss her or at least put an arm around her shoulders, but he didn’t. “I understand. This has all been a whirl-wind, ever since you got here.”
Julie wished she had cable, something to distract them, or at least fill the awkward silence.
“But Julie,” he finally spoke. “Don’t you understand?”
“Understand what?” She asked.
“Nothing.” His tone was more formal now. “You’ve had a long day. I’m going to stay and take care of you, but I think I should sleep on the couch tonight.”
“But…”
“No buts,” he stopped her. “You’re recovering from a concussion, and you need to rest.”
Julie was tired, and she actually stifled a yawn. She was hurt now, too. Why didn’t he want to be with her? Was it because of Sam?
“Alright,” she said, a little colder than she’d intended. “I’ll go to bed. Night.”
Julie rose and made for the stairs without looking back.
“Julie?” She turned and found him behind her.
“Yes?”
“Just take a minute,” he said, his voice gentle now. “And by a minute, I mean a little while. Think about what Julie wants. That’s all I’m asking. Okay?”
Julie looked into his eyes. They were almost pleading with her. “Alright. I will.” And she continued up the stairs.
Behind her, Skye silently mouthed three words. Three words that he just couldn’t say out loud quite yet.
Chapter 33
The next morning Julie woke to the smell of breakfast. She realized she was ravenous, so she dressed, pulled her hair back into a ponytail and went downstairs.
She found Skye at the stove, frying up eggs, hash browns and sausage. Sam was already devouring his breakfast.
Skye is so kind, she thought to herself, watching him cook. She wanted for them to get back to where they were, close and happy. While she didn’t quite know how to do that yet, she made an effort to be bright, breezy.
“What’s this?” She asked. “Smells wonderful.”
Skye’s face lit up as he turned to her. He handed her a cup of coffee. “It’s breakfast. You need to get your strength back.”
Julie sipped her coffee. It was delicious. “Thank you. I do feel a lot much better. I guess I just needed a good night’s sleep.”
“Well, that’s good,” he said. “Sit. Yours is ready.” He made a plate for her, then one for himself and sat down next to her.
“You’re a pretty good cook,” Julie remarked, digging in.
“Hey, I learned from the best,” Skye said, making an effort to keep the topic light as well.
Still, neither Julie nor Skye knew quite what to say. So Julie settled on a simple subject. “I’m going to visit my Uncle Oliver today.”
But Skye frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive?”
Julie forced a laugh. “I feel fine. Really. And you didn’t have to go to all this trouble, but I appreciate it.”
“No problem,” he answered. Finished with his meal, he rose and rinsed his plate off. “I have to go to work,” he announced. “And I have a couple of errands to run today too. I made you some tuna, for lunch. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
Julie wished he had a little time to talk, but she understood. “Thanks,” she repeated, as he grabbed his jacket and keys.
Skye bent down and kissed her gently on the cheek. It would have been a nice moment if Sam hadn’t started teasing them with kissing noises.
“Stop it,” Julie said, poking her little brother.
Skye laughed. “You’ll call me if you need anything at all?” He asked, looking her straight in the eye. “If you feel dizzy, or even get a headache?”
“Skye, you don’t have to…”
“Yes, I do. I said I’d care for you, and that’s what I’m doing. I’ve got to go, though. Promise me?”
She took his hand. “I promise.”
He was about to say something else, but changed his mind. “See you later, then.”
“Bye,” Sam called after him.
“Bye, Sam,” Skye called, and was gone.
On the drive to their uncle’s house, Julie decided to broach the subject of moving with Sam. Even though it was ultimately her decision, she wanted to see how he felt.
“Sam, I’m thinking we’d be better off back at the beach. I’m trying to decide whether we should move again.”
Sam looked up at Julie in dismay. “But you said we couldn’t afford it there,” he pointed out.
“Well, we can try. I just need to get a job.”
“I thought you were going to be a private investigator, and I was going to be your helper.”
“I know what I said,” she answered, slightly irritated. “But sometimes we don’t always get what we want, Sam.”
“But we just got here,” Sam persisted. “And now that the bad people are gone, it might be okay here.”
Julie considered. “Maybe. But you’ve got to trust whatever I decide, okay?”
“Okay,” Sam answered.
Uncle Oliver was more than happy to see Julie and Sam at his door. “Come in, come in,” he said, grinning.
They entered, and he motioned for them to sit.
“So, you did it!” Oliver exclaimed. “Julie, I’m so proud of you. How can I ever repay you?”
“You don’t have to repay me,” Julie told him. “I wanted to get to the bottom of it. And it was good experience.”
“For being a PI?”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Julie said, her voice a little uncertain now though.
“That’s your dream, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it really is. I just don’t know how I’ll do it. I don’t know where, either.”
She looked up at her uncle as if searching for an answer.
“You must always follow your dreams, my child,” Oliver told her.
“And, I’ve found, it doesn’t matter where you are. You can make your dreams happen, if you believe in yourself.”
“You really think so?”
“I do. And you obviously have the gift for it. No, don’t doubt yourself. It is a rare gift that you have. Add that to your dreams, and you’ll be fine.”
Julie smiled. It was nice to be able to talk with her uncle, especially now that her parents were gone.
“Oh!” She said. “I almost forgot.” She crossed the room to where she’d left her purse and picked up a bag. She brought it to her uncle.
“What’s this?” He asked her.
“These are Tara’s diaries,” she told him.
Oliver looked inside the bag and pulled one out. He held the worn book in his hands, and a single tear fell onto his cheek. “Thank you, Julie. I think I can read these now.”
“You’re welcome,” she told him. She was glad she’d brought them to him.
They talked more about the case, and Oliver was pleased to know that Langley would be behind bars, while Jacob Leigh would get a second chance at life.
“Well, we’ve got to get going,” Julie finally said.
“Alright. But you come back soon. I enjoy visiting with you.”
“We will,” Julie said, though she wasn’t certain she could keep her word.
“And don’t you give up on your dreams,” Oliver emphasized, caressing his niece’s cheek tenderly. “Don’t ever sell yourself short. Good dreams are hard to come by.”
Chapter 34
When Julie and Sam got home, Gloria and Skye were waiting for them. Curious, Julie got out of the car with her brother, and met them at her front porch.
“Hi,” Julie greeted.
“Hello,” Gloria returned. “We wanted to surprise you. I brought you another dinner.”
Sam beamed up at Gloria. “What did you bring us? I could have helped you.”
“I brought my famous chicken casserole,” she told the boy. To Julie, Gloria added, “I hope you don’t mind. I just know you’ve had a rough couple of days.”
“No, not at all,” Julie said, glancing at Skye. “Thank you.”
“Well, my dear,” Gloria continued, “I was wondering if I could borrow Sam for the evening. There are a couple of movies I want to watch, and I need some company.”
Sam looked up at Gloria, excited. “Can I, Julie? And can we have popcorn?”
Julie recognized sabotage when she saw it. Gloria was trying to give her and Skye some time alone. On the one hand she felt cornered, but on the other, she appreciated a little break from her brother. Even though they’d been through a harrowing experience, she was a little tired. And, she trusted that Sam would have a good time.
“I guess so…” she fumbled for words. She looked down at Sam. “You want to go with Gloria?”
“You bet!”
“Well, alright then, go pack your jammies and tooth brush, buddy.”
He raced upstairs as Gloria brought in the casserole. Skye had remained quiet, but Julie could sense his unease. It was obvious that there was something he wanted to talk about privately. He set his backpack down in the kitchen, where his mother was putting the dish into the oven.
“Just heat it for a half hour or so,” Gloria announced. “And you’ll be good to go.”
Sam raced back down the stairs with his own backpack, anxious to leave before anyone changed their mind.
“Well?” Julie asked after Sam and Gloria left. “What’s going on? Is there something wrong? Did they let Langley go or something?”
“Julie,” Skye said, taking a seat in the kitchen. Then he got up, and started pacing.
Julie watched him, somewhat amused. She knew him well enough to understand that if he had bad news, he would get to the point. Something was on his mind, alright, but she wouldn’t push him.
“Julie,” he said again, this time her name lingering on his tongue.
Julie stood now, standing in front of him to stop his restless pacing. “Skye. What is it? You know you can tell me anything.”
He put a hand on her shoulder. “Really?” He asked, frustrated now. “Because I don’t know. I think I’m a fool. Julie, you’ve been calling the shots ever since I met you, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. I’m not a control freak or anything, but I’ve done everything I could for you. Since the moment I set my eyes on you.”
Whatever she thought he’d say, she wasn’t expecting this. “What?”
“You just blew into Dupont, and into my life, and we had this crazy experience, situation, whatever you want to call it. A lot has happened, and I never once doubted helping you.”
“But…”
“But it wasn’t just helping you out. We’ve become close,” he said, his voice becoming lower, sexier. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t just…get close like we did. Are. This, “we”, for me, is really special.”
Julie was about to speak when Skye unzipped his backpack and drew out a manila file. Nervously, he began thumbing through pages, then just handed it to her.
“Here,” he said with finality. “This is some research I’ve been doing today. I looked around on the internet, and found a PI school in Sacramento. Some of the classes are online. You would only have to go a couple of times a week. And not forever. And I found grant applications, and I bet you could get some letters of recommendation…”
Julie took the file and scanned the papers, amazed.
“And I know you could find work while you go to school,” he started pacing again, “and my mom loves Sam. And I do too.”
Julie was speechless. He’s fighting for me, she realized.
“Skye, I don’t know what to say.” She really didn’t.
“Well, I don’t know what more to say,” he said, facing her again. “Except that I don’t want you to go.” He drew a hand through his hair. “There, I said it. I don’t want you to go.”
He’d finally come to a stop. They faced each other, each unsure of what to say or do.
“You said you came here for a purpose, and now you have no more business in Dupont.”
“I did say that.”
“Am I an idiot, Julie?” His eyes pleaded with her. “God, I feel like one right now.” He sat now, slumping in the chair.
Julie sat down too, again looking over the paperwork Skye had given her. He’d thought of everything.
“I can’t make you stay,” he said miserably, “but I had to try. I have to. Because you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
He put his hands on her waist, and drew her close, bending to kiss her…
It was too much for her. “Stop it,” she said coldly now, turning away from him. She moved away, putting her hands on the counter. “What do you think you’re doing? You have no right to just plan my life out for me.”
Skye took a step back. “Plan your life?”
“Yes!” She cried out angrily. “You don’t know me. You don’t understand.”
“But I was just trying to…”
“To get what you want,” she shouted. She picked up the file, and threw it to the floor. “This. You. My uncle. Tara. This house. And Sam!” Julie slammed her hand down on the table. “What about me? Has anyone ever asked me what I want??”
The hurt look in his eyes did little to ease Julie’s anger. “I never asked for any of this!”
Before he had a chance to respond, Julie picked up her keys and purse and bolted out the front door.
Chapter 35
Julie drove, tears streaming down her face, to the park. When she got there, she made her way to the spot that Skye and Sam had played Frisbee a couple of days before.
The park was all but empty, and the sun was setting. It was peaceful, and Julie felt calmer in the surrounding beauty. The pines smelled heavenly.
She felt she had a right to be angry with Skye. She was doing the best she could. Tears welled in her eyes once again. She missed her parents; something she rarely let herself think about anymore. She was al
one, destined to care for Sam. She loved him so. But she never expected to have to act like a parent so early in life.
“Skye doesn’t understand,” she said to herself. “He doesn’t know what it’s like.”
She thought about Huntington Beach. She and Sam loved the beach, but it was expensive. They probably wouldn’t be able to find any place to live, and would have to move inland, but at least they would be nearer.
But nearer to what? Not her parents. She had no family now. Julie felt more alone than ever.
So she sat, just thinking. She tried to clear her mind. She was just so sick of it all.
She knew she shouldn’t stay in the park. It was getting dark. But she did enjoy the pines. She hadn’t expected to. She was a beach girl, born and raised.
Beyond those trees are a whole forest, she suddenly thought to herself.
The thought made her angry once again. She stood, taking a final look around, and headed back to her truck.
Julie had barely knocked when Skye quickly opened his apartment door. He could tell she had been crying. He hated to see girls cry, especially this one. He stepped aside to let her in.
“I took the casserole out of your oven and turned it off,” he told her. He couldn’t think of what else to say. He had a feeling he’d said it all, and there was nothing more.
“Thanks,” Julie said as she sat.
Skye took a seat across from her in his small living room. “I’m sorry, Julie. I shouldn’t have tried to make your decisions for you. I realize that now.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” she agreed.
“You’re angry with me,” he said.
“I’m angry,” Julie agreed. “But not at you. Not anymore.”
Skye looked over at her, brightening a little, but he was still unsure of what to do or say.
“I’m angry at myself,” Julie continued. “Maybe at the world, a little, too.”
“I can understand, I think,” Skye said. “You’ve dodged some hardballs lately. And been hit a few times.”
Julie nodded, a faint smile on her lips.
“But why are you angry with yourself?” He asked.