Stay With Me, Julia

by Elle Linder

  “Oh my gosh, you look amazing, doll!” Julia hugged her tight. “We’re doing great,” she whispered.

  “Is that right? I don’t know whether to be happy or pissed.” Julia held back her panic. “So, where is your lumberjack?” Lauren asked, looking around the lodge.

  “He’ll be here later. I thought you came to see me?” She playfully pouted.

  “No, I’m here to see the man, and you know that.” She elbowed Julia. “This place is beautiful, so warm and cozy. I had no idea it would be this nice. I expected an old seventies chalet with shag rugs and a disco ball above my head.” She laughed, taking a dig at Becky. Julia rolled her eyes at the salty remark.

  “Do you always have to be a wiseass?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, if nothing else you’re an honest wiseass.” Julia steered Lauren to the front desk.

  “Exactly, honesty redeems my wiseassness.” Lauren snorted, following her.

  “‘Wiseassness’ is not a word.” Julia smirked.

  “Whatever. And stop glowing like a fucking beacon. The universe doesn’t need to know you and the lumberjack finally had sex.” Her boorish comment was in earshot of Erika.

  “Lauren!” Julia glared.

  Erika’s eyes widened as she stared at Lauren. Her cunning bluntness was shocking, even for Erika.

  “Erika, this prim and proper woman is my best friend, Lauren. Whatever you do, don’t judge her by her filthy, vulgar mouth alone. She really is a sweet and caring woman.” Julia winked at Erika.

  “Blah, blah, blah…does she talk like this all the time? I’m everything she said and so much more, but don’t let her sweet doe eyes fool you. She’s just as vulgar as I am…only sweeter.” Lauren laughed. Erika was speechless. “I’m just messing with you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Erika.” She extended her hand to shake.

  “It’s nice to meet you too. You’re gorgeous, by the way,” Erika complimented while shaking Lauren’s hand.

  “Did she tell you to say that?”

  “No! I swear,” Erika answered defensively.

  “Well then, thank you.”

  Julia rolled her eyes again. “Let me show you to your room before you chase my front desk clerk away.” Julia promptly directed Lauren away. “You could be less flamboyant, ya know. People aren’t used to that around here,” Julia chided.

  “Now what fun would that be? I’m on vacation. Besides, I don’t want them fighting to keep you here.” Her words stung, but Julia expected nothing less from Lauren.

  They entered room 220, a duplicate of Julia’s room. Lauren inspected it.

  “This room is fantastic. For a lodge,” Lauren kidded.

  “One of these days you’re going to have to get over this with Becky.”

  “I’m over it.”

  “Right.” Julia watched Lauren look over the room some more, and then they sat down on the loveseat together for a little girl-talk. Julia had told Luke to stay away from the lodge until after five and knew he would obey like the highly trained Marine he was.

  “So, how was it?” Lauren bounced, excitement on her face.

  “How was what?”

  “Don’t screw with me! Tell me the juicy details about your sexual encounters with the lumberjack!”

  “I’m not supposed to.” Her eyes ping-ponged from Lauren to the fireplace.

  “What? Who said, the lumberjack? Didn’t you tell him all best friends do is talk about sex?” She shook her head.

  “Sort of.” She grimaced. “Luke said if it were just a roll in the hay, he wouldn’t give a shit. But we’ve made love every time, and it’s different.” She swooned.

  “Luke said? Aww, shit! He’s a mature, respectful man? Why didn’t you tell me that before?” Lauren sulked.

  “It should’ve been implied because I really like him.”

  “Never think anything is implied. Was it at least good?”

  “Oh my God, I’ve never had it so good.”

  “I’m screwed for sure! What else? I need to know who I’m up against.” Lauren perked back up.

  “It’s not a battle.”

  “It is too a battle. It’s game on, babe.”

  “Promise me you’ll be nice to him. Pleeease.” She stuck her lower lip out in a pathetic attempt at looking endearing. She knew it would work, but only because Lauren loved her.

  “Stop it, or you’ll make me angry. I’m only here for twenty-four hours. That’s not a lot of time to win you back. Your cutesy face isn’t playing fair.”

  “Fine.” Julia huffed. “By the way, Luke is taking us to The Peak for dinner. It’s a bar and grill, so don’t scoff at it.”

  “I won’t. I’m not a bitch, you know?” Her defensive tone garnered an arched brow from Julia. “Oh, come on. I’m not!”

  “You just go on believing that, doll,” Julia teased.

  Julia sat facing the entry of the lodge with her eye on the door, awaiting Luke’s arrival. Lauren gabbed on about the business, oblivious to Julia’s distracted attention. Once Luke and Lauren met, and hopefully liked each other, she would be able to relax. Until then, she could not focus on anything else. Her nerves were at an all-time high with just seconds before her closest friend met the man who had quickly become the most important person in her life.

  The moment Julia caught sight of Luke she watched Lauren’s struck dumb reaction over the rugged and oh so sexy Luke the lumberjack. He strode in wearing his usual boots and jeans, and—just for today—a chambray shirt. His beard was freshly trimmed, his hair combed neatly to the side, and his sights locked on her as always.

  “What is he, Zeus reincarnate? He looks like a fucking Greek god,” Lauren whispered just before Luke appeared by Julia’s side.

  A small smile formed in the corner of Julia’s mouth. So far, Lauren’s stunned reaction to Luke’s sexy appearance pleased her, but looks didn’t mean a darn thing if they didn’t mesh personality-wise.

  “Hi, baby.” Luke bent down and kissed her softly. She smiled up at him and reached for his hand.

  “Luke, I’d like you to meet Lauren, my closest and dearest friend.” She smirked as Luke looked at a totally captivated Lauren.

  “Lauren, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extended his hand out to hers. “Was your flight okay? It can be bumpy this time of year.”

  “Uh-huh, yes…thank you. I’m happy to meet you,” she stammered, staring up at him. He released her hand, and her wide, shocked eyes darted to Julia.

  “That’s good.” Luke sat next to Julia and rested his hand on her knee.

  Lauren’s eyes fell on his hand when he rubbed Julia affectionately. Julia tried to contain the grin that pushed to stretch across her face. She knew Luke wasn’t trying to show off. He could never keep his hands off her if she was within five feet of him.

  “How’s your day been, sweetheart?” Luke asked her. She snuggled into him, briefly forgetting Lauren was adjacent to her.

  “It’s been good, especially now that Lauren is here.” She tilted her head and cutely scrunched her nose at her.

  “How’s it been running the business without Julia?” he asked Lauren.

  ***

  Lauren stared at Luke. His question caught her by surprise, as it wasn’t a topic she enjoyed. He was not only handsome but brave as well.

  “Challenging.” Lauren’s fog burned off, and she remembered her mission: to size up Luke and somehow convince Julia to drop him. But now, having seen him, it would be cruel to do that to her best friend—if he was treating her well. Lauren couldn’t stand in the way of their budding romance, but she wouldn’t make it easy for him.

  “I imagine it is. Losing a partner in your line of work is hugely impactful and a big sacrifice. Would it help if Julia flew out to help you for a couple of days?”

  Julia’s eyes shot to him. “What? I can’t do that. What about the resort?”

  “If it helps Lauren out, I think you should. You don’t want her feeling abandoned running your business alone. That type of
situation breeds bitterness, and it could affect your friendship. I can cover the resort when you’re gone.” He patted her knee.

  Julia pursed her lips, and her eyes darted around the lobby. Lauren knew the look well. So she spoke before Julia could set Luke straight. “Oh yeah, it would help me out a lot, babe. Even if only for a day or two. It would reduce a lot of my stress.” Lauren smirked proudly; she was thickly piling on the shit to stir things up.

  “Exactly. You don’t want Lauren stressed while you’re here, do you?”

  Julia glowered at him, and Lauren tried to contain herself. Laughing out loud right now would be bad. Was it wrong to let this sexy man bury himself within the first five minutes of meeting him? Maybe, but she would wait a little before saving him.

  “Luke,” Julia began, but he interrupted her.

  “Shh, sweetheart.” He kissed her on the lips. “Just think about it.”

  Lauren remained silent while Luke dug himself a nice, deep hole. The poor fool obviously didn’t know Julia that well. Nobody, not even her, told Julia how to run her very successful business. She looked more than a little ticked off.

  Julia brushed her hair back. “Thank you, Luke, for your input. I’ll look at my schedule, and then Lauren and I will discuss it further.” She pulled away from him. “We should go. I’d love a glass of wine right about now.” She stood. “I’ll get my coat.”

  Luke leaned forward on the sofa, his elbows on his knees. His eyes were on Julia as she walked away. The poor guy pinched his brows together, then looked down at his boots.

  Lauren cleared her throat. “You okay?”

  Luke’s head popped up. “What just happened?”

  “My first piece of advice to you,” Lauren whispered, leaning forward, “is to never interfere with her work. That’s the quickest way to lose her.”

  “I didn’t mean to upset her. I only wanted to ease some of your burdens while she’s here and make sure you don’t lose your mind in the process,” he explained.

  “That’s awfully gallant of you, but Julia has it all covered from here as she told me she would. I send her emails, and late into the night she manages to do the work she would normally do in person, but from here, remotely. I don’t know how she does it. She’s freaking amazing.”

  “Shit, I didn’t know.” Luke shifted on the chair and scratched his head. “But your comment—”

  “Was me being dramatic,” she interrupted. “Get used to it. And remember, she’s very proud of what she does and should be. Don’t make her feel like she’s anything less than exceptional.”

  “That won’t be hard to do. She’s a goddess in my opinion. I love seeing her take charge, but making her angry is the last thing I’d ever want to do.” He rubbed his hand over the side of his cheek. The worry in his eyes told Lauren he truly cared about Julia.

  “I know. Relax, she’s not going to hang you by the balls for this.” Luke’s brows shot up. “Sorry. I can be brash sometimes.”

  “Nah, it’s all right. But I have to watch myself better after...”

  “After Alaska. I know all about it. But Julia’s a caring, reasonable person, and she’s crazy about you.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to take any chances.” He stood as soon as Julia walked toward them.

  “Are we ready?” Julia asked.

  “Yup, I’m ready.” Lauren started for the exit. Julia had turned to follow when Luke took her hand. She rigidly turned around to face him, and Lauren stopped to eavesdrop.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interfered in your work. I was only trying to win Lauren over.” The remorse in his voice softened Lauren’s heart. “It was stupid.”

  “It looks like you’re succeeding at winning her over.” She pressed her hand against his cheek. “But don’t ever tell me how to run my business again. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Crystal.” He kissed her softly.

  “All right, let’s go.” Lauren chirped, waving them to follow her out the entrance.

  Dinner at The Peak was more relaxed, enjoyable even, after the brief tension at the resort. Julia had recovered quickly after Luke’s faux pas, and he was grateful.

  During his marriage to Renee, he would have been in the doghouse for days until she dropped the issue. She didn’t do forgiveness well…or often. But Julia? How many times had she already forgiven him and wiped the slate clean, giving him chance after chance?

  He watched her giggle with Lauren all evening and felt like the luckiest man alive to be with her.

  “So, you do really care about her, don’t you?” Lauren boldly asked. She eyed him, waiting for his response, but Luke would not be rushed to answer.

  He looked at Julia as she shifted in her seat, and he took her hand. He had anticipated the “grilling” would begin any moment. “Yes, I really care about her.”

  “I can see that, but do you really see this situation working? Let me be honest with you; your past will be your future. Julia will always take a backseat to your kids and your ex-wife because they were your first family. I don’t want that for her.” Lauren didn’t hold back or sugarcoat her concerns.

  Luke stroked Julia’s hand, cleared his throat, and then—

  “However,” Julia interrupted before he could respond, “you also don’t get to decide for me.”

  “Yes, of course. But sometimes it takes someone else pointing out the cracks in a situation. My best friend told me that once,” Lauren returned.

  “I know my kids change the dynamic, something a man otherwise free of ‘baggage’ wouldn’t have. My ex is not an issue. Julia will never take a backseat to her…ever. But I’m a father who loves his kids, and they’re my priority. There’s enough of me to go around, and I believe we can make us work. So, to answer your question—do I see this situation working out—my answer is yes.”

  “Okay, I respect your answer. This might be putting the cart before the horse, but how do you feel about more children?”

  “Lauren!” Julia said, aghast.

  “Before Julia, I didn’t want more kids, but now”—he paused, staring into Julia’s eyes—“I’d want more kids with her.” He kissed the tip of her nose. Julia batted her eyelashes to keep her tears at bay. As much as he didn’t like Lauren’s line of questioning, he knew his declaration was important—not only for Lauren to hear but for Julia to be reassured. He truly wanted it all with her, and that included children.

  “Well, Mr. Lumberjack, I’ll give you my blessing with this warning: if you break her heart, I will make your life a living hell.” She gave him a wicked but friendly smile.

  “Duly noted. I’ll match your warning with my own: I’m going to be everything she’s ever dreamed of, and she isn’t going to want to leave Faithful Falls.”

  “You sound confident. Good.” Lauren lifted her glass of wine to Luke and nodded her approval.

  “Oh my God, that was intense. I need another glass of wine.” Julia waved her hand to Bruce.

  “It’s all good. Right, Luke?” Lauren smiled.

  “All good.” He leaned into Julia and kissed her below the ear.

  By the end of dinner, Luke had become part of the group. He sat back listening to Lauren’s stories about her and Julia’s college days and the first year of getting the business up and running. That had been the year Julia lived on brownies.

  He absorbed everything about Julia and loved her constant shock and horror over what Lauren revealed. Their antics were a hoot to watch, and it was apparent Lauren was the life of the party while Julia was the calm, responsible half that kept Lauren out of trouble. They were quite the pair—oil and water—yet somehow, they managed to never separate. The glimpses into Julia’s past helped him to feel closer to her.

  Julia and Luke were standing next to Lauren’s rental car to say goodbye. Twenty-four hours had come and gone in the blink of an eye. Even though it had been a short visit, it had been well worth it for everyone, especially Julia. Two of the most important people in her life were on common ground, a
nd with Lauren’s blessing, she could move forward with Luke without worrying.

  “Be sure you keep me in the loop about everything,” Lauren stressed, hugging her.

  “I will, promise. I love you…and thank you,” she whispered into her ear.

  “I’m happy for you, babe. Now don’t let another woman steal him away,” she teased.

  “Never gonna happen,” Luke assured.

  “Luke, it was a pleasure. You’re not at all what I expected…lumberjack my ass. You’re a Greek god. A fantasy.” Lauren shook her head in amazement. “If you have a friend like you, give him my number.” She winked.

  “You bet.” He chuckled, giving her a hug. “Drive safe.”

  Lauren opened the car door and gave the resort and its surroundings a once over. Then her eyes fell on Julia snuggled close in Luke’s arms. She let out a heavy sigh. Julia was never returning to Los Angeles.

  “It truly is beautiful out here. The air is so clean and crisp my lungs hurt. Now, you lovebirds take care and I’ll see you soon.”

  “Soon? What does that mean?” Julia asked.

  “I plan to make it out here one more time before you return, so be prepared for a battle, Luke.” She closed the car door and pulled out of the parking lot, leaving Julia and Luke laughing at her brazen attitude…just Lauren being Lauren.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Spring Surprises

  The warmer temperatures March brought gave the spring blooms a kick-start as they peeked out of the ground. Julia had thought the snow melting away would be great, but as more of the dark dirt showed itself, she missed it. It was hard to believe how much she had changed in just two months.

  It had been nearly three weeks since their magical Valentine’s, and Julia and Luke acted as if they had always been together. They were comfortable with each other in every situation, and they were in love, even if neither of them had said the L-word. Every available minute they had was spent together, whether behind a pine tree making out hotly like teenagers, in her room during lunch for a quickie, or sharing a pint of vanilla ice cream with huckleberry syrup while watching Scandal.