A Fresh Start for Two (22 page)

“You know all the key terms and the definitions. You said the test was online so you can take your time, right?”

“Well, I think we have a two-hour window. I’ll have to make sure I don’t take any pain pills beforehand. They slow my thinking down.”

“How has your pain been? I haven’t seen you take any pills since this morning.”

“It’s better every day. I usually take one after I shower because all that movement stirs it up. Sometimes I take one before I sleep. If not, I move around in bed and the pain wakes me up.”

“That may happen for a while yet. But if you’re only taking one a day, you should be free of them soon. How much longer are you staying?”

“Jake has the weekend off, so I’ll go home on Sunday afternoon. Jake has invited me to move in, but I still need help. Between Tiffany and my mother, they’ll both help me get back on my own. Thanks so much for staying with me today, Cait. I appreciate all the help.”

“No problem. If you need anything, just let me know.”

Jake and Ryan strode through the front door, both still in uniform, laughing about something. She was glad to see how happy they were together. Brothers should love each other.

“Hi, Julia. You ready, Cait? I’m starving.”

“Aren’t you staying for dinner?” Jake asked.

Cait shook her head. “No, I put a roast in the crockpot this morning. I like to cook on the days I have off. Plus we need to let Lucky out.” She wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist and kissed his cheek. “Come on. Let’s go home, Officer Ramsay.”

Lucia came in a few minutes later with her laptop. “Are you two ready? We have to ace this test.”

“Yeah,” Jake said. “I’m going to run upstairs to change out of my uniform. I always leave extra clothes here.” He flew up the stairs.

Lucia sat down across from Julia. “Amiga, you don’t have to take the test tonight like we do,” she said. “He told you that you could wait.”

“I know, but I think I’m ready. If we just go over the journal entries again, I should be fine. Plus, I want to take it with you two.”

“We’ll get started as soon as Jake gets here. We have one hour until the test opens.”

Once Jake returned, the three of them reviewed the most challenging parts of the course. With about ten minutes to go before test time, Lucia got up, paced in a circle, and announced, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I think we’ll all do fine. Jake, would you mind if I stayed here to take it?”

“No, pick your spot and I’ll pick mine,” Jake said just as Spencer walked in through the front door.

“Oh, Lucia. I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to ask you something.”

Julia grinned at her friend, noticing how Lucia had perked up when Spencer came in.

“Oh, sure. What is it?” She met him in the kitchen.

“I wanted to talk to you about something. Would you be interested in grabbing dinner at the Cobalt Brew House tomorrow night?”

Lucia answered, “Sure. I don’t have to work tomorrow. What time?”

“I’ll pick you up at seven? Julia can tell me where.”

“Si. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned back to Julia and winked at her. “Jake, I’ll go to the boat house if you don’t mind. Good luck on the test. Stay calm and you’ll do fine.”

Spencer fixed a plate and headed into the family room, leaving the two of them alone. He waved before he left.

“Did I just hear Spencer ask Lucia out on a date?” Jake whispered.

“I think so. How exciting.” Julia wanted to squeal for her friend. “Wait. I can’t let us get distracted. We have a test to take.”

“Are you sure you want to take it now, too?”

“I thought about waiting, but I’m ready.” She clasped his hand in both of hers. “I want to take it the same time as you do. Do you have another computer I can use? Mine’s kind of old. I’m afraid it will freeze up or something.”

“Yeah, we always have a couple here. You can use Lorraine’s. Let me check with her.”

He came back a few minutes later with a laptop. “Do you want to stay out here when you do?”

“Yes, if you don’t mind, I’m comfortable here.”

“Then I’ll get started unless you have any other questions.”

“No. Jake, I’m confident. I can do this.” She reached up and rubbed her necklace from her father.

He sat down next to her and traced a finger along the chain. “That means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

She nodded. “I knew Daddy loved me, but we lost him such a long time ago. For years, my memories of my father all revolved around our last day together. Now, I’ve let that day go, and I’m remembering the many wonderful parts of our relationship. I loved my dad, and I miss him. This helps.”

“It’s amazing that your mom hung onto it for all these years.”

She stared up at the ceiling. “I know, but I’m glad she did. She’s right. I wouldn’t have appreciated it when I was younger. I probably would have lost it or put it on my doll or something silly. This way, I can treasure it. I had no idea he had cancer, either. So now that I have all the pieces to the puzzle, I understand my mother much better. It wasn’t easy for her.”

He kissed her forehead. “You have a big heart, babe.”

She beamed with pleasure. “I do. But so did my dad. That’s why he got us these necklaces. Anyway, I guess I have more self-confidence now, though I’m not sure why. But I know I can do this. And so can you and Lucia. We’re all going to ace this test.”

“Okay. Let’s get started.”

She gave him one more kiss, then she settled into her spot, turned on the laptop, and began her final exam.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jake whistled as he came up the walkway to the inn. He thought about ringing the doorbell to complete the effect, but that would be ridiculous since this was his family’s home, not hers. He had just come from his apartment, showered and shaved, then set up his surprise for Julia.

He strode in through the front door and passed Spencer, who was on his way to pick up Lucia, pausing to slap him on the back. He found Julia on the porch, looking at courses for the fall on her laptop.

“You’re going to take another?” He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.

“Oh, you smell good, Jake Ramsay.” She gave him a sly look and he smiled. “I’d like to. I’m going to register and talk to them in the financial aid office, and hopefully, they’ll approve one class. I want to take either Advertising or Accounting II. What about you?”

“We’ll talk about it later. I have plans for you tonight. Come on. Out of that chair. I’m going to make you walk tonight, so you should probably bring a pill in case your leg starts to bother you.”

Her face lit up with excitement. “Where are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise. You’ll have to trust me.” As soon as she got her crutches in place, he leaned forward and kissed her, though he was careful not to throw her off balance. “You’re distracting me from my purpose. Let’s go, lassie.” He held the door for her and she headed out into the sunshine.

“Lassie?” She laughed. “Wasn’t that a dog’s name?”

“It’s what my grandfather calls young women. It’s a term of endearment.”

She gave him a puzzled look, but continued onward, hobbling with determination down the sidewalk.

“I’m Scottish. Lass is what they call girls in Scotland.”

“Oh, okay. I understand.”

He helped her into the car and headed out of town, but he stopped to pick up some take-out food first.

“Jake, that smells so good. What is it?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”

He pulled into the old race track just in time to see Randy climbing into his car to leave. He waved at them as they passed him.

Julia’s face fell. “What’s wrong?”

She looked over at him. “Jake, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not interested in racing right now. I don’t want to slow my healing at all.”

He quirked his brow at her. “You know, I’m not either. And I’m not interested in racing around without a helmet anymore ever again. But that’s not why I brought you here. Now quit trying to ruin the surprise.”

“Okay,” she said with a cautious smile.

He pulled his car up to the other side of the shed in front of a grassy knoll. Dusk was just settling. As soon as his headlights hit the spot, he heard her intake of breath, and his chest swelled.

“Jake, oh my gosh, it’s beautiful.”

“I know it may be a little difficult with your crutches, but I’ll help you over there.”

He had erected a tent on top of the flattened knoll. The outside was decorated with a string of white lights, which had been a feat—it had taken a few strands in order to reach the shed for electricity. Inside, there were mounds of pillows and a couple of small short tables covered with candles. He had also tied sprigs of lavender to the side of the tent and arranged some on the tables, too. Julia had once told him that she loved lavender.

He opened the door for her and helped her out of the car, grabbing the food and beer and a couple of bottles of water. As they neared the tent, he noticed there were tears in her eyes.

“You don’t like my purple display? I thought you loved lavender.”

“Oh, I do, I do! You have surprised me so. I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”

“Well, not all the time, but I can be once in a while.”

“Jake,” she balanced her crutches under her arms so she could reach up to cup his face with one hand. “I don’t know what to say. This is beautiful and it must have taken some time for you to set it up.”

“Well, I wanted some privacy. I could have brought you to my apartment, but it wouldn’t have been the right mood.”

She gave him a sly smile. “I couldn’t be happier for us to be alone again. Your family is wonderful, but this is better.”

He took her crutches and helped her maneuver onto the pillows, finally settling down next to her. “Are you comfortable?”

She nodded, and there was a glow about her that he hadn’t seen in a while. He cleared his throat and reviewed his plan in his mind again.

“The day I pulled into that restaurant and saw you standing there,” he said, after letting silence settle around them for a moment, “I had no idea how much you would change my life for the better. But you have made me happy in ways that I never imagined possible.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. “You are such a strong woman, you amaze me. I know this may be too soon for you, but nothing would make me happier than for you to be my wife, to be by my side every day and in my arms every night. Julia Ross, will you marry me?”

“Jake!” She leaned up on her one healthy knee and threw herself into his arms, toppling him over. She kissed him and said, “Yes, yes, yes. I love you.”

“You will? I didn’t expect an answer that fast. I thought you would have to think it over.” He gazed into her eyes and reached up to stroke her cheek, moving the silky strands of her dark hair back from her face. Cupping her face, he kissed her hard, sucking on her bottom lip, caressing and teasing her with his tongue. “I love you, Julia. We’ve had a rough road, but it has all been worth it for me. You are the best thing to have come into my life.”

“Oh, Jake, you’re going to make me cry. Look at everything you’ve done for me.” She paused and glanced down at the velvet box in her hand. “Wait, I didn’t look inside.” She rolled off him and sat up, adjusting her cast off to the side. When she opened the box, her eyes went wide. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “Will you put it on me?”

Jake sat up and took the ring out of the box. “Do you like it? Be honest. If you don’t, we can exchange it.”

“No. I want this one. I want the one you picked.” The ring was a round diamond set in white gold with a double band of tiny diamonds on each side. “I love it because it’s different, just as you are.”

That answered his question. He wanted to make sure it didn’t resemble the one Vincent had given her. He guessed that’s what she meant by it being different.

He retrieved the take-out boxes of food, and set them on one of the tables. He started to open one box, but she stopped him.

“Jake, make love to me. I love you with all my heart, and you’re all that matters to me at this moment. Make love to me. Please?”

Jake wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly, hoping he could show her how much he loved her, and he did—all night long.

Epilogue

A couple of months later

The echo of laughter carried across the lake. It was Saturday afternoon, a couple of hours after the weekly picnic, and most of the Grant-Ramsay clan was gathered down by the water with family friends. A large group sat in the upper level of the boathouse to watch the revelry.

Ryan was driving a motorboat, and Cait and Jake were on board, staring back at Julia. This was her first water-skiing session, but so far it had been an exercise in frustration. She hadn’t managed to stand up yet, and she was currently floating, watching Lucia sun herself on the dock while both of their sisters played in the shallow part of the water.

Spencer swam over and handed her the pull rope while Jake coached her again.

“Babe, you can do this. You were almost up before. Just pull tight with your legs, keep them bent, and don’t let go of the rope. You’re quitting before you even have the chance to get up.”

She settled herself, took a calming deep breath as Ryan maneuvered the boat in place, and Spencer arranged the rope between her skis.

“You ready, babe?” Jake yelled from the back of the boat. “As soon as you give Ryan the signal, you’ll be up.”

Another deep breath, and she sighed. She arranged herself in an awkward position with the skis in front of her, poised for the boat to take off fast enough to lift her body and propel her into a standing position. If she managed to get up this time, she knew she’d be clinging to the rope for dear life. She nodded to Jake and he motioned to Ryan, who immediately gunned the motorboat engine, pulling the slack rope tight in a matter of seconds. Julia hung on for dear life, feeling beyond grateful for her lifejacket.

The engine roared and the rope pulled taut, so she hung on, feeling the pull against the muscles in her arms and her legs as she wavered and fought to straighten her legs to an upright position. Ryan kept going and she could tell by Jake’s expression that she was almost there. Her heart thrummed with excitement as Jake and Caitlyn cheered her on, clapping and yelling, and Ryan took the boat in a slow curve so he could guide her back in front of everyone who was watching.

The wake moved toward her, so she aimed her skis directly at it. Working through her fear, she did just what Jake had told her to do and glided across it, shaking, almost tipping over, but somehow managing to keep herself upright. Once she was on the straight path again, she finally let herself smile. She was actually water-skiing. Glancing to her left, she noticed Lucia was standing on the dock now, cheering her on. Tiffany, Paige, and Maria were jumping up and down in the water. She wanted to wave, but was too afraid to let go of the rope.

A few minutes later, Ryan took another slow curve back toward the shore, and a larger wake came toward her. She made it over the first line of foaming water, her legs shaking but stable. It was the next wake that did her in.

As soon as she hit it, she lost control and released the rope, tipping sideways until she landed flat in the water with a huge splash. The lifejacket popped her up and she sputtered, flipping her hair back out of her eyes as Ryan circled the boat around. As soon as he was close, Jake dove in the water and swam over to her.

“Julia, that was great! You did great! You all right?” When he reached her side, he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

She beamed. “That was amazing, Jake. It was so much fun. I can’t believe I actually did it!”

“You can go again if you want.”

She scowled. “No, I think I’ve had enough for today. I can already feel it in my legs.”

“Fine, babe. Now that you’ve done it once, it’ll be so much easier the next time.”

Ryan pulled the boat around, cut the engine, and dropped the ladder. Cait and Jake helped her with the skis and got her back into the boat.

“Did you like it?” Cait asked.

“Yes. That was so much fun. I was sailing across the water. I felt like I was flying!”

“I know. I love it, too. Jake, you want to go?” Cait sat back down in the seat next to her husband.

“No, let’s go in. I promised Tiffany I would take her tubing.” He wrapped his arm around Julia’s waist and tugged her onto the seat next to his. “You did great.”

“I can’t believe my leg was strong enough to hold me.”

“It could be sore tomorrow. But you’ve been walking quite a bit and jogging. It doesn’t feel weak at all, does it?”

“No. It feels strong. And if it’s sore tomorrow, that’s fine. It was worth it.”

A few hours later, after they’d finished tubing and giving everyone a ride on the boat, they showered and dressed. Spencer and Lucia came up to them and said, “Want to go for a ride?”

Julia glanced at Jake and shrugged her shoulders. “Sure. Where to?”

“It’s a surprise,” Lucia said.

They all climbed into Spencer’s car and headed toward Main Street.

Jake and Julia sat together in the back, while Lucia sat in front with a saucy grin on her face. What could they have planned?

“Everything going well with your mother, amiga?”

“Yes, my mother has been wonderful. I have never seen her so happy.” She had spent a few weeks at home before moving in with Jake. She reached over and grasped his hand in hers as she thought of how wonderful her new life was. The cast had finally come off weeks ago, which had definitely made things easier. She and her mother and Tiffany actually felt like a family again…in a way they hadn’t for years.

Now all she had to do was find a job. With her mobility limited by the broken leg, she had been forced to quit The Brooks Inn. She wanted to look for a something different, but she wasn’t sure what yet.

Jake rubbed the palm of her hand with his thumb in the back seat. “Did you get into both classes, Lucia?”

“Si, I signed up for Accounting 102 and Advertising 101. One is Monday and Wednesday, and the other is Tuesday and Thursday nights. Did you get in, Julia?”

Julia nodded. They had all scored an A on their final exam and agreed to continue their studies, even though Julia had to take a loan out to do it. It didn’t matter, she had decided she wanted to get a business degree so she could pursue her dream. “I’m really excited about the advertising class. They say the professor is wonderful, but it’s a lot of work.

“Jake? What are you taking?” Lucia said.

“I just signed up for accounting. I’ll let you two be the advertising experts.” He rubbed the back of Julia’s neck until she leaned back into the massage.

Lucia and Spencer had gone out a couple of times. Their relationship was at a bit of a standstill because Spencer’s residency kept him so busy, but Lucia had privately told Julia she was willing to wait for him. They seemed well suited, so she couldn’t be happier.

Julia and Jake had decided they would get married the following summer and had booked a weekend at one of the wineries in town. They had plenty of time to plan their wedding, and Julia didn’t want to rush it. It felt wonderful to be engaged to a man she loved.

After Spencer found a spot on Main Street, they all climbed out and followed him down the street.

“Are you guys ready to tell me where we’re going?” Julia asked. “Is there a new place for dinner?” She looked at each of them, but no one responded. They all stared straight ahead as if they were on a mission.

As they ambled down the street, Jake walked up to a trash can, reached into his pocket and threw out a handful of toothpicks.

Julia said, “I wondered. I haven’t seen you use one in a while.”

He shrugged and continued on toward their destination. Down the street, a woman stood in front of an empty store, and Lucia strode up to her and shook her hand.

“Hola, Susan. This is my friend, Julia, and her fiancé, Jake. You already know Spencer.”

Susan shook both of their hands and said, “So nice to meet you two. As I said, Summerhill Realty will help you find the perfect spot.” She turned to the door and pulled a set of keys from her pocket.

Julia glanced at Jake, who had a very smug expression on his face, and then at Lucia and Spencer, who bore the exact same expression. Her eyes narrowed as she lifted her gaze to examine the building they were about to enter.

Once the realtor unlocked the door and held it open for them, she stood back, allowing the others to enter first. The empty store sat right in the middle of Main Street, but there was nothing inside except for one counter. The realtor took Jake and Spencer in the back while Julia and Lucia waited in the front.

“What do you think, Julia?” Lucia fidgeted from one foot to the other.

She stared at Lucia, totally confused. “About what?”

“Our store…excuse me, our shop. Our shop with a p and an e—shoppe.”

“What?” Julia thought she must have heard Lucia wrong. “Our store? What are you talking about? Don’t tease me.” She tugged on her friend’s arm, hoping to extract more information.

“Our shoppe. Don’t you think this is perfect for us, amiga?” Lucia bit her lower lip.

Julia decided to go along with her, though she knew neither of them could afford to fund such a venture. “Yes, this would be perfect, but since we don’t have any money, I don’t know how you could call this our shop—with a p and an e.” Julia rolled her eyes as she strolled around the front, unable to stop herself from envisioning how she would decorate it if it
were
their shoppe.

“Well, funny thing. I received a phone call from our professor yesterday. We won the contest.”

Julia froze. Spencer and Jake returned from the back, both of them with huge grins on their faces. Had she heard Lucia correctly? They had won the contest? Her gaze darted from one friend to the other, searching for the truth.

Jake strolled over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. “You heard her correctly, babe. It’s true.”

Spencer added, “You have more than enough in the grant for the first three months. And you also have access to low-interest loans to help, but you should be making enough money to finance your own venture within six months. Jake showed me your application. It’s brilliant, just brilliant. You’ll be solvent in no time.”

Julia stared at the other four people in the store, all focused on her, awaiting her response. She didn’t know what to say.

“Babe?” Jake whispered in her ear, “What do you think? Here’s your chance. Does this spot work for you?”

She spun around to stare at him. “Really?”

He nodded.

She looked at Spencer. “There’s enough?”

He nodded, a quirky grin on his face.

Her voice raised at least one octave when she finally turned to Lucia. “For real?”

Lucia nodded. “For real.”

Julia grasped Lucia’s hands in hers and bounced up and down, squealing, “We have our own shop! Yay!” They giggled and shrieked, hugging each other until they both were breathless.

“It’s ours. My last dream has come true.” Julia squeezed Lucia’s hand. “Thank you, Lucia and Jake, for working so hard to make my dream come true.”

Lucia said, “It was your work, too. We did this together.”

When she was finally able to calm down, she kissed Jake and whispered in his ear, “Thank you, Jake. I love you.”

Julia cried as the realtor opened a non-alcoholic bubbly beverage for them and handed them each a glass.

Spencer held his glass up and said, “Here’s to long friendships and the newest store in Summerhill, J & L Accessories.”

Jake, Julia, and Lucia all yelled, “Shoppe, with a p and an e.”

The End