Lights and Shadows (Oregon In Love) (26 page)

That's all
.

Turning her attention to her belongings, she
double-checked that she had everything she’d need for the trip. One
full suitcase to get her there, and one empty suitcase to bring back
full. The rest of her belongings she would mail from San Diego. She
had also packed the sleeping medication Dr. Granger prescribed for
her. Julia had a feeling she’d need it if she wanted to get any
rest. Already, she felt jumpy at the thought of seeing Marc again
after so long.

The doorbell rang and Sara went to the door, stepping
aside to let him enter. Julia's gaze connected with his as he walked
into the living room. She felt like she’d sustained a blow to her
solar plexus.
This is going to be a long trip
. She managed a
cautious smile. Marc returned her smile and bent to pick up her bags.
Julia gave Sara a hug and kissed Alan's soft cheek, then followed him
out to his pickup.

After stowing her luggage in the back, he opened the
passenger door for her. Julia settled in the seat, breathing deeply
of his once-familiar scent. Marc got in on the other side and steered
the pickup away from the B & B.

At first, the tension in the small confines of the cab
was palpable. But as the miles went by, Julia started to relax until
she was able to respond to a few polite sentences. In a way, she felt
detached from the situation, as if looking at things from someone
else’s perspective. She wondered idly how two people who had once
been so close could treat each other like strangers. She clasped her
hands in her lap and reminded herself to stop thinking about it.

***

Marc looked over at Julia, who had her eyes closed and
her head turned toward the airplane window. His gaze traveled along
the soft curves of her face and throat. Even resting, she exhibited a
quiet air of elegance. He wondered if she was really asleep or just
ignoring him. He'd missed her so much, but had avoided contacting her
after Brian told him of her health scare. She needed time to get
well. Or so he'd told himself.

As feelings of discouragement threatened to overwhelm
him, he was reminded that it was a miracle she’d agreed to his
company at all. He only had himself to blame for her coolness. But
for the next week, he had a chance to see if there was any hope of
rekindling things between them. He almost reached out to touch her
before realizing he no longer had the right. He sent up a fervent
prayer for wisdom and patience.

An hour later, they neared the city. The first thing he
noticed about their destination was the smog that sullied the
horizon. When the plane touched down on the runway, Julia stirred and
sat up in her seat to look out the window. Now that she was home,
Marc wondered if she would regret her decision to move to Oregon.

They disembarked, retrieved their luggage, and went out
to her car she’d arranged to have waiting for them. Without a word,
Julia unlocked the car and handed Marc the keys. Once they were both
seated, he turned the key in the ignition and the Infiniti came
smoothly to life. The lush vocals of Natalie Cole emanated from the
speakers in the background while Julia directed him through the
airport complex.

Merging onto the freeway, he noticed with interest the
ecological differences around him. Towering palm trees swayed in the
breeze against a deep blue-brown sky. Despite the frenzied traffic,
the photographer-side of him looked forward to exploring the
surrounding areas through the lens of his camera.

For the most part, Julia remained silent for the trip,
only speaking when she needed to give him directions. Forty minutes
later, he turned down a street that led to an affluent neighborhood.
Spanish-style stucco homes with tiled roofs sat in beautifully
landscaped yards.

Julia pointed to one of the houses and he pulled into
the drive. After opening her door, Marc retrieved their luggage from
the trunk of the car and followed her into a saltillo-tiled
breezeway. Two large terra cotta pots overflowing with fuchsia
bougainvillea blooms flanked a wrought iron bench. Once they went
through the double front doors, Julia tossed her keys onto an antique
side-table just inside the entrance. She turned to Marc as he
followed her in. Appearing infinitely weary, she pointed up a flight
of stairs.

“
You can have the room to the right of the bathroom.”

Marc set the luggage on the floor and took a deep
breath. “I know we didn’t discuss sleeping arrangements. I can
stay at a hotel or something nearby.”

“
There’s no hotel nearby,” she said in an
emotionless voice. “But suit yourself.”

“
I...don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Julia. Or
give the neighbors anything to talk about.”

She gave a drawn smile. “I’m not really acquainted
with any of my neighbors. Besides, most of them are probably like
me—rarely home. But it’s up to you where you stay. If it makes
you feel any better, I’ll keep my bedroom door locked.”

Marc’s lips thinned in annoyance. She wasn’t making
this easier for him. “Fine. Tell me where you want your bags.”

“
In the room to the left of the bathroom.”

Before turning toward the stairs, he caught and held her
gaze. After a moment, she looked away. Expelling a silent sigh, Marc
took their bags up to the next level of the house. He deposited her
luggage inside an expensively decorated bedroom done in earth tones,
complemented by wood accents and large, potted plants. He took his
bags to the next room, which was decorated in much the same way.
If
I stay in a hotel, I’ll be miles away. I can’t be very helpful if
I’m not close at hand
.

Before returning downstairs, Marc paused to say another
quick prayer, suddenly wondering what he’d gotten himself into.

He took in the huge basket of tropical fruit in the
middle of the gleaming black tiles of the kitchen counter. Thick
glass-blown bottles of various colors glowed in the light from the
window. The kitchen opened into a large living room lavishly
appointed with caramel-colored leather furniture, beautifully
restored antiques, and a jungle-like array of potted tropical plants
reaching up toward skylights in the ceiling.

Julia leaned against the kitchen counter, watching him,
as if gauging his reaction to her home. “I’m pretty tired,” she
said. “I’m going to my room to rest. There’s a bathroom
downstairs as well.” Pointing into the living room, she continued.
“And the TV and stereo are behind the doors of the armoire. Please
make yourself at home.”

Marc watched as she left the room. After making a call
to Brian and Sara letting them know they'd arrived safely, he jammed
his hands in his pockets and surveyed his surroundings. The decor was
perfectly precise, like something out of a magazine. There were none
of the touches that made a house homey. In spite of the warm colors
and greenery, the effect felt cold and impersonal.

Unsure of what to do next, he sat down on one of the
couches. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two picture frames
on an end table he’d failed to see before. They seemed out of place
in the impeccable design and ornamentation of the room. One held a
photo of Brian and Sara on their wedding day. Marc picked up the
other frame which held a photo of Brian and Julia on a beach. They
looked young, maybe seventeen or eighteen. Brian was tan, buff, and
had a cocky, defiant gleam in his eyes. One of his arms was around a
surfboard and the other casually slung around his sister’s
shoulders.

Julia looked like the quintessential California girl. In
a tank top and shorts, she was also tan and her long blonde hair,
streaked lighter by the sun, lifted in the breeze. She wore the
gracious smile he knew well and her green eyes glowed in her fresh,
pretty face.

Marc stared at the picture for a long time, thinking
about the differences between the girl in the photo compared to the
woman he’d come to know. While he considered her to be more
beautiful than ever, her green eyes seemed older now, hinting at
emotionally difficult experiences. As Marc replaced the frame on the
table with a click, he realized he’d been partly responsible for
the hurt in her life.

Way to go, Dorin
.

***

Marc sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room,
tinkering with a new Nikon camera he’d recently purchased. His
stomach grumbled, distracting him, and he glanced at his watch. It
was nearly seven o’clock in the evening and he hadn’t eaten since
having breakfast back in his apartment in Oregon. He considered going
down and peeking in the refrigerator but felt reasonably sure it was
empty. Even the fruit bowl looked too much like art to eat from it.

Julia had been resting for the entire afternoon. At
least he assumed that was the case. He wouldn’t be surprised if she
was really in there punching away on her laptop on some new important
project.

Hearing her bedroom door open, Marc replaced the cap on
the lens of his camera and got up off the bed. Out in the hall, he
saw her going down the stairs. When he said her name, she looked up
and waited for him to come alongside her. “Did you get any rest?”

“
A little,” she said noncommittally.

Marc followed her down the stairs and into the living
room. She went over and perched on the edge of one of the couches.
She seemed so small sitting there all alone and it was all he could
do to remain where he was on the opposite couch.

“
Are you hungry?” she asked suddenly.

Marc smiled. “Guilty.”

“
Well, there’s nothing much here to fix. I can make
a call to order in some dinner.”

Marc got up, retrieved her BlackBerry off the counter
and brought it to where she sat.

As she took it from his hand, she arched a brow. “You
don’t have to act like my servant, you know.”

“
I just want you to get well, Julia.”

Rolling her eyes, she punched a button on the phone.
“Marty? This is Julia Wilcox. Yes, I know it’s been a while. I’ve
been out of town. Good, and you? The usual, please. For two. Oh, and
add a piece of that New York cheesecake. Okay, bye.”

While she spoke, Marc suppressed a grin at the knowledge
she had a restaurant number on speed dial. While they waited for
their dinner, his attempt to engage her in small talk brought only
unenthusiastic responses. He was relieved when the doorbell rang.

“
I’ll get that.” A few moments later, Marc
returned to the kitchen with several white bags, which emitted a
heavenly fresh bread aroma. Ignoring her protests, he found plates
and silverware and served up shrimp salad, hot, crusty bread and two
bottles of mineral water.

“
I’m not an invalid,” Julia said as she sat on a
stool at the counter. “And I’ll pay you back for the food.”

“
Get over it,” he said good-naturedly. “Now, eat
your dinner.”

Pretending not to notice her lowering expression, Marc
munched on his salad. When he finished, and saw she had finished as
well, he scooped up the plates and silverware and loaded them into
the dishwasher. Coming back to the counter, he rested his chin in his
hand and said, “Now, tell me more about your plans for the week.”

Julia folded her hands on the opposite side. “Tomorrow,
I need to go by the firm and clean out my desk. In the evening
they’re having a farewell party for me. Tuesday, we drive to my
mother’s to settle my lease and say my, er, goodbyes.”

Marc raised a brow at her tone of voice, but she
continued.

“
Wednesday, I pack, Thursday, we drive to Monterey to
see my dad, we stay until Friday, then he takes us to the San Jose
airport. From there we go back to Portland.” As if speaking
suddenly tired her, she sighed.

“
You’ll need to let me know how I can help, okay?”

Looking distinctly uncomfortable at the prospect, she
nodded. “Thank you. And by the way, the cheesecake is for you. That
dinner was fairly light. I don’t want you to starve.”

Marc went to the refrigerator with alacrity. “Are you
sure you don’t want some?”

Julia shook her head while Marc placed the slice on a
clean plate. He tried to eat it slowly, especially since he could
feel her attention upon him. When he finished, he smiled. “That was
great. Would you mind if I licked the plate?”

Julia smiled at his remark, but seeing she was obviously
exhausted, Marc decided not to tease her anymore. Instead, he said
goodnight and went up to his room.

***

Once Marc was out of sight, Julia put her head in her
arms resting on the counter. How, oh how did she think she was going
to survive this week? Having Marc just a few feet away for the next
several days would surely try her sanity.

The brief hope he was helping to renew their
relationship fizzled and died. If that was the case, all he had to do
was take her in his arms. She’d go without resistance. But his
politeness, even his indifferent friendliness, brought her to the
conclusion he offered to help as a way of doing a favor for Brian.
That was all.

If she marched up to his room this minute, told him she
loved him, and he rejected her once again, she’d have no choice but
to...join the Foreign Legion. Besides, she had promised herself she
wouldn’t force herself on him or any other man. Julia squeezed her
eyes shut and prayed for strength to endure the next week.