Lights and Shadows (Oregon In Love) (9 page)

For the most part she had. As long as she stayed busy, Julia felt
safe, secure, and needed. That she’d entered the consulting
profession had been no accident. She loved being able to come into a
situation and find ways of improving it. She loved the challenge of
solving problems.

Her brother Brian was a workaholic, although he was trying to cut
back now that he had a family. But since he was a man, his drive to
succeed was affirmed. The same trait was viewed negatively in a
woman.
Well, I don't have a husband or children, and I'm not
inclined to sit around and wait for someone to take care of me
.

She sighed and thought of Marc. It had been quite a while since she’d
seen him. Did he ever think of her? Doubtful, she decided. That was
one more reason to be thankful for this job opportunity. Why sit
around and become spoony over some guy when there was work to be
done! This consulting opportunity was from the Lord. There were too
many coincidences for her to believe otherwise. Now that she had a
direction for her life, she prayed God would sustain her through to
the end—and keep the awful headaches at bay.

Julia closed her eyes for a moment. Her hands stilled over the keys.
Maybe after this assignment, she really would take a rest. A vacation
in some tropical location. Perhaps if she mentioned that to Brian, it
would ease some of the tension between them. She wanted very much to
see his smile again. His scowls were unpleasant to say the least.

Chapter Eight

Marc pulled into the driveway of the bed and breakfast
and turned off the engine. While unloading his camera equipment, he
reminded himself the reason he’d come was
not
to see Julia.

Staying the night would give him a jumpstart on the
drive up to the mountains in the morning. He hadn’t seen Sara and
Brian since the party, and an evening in their company would be nice
after a busy work week.

And he
was
tired. Mentally exhausted.
Not
thinking of Julia for all this time had been very difficult. He
needed a chance to relax with friends. He walked onto the porch and
decided to knock rather than just head in. If Julia happened to be
present, he would nod politely in her direction and continue to keep
his thoughts on a tight leash.

She answered the door and gave him a warm smile of
welcome.
Easier said than done.

“
Marc! Come in.”

“
Julia.” That was all he could manage as he bumped
his way in the door with his bags.

Brian walked past Julia and shook Marc’s hand, asking
him how things were going. While Marc made his replies he noticed
Julia returning to the living room.

“
Take your pick of rooms and when you’re settled in,
join us for coffee,” Brian said.

Marc nodded and headed upstairs. He chose the room he
always stayed in when it was available. It was the smallest of the
four, but he liked the cozy feel. The soft green walls, stained glass
lamp, and handmade quilt on the bed lent an air of welcome. The light
filtering through the curtains and the breeze lifting the fronds of
the potted ferns made him feel at peace after the noise and bustle of
city life.

Marc unpacked and checked his reflection in the mirror,
all at once remembering his auspicious first meeting with Julia
Wilcox.
No lipstick this time
. Biting back a smile, he went
back downstairs and into the living room.

“
Marc! Julia told me you’d arrived,” said Sara
from where she lay stretched out on the couch. “Can I get you
anything?”

Marc shook his head and wondered where he was going to
sit. Brian handed him a mug of coffee and returned to his seat in a
brown wicker chair. That only left the loveseat, half of which was
occupied by Julia. Marc suppressed a sigh and perched on the edge
next to her.

“
How are you feeling, Sara?” he asked after taking a
sip of coffee.

“
Exhausted, although I don’t do anything around here
anymore. Julia goes on as if she owns the place.” She sent a rueful
smile at her sister-in-law.

Brian made a noise that sounded remarkably like a grunt.
Marc glanced between the siblings and wondered if he sensed tension
in the air, then decided he had no interest in what the problem was.

Julia turned to him. “I saw you bring in your camera
equipment. Does that mean you’re going on a photo shoot?”

It had been a while since those bright eyes of hers had
been fastened on him in that unsettling way. Marc resisted the urge
to tug at his collar.

“
Uh, yes. Tomorrow morning I’m heading up to the
Deschutes River near Mt. Hood to do some hiking and take some
pictures.”

“
How fascinating.”

Sara yawned. “Didn’t you mention last time you were going to be
teaching a class up there as well?”

“Saturday afternoon I’m doing a photography class for a local 4-H
group in the town of Maupin.

I’ll do most of my own work on Sunday.”

“Is that far from here?” asked Julia.

“About a two hour drive.”

“It sounds like fun,” she said.

He shrugged. “I enjoy it.”

“What kind of pictures are you going to take?”

“I’m doing an article on the Deschutes for an outdoor magazine so
I need to get some shots of the river and the flora and fauna. The
basics.”

“I’ve never seen the Deschutes River before. What’s it like?”
She tilted her head and subjected him to a speculative gaze.

Marc eyed her warily. “It’s known primarily for white water
rafting.”

“How exciting.”

Trying to dispel the image of Julia as an inquisitive hungry bird and
he, a fat juicy worm, Marc shifted on the loveseat.

“Are you going alone?” she persisted.

“Where?”

“To the river, the town, wherever.”

“Yes,” he replied. “But I also have a few friends I visit while
I’m there.”

“Would you like some company?”

Marc blinked at the boldness of the request. “Excuse me?”

He looked to Brian and Sara for help. Brian remained stoic and Sara
grinned. “Uh—”

“I’m not doing anything tomorrow and I’d love to see some of
the area while I’m here. Don’t let me put you on the spot, but
I’d love to go.”

Marc felt his face grow warm. The thought of spending so much time
undiluted with Julia unnerved him. “I’m staying for the whole
weekend.”

“Are you going to sleep in a tent?”

“No, I’ll be staying with friends.”

“So then, what’s the problem? Surely there are hotels or motels
or whatever around there.”

He looked at the diminutive figure before him. How could such a
sweetly dominating personality come from such a little person?

“Yes, there are places to stay. But it’s very rugged. Have you
ever hiked before?”

“Not really, but I know I could do it. When do we leave?”

Marc floundered for some excuse to say no, although his heart went in
the opposite direction. “Are you sure you have the right clothing
and gear?”

“What do I need?”

He nearly groaned out loud. He suspected the only hiking she’d ever
done was on a stairway when the escalator at the mall was out of
service.

Sara piped up. “Do you have jeans, hiking boots, thick socks, you
know, stuff like that?”

Julia touched her chin. “Jeans? Well, no, but surely the town has
some kind of clothing store?”

“You don’t even own one pair of jeans?” Sara asked, her tone
incredulous. “The only down side of this pregnancy is that I can’t
wear my beloved Levi 501’s!”

Julia gave a delicate shrug and sent a beseeching look at Marc. He
rubbed his face. “Look, maybe we could do this another time. I’ll
be working and won’t have time to do the tourist thing.”

When he saw her face fall, he backpedaled. Hard. “Well, if you
really want to—”

“I do! And I promise I won’t be a bother. I won’t get in your
way at all. Maybe I can even help.”

Trying to hide the look of deepening regret from his face while his
heart hammered in expectation, Marc stood. “Be ready at six in the
morning.”

Julia saluted him. He said goodnight to Brian and Sara before going
upstairs.

He shot a glance over his shoulder and saw Sara rise from the couch
and take Julia by the arm. “C’mon. Maybe I have some things you
could borrow.”

Chapter Nine

The next morning when Marc descended the stairs, he found Julia
waiting for him. She wore a pink blouse under a black cardigan. Black
pants and sandals completed the improbable outfit.

Julia smoothed her hair, swept up in a fashionable twist, and bit her
lip. “I’m afraid I don’t have any suitable clothes, but I’m
sure I’ll find something when we get there.”

Marc had to smile. She looked just fine to him. “I need to pick up
a few things for the class in town so you’ll have time to do a
little shopping.”

“Thanks again for allowing me to come.”

Marc heard the slight apology in her tone. He cleared his throat.
“Well then, are you ready?”

She nodded, picked up her purse, and followed him out to his truck.

Once out on the open road, he heard her sigh. She seemed content as
she leaned her head back against the seat.

“This is wonderful. I thought I would go nuts if I stayed in Buell
Creek one more minute.”

Marc’s pleasure faded. He tamped down a rush of disappointment. How
foolish to think she wanted to be with him!

“And I’ve been wanting to see you work. Photography is something
I’m not familiar with.”

He sent her a sidelong glance, reminding himself to stop with the
assumptions. When it involved a woman like Julia, only trouble would
result. She was a relative of friends. That was all.

The trip passed agreeably as they settled into light conversation.
The cloudless blue sky and fragrant summer air made him glad she was
along, no matter the motivation.

***

Julia gloried in the natural beauty surrounding them as they made
their way up into the mountains. The road, flanked by thick towering
evergreens, lacy vegetation, and occasional glimpses of wildlife,
grew more steep.

The heat of the day was enough to make her wriggle out of her
cardigan and don her sunglasses. She rested her head back against the
seat and tried to absorb as much of the sunlight shining through the
windshield as possible, as if to store up the warmth for the rainy
days ahead.

They arrived at their destination a couple of hours later. Marc
parked at the town’s lone clothing store. Julia stepped out of the
pickup and looked around. The so-called department store was about
the size of a 7-11. She hoped they stocked items more feminine than
hip waders and overalls.

Marc began to lead her in, but Julia suddenly felt uncomfortable
about having him wait around while she shopped. “Don’t you need
to get some things for your class? Maybe you can do that now so we
don’t waste the whole morning shopping.”

He hesitated. “There’s no real rush, so I don’t mind going with
you.”

“I’m sure you’d be bored, Marc. Have you ever been shopping
with a woman before?”

He seemed to consider the question. “I guess I’d have to say no.”

She put a hand on his arm. “Trust me when I say I’m rescuing you
from what most males consider a fate worse than death. It’s
probably right up there with how they feel about opera.”

“I like opera.”

“Now why doesn’t that surprise me?” She fixed him with her most
winning smile. “Let's meet back here in, say, an hour?”

Marc put his hands in his pockets. “I guess I know when I’m not
wanted.”

Julia laughed at his expression, and turned in the direction of the
store while he walked off down the street.

The moment she was alone, she missed him. Julia knew it was silly,
but when she looked around and saw all the couples and families, she
felt adrift.

Shaking off the sensation, Julia entered the store. She was pleased
to find they carried an adequate selection of women’s clothing.
Instinct took over from there, and the agreed-upon hour passed
quickly. By the time Marc came in the store looking for her, she’d
purchased two pair of denim jeans, a pair of hiking boots, heavy
socks, a darling daisy print flannel shirt, and several thick cotton
t-shirts screen printed with local art and logos. She also bought a
small backpack replete with all the items the salesman had insisted
were necessary for a day trip on the Deschutes.

Marc smiled when he saw her with all her shopping bags. “It looks
like you single-handedly improved the economy of the town.”

She laughed softly, amazed at how wonderful she felt now that they
were together again. An attractive man and shopping were a heady mix.
Or maybe there was more to it than that—but she decided not to
dwell on the possibility.

They had a leisurely lunch in a small restaurant. Afterwards, Marc
drove to the local community center where he’d teach the class.

At the center, Julia changed into some of her new clothing in the
bathroom. When she went into the activity room Marc had pointed out,
parents and excited children milled about while last-minute
preparations were made for the class. Julia found herself swept along
in the barely restrained frenzy of restless kids and harried adults.

Once everything became organized and brought to a semblance of order,
Marc took his place and began the class. Julia watched with interest
from the back of the room while he explained the complexities of
photography in a way that proved fun and easy to understand. His
enthusiasm even made her want to be a part.

He announced that groups were to be formed to take a nature walk in
the wooded grounds surrounding the community center. Julia lost sight
of Marc in the ensuing mayhem. Somehow she ended up with a squirming
child at the end of each hand as the groups reassembled outside to
begin the walk.