Love Finds the One (Sully Point Book 2) (14 page)

There really was no other choice when she thought it over.
Either she'd be a wimp and stay under mother's thumb, or she'd take the leap
and live her own life. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Leaping
was a heady feeling.

As for the other major topic on her mind today--Cody--she knew
one thing. She'd never been as comfortable or content around any man besides
him. The sex had been beyond pleasurable, but more than that, it had felt like
they connected on all levels, soul to soul. Thinking of him, her eyes gradually
closed as the lack of sleep caught up with her. Soon, she was fast asleep,
hands still wrapped in the yarn of the sweater she was making for him.

* * * *

Cody was met at the door of the beach house that afternoon
by a bleary-eyed Julia. "Come in, come in," she said. "I just
woke up from a nap. Need to splash some water on my face. Be right back."

He walked in and shut the door. He was glad she had gotten
some sleep. Today he had felt a little bit guilty about keeping her awake late
into last night, given that she was supposed to be getting plenty of rest.

When she came back into the room, her hair was brushed and
shiny, and her eyes were lit up with excitement. "I have a ton to tell
you," she said, and came forward to put her arms around him. "But
first...."

Cody's arms encircled her as she kissed him thoroughly. He
pressed her body against his and felt his pulse begin to race.

Pulling away she said, "No, no, not before we go see
your Dad. Don't we have to go to the grocery store anyway?"

"Yes, damn it. I promise you, we will finish this
later."

"Good!"

He laughed and gave her a quick hug. They left the house and
took off on the curving road back to town. Soon they were strolling down the
aisle of the grocery store with a shopping cart and had already been stopped by
several town residents saying hello.

Julia looked at him. "Do you think everyone suspects
we're sleeping together?"

"Probably."

"Hmm. What are you cooking tonight?"

"Spaghetti and meatballs."

"That sounds delicious. It's strange to be in a grocery
store. Since I don't cook, I hardly ever go to one. Usually I just run down to
the corner from where I live to this little market for stuff like coffee and
juice."

"Did you ever try to learn to cook?"

"When I was younger, I asked Mother to teach me. She
sent me off to our cook, who happened to be a very impatient woman with no time
to teach. So, you could say it's not all my fault."

"Ah. That does explain things a bit."

After the grocery store, they stopped into George and Al's
place for a full-bodied red wine. Cody rolled his eyes as the two men, partners
in life not just in business, surrounded Julia asking questions about the city.
George, in particular, was always interested in what the latest was in New
York, but Al swore they'd never leave Sully Point. Cody finally got Julia out
of there with promises she would return.

"They seem like nice guys, a bit talkative with the two
of them at once."

"Gossip is their life--however, I should also say, they
really are nice guys. They contribute a certain amount of their proceeds to a
fund we have in town to help struggling single parents. They like to keep it
quiet that they're involved in it. I guess both of them grew up in single
parent households."

In the car, she said, "I can't wait any longer. I have
to tell you what Mrs. Gilchrest said to me today. She proceeded to relate the
conversation about the idea for the business.

"Dad came up with this?"

"Yes. Mrs. Gilchrest said they'd work with me to get the
business started and everything."

He turned to look at her. She was practically buzzing with
energy as she talked about it. "You seem excited by the idea. Are you
considering it?"

"Yes, I am, quite seriously. Even after a short a time
away from the agency, I know the thought of going back depresses the hell out
of me."

Cody pulled the car into the driveway and they took the
groceries into the kitchen through the back door. He opened the wine to let it
breathe and then began to make the meatballs. "Go on--tell me more about
what you think of doing this."

She leaned against a nearby counter and watched him work. "Well,
for one thing, I like Sully Point. It seems like a great place to live, and it
doesn't have the crazy pace of life that you find in the city. The main thing,
however, is that I love working with computers. To actually do what I love as
my job seems like a fantastic idea. On the other hand, it is a bit scary to
jump into something like your own business. I guess you know all about that.
Plus, there is my mother to be dealt with, and she is not a small
problem."

"Have you ever really stood up to her before?"
Cody asked, as he formed the meatballs.

"Not exactly. I mean, sure, I've tried not going along
with her ideas for my life from time to time, but eventually she always wears
me down and I end up doing what she wants. I was thinking today, it's time for me
to stop giving in to her. I'm a grown woman. I can't let her run my life."

Cody turned and smiled at her. He compared how she looked
now, all vibrant and engaged, to the frail, worn out woman of only a week ago.
It was hard to believe how much better she seemed. If she were willing to stay
here in Sully Point, near him--suddenly possibilities filled his mind. He said,
"I'd give you a big hug if I weren't up to my elbows in meatballs. You
sound really happy talking about this."

"I never considered doing work I could enjoy. I'm going
to work on the idea, come up with some sort of business plan, probably talk to
Mrs. Gilchrest again--then see where it leads."

"I, for one, would love for you to stay here instead of
returning to the city." He was frying the meatballs and was turned away
from her. When she came up behind him, and pressed her body against his, he was
surprised. He tensed up and then relaxed. "I like this. Just don't get
splattered."

"I won't, I'm staying behind you."

"Yes, I can feel that."

She laughed softly, putting her arms around him. "Thank
you."

"For what?"

"For not questioning everything with doubt in your
voice. For being supportive. I don't think I've ever experienced that
before."

"Julia, I believe in you. I think whatever you decide
to do with your life, you will accomplish it. Plus, I'd love to see you be able
to work in a field you enjoy."

She kissed the back of his neck and let go of him, right as
the back door opened and Frank came in.

"Hello, you two. What's for supper?" Frank opened
the door to the refrigerator and pulled out a cold beer.

"Wine with dinner, Dad, if you want. Spaghetti and
meatballs."

"Nah, I'll just have beer instead. You guys can have
the wine. Long day at the store. Maelynne's having repairs done to the motel,
and she had to come supervise whenever supplies were bought." He sat down
at the kitchen table and took a long swallow of his beer. "All day long, I
heard how you two were seen last night at the Lobster Shack and at Wally and
Velma's. Anything you want to tell me?"

"We're officially dating, Dad," Cody said as he
poured sauce over the meatballs to finish their cooking at a lower temperature.
He found wine glasses in the cabinet and poured for himself and Julia. The two
of them sat at the kitchen table with Frank and sipped their wine.

"I have something to say to you, Frank," Julia
said. "Thank you, for your idea about me doing a computer business here.
I'm very excited about it."

Frank looked at her and smiled. "Well now, that's good
to hear. Did she tell you we may even have a place for an office if you want
one?"

"Yes, she did."

"She?" Cody asked.

"Mrs. Gilchrest," Julia responded. "She was
quite helpful. I like her."

Cody happened to be watching his father's face as Julia talked,
and was shocked to see a knowing grin and an almost secretive look. Could his
father and Mrs. Gilchrest...? No, surely not, she was nothing like him. Very
straight-laced and all about money, that was Mrs. Gilchrest.

Julia had continued talking. "I'm not sure yet whether
I'd want an office. And nothing is definite yet. I still need to think things
through. But I'm feeling quite positive about it."

"Good, good," Frank said. "How long until
dinner, son?"

"About twenty minutes."

"I'm going to go wash up and read the paper."
Frank left the kitchen carrying his beer.

Cody said, "Do you ever get the feeling Dad and Mrs.
Gilchrest--never mind, it's ridiculous."

Julia didn't say anything, sipping her wine thoughtfully.
Cody took his glass of wine and moved to the stove to stir the meatballs.

"I do wish he'd find someone, though. It's been a long time
since Mom died. He deserves to be with someone, instead of living all alone."

"When the time is right, I bet he does find
someone," she offered. "I have a question for you, something I was
wondering about today. I was thinking about your boat and you living on it part
time. Do you unhook it from the utilities and stuff to go out fishing?"

Cody shook his head. "No, usually it stays right where
it is. Occasionally I'll move it. There is a nice inlet bay keeping it safe
from the big surf. And, I get my hookups for electricity and everything right
there at the docks."

"Maybe we should try out the boat. You know, later
on."

He answered her grin with one of his own. Her twinkling eyes
and smiling face made him want to leave for the boat this minute. "What
brought this up?"

"I was just thinking about it this afternoon, thinking
about tonight, and I realized we have three options of where to go later, not
only two. I don't think I've ever had--you know--on a boat before." She
was glancing through the doorway to see if Frank was nearby.

Cody laughed. "'You know?' Julia, I think he might have
a clue about us."

"I don't care. I'm not going to be explicit around him.
He's your father after all."

"What about your father? You only mentioned him once in
the car."

Julia grew somber. "He's nothing like Frank, that's for
sure. He's totally into his business--Wall Street. A very long time ago, I was
closer to him. But something happened along the way. I think it was my mother's
influence, almost like she was jealous of the time I spent with my father. Bit
by bit, the time together grew less and less. Now we hardly ever speak. I can't
put all the blame on him at this point, because I never try to talk to him.
However, when I was younger--yes, I suppose I do blame him for letting Mother
do that to our relationship."

As he watched her talking, Cody felt again a true antipathy
for Julia's mother. Her pervasive influence over Julia's life had been quite
negative. He knew the loss of her father in her life had meant more than she
was saying.

He put the lid back on the meatballs, and sat back down with
Julia at the table. He reached out and took her hand in his, palm up, running a
finger lightly back and forth. She shivered. They sat like that, staring into
each other's eyes, touching only hand to hand, and it felt like everything.

Finally, Cody kissed her palm and then jumped up to
hurriedly stir the sauce with the meatballs. He dumped the pasta in boiling
salted water to cook, and began to pull spaghetti bowls out of the cabinet.

"Were you going to serve from in here?"

"Yes. Would you take in the silverware--wow, I almost forgot.
The garlic bread should be done too."

"Don't burn the garlic bread, I love that stuff."

"I never burn things...okay, sometimes...but not too
often."

They worked around each other easily in the kitchen, Julia
putting out the salad and bowls for it, while Cody drained the spaghetti and
began serving it up.

"Dad! Time to eat."

They all converged in the dining room. Julia said, "I'm
practically drooling here. It smells fantastic."

Frank sat down and gave Cody a nod. "Nice job. Glad you
finally learned to cook."

"He didn't used to know how?" Julia asked.

"No, he used to bring pizza every time it was his turn
to cook. We ate a hell of a lot of pizza. But lately he's been making actual
meals."

"That's interesting, and funny how I had the impression
he'd always been a great cook."

Cody coughed. "Yeah...well...."

Julia laughed. She took a bite of garlic bread and moaned.

"Good isn't it?" Frank said. "The bakery
makes such good bread."

"I could eat just the bread for dinner," she said.
"But I think I'd better try out the meatballs."

Cody watched her across the table. He was surprisingly
nervous about her reaction. Of course, he was that way about everything with
her, not just over the meatballs. Seeing her smile now, made him feel like the
hassle of making the damn meatballs was well worth the trouble.

They talked and ate and laughed, while sitting around the
polished oak table. Julia and Frank discussed whether an office would make a
good idea for her business. As Cody gazed at the two of them, he liked the
friendship he saw developing between them. But, even as he heard them
discussing the computer business like it was definitely going to happen, a part
of him worried.

Julia's relationship with her mother appeared to him to be
complex. To actually leave the city for good, and more importantly, her mother,
would be a major step. It sounded to Cody like this woman was a major
manipulator and would probably pull out all the stops to keep Julia under her
thumb. He couldn't help but wonder if Julia would actually make the break and
pull away, after a lifetime of manipulation by her mother.

"What is it, Cody?" Julia asked with a slight
frown. "You look too serious for the Maelynne story your Dad just
told."