It's Better This Way(16)

Chapter 6




Julia knew if she had a conversation with Eddie it probably wouldn’t go well. Because neither of her stubborn daughters was willing to tell him about Hillary’s engagement, it had been left to her.

She debated with herself all weekend, unsure she even should. The last thing she wanted was to stand between Eddie and their children. Before she left, Hillary made sure Julia accepted the fact that she had no intention of enlightening her father as to her wedding plans. If Julia felt he needed to know, then she would need to reach out. Hillary was content to leave her father completely in the dark.

Julia couldn’t let that happen. If Eddie were to hear the news of Hillary’s engagement from one of their mutual friends, it would devastate him. Eddie might be her ex-husband, but she had no wish to hurt him.

    Before making the call, she carefully reviewed how best to tell him without stirring up hard feelings. Which meant not mentioning Hillary’s dictate that Eddie attend the wedding without Laura. Excluding his wife would put Eddie in an impossible situation. To Julia’s way of thinking, their daughter was being unreasonable. She feared banning Laura was the one thing Hillary could do that would keep Eddie away. This would prove what Hillary had said all along—that her father had never really loved her.

It hurt Julia to see her daughters punishing themselves by keeping their father out of their lives. And if it made her own heart ache, she could well imagine what it did to Eddie. She wondered if he had ever considered the fallout when he’d started his affair with Laura. And if he’d had any inkling of the havoc it would cause, would it have made any difference? Silly thoughts, really, seeing that it was all water under the bridge now.

Sunday evening, when she didn’t feel she could delay it any longer, she reached for her phone. It rang three times before Eddie answered.

“Hello.” His voice was gruff and unwelcoming.

He didn’t greet her, although he knew from caller ID it was her. Perhaps he was with Laura and didn’t wish to say her name aloud. Already, her nerves made this harder than it should ever be.

“It’s Julia.”

“I know who this is.”

Oh dear, this wasn’t starting out well.

“How are you?” she asked, hoping to ease into the conversation with small talk. Her hand tightened around her phone, trying to remain calm, despite his lack of warmth or welcome. She didn’t make a habit of contacting him out of the blue. It’d been months, probably more than a year, since they’d last spoken.

    “Did you call to inquire about my health?”

“No. I…

“I’m good, Julia. More than good. I’m happy.”

She swallowed hard, not wanting to read any more meaning into his words than what he’d said. From the tone of his voice, he seemed to suggest that the only way he’d found such unbound well-being was by separating his life from hers. He seemed to be looking for a way to hurt her. She could either take offense or ignore it.

“Glad to hear it. I feel the same,” she said, after an awkward moment, choosing to take the high road by assuming his comment had not been a dig.

“Wonderful. Now that it’s settled how happy we both are, is there a reason for this call?”

Julia strongly suspected Laura was sitting next to him or was within hearing distance.

“I have news I thought you’d want to know,” she said.

“Is it important?”

She closed her eyes, wishing it could be different between them. “Would I call otherwise?” she asked, keeping her voice even and controlled, unwilling to let him intimidate her. It hurt that their relationship remained strained.

It didn’t need to be like this. She had released him without malice, and she hoped that after all the good years they’d shared together, they could part without hard feelings.

Her throat tightened, and she waited a moment, the pause awkward. “Does it need to be like this?” she asked, softening her tone.

    “How do you mean?”

She wasn’t fooled, he knew. “I only wish you well, Eddie. It used to be we were friends as well as lovers. We have children together. It shouldn’t be awkward between us, because we have both moved on. I don’t harbor bad feelings toward you, or Laura.”

His sigh was heavy. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Julia. I saw your name and my mind went back to places it shouldn’t have. Now tell me what prompted the call.”

“It’s Hillary.”

“Everything okay with her?” His concern was immediate.

“It’s great. She was by on Friday to let me know she and Blake are engaged.”

Her announcement was met with silence. “And you’re the one telling me? Why is that?”

“Trust me, Eddie, I urged her to reach out herself.”

“Did you?” His words were full of skepticism. How quickly he reverted to being suspicious and annoyed.

“Yes,” she returned emphatically. “I have repeatedly encouraged both girls to put aside their resentment and reconcile with you. You’re their father, and while they might never admit it openly, they miss you.”

He huffed as if he found that hard to believe. “The ball is in their court. Heaven knows I’ve tried to have a relationship with them. The problem is they’re both too stubborn to listen to reason. They won’t have anything to do with Laura. They won’t meet her, won’t speak to her. It’s as if my wife doesn’t exist.”