It's Better This Way(25)

He stared at her for a long moment, seemingly at a loss for words. When he finally spoke it was as if he couldn’t say what he wanted fast enough.

“I’m a geek, Carrie. I don’t know how to do relationships. I have a lot of acquaintances and only one real friend. I don’t date…don’t know how to date. I like you, and that makes me uncomfortable, because sooner or later you’re going to discover I’m boring. I’m far more comfortable behind a computer than with people, especially women.” He paused, exhaled, and added, “Especially beautiful women, so if you’re looking to me like I’m some romantic hero, I’ll be a sorry disappointment.”

With that, he fled as if the roof had caught on fire.

It felt as if all the air had escaped from the roof when he left. After a moment, Carrie leaned back and sipped her wine. Eric thought she was beautiful. He might not think he had a romantic bone in his body, but he was wrong. So wrong.





Chapter 9




Julia woke from a bad dream and sat upright in bed, breathing hard. The nightmare had been vivid. In her dream, she’d been sobbing, heartbroken, when Heath announced he could no longer see her. His explanation was vague, and she tried to reason with him, unable to understand what had gone so dreadfully wrong. He repeatedly mentioned how sorry he was, and then before she could stop him, he walked out the door. She’d been crushed and brokenhearted, hardly able to absorb what had happened or why.

The deep sense of loss, the crippling emotion, was the same as the day she’d signed the divorce papers that ended her marriage.

Nonsensical as it seemed, ever since she’d started routinely dating Heath, she’d been waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. He was everything she had hoped to find in a companion. It had been years since she’d laughed as much and as hard as she did with Heath. And his kisses. Wow. He stirred a part of her she had long considered dried up and dead, like a sun-wilted flower.

    A couple nights earlier, he’d cooked her dinner and they’d shared a bottle of wine. The evening had been perfect. Overwhelmed by how wonderful their time together had been, she’d been far too keyed up to sleep. She was falling for Heath, and she was falling hard. How hard frightened her. Her fear was that anything this good would never last, and that had been the crux of her nightmare.

Heath was perfect for her. They’d both come through their divorces and survived their partners’ infidelity. Like Julia, he didn’t hash over the details of his divorce or trash-talk his ex-wife. She appreciated his determination to put all the unpleasantness of a dead marriage behind him. For her own part, Julia had mentioned Eddie only the one time, shortly after Hillary announced her engagement. They both seemed eager to let go of the past and look forward with happy expectation and hope.

Awake now, Julia dressed for her workout, although the dream hung on. It helped knowing she’d soon be with Heath. She needed the reassurance after that dreadful dream.

Like always, he was in the exercise room ahead of her. She’d long since given up bringing her earbuds. The music helped pass the time, or had before her friendship with Heath had blossomed. These days, they chatted, spurring and encouraging each other on to better times and distances. Once finished, they met for coffee at the Busy Bean, forming a new habit before returning to their individual schedules and wherever the day would take them.

Two or three times a week, Heath went into his downtown office, and Julia did as well. She continued as a consultant, working about twenty hours a week, although she arrived later than before, having adjusted her schedule to accommodate coffee time with Heath. Mornings with him were the best part of her day.

    On the afternoons when they were both free, they’d taken to touring local wineries, sampling Washington State wines and the tasting rooms all around the Seattle area. They often stopped for appetizers on the way home, letting the wine settle before getting back on the road.

For the last couple days, Heath had plans with a visiting college friend. The only time they were able to share was in the mornings before Heath left to meet his friend. She missed him, and strongly suspected his absence had been what had prompted her dream.

“Morning,” Heath greeted warmly, when she joined him.

“Morning,” she answered, responding to his smile.

“Did you sleep well?” He frowned a little, as if he guessed something had upset her. That he would detect anything after such a short acquaintance surprised her.

Heath didn’t only look at her. He saw her.

She shook her head. “I was good until a nightmare woke me.”

He arched his brows, confirming that he’d sensed she was troubled. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She didn’t, preferring to put the dream behind her. Stepping onto the treadmill, she shook her head. She started her fast-paced walk, and he sat on the bike, pedaling at a relaxed speed, all the while keeping an eye on her.

Julia felt his scrutiny. Glancing at him, she had to wonder. “Can I ask you a silly question?”

    “Of course.”

“Do you sometimes think us finding each other is—”

“The best thing to happen since man walked on the moon?” he completed for her, grinning broadly.

She smiled back. “Well there’s that. But doesn’t it feel a little too perfect?”