It's Better This Way(30)

He raised his hand, stopping them from saying anything further. His ex-wife’s feelings toward whom he dated was none of his concern.

“Not my problem.”

“Maybe not,” Adam readily agreed. “But you need to know what Mom told us she did recently.”

Leaning back, his meal practically untouched, Heath waited for what was sure to be even more negativity.

“I didn’t realize until we spoke to Mom what Julia had done to Edward,” Michael said.

Heath admired how Julia had moved on following the divorce. He found it hard to believe she’d given her ex more than a cursory thought. “All right. Tell me what horrible thing Julia has done now. I’m all ears. However, before you give me a list of her sins, let me assure you I’m going to have a hard time believing she has a malicious bone in her body.”

Adam arched his brows as if to say his father had been brainwashed.

    “Do you realize that Julia has kept her daughters out of Edward’s life? Mom said he was nearly in tears the other night after she called to rub it in that Hillary is engaged. She had to tell him, because her daughter wants nothing to do with her own father.”

Ah, so that was it. “Julia told me about that call,” he said, relief filling him. “The reason she phoned was so Ed wouldn’t be blindsided, should someone else mention the engagement.”

“Julia has kept her daughters out of their father’s life.”

“They’re adults,” he countered. “If Hillary and Marie want a relationship with their dad, it’s up to them.”

Michael adamantly shook his head. “You can believe that if you want. Personally, I don’t.”

“Me neither,” Adam added.

Michael’s voice rose again as he pressed his point. “Julia has her daughters wrapped around her finger to the point they feel disloyal to her if they speak to their dad. Did you know that neither of them has had any contact with Ed since that awful scene at the lake?”

“Also,” Adam added, “it’s been nearly six years and Mom refuses to go to Lake Sammamish because of all the bad memories associated with that day.”

Heath knew none of this.

“Dad,” Michael said, his voice low and sympathetic. “I know you like Julia. We understand this news came out of the blue. I’m sorry to be the one to disillusion you about her, but we felt it was important that you know.”

Adam agreed. “Michael and I felt you needed to hear the truth, so you know upfront the kind of people you’re dealing with. There’s a very good reason Edward wanted out of the marriage. Weren’t you the one who said there are always two sides to a story? It might be hard for you to accept his point of view, seeing that he’s the one Mom left you for.”

    His son had given him something to think about.

“Edward loves his daughters and they both refuse to have anything to do with him, despite the countless attempts he’s made to open the lines of communication,” Adam reminded him.

Michael looked hard at Heath. “Mom said it’s breaking her heart to see him deal with one rejection after another. It’s even worse now that Hillary is engaged.”

Heath could understand how hard it must be to have his daughters reject him. As far as Julia was concerned, he chose to believe she had nothing to do with her daughters’ treatment of their father. That behavior was on them.

“Dad?”

Heath looked up and realized his sons were both staring at him.

“You aren’t saying anything,” Adam said.

“What is there to say?” Heath asked.

The two exchanged another look, one filled with regret.

“We understand this is the last thing you wanted to hear. This isn’t easy on us, either. It gives us no pleasure to be the ones to tell you these things.”

Heath appreciated how difficult this conversation had been for his sons.

“Whatever you decide, Dad, we’ll accept,” Adam assured him.

“Not easily, though,” Michael added, making sure Heath was aware of the consequences.

    “After everything we’ve told you about Julia and her daughters, if you feel you want to continue with this relationship, you should know nothing will change between the three of us.”

Perhaps he’d misread his sons’ intentions; Heath was grateful for the reassurance.

“You should be aware that we would prefer not to have anything to do with Julia or her daughters, though.”

Adam concurred. “Not after everything they said and did to our mother.”

The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach intensified. “I’m going to need to think this through,” Heath said, his head spinning.

“I’m sorry, Dad. I really am. No matter what your feelings, I’m going to avoid any contact with her.”

“I understand,” Heath returned.

The server came by to collect their plates. “Is there anything else I can get you?” he asked.

Health glanced up and nodded. “I’ll take that whiskey sour now.”





Chapter 11




Julia sat at the kitchen table with her sister, her hands warmed by cupping a recently poured mug of coffee. Her heart weighed heavy in her chest as she struggled to make sense of the last three days.