It's Better This Way(33)

His sons had made their position clear. For all Heath knew, Julia might not want anything more to do with him if her daughters felt the same way that Michael and Adam did.

    The following morning, he waited for Julia in the exercise room, needing to see her. She arrived the same time as usual, came into the room, and stopped cold, her eyes widening when she saw him. Without comment, she started to turn around and leave.

“Julia, wait.”

She shook her head. “I’m giving you the space you wanted. I’ll come back another time.”

“Please,” he said, softly, his heart in his throat.

“Please what?”

“Give me a chance to explain.”

Julia cocked her head as if considering his request. “When?”

“Can we meet for coffee?”

“Not this morning. I have an appointment.”

She wasn’t going to make this easy, and he didn’t blame her. He’d been an ass. “What about this afternoon. Say three, at my place?”

“I’d prefer the Busy Bean.”

He paused and shook his head. “My condo would be better. You’ll need to trust me on this.”

After a brief hesitation, she sighed, nodded, and then, before he could stop her, she left.

Heath watched her go, his spirits sagging. He may very well have ruined the best thing to happen to him in longer than he could remember.



* * *



—

    At three, Heath paced in front of the picture window, although he barely noticed the view. His nerves were on edge, and he didn’t know what she would think or do once he told her what he had learned.

He’d had three days to ponder the situation. It had taken him that long before he was able to come to a decision. He was three days ahead of Julia. She was sure to be as surprised as he’d been when she learned the truth.

It went without saying that he would grant her whatever time she wanted to assimilate the information. What was important to Heath was that she needed to know he was determined not to give her up. It had taken him nearly six years to find a woman he could love, and he wasn’t letting her go. His sons would need to accept that Julia was part of his life, and if they refused, then he’d do whatever was necessary to change their minds.

His doorbell rang, and Heath’s heart hammered hard against his chest. Inhaling a calming breath, he opened his door to Julia. One look at the dark shadows below her eyes and he felt like the biggest jerk who’d ever lived. Wordless, he brought her into the condo and into his arms, hugging her close.

For a long time, she resisted, and he feared his heart was about to break, and then gradually her arms looped around his middle. Heath closed his eyes and breathed in the special scent that was all Julia. Roses and vanilla. He regretted every minute they’d been apart. He had no intention of letting anything like this happen again.

“I’m sorry, so sorry,” he whispered into her hair.

“Just tell me what Michael said.”

They sat on the sofa, side by side. He placed her hands in his and looked into her beautiful eyes. How he’d managed to stay away from her this long, he’d never know. The instant he saw her that morning, he knew he’d made the right decision. No way was he losing this incredible woman.

    “Before I say anything, you might need a glass of something strong,” he said, remembering what Michael had said to him when they met for lunch.

“I don’t want alcohol. All I need is the truth,” she countered, her gaze boring into his.

“Okay.” He inhaled, held her look, and started. “Michael and Adam met me for lunch on Wednesday. I’d only been expecting Michael. When I joined them, Michael suggested I might want to order a whiskey sour. I rarely drink anything stronger than wine, and when I do, it’s a whiskey sour or scotch.”

She nodded, and he hoped she realized he was preparing her for what he was about to tell her.

“Please, just tell me what happened.”

His fingers tightened around hers. “Michael recognized you from when he helped Eddie move his desk out of your house.”

Frowning, she narrowed her gaze. “Why would Michael help Eddie move furniture?”

“He was lending a hand to his stepfather.”

A moment passed before Julia made the connection. When she did, her eyes widened with shock and astonishment. Her voice was barely more than a whisper when she spoke. “Are you telling me that Laura is your ex-wife?”

Heath nodded. “Yes. Your ex-husband is married to my ex-wife.”

Shaking her head as if that was impossible, Julia argued, “I thought you said your ex’s name was Lee.”

    “That’s what I called her. My mother’s name is also Laura, so I called her Lee from the time we started dating.”

She nodded, as if barely able to absorb what he was saying.

“You called your ex Eddie, and Lee always refers to him as Edward. I didn’t put two and two together. I can see you’re stunned, which is exactly how I felt.”

“I…hardly know what to say.”

“I understand. What I didn’t know about,” he said, and raised her hands to his lips, kissing her fingers, “is the antagonism and hard feelings between our children.”