It's Better This Way(79)

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Later at the reception, following the dinner, when the music started to play and Eddie and Hillary danced the first dance, Heath brought Julia onto the polished wooden dance floor.

As he brought her into his arms, she looked up at him and immediately knew what her heart had been telling her all along. She loved him, and only God knew how many years they would have left. Ten? Twenty? Thirty? The number wasn’t important. What meant the most was knowing she would spend those years with Heath.

    Smiling up at him, their eyes met. “I have my answer,” she whispered into his ear as he held her close.

He raised his head, looked at her, and expectantly arched his brows, awaiting her reply.

“I’m crazy in love with you, Heath Wilson. Crazy being the key word. But like you, I don’t want to live another minute away from you.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Most definitely.”

And then, right there in the middle of a crowded dance floor, Heath’s hands captured her face. He stopped dancing and kissed her in full view of everyone at the reception. The very man who frowned upon PDAs kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Bending her backward, he kissed the very life out of her.

When they broke apart, they were greeted by a round of applause.

Life couldn’t get any better than this, Julia mused.





Epilogue




“Mom.” Hillary burst into the condo, her face red and her voice raised.

Julia looked up from the recipe she was studying in the kitchen. She’d become familiar with the appliances even before she married Heath. Her husband was meeting with clients and she hoped to have dinner ready by the time he returned.

“My goodness, Hill, what’s wrong?” she asked, setting aside the recipe book.

Her daughter crossed her arms and heaved a deep sigh. “It’s Blake.”

“Trouble in paradise already?” Her daughter had been married nine months, and as best Julia could see, Blake and Hillary were happy. They certainly seemed to be.

“No…not really. It’s complicated.”

“Then tell me what’s gotten you this riled.” She came around the kitchen island and joined her daughter in the living room. Julia and Heath married barely a month after Hillary and Blake’s wedding. Her condo had sold within the first week it had gone on the market. Carrie had proved to be an excellent concierge. She sincerely doubted the association would find anyone better, and Carrie had been given a substantial raise in appreciation for her excellent service. In addition, Carrie was sporting an engagement ring. Eric had proposed on Valentine’s Day and she had accepted. Wedding plans were in the making, and Amanda was beside herself, eager to see her daughter settled.

    “Blake and Dad have been golfing together.”

“That’s what I understand.” Eddie had proven to be an excellent father-in-law, taking Blake under his wing, especially on the golf course. The two played often.

“What I didn’t know until today is it’s a foursome with Michael and Adam!”

Julia did her best to squelch her smile. This wasn’t news to her or Heath. It was part of a determined effort to bring their children together. “Is that so dreadful?” she asked her daughter.

“Mom, Blake and Michael are now the best of friends.”

“What are you going to do about it?” she asked, joining her daughter on the sofa, eager to see how Hillary would handle this.

Hillary sat with her arms crossed, frowning. “I don’t know.”

“Is it really important to hang on to your dislike of Heath’s sons?”

She didn’t answer, so Julia tried another question. “You trust Blake’s judgment, and if he likes Michael, then clearly there’s some good in him.”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

    “You’re being a bit judgmental, aren’t you?”

“Mom, you don’t understand.”

“Then explain it to me.”

“It isn’t just that Blake and Michael are friends, now Blake wants to invite Michael and his girlfriend to our house for dinner. Can you even imagine how awkward that would be?”

“And? Are you going to do it?”

Once more, Hillary shrugged, as if she hadn’t come to a conclusion yet. “I told him I needed to think about it.”

“That’s a good start. While you’re thinking, you might consider something. If Michael has agreed to the four of you getting together, that tells me he’s willing to let bygones be bygones. The ball is in your court now.”

Hillary slowly nodded. “If we could all be friends it would make Thanksgiving and Christmas go a lot smoother.”

Scheduling between the two families on the holidays had been problematic, to say the least. Sorting out times when their children could arrive to not conflict with one another had turned into a logistical challenge.

“Yes, it would,” Julia agreed. She added another bit of reason to the situation. “What does Marie have to say about this?” The two remained close, and this was sure to have an impact on Marie as well.

Hillary bounced her head against the back of the sofa. “She’s all in. I suppose you heard she ran into Adam at the mall. He’s engaged and introduced Marie to his fiancée. She said it wasn’t nearly as awkward as she thought it would be.”