Page 22 of Return to Rosewood Beach

Julia nodded, smiling at her sister and feeling grateful for her support. For a while, the three of them stood together in companionable silence, slowly and half-heartedly eating their food. Although Julia still didn’t feel hungry, the food was delicious and it helped steady her nerves and give her a renewed energy.

The reception continued, and many people came to talk to Vivian as well as Julia and her siblings, offering them support and condolences. After a while, Julia felt as though she needed a moment to herself. She was grateful for all of the people around them who were showing them love, but at the same time, having so many conversations in a row was beginning to feel too draining, especially when she felt as though she had so much to think about.

She waited for the end of a conversation with Vivian’s next-door neighbors, and then she slipped quietly through the door that led into the kitchen. From there she made her way into the church lobby and out onto the sidewalk.

It was raining slightly, but she didn’t mind. It felt like fitting weather for the day of her father’s funeral. She stood underneath a tree outside the church, hugging her arms and staring up at the sky.

Everything’s going to be all right, she told herself.My family is here for me, and I’m here for my family. We’re going to get through this together.

But she couldn’t stop the tears from falling anyway. As much as she tried to tell herself that everything was going to be okay, she felt frightened by the idea that she didn’t know what was about to happen in her life.

Cooper whistled a little as he strolled down the sidewalk, a plastic bag swinging in his left hand. Inside the bag was his to-go lunch that he’d ordered from The Salty Spoon. It was a chicken sandwich, mashed potatoes with gravy, and coleslaw, and he’d ordered it once before and knew that it was going to be particularly delicious.

Even though it was raining a little, he was in good spirits. He hadn’t gotten a great deal of sleep the night before, but he’d gotten more than he usually did, and that felt good. He felt full of hope for the future in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

Although the day was damp, it wasn’t overly cold, and he had the sleeves of his work shirt rolled up to the elbow. He was on his way back to work, enjoying the fresh, green smell of the spring wind, when he slowed down in his walking, looking ahead in surprise.

He saw Julia Owens standing outside the church under a tree. She was wearing a black dress with long sleeves, black nylons, and another pair of fancy heels. She was standing withher arms crossed, looking up at the sky. As he got closer to her, he could see tears on her cheeks and a pained grimace on her face, making it clear that she’d been crying.

His heart jolted with concern for her, and he hurried over to her side.

“Julia,” he said softly, and she turned toward him in surprise.

“Oh.” She wiped her face and smiled almost shyly at him. She blinked. “It’s you.”

“Hi.” For a moment, he felt completely tongue-tied and had no idea what to say. Even though she’d been crying and her makeup was smeared a little, he thought she looked strikingly beautiful. Then he snapped out of it and asked the obvious question. “Are you all right?”

She shrugged, forcing a smile. “Oh, yes, I’m fine.”

“Um.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but you’re clearly not. You’re standing under a tree in the rain crying. There’s got to be a reason for that.”

“Well—it’s—no, really, I’m fine. Thank you for being concerned for me.”

“No need to be a hero,” he said gently, smiling at her. He gestured to a stone bench that was placed underneath a nearby willow tree. “Would you sit there with me for a while and tell me what’s upsetting you?”

“I—” For a moment, she frowned as if she was about to say no, then unexpectedly she smiled at him and nodded. “All right.”

They walked across the lawn of the church and sat down under the willow tree, which offered an excellent shelter from the light rain. It was a hushed and half-hidden spot, almost a world of its own. It smelled fragrantly of the rain and the willow branches, and the wind gently rustled the leaves all around them.

“You can tell me what’s going on,” he said. “Is it about your father?”

She nodded, taking a deep breath. She wasn’t looking directly at him, but her body was turned in his direction as she sat next to him on the bench. “It’s my father’s funeral today.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” He felt a renewed rush of sympathy for her. “Do you need to get back?”

She shook her head. “No, not right away. It’s the reception now, and I’ve already talked to everyone I know who’s there. I just needed a moment to myself.”

He fought off an impulse to take her hand. “It must have been a difficult day.”

“Oh, it was.” She let out a long sigh. “It’s hard to see how sad my loved ones are on top of everything else. But in a lot of ways, it was beautiful and healing to hear everyone talk about my dad. But that’s not really why I’m out here.”

He waited, wondering if she was going to say more. He didn’t want to pry too much, but he also wanted her to know that whatever it was, she was free to tell him.

“I just had a conversation with my family.” Her voice was shaky, and she blinked a couple of times as she spoke. “I should have told them days ago, but I’ve been procrastinating it. I feel ashamed, and I don’t want sympathy, and—” Her voice trailed off, and he leaned forward, concerned for her.

“What is it? You can tell me. I won’t judge you.”

“I—just before I came back here from New York, I lost my job. They claimed it was because of cutting my position, but it turned out that it was mostly because one of my coworkers lied about me behind my back and they never asked for any kind of proof or for my side of the story.”

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