Page 54 of Where Sea Meets Sky

“He’s that much of a troublemaker, huh?” Julia shook her head, waggling her eyebrows. “Mm, thanks for the warning.”

“Don’t worry, I can tell you’re up to the task.” Leonel sent Julia a conspiratorial wink.

“What do you say we all sit down and order some food?” Cooper suggested, looking as though he was on cloud nine. Juliacould tell he was thrilled to have his parents there, and when he turned to smile at her, she knew that part of his happiness came from the fact that she was there meeting them.

“Sounds lovely,” Donna said.

“Perfect, I’m famished.” Leonel clapped his son on the back. “Lead on, Cooper. Where should we sit?”

“We have a table over here,” Julia said, starting to lead the way back to where she and Cooper had been sitting before. “Is this all right, or would you prefer a booth?”

“Oh my, we’re not fussy.” Donna laughed. “This will do nicely.”

They sat down together, and a moment later a smiling waitress approached them. As Cooper’s parents ordered their food, Julia watched them with a feeling of joy in her heart.

They’re so nice,she thought.I can’t believe I was worried. I wouldn’t have been if I’d known they were like this.

Cooper tapped her knee under the table so she would look at him. “Feeling better?” he mouthed with a twinkle in his eye.

She nodded, grinning at him, and then let out a little sigh of relief. She could tell already that she was going to like her in-laws very much, and she felt that it was more than possible that they would like her a great deal as well.

“How is the wedding planning going?” Donna asked. “Do you need my help with anything?”

“Thanks for offering, Mom.” Cooper smiled at her. “I’ve mostly given the reins to Julia, because she’s a master planner. But I’m sure if you want to help, Julia can find things for you to help with.”

“Oh, certainly,” Julia said. “Especially closer to the day, there will be plenty to do.”

“Sounds great,” Donna said, and she and Julia shared a warm smile.

“We’ve got the cake flavor picked out, and the reception location planned,” Cooper said, catching his parents up on what they’d done so far. “And the guest list is all set, of course.”

Leonel asked about what the food menu would be, hinting that he hoped there would be some steak. That led the conversation into playful banter about what types of food should be served at the wedding. Julia felt amazed by how easily conversation flowed amongst the four of them. She felt as though she’d known Cooper’s parents all her life.

Their food arrived, and the conversation turned toward other subjects. Julia had just swallowed a bite of her lasagna when Donna turned to her with a smile.

“Tell us about your life before moving back to Rosewood Beach,” she said eagerly. “Cooper said that you used to live in a city?”

“Yes.” Julia cleared her throat, feeling a bit nervous about telling them about her past. It would make it clearer than ever that she was not at all the outdoorsy type like they were. She was used to technology and fashion and comfortable living. She’d spent many years fitting right in in New York City, and she wondered what that would make them think of her.

She started to tell them about her marketing job in New York, and how she’d climbed her way up the corporate ladder only to be thrown to the bottom again when she got fired because of the lies of a co-worker. She told them about how she used to go out to nightclubs on the weekends with her city friends, and how she lived in a nice apartment that she hardly ever had the time to relax in.

She half expected Donna and Leonel to frown and start to wonder why their son was dating a woman like her, who’d lived a great part of her life following a path she knew they wouldn’t want for their son, but instead they seemed utterly fascinated with her story.

“See?” Leonel said, chuckling. “I knew you were tough. If you can handle New York, you can handle putting up with Cooper for the rest of your life.”

Tough. Julia blinked. She hadn’t expected him to say anything like that, and the compliment warmed her heart. She realized that he was right. She wasn’t tough in the same way that a woman who liked to go out and hunt and fish and camp in the wilderness would be tough, but she had spent many years working very hard and pushing herself to succeed in difficult environments. That did make her tough, and it touched her heart that Cooper’s father had seen that and wanted to point it out.

“This is some of the best restaurant food I’ve ever had,” Donna said eagerly a few minutes later. “I wonder what’s in the sauce on this sandwich?”

Julia chuckled, thinking to herself that maybe her mother would let her share the secret family recipe with Cooper’s parents, since they were, in a way, about to become part of the Owens family.

Donna and Leonel began to playfully debate with each other about what they thought was in the secret sauce, and Julia watched them with amusement, hoping that she got to share the recipe with them one day.

“See?” Cooper leaned over and whispered gently in her ear. “I told you they would love you.”

She squeezed his hand under the table. “I never should have doubted you,” she whispered back. “I should have known you would know better than me in this situation, since they’re your parents and you know how kind they are.”

He smiled tenderly at her. “I know them, and I know you. You’re amazing.”

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