Page 3 of Find Me in California

Five days?

Empathy floods his chest, but he immediately shuts that shit down. He will not feel sorry for her.

“What does this have to do with me?”

“You’re listed as her secondary power of attorney, and you’re her only living relative. You have to come get her.”

“Like hell I do.” The thought escapes before he can censor it.

“Matt,” she pleads, and he instantly feels the guilt. Not because of what he said, but because of what Julia must think of him. He sounds like an asshole. He probably is one. But Elizabeth always brought out the worst in him. “She has no one.”

He swore he’d never sacrifice his sanity for her peace of mind again. He’s kept the memories from that period of his life locked away for years. He can’t lower his guard and risk Julia’s bleeding heart—or his grandmother—letting them out.

“Why am I hearing about this now? What happened to thirty days’ notice?”

“Mrs. Pullen has been trying to reach you.”

Right. The missed calls.

“Can I tell her you’re coming?” Julia asks.

Matt’s gaze drifts over the boxes hogging up driveway real estate, and his mind reels back in time. He remembers all the things Elizabeth didn’t say to him and didn’t do for him. The comfort she didn’t give, and the love she withheld when he’d been his most vulnerable self.

No, he isn’t coming to get her.

“Elizabeth Holloway is a resourceful woman. She can figure out where she’s going to live, so long as it’s not with me.”

That said, he ends the call.

CHAPTER 2

JULIA

Julia gapes at the phone’s receiver. The grating dial tone from Matt’s severed call loud enough to hear despite her holding the earpiece away from her head.

Liza mentioned she and her grandson are estranged, but she didn’t tell Julia that he is downright rude.

She’d like to addinconsiderate,ungrateful, anddisrespectfulto his list of flaws. He abandoned a frail eighty-three-year-old woman and has no issue admitting this to Julia’s face. Or, more precisely, her ear.

Julia plunks the phone in its cradle, miffed. That must be some rift between the two of them.

She waffled about asking Liza what had happened between them because she didn’t want to pry. Liza wouldn’t hesitate putting Julia in her place. But she does feel sorry for the woman. From what she’s seen, Liza doesn’t have any regular visitors other than her missing power of attorney.

It makes Julia all the more grateful for the relationship she used to have with her grandmother, Ruby Rose Hope. She was fortunate to have been raised by the free-spirited and passionate woman, and she appreciates every hour she volunteers as Rosemont’s in-house massagetherapist so she can be close to Mama Rose, even if her grandmother rarely remembers who Julia is nowadays.

“Any calls come in?” Shelly asks, returning to the reception desk after her break.

“A few that I forwarded. Nothing urgent. You’ll see them in the log.” Julia stands, giving up Shelly’s seat. She almost tells Shelly about Matt’s call but decides against it. That’s between Matt and Lenore. And Julia. Liza’s financial and living circumstances are confidential. Julia only knows Rosemont is giving the elderly woman the royal boot because Liza complained to her during her massage session. She asked Julia for assistance to bag and toss her personal possessions. She said she has no use for them if she’ll be homeless. Initially, albeit reluctantly, Julia cooperated. But when she came across Matt’s birth certificate and asked Liza about it, the older woman admitted Matt is her grandson. When Lenore confirmed Matt is Liza’s backup power of attorney and that her calls to Matt had gone unanswered, Julia convinced Liza and Lenore to allow her to box and ship Liza’s possessions to Matt. She hoped the delivery would prompt Matt into action.

It did, just not in the way Julia had expected. A resoundingno. He’s not going to help Liza.

What a mess she caused. She took a risk and it backfired.

She should update Lenore. Judging from the phone conversation, Matt won’t be calling back.

“Jules, do you have a moment?”

Julia glances over her shoulder at Lenore Pullen. Just the woman she needs to speak with. “Sure. One sec.”

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