Page 84 of Welcome Home, Cowboy
“I brought backup,” Kat said, not bothering to knock.
Julie sat up on the couch and attempted a smile, but it fell flat. Her lower lip trembled and she laid her head back on the armrest.
“Oh, sweetie.” Kat plopped down beside her. Val took the floor in front of her.
“What did that idiot do?” Val asked, smoothing a strand of Julie’s hair behind her ear.
“He told me he loved me over the weekend.” Julie pressed her eyes closed.
“Okay,” Val said, drawing out the word. “And that’s bad because?”
“Because he just broke up with me. Now he says he doesn’t love me. It was a lie.” Julie’s chest shook as she took a breath.
Kat pressed a piece of chocolate into her palm as if it were medication.
Julie popped it into her mouth. “Thank you.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Val argued. “Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know.” The chocolate dissolving on her tongue did make her feel a little better. “Because of sex. Isn’t that all guys want?”
“But he was already getting the sex,” Kat pointed out. “So no need to tell you he loves you.”
Julie whimpered.
“Okay, okay. He’s a jerk,” Kat said.
“All men are jerks,” Val agreed.
“That’s better.” Julie opened her palm for another piece of chocolate, which Kat placed in her hand. “Keep it coming.” She popped it into her mouth, and then cracked her eyes open. “I told him first,” she said, sniffling. “Maybe he just said it because he felt like he had to.”
Kat’s eyes tilted sympathetically. “Lawson doesn’t seem like that kind of guy, either.”
That’s what Julie had wrongly thought, too. But she was beginning to understand that when it came to men she was clueless. Best to stay away altogether if that was the case.
Chapter 24
There were at least a hundred things on Julie’s to-do list this morning. Or really just a few, but she still felt overwhelmed thinking about them. First up, she was going to Beth’s to help interview babysitters to take her place with Sabrina. It was the least she could do after giving Beth such short notice. But Mr. Banks was ready for her to take over and start overseeing things alongside Allison at the Veterans’ Center ASAP. And she couldn’t wait. She’d decided, after much chocolate and wine with Kat and Val the other night, that from here on out she’d focus on her career. And her family and friends.
No more men.
She pulled into Beth’s driveway and released a breath. Beth had told her that Lawson wouldn’t be here when she arrived, but she’d still wondered. Lawson was so protective over Sabrina; how could he not be here when Beth interviewed the next person who’d care for her?
Then again, Julie didn’t know Lawson as well as she’d thought she did. The Lawson she thought she knew would never have professed his love one day and treated her like she was disposable the next.
“Hey.” Beth turned as Julie gave a courtesy knock and entered. “Thank you so much for coming today. I hate interviewing people.”
Julie sat on the barstool at the counter. “Why don’t we just sit back and let Sabrina do the honors. She did a great job interviewing me.”
Beth took a sip of water and nodded. “That’s right. Aww. We’re going to miss having you here. You’ve been great with her. But I understand. You have to follow your heart.”
“Well…” Julie looked at Sabrina seated at a child’s table against the wall. “Sabrina will always have my heart now.”
Sabrina looked up and smiled brightly, tugging at Julie’s emotions.
“I’m not leaving Seaside. Just getting a new job. We can still have lunch or macaroni and cheese for dinner.” As long as Lawson wasn’t around, that was.
Beth nodded. “Sounds good.”
