Love Finds the One (Sully Point Book 2) Page 15

* * * *

  Frank and Cody were waiting with Sam and Anna at the Varley place when Julia arrived with the keys to the front door. All the papers were signed and monies handed over and the building now belonged to her. She couldn't believe it...her very own business!

  Everyone walked inside, and Frank opened the sparkling cider while Cody passed out plastic cups. As he raised his glass, he said, "Here's to Julia's Place and a great future."

  Julia sipped and stared around the main room. She was picturing a series of workstations along one wall, and a lounge in the bay window area for customers to wait. "I can't wait to get started. Once I get these floors polished I think they'll be great, don't you think so Frank?"

  "Yep, I do. Although, I think I'd have Albert and Sons do the refinishing for you."

  They began to discuss what renovations she would be making to the space, which weren't really very many.

  "You aren't worried about it being haunted, Julia?" Sam asked jokingly.

  "Haunted or not, it's mine and I'm staying," she said. "Any ghosts will just have to learn to share."

  The lights flickered and went out.

  "Oh-kay, now that was spooky," Sam said.

  "Sam, stop it," Anna scolded.

  Julia laughed. "Folks, I think this is the changeover from the bank's paying for the electricity to me paying for it. It's scheduled to be turned on first thing in the morning."

  "Really was perfect timing, though, you have to admit," Cody said, grinning at her.

  "Come on, everyone. Let's head to my house. We'll have a fish fry," Frank offered.

  They trooped out of the building and Julia locked the door behind them. Cody stood waiting by the Corvette. He called out to Frank, "We'll be along in a bit, Dad. Have to take care of something first."

  Frank nodded and waved at them.

  Julia got into the car feeling curious. "What do we have to take care of?"

  Cody said, "I was going to wait, but I just can't. Then, I was going to find a more romantic spot, but we both love this car and you have to admit it's a pretty sexy car. Here goes."

  Julia looked at him blankly.

  "I love you. More than I would have thought possible before I met you. You're the one, Julia." He held out a small velvet box. "I want you to have this to wear as a symbol of our love."

  She took the box gingerly and carefully opened it up. She gasped. "Cody! It's beautiful! When did you--how did you--I love it!"

  He took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger where it fit perfectly, the star sapphires winking up at them next to the large diamond. "It looks absolutely right on your hand," he said in a rough voice.

  She leaned over and hugged him, and then kissed him tenderly, putting all her love into a kiss that deepened with every moment. Finally, she said softly, "I love it." Moving back to sit up in her own seat, Julia stared at the ring, and thought of how she wouldn't ever look at it without realizing what a rare find a man like Cody was. "Seriously, where did you get this? In the city?"

  "No, I went to Lucretia Evans. She created it. Did a damn fine job, too."

  "I'll say. It really is perfect."

  "She's got a wedding band, made to fit around it, like a set."

  "Wedding band...we're really going to do this, aren't we."

  Cody nodded. "I can think of any number of ways for us to celebrate, but I think we'd better show up at the fish fry first," he said with a grin.

  She laughed. "I can't wait for them to see the ring."

  "Dad is the one who sent me to Lucretia. You know, I think he knew about us before we did ourselves."

  As they drove to Frank's house, Julia kept turning her hand this way and that, watching the sparkling gems. "I can't stop staring at it."

  "I'll be wearing a ring too, but it won't be quite as fancy. Lucretia's got it all made up for me. She did some kind of engraving thing on the band. Looks good."

  Julia snuggled down in her seat and kept looking at her ring. "I'm really happy you're going to wear a wedding band. And we can't forget Holly in all this."

  "She's going to see the ring tonight. She called today and told me she planned to show up, as a surprise for Dad."

  "I can't wait to see her reaction." Julia laughed.

  They arrived at Frank's house and gathered everyone around. Holly walked in right before they showed off the engagement ring. She stood there looking surprised, but pleased, and gave them both hugs. Everyone was impressed by the ring Lucretia had created. When Cody described his wedding band to them, Julia noticed how his father nodded approval.

  The fried fish dinner was delicious, and Julia felt as if she'd put on a few more pounds just in one meal. Her body was starting to feel normal again, now that she wasn't all skin and bones. When she thought about how badly her health had deteriorated, and how she hadn't taken care of herself she felt ashamed, but determined not to let it happen again. She'd begun to go for runs each day, around town, sometimes with Cody joining her, to build up her strength.

  Holly approached the two of them after dinner as they were sitting in the porch swing. "Am I truly forgiven? I still feel bad about--"

  "Stop," Julia said. "We understand, and we forgive you. Now, let it go."

  Holly pulled up a chair and sat down. "A wedding. And a new business. Your mother is going to freak out, Julia, you know that, right?"

  Julia moved a bit closer to Cody who had his arm around her shoulders. He gave her a gentle squeeze. "I know. So far, everything has been kept under the radar, and she doesn't know. She has started emailing me again, insisting I return to work. I guess she tried to get Dr. Deville to say I should already be back at work, but he read her the riot act. I know she's going to blow up at me fairly soon. At least now, I have my father on my side."

  They spent some time discussing her surprising talk with her father. Then Holly wanted to talk weddings. Cody got up to go talk to Sam, and Anna joined them on the porch. Soon all three women were deep into discussions of flowers, wedding cakes, and whether a designer wedding dress was really worth the money. By the time Cody came looking for her to leave, Julia was overwhelmed.

  "There are a zillion details," she said as they drove to the boat. They'd decided to celebrate the engagement ring at his place. "I had no idea weddings could get this complicated."

  "Just remember, you only have to do what you want. Don't let Holly talk you into things you aren't interested in doing. I fully expect, when Holly gets married, it will be a major Hollywood production."

  "I wonder if she will--get married, I mean. She never seems to be ready to settle down."

  "Look at me, babe. When she's ready, she'll be like me I bet. And probably will get hit over the head by love just like I was."

  They laughed together and held hands the rest of the way. That night, as the boat rocked them gently, they made love with a quiet passion which struck deep in both their hearts. At one point, Cody kissed away a stray tear. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

  "Nothing. Everything is perfect. That was a tear of happiness."

  Chapter 9

  The news of their engagement spread like wildfire through town the next day. When Julia went to the bakery for a coffee break at ten in the morning, she was surrounded by well-wishers. And, of course, everyone had to see the ring. Julia was pretty sure Lucretia's business was about to go way up. Of course, people had to express shock at the idea of Cody settling down, and there were some insinuations that he would never really be happy with just one woman.

  Julia knew she shouldn't listen to those comments, but, every now and then, she felt a tiny flare of doubt. Then, she'd spend time with him and all fears and doubts were swept away by their closeness, passion, and love.

  The ugly gothic building was painted a warm cream color. It helped the look of the place enormously, Julia felt. The first floor had a roomy, open feeling, with modular furniture. She'd placed a couch and two leather chairs in the bay window area, with a colorful rug beneath. As she accumulated computer part
s, she set aside two rooms upstairs for storage.

  Finally, she had her new coffee machine installed in the kitchen, which was also stocked with paper plates and napkins to be ready for dozens of goodies from the bakery. Notices had been sent out all over town about the Open House at Julia's Place, and an evening party was planned for a small group of select guests.

  The morning of her grand opening, Julia was a wreck of nerves and anticipation. She didn't expect to actually sell anything this first day. The idea was to get people in, where she could explain what kinds of services she would provide.

  "Calm down, Jules, everything will be great today," Cody told her as she was getting dressed. She'd changed clothes three times.

  "I can't decide how professional I should look."

  "What you're wearing right now works fine."

  She glanced in the mirror again to see black pants with a deep blue silky top tucked in, silver belt at the waist. Her long black hair swirled in waves over her shoulders--an attempt to curl her hair with electric curlers. She knew the curls would all fall out by lunch. Her hair was too straight to ever hold a curl for long. She put on black flats and addressed her reflection. "I guess you're as ready as you ever will be."

  "Come on, I'll drive you over," Cody said, giving her a quick hug.

  "Thanks, but no, I think I want to go by myself this first morning. I need some minutes of quiet before opening, and you know I'd just get distracted by you if you're there."

  He smiled at her. "Distracting you is always a priority for me." He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him where he kissed her hard. "Okay, now you can go."

  "Like I can think after that," she said shakily and left laughing.

  * * * *

  Julia walked around the large open area and then sat at her main computer. Her screen said 'Opening Day' in giant letters. It's finally here, she thought. I'm really going to do this. She felt determined and confident and also just a little light-headed. This was a far cry from the chaos of the ad agency and her mother's purview. She liked the calm feeling in the building now. She liked knowing where every single piece of equipment, down to the last computer chip and paper clip, was located. And, most of all, she liked knowing she was the owner, boss of it all.

  She got a cup of coffee and moved to sit on the couch. There was a knock on the door and she jumped up to see Frank and Mrs. Gilchrest outside. She unlocked the front door and let them in.

  Mrs. Gilchrest was carrying a large floral arrangement blooming with gerbera daisies, lilies, roses, and carnations, all in shades of yellow and orange. She said, "I thought you might like this on your coffee table here in front of the couch."

  "They're beautiful! Thank you so much."

  Mrs. Gilchrest said, "You're welcome." She nudged Frank with her elbow.

  "Yeah, well, I saw how you had those boxes upstairs stacked on top of each other. I thought maybe you could use a shelving system. I've ordered it, and it should arrive tomorrow or the next day. I'll bring it over and set it up when it gets here."

  "Frank, that was really thoughtful. Thank you," Julia said and then gave him a hug.

  He asked, "Did Kayla bring over the donuts and muffins yet?"

  "No, but she should be here any minute."

  "I'll just go get us some coffee," he said and motioned to Mrs. Gilchrest.

  Shortly after that, the bakery delivery showed up and a few people wandered in and began to talk to Julia about what she'd be doing.

  By lunchtime, she was beginning to wonder if her voice would last for the entire day. She'd repeated the same information more times than she could count and already had several jobs lined up. Fortunately, she'd printed up brochures listing her services. That way, not everyone had to get the whole spiel from her directly.

  Cody had been by at mid-morning but then was back in his own shop. Tourist season was just beginning and business there had picked up.

  Of course, throughout the day almost every person who'd come in the building had asked to see Julia's ring, and had wanted to know when the wedding would be taking place. As she grabbed a bite of a sandwich while standing up in the kitchen, she wondered if the whole town expected to be invited to the wedding. Probably, she thought.

  She heard the door opening and moved quickly to greet the next potential customer--who turned out to be her father. Standing still and watching him breathlessly for a moment, she heard him say, "Hello, Julia."

  She ran across the room to him and gave him a fierce hug. "Dad, you came."

  He chuckled. "Of course I came. Had to see what my girl accomplished."

  She pulled away from him and smiled broadly. "What do you think?"

  "Well, show me around, and I'll tell you. By the way, were those gargoyles on the outside of the building?"

  She laughed and nodded. Taking her father on a tour of the building, she felt like a kid again showing off for him. He said little until they returned to the main room and sat on the couch.

  "Julia, you've done well. This makes sense financially, as well as being good for you personally. I can tell by your face and how you talk about it, you're going to have fun and that's what counts."

  "Not the money?"

  "The money is just a way to keep track. The fun is the main thing. As long as you're passionate about what you're doing, you'll be okay. Better than okay."

  "Thanks, Dad. That means a lot coming from you."

  He reached out and took her left hand in his. "But, I think you have some other news to tell me, right?"

  Her eyes opened wider. She simply hadn't thought to call and tell him about the engagement. They weren't yet into a rhythm of being in touch with each other. "Yes, I'm engaged. To Cody Grainger. He's from Sully Point and owns a business--well two businesses actually. Grainger Charters--fishing cruises--and the Bait and Tackle Shop."

  "That's all well and good. Sounds like he's a young man who's making something of himself. But, what I want to know is--what is it about him that makes you love him enough to get married?"

  Julia smiled softly. "He's like the part of me that was missing, and now I've found it in him. He's responsible, and comes from a loving family. He's fun and smart and supportive of me. I love him, more than I can tell you, and he loves me. Now that we're together, I can't imagine living a day without him."

  "I'm happy for you, Julia, really happy."

  "We haven't set a date yet for the wedding. I wanted to get the business off the ground."

  "Don't wait too long. If you're meant to be together, then go for it." He stopped talking and appeared to think of something. "When it happens, the wedding, would you like for me to walk you down the aisle?"

  Tears came to her eyes. "Yes, Dad, I'd love that."

  He reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "No crying now, not on your big day." He paused and the smile left his face. "I need to tell you something Julia, and you're not going to like it."

  "What?" she asked, puzzled.

  "There was a notice in one of the gossip columns in last night's paper. It asked 'What ad exec and local heiress has left the bright lights to start her own business in small town America?' Your mother has to have seen it."

  "No! Who would have blabbed that kind of gossip?"

  "Somebody who noticed you weren't around and began poking, probably got your location from one of your co-workers, then it would just be a matter of sending someone here. Not too complicated."

  Julia began to worry. "She'll come here, won't she? Mother--she'll show up here today."

  Her father said, "I'm afraid she will, so I'm here for the rest of the day. I'll check out the town, but I want to be nearby or here with you. If I'm not here, call me, just hit speed dial on your phone and if I see it's you calling I'll race back here. I don't want you to have to see her alone."

  "I have to face her sometime. I guess today is as good a day as any for that. It's time she knew I was all grown up. But that doesn't mean I don't want you here. I can use the support."

&nbs
p; "Okay then. Frankly, I doubt she'll get here until later in the day. I think I'll go wander around and then be back in a while."

  "Sounds good. Thanks Dad, for being here."

  "Not a problem," he said smiling at her fondly.

  * * * *

  Frank finished ringing up a sale on the cash register and noticed the man who had just walked into the store. He was dressed in what had to be an expensive suit and silk tie. It would be interesting to see just what hardware a type like this would want.

  "Can I help you, sir?"

  The man came over to the checkout counter. "Yes, at least, I hope so. I noticed this place is named Grainger Hardware. Are you Mr. Grainger?"

  "Yes, I am Frank Grainger," he said feeling perplexed.

  The man smiled and stuck out his hand. "I'm Robert Tremaine, Julia's father."

  "Ah," Frank said and shook his hand. "Very nice to meet you, Mr. Tremaine."

  "Call me Rob, since from what I hear, we're going to be family."

  Frank smiled at him. "Yes indeed. You must have been over at Julia's Place. My son, Cody, thinks she's the best thing that's ever happened to him. And, I do too, for that matter. They seem to be very much in love."

  "I'm glad to hear that. I want Julia to be happy, and if your son is the one for her, then I'm all for it. Tell me, where can I find Cody?"

  "He'll be at his store, the Bait and Tackle Shop down at the docks." Frank proceeded to draw quick directions on a piece of paper. "Going to check him out?"

  Rob chuckled. "Perhaps that's part of it. But I also want to warn him to make time to be at Julia's later today. I'm almost positive her mother, my wife Abby, is going to show up. I expect all hell to break loose when she does."

  Frank frowned. "This sounds bad. I've heard about Julia's mother, and pardon my saying it, but she sounds like a major pain in the--well, a pretty bad sort."

  "Yes, she is. I've only recently decided it's time to get her out of my life. I know Julia has to stand up to her mother, but I also think she needs supportive people around her. I plan to be there."

  "I think I could manage to close up and hang around over there later this afternoon. It's good to meet you, Rob. Welcome to the family."