Chapter 14

Julie had noticed at some point in the night that Lawson was no longer beside her. He’d quietly gotten his things and left. Which was fine. They’d agreed to nothing. This thing between them was nothing. But it sure had made waking up this morning easier, considering what had happened last night in yoga class.

Julie flinched at the memory. Disaster. She just hoped Mr. Banks wasn’t seriously hurt. She knew he’d had a heart issue a month or so back. Hopefully she hadn’t killed him. Forcing herself to get up, she padded down the hall to turn on the coffeepot. Then she showered and dressed. She had to get to Beth’s to take care of Sabrina. They were catching bugs this morning. Julie had been able to put Sabrina off on this one thing for a while, but now Sabrina was adamant. They needed to catch ladybugs, roly-polies, and earthworms. Julie cringed. The bright side to the activity was that walking around the yard was bound to wear Sabrina out. And after last night, Julie really needed Sabrina to nap today.

Climbing into her car, she sipped on her thermos of coffee, summoning her courage to check on Mr. Banks. She needed to make sure he wasn’t on his last breath because of her.

First, she sucked in a breath, held it. Release and let go. With her courage gathered, she dialed Mr. Banks’s phone number and waited, relieved when his voicemail picked up. After the beep, she took a breath and left a short message, telling him she hoped he felt better. Then she dialed Allison’s number. She figured she would rather hear she’d been fired from Allison anyway.

“Just the person I wanted to talk to,” Allison said as she answered the phone.

A feeling of dread anchored in Julie’s stomach. “So you heard?”

“Heard what?” Allison asked, her voice lowering a notch.

Julie’s fingers unconsciously curled around the steering wheel. “That I sent Mr. Banks to the hospital last night.” She grimaced just saying the words.

“You what? What happened?”

“Oh, you know,” Julie said. “He took my class and ended up in excruciating back pain. Lawson drove him to the ER last night. That’s not what you’re calling about?”

Allison blew a breath into the receiver. “No. But I’ll be calling him just as soon as we disconnect. To see if I need to start searching for a new job.”

Oh, geez. Julie hadn’t considered that she might get Allison fired, too, just by association. “I just called and he didn’t answer. But maybe you’ll have better luck.” Although really, Julie counted herself lucky for not having to exchange words with Mr. Banks. “So if that wasn’t it, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“A delivery that arrived at the Veterans’ Center this morning. Mr. Banks approved your request for yoga blocks. Obviously ordered before last night’s ordeal.” Allison cleared her throat.

“I’m really sorry about this, Allison.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.”

Which was true. Julie hadn’t forced Mr. Banks to walk into her class last night. She hadn’t pushed him down on the mat and ordered him to do yoga poses.

“Mr. Banks has gotten overeager and hurt himself with the machines once or twice before.”

This made Julie feel marginally better.

“I’ll let you know when I hear something from him,” Allison said. “Until then, assume you’ll be using the new equipment tomorrow night in class.”

“Thanks. Talk to you soon.” Julie hung up and exhaled softly, turning her car into Beth’s driveway. At least babysitting would keep her mind off the alternative for tomorrow night—which was either returning to Mr. Adams’s assisted-living apartment to provide massage therapy—no way!—or poring over the HELP WANTED ads online again.

Beth met Julie at the door, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt that read RIDE ME across the chest. She had on knee-high leather riding boots.

“Nice shirt,” Julie said, laughing as she stepped inside.

Beth looked down and nodded. “You wouldn’t believe how many propositions I get when I wear this.”

“I bet.”

“So, my show is next weekend. I’d love it if you came.”

“To watch Sabrina for you?” Julie asked, setting her belongings on the kitchen counter.

Beth shook her head. “No, silly. That’s what Uncle Lawson is for on the weekends.” She smiled. “I’d love it if you came as a friend. My friend.”

“Oh.” Julie nodded. She really liked Beth; they got along great and lately Julie had stayed longer than she needed to in order to have coffee with Beth once she got home. The fact that she worked for Beth had somehow kept her from thinking they were actual friends, though. “That sounds like fun. I will definitely be there.”

“Good. Okay, I’ll see you later this afternoon,” Beth said to Julie, wrapping her arms around Sabrina. “Listen to Ms. Julie, okay?”

“I always listen,” Sabrina announced.

Beth’s gaze slid toward Julie’s as if to say Yeah, right.

With a wave, Beth left.

Julie looked at Sabrina. “Time to go on a bug hunt!”

A couple hours later, Julie laughed as Sabrina’s head bobbed in the air above her bowl of macaroni and cheese. “Are you sleepy?”

“No,” Sabrina said, breaking into a yawn, her blue eyes little slits above rosy cheeks.

“Uh-huh.” Julie shook her head and stood, bringing her own bowl to the sink. “How about you just rest on the couch in front of the TV? I can stick Peter Pan on.”

“Okay.” Sabrina jumped down off her chair and headed toward the living room.

A nap was something that had rarely existed before Julie had started coming here. But she and Sabrina had gotten into a routine—one that consisted of playing dolls, having dance parties, reading stories, and naps. Julie had even started to teach Sabrina yoga poses with silly animal names that made her giggle.

Julie walked into the living room and pulled a blanket over the little girl, then pushed PLAY on her favorite movie. She sat down to watch with her when she heard the side door to the house open. Beth wasn’t expected home for a few more hours, which only left one person with key-holding privileges.

Nervous energy tap-danced in her chest.

“Hey, you!” Lawson said as she met him in the kitchen.

“Shh! Sabrina’s just about to doze off. If she sees you, it’s all over.”

He grinned. “I was hoping to stop in and see my girl.”

He meant Sabrina. Of course he meant Sabrina. But he was looking at Julie and it gave her hot flashes well before her time. She wanted to be his girl.

“Lunch break?” she asked.

He nodded. “But I’m not hungry. Not for food at least.” The blue of his eyes twinkled. Pulling her out of range of the doorway, just in case Sabrina saw them, he pressed Julie against the wall and planted his hands on her waist. “I’m hungry for you,” he whispered, his face hovering beside her ear. Her body heated, immediately ready for whatever he had to offer.

“You know we can’t,” she breathed, wishing they could. “Not here. Not while I’m working.”

“Fine.” He kissed her one more time, and then headed toward Beth’s fridge. “If I can’t have you, then I guess I’ll have a sandwich.”

“Want me to make you one?” she asked, following behind him, her gaze traveling down to admire his backside. She couldn’t touch right now, but there were no rules about looking.

“No. That’s not your job,” he said.

“I don’t mind.”

Lawson pointed to the chair. “Sit. I’ll make you a sandwich. PB and J or ham and cheese?” he asked.

Julie stared at him, blinked. She wasn’t used to having men dote on her. “Actually, peanut butter and banana is my favorite.”

Lawson’s face twisted. “Disgusting.”

She waited for him to tell her no. To tell her that he’d make her a ham and cheese instead because that was easier or healthier, or whatever reason Daren would’ve given. Instead, she watched as Lawson pulled a banana from the kitchen counter and started slicing it on the cutting board.

He was wonderful. Perfect. And, for the moment at least, he was all hers.

Lawson slid a sandwich in front of Julie and bit into his own.

“Thank you,” she said, picking hers up. “Want to try it?” she asked, holding it out to him.

He scrunched his face again, loving how easily she laughed. “I’ll pass. You’ve already sold me on yoga.”

“And you’ve sold me on horseback riding. It’s very therapeutic.”

“Come with me again sometime. Maybe this weekend.”

She nodded, chewing thoughtfully.

He watched her, remembering what she’d told him about her ex. He wanted to kick the guy’s ass. Any man who got to date Julie was lucky. She was everything he would’ve been searching for—if he were searching. She was the right woman at the wrong time.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, poking him softly a moment later. “You look like you’re a million miles away.”

He took another bite of his sandwich. A million miles away. That’s how far he needed to get right about now before he said or did something stupid, like pushed their status from friends and lovers to something very different. Because he was crazy about her. “I’m thinking it’s time for me to get back to work.” He pushed his chair back and stood abruptly. “Let me know if you hear anything about Mr. Banks.”

Julie nodded, pushing her own plate aside. “I will.”

He narrowed his gaze on hers. “He’d be a fool not to keep your program going. You know that, right?”

“Right. We’ll see.”

He wanted to put his arms around her, kiss her, and then take her to bed. He wanted to make her feel better. “I’ll talk to you later,” he whispered instead, keeping his voice low so that he didn’t disturb Sabrina.

He climbed into his truck and headed back over the bridge toward Camp Leon to finish off his workday. After that he’d stop back by Beth’s to shovel out the barns. Then maybe he’d follow that up with a little yoga on his own.

How on earth had he become one of those yogi people? Cowboys didn’t do yoga. They roped cattle. Rode horses. Hung out in bars and admired all the pretty women. Marines didn’t do yoga. They trained. They fought. They swore to serve their country. They shouted “Oo-rah!” They didn’t chant “Om.”

But he liked this thing he had going with Julie. Every bit of it.

He parked and walked inside the brick building he’d been frequenting once a week for the last month.

Dr. Pierce looked up as he knocked on her office door. “This isn’t your normal day,” she said, concern knitting the skin between her brows.

Lawson shrugged. “I know. I wasn’t sure if you’d have time to see me, but I thought I’d check.”

“I don’t have time, but sit down anyway,” she said, gesturing toward the empty chair in front of her desk. “I’m assuming you have something pressing you want to talk about.”

“More like a question.” He sat, leaned forward, and clasped his hands in his lap. “When will I be done, with the nightmares and stuff? When will I be ready to move on?” His gaze flittered up. “To start dating?”

“So you’ve met someone?” she asked, a soft smile curling her lips. “Do you think you’re ready for a relationship, Captain Phillips?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “What are they paying you for if you can’t answer the hard questions?”

The woman folded her hands on the desk in front of her. “To be perfectly honest, you’ve been coming to see me for a few weeks now and you haven’t told me much of anything. Are you talking to anyone about what you’ve been through?”

He stared at her.

“Your silence tells me that you aren’t. So, my answer, Captain Phillips, is no. I don’t think you’re ready to open your heart to someone. Not unless you’re willing to tell them exactly what’s on your mind and what you’re dealing with. And then let them decide if they’re willing to deal with it with you. Because in a relationship you deal with things together, not solo. And I don’t think you’re there yet.”

Lawson cleared his throat and stood. “Well, thank you for your professional opinion.” He turned toward the door.

“That’s it?” Dr. Pierce asked behind him.

He stopped walking. “No.” He glanced back. “I think I should’ve asked this question sooner. It’s a little too late at this point.”

“Captain Phillips?” she called again.

He took another step and stopped.

“We’ll talk more about this at your scheduled appointment on Wednesday.”

He glanced over his shoulder at her, chewing on his thoughts. Maybe Dr. Pierce was right. Maybe it was time he started working on his issues. Staying in Seaside for Beth and Sabrina were definitely motivators for him to do whatever it took to get back in the sky. But maybe there was more than that in Seaside for him now. Or maybe there could be if he got his shit together.

With a nod he walked out of her office.

Julie was dead on her feet. Caring for Sabrina all day had been exhausting, but even more exhausting was waiting for Allison to call and tell her what her fate would be.

Her phone beeped as she drove home, signaling that she had a message. There was a spot where her reception dropped between her house and Beth’s. And inevitably someone always called when she was in that exact spot.

Julie listened to the message and, sure enough, it was Allison. Her breath shallowed.

“Hey, Julie.” Allison’s voice came on her voicemail. “I spoke to Mr. Banks.” She hesitated during her message. “I don’t want to tell you this over the phone. Can you meet me somewhere? I’m going to Heroes in a bit for drinks. Meet me there?” She cleared her throat. “Okay. See you then, I hope.”

Julie replayed the message. What did it mean? Someone saying they needed to talk to you was never good. At least not in a relationship context. Veering off, she headed toward Heroes instead of home. She wasn’t excited about the news she was going to get, but at least there’d be alcohol handy. And, on an even brighter note, if she got wasted drunk she could call Lawson to come get her. And then he could comfort her some more.

Allison was already nursing a Budweiser when Julie walked in. She marched over to her table and held up her hand. “Don’t tell me anything until I’ve got my drink in front of me, too.”

Allison didn’t seem to be drowning her sorrows in her beer. Her mascara was still in place, Julie noted. No evidence of crying.

“Okay, well, maybe go ahead and tell me the news,” Julie said, draping her purse on the back of a chair and sitting down.

Allison set her bottle down. In the bar’s lighting her red hair glowed, making her green eyes pop as she smiled. “Mr. Banks is fine. He’s at home resting comfortably.”

“Really?” Julie took this in as she waited for the ton of bricks to drop. “But?”

Allison shook her head. “I didn’t make a big deal out of the incident when I spoke to him. I just told him that your new equipment had arrived and that you planned on using it during your next yoga class. He grunted and said that was fine.”

Julie swallowed. “So I’m working tomorrow?”

“I asked Mr. Banks why he ordered equipment when there was only one week left in the trial and he told me to tell you that he’s extending your deal. Two more classes and you’ll be moved to paid status.”

At this point she would’ve been relieved to come back for free. “Really? I can’t believe it. I’m so…” Julie hesitated.

“Happy?” Allison supplied. “Excited?”

“Confused.” Julie laughed. “Grateful, but confused. I sent Mr. Banks to the hospital last night.”

“Which he says may have saved his life. His back pain was related to his heart condition. They adjusted his medication and sent him home to rest.”

Julie’s mouth dropped open.

“So your yoga program kind of saved Mr. Banks’s life,” Allison said, taking another large drink from her beer.

Yoga had been Julie’s lifesaver, too, but in a much less dramatic way.

Allison stood. “We’ll be adding a few more classes to the schedule, too. To make you work for that generous salary Mr. Banks is offering.” She winked.

“Generous?”

“Well, you did save the man’s life. I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you at the Veterans’ Center tomorrow. We’ll start the new schedule next week. Unless, of course, you’re interested in diving in tomorrow night. Your room is open. We just need to fill it.”

“As long as we don’t schedule classes in the mornings just yet. I have another job,” Julie said. A job that had become more important to her as time passed. She loved caring for Sabrina, and Beth only needed her for a little while longer while she trained. Then maybe just on a per diem status. “I can work from two P.M. to close for right now, any night of the week.”

“Whatever you want.” Allison pointed at her beer bottle. “I only drank half. Feel free to have the rest.”

Julie nodded. “Thanks.” But she no longer needed a drink. All she needed now was Lawson.