Fooling Around (16 page)

They ended up watching four episodes back to back before they decided to call it a night. And Eric didn’t once ask for his phone to be returned.

The following evening, they watched four more episodes, and both of them had a good time. Julie knew Eric had enjoyed it too, even though he was still making sardonic comments. And the fact that he was liking the show made her like it even more.

“Why do they always end on a cliff-hanger?” Eric asked, shaking his head as she started to switch back over to cable.

She paused. “To keep you wanting to see the next one, of course. Do you want to watch another one?”

Eric hesitated but then shook his head. “It’s late, and you look tired. Plus, there’s only so much of these crazy plots I can take.”

She giggled. “You say that, but you’re really enjoying it. Don’t tell me that you’re not.”

“I’m just humoring you,” he said with an adorable little twitch of his lips.

“No, you’re not. You like the show.”

“It’s okay. It’s interesting, anyway. I never really watched much television before, but it does hold your attention.”

“I don’t get why you haven’t. There’s something really special about stories that are told for you. You get into other people’s lives in a way you’d never be able to otherwise.”

Eric’s expression was almost fond, but he managed a derisive snort. “You’re not going to argue that the people on that show are anything like real people?”

“Not in what happens to them, but in how they live it out. A story doesn’t have to be realistic to say something true about…about being human. That’s the best kind of history too. When we can really see the stories of other people unfold in the events. That’s the kind of history I want to teach…and write.” She cleared her throat, startled that she was talking about something so esoteric with Eric.

The amusement had faded on his face. “Then you should do it.”

She gave him a wobbly little smile, amazed that he’d understood, that he wasn’t making fun of her for her earnestness. “Maybe I will.”

The next morning, as Eric wheeled himself into the kitchen, he greeted her with the announcement that his daughter, Maddy, was coming to visit and staying until Sunday evening.

“Really?” Julie said, completely surprised by this turn of events.

“Yeah. I’m not able to spend as much time with her as I want, but I get the occasional weekend with her and some extra time in the summer.”

“Okay. Great. Is her mom bringing her here?”

“Yeah. She’s taking a beach weekend by herself.”

Julie wouldn’t have been surprised if Eric was financing the mother’s beach weekend. At least it worked out for Maddy to visit. “Where does she live?”

“Raleigh. They’re supposed to be here before lunch.”

“Okay. Great.” Julie felt flustered, although there was no reason for her to feel that way. She just hadn’t expected the little girl to spend any time with Eric when Julie was around. “I can make sure a room is ready for her. What about the little room across from mine?”

“Is it too small for her?”

“It’s kind of small, but it’s really cute with that slanted ceiling and the pink quilt. Or I can move into that one, and she can take my room.”

“No. She can have the little one. That will be fine.”

Julie studied his face and realized he was genuinely excited about his daughter visiting. That fact made her really happy. “I’m looking forward to meeting her. What is she like?”

“She’s smart and…brave, and way more mature than I am. She’s great. You’ll really like her.”

She tried very hard to suppress the shiver of pleasure at the words and the fond look he was giving her. “I’m sure I will.”

“She thinks you look nice.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She saw you when you picked me up from the hospital.”

She could tell Eric meant this as a compliment, and she decided it was. Maybe she would rather a little girl think she was pretty, but there was no use expecting impossible things to happen.

That was her. Nice.

Nice was better than nothing.

That evening Julie, Eric, Tim, and Maddy sat around the patio table, looking at each other as they ate fresh-grilled trout, vegetables, and baked potatoes.

Maddy was a very polite little girl, but she’d been quiet since she arrived. That afternoon she’d played in the pool while Eric had sat beside it. Julie had been worried that the girl was getting a little bored trying to play by herself, even though her dad tried to keep her amused, so she’d gotten in too. She and Maddy had taken turns jumping off the diving board, and they’d batted a big beach ball around, trying to keep it from touching the water. Julie had been relieved when the girl had started laughing, and she was satisfied that Maddy had had a good time.

She hadn’t talked much, though. Julie wasn’t sure if it was because the girl was naturally quiet or because she was shy around someone she didn’t know.

In an attempt to break the silence at dinner, Julie asked, “Maddy, what kinds of things do you like to do?”

The girl gazed at her soberly. “Like to do where?”

“Anywhere. If you could do anything, what would you do?”

“Oh.” Maddy paused, obviously thinking as she chewed slowly on her carrot stick. “I like to read. And I like to watch movies. And I like football.”

“Oh, really? Did your daddy teach you about football?” Julie’s eyes strayed over to Eric, who was watching her with an expression she couldn’t really read.

“Yes. He taught me.”

“Do you like to play or just watch football?”

“I usually just watch. I like to throw and kick the ball, but I don’t have anyone to play games with. Mostly the boys play.”

“Can’t you play with the boys?”

“Yes, but I don’t like to. They just laugh at me.” Her brown eyes—just like Eric’s—were perfectly sober, without a trace of outrage or unhappiness.

“They shouldn’t be laughing at you,” Eric said, frowning as he thought about faceless little boys teasing his daughter.

Maddy sighed. “That’s what boys do.”

Julie chuckled. “They do, don’t they? Even big boys sometimes. Sometimes they laugh at you when they secretly like you.”

“I don’t know.” Maddy picked up her milk and took several sips. When she put it down, she turned to her dad. “Do you laugh at girls you like, Daddy?”

Eric’s eyes shot over to Julie’s, at exactly the same time hers moved to his. They shared a look loaded with significance.

“Maybe,” he told his daughter.

“Why? It might hurt their feelings.”

“I’m not sure why boys do that,” Eric said, neatly sidestepping the real question. “I guess they’re worried the girl doesn’t like them back.”

“Oh.” Maddy sighed again. “I don’t really like boys, especially when they laugh at me.”

“Well, maybe you can teach me to throw a football,” Julie said, trying to get the topic back to something that didn’t make her feel so self-conscious. “I’ve never thrown one in my life.”

“Really?” Maddy and Eric said at exactly the same time. Even Tim turned to stare at her, his lips parting slightly.

Julie chuckled. “Really,” she admitted. “I didn’t mean to shock everyone.”

“Daddy and I can teach you tomorrow.”

The next morning, instead of fishing, they all went down to the beach with a football, and Maddy and Eric taught Julie how to throw and catch.

Julie hadn’t expected it to be a difficult skill, but the shape of the ball wasn’t one she was used to, so it took quite a while before she could get it going in a fashion that Eric and Maddy approved of.

They ended up having a really good time. The day was crisp and sunny—a perfect June morning. Maddy was laughing and chatting more than she had the day before, and she seemed to really like instructing Julie on the nuances of holding the football the right way.

Eric grumbled about being trapped in the chair, but he was smiling as Maddy and Julie ran around after the ball. And the morning passed quicker than Julie could have expected.

On the way back to the house, Maddy walked beside her, rambling on about how she was going to be in a play at school, in the role as the mother, which was evidently one of the biggest parts.

When the girl absently reached for her hand to hold it as they walked, Julie experienced the most ridiculous sense of pride and connection. Maddy liked her. And Julie liked Maddy. And all she’d had to do was be herself and give the girl a little attention.

She wanted to make sure Eric had some time alone with Maddy, so after lunch Julie stayed upstairs while the others went down to the pool.

She was having a good time reading on her own when a voice surprised her. “Julie?”

Maddy stood before her, dripping onto the floor, wearing her swimsuit and wrapped in a towel.

“Hi, Maddy. Is everything okay? Where’s your daddy?”

“He had an important phone call.”

Julie frowned. “Really?” Eric wasn’t supposed to be working at all. He shouldn’t be taking phone calls, especially with his daughter here.

“I was tired of swimming anyway.”

“Okay,” Julie said, clearing her face so the girl wouldn’t think she was unhappy. “Why don’t you run and change clothes, and we can watch something up here, if you’d like.”

This was evidently exactly what Maddy wanted. She changed into shorts and a T-shirt, and she brought a big, fuzzy bathrobe with her to wrap up in on the couch, since her hair was still wet. Julie found an animated movie that Maddy liked, and they both settled back to watch it.

After about twenty minutes, Maddy said, “Julie?”

“Yes?”

“Daddy said you weren’t his girlfriend.”

Julie sucked in a quick breath. “I’m not. I work for him, helping to take care of him while his leg is broken.”

“Oh. Are you sure you don’t want to be his girlfriend?”

Julie had absolutely no idea how to handle the question. What was she supposed to say, when the truth was she would have loved to be Eric’s girlfriend, if such a scenario had been remotely possible?

She couldn’t believe she’d let her feelings for him go so far, but she had. The realization made her heart race.

She cleared her throat. “I work for him. I can’t be his girlfriend when I work for him.”

“Oh. Then after his leg is better?”

“I don’t know, Maddy. It doesn’t necessarily work that way.”

“Don’t you like him?” Maddy turned fully toward Julie, her legs tucked up under her.

“Of course I like him.”

“He sometimes doesn’t sound nice—not to me, but to other people—but he doesn’t mean it.”

“I know he doesn’t mean it. I do like him. I just can’t be his girlfriend.”

“Why not?”

Julie took a deep breath so she could think. “There’s a lot of reasons why people become boyfriend and girlfriend. You can really like someone and still not want to date them.”

“But he likes you. Maybe you can learn to like him better.”

It was ridiculous to feel so rattled because of questioning from an eight-year-old girl, but Julie did. “I like him a lot, Maddy. That doesn’t mean I’ll be his girlfriend. Both people have to like each other in a very particular way.”

“But you make his eyes happy.”

“What do you mean?”

“You make his eyes happy. No one else but me does.” Maddy flopped back against the couch, looking disappointed, almost crushed.

Julie’s head was spinning, and her chest was fluttering madly. She didn’t know why she was reacting this way, but she couldn’t help but wonder if it was true. “I’m…I’m not sure…”

“You do,” the girl said with a resolute nod. “When he looks at you. If you go, and then…and then I go, then he’ll have no one to make his eyes happy.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Julie murmured hoarsely, completely forgetting her own confusion and flutters in the face of what the little girl was saying. Maddy thought she was going to die. And she didn’t want her father to be alone when she did.

She reached out to pull Maddy into a hug. “The doctors are looking for a way to make you better.”

“I know. But if they don’t, I don’t want him to be sad.”

Julie didn’t want that either. But, unlike Maddy, she didn’t believe she was capable of being that person for Eric.

But that wasn’t the most important thing right now. The most important thing was comforting this little girl. She whispered over the lump in her throat, “I’ll do everything I can for him, Maddy. I promise.”

Maddy wasn’t crying, but she nestled against Julie, as if she appreciated the comfort. They focused again on the movie, and Julie’s arm was still around Maddy when Tim brought Eric up in the elevator.

Julie could tell immediately that something was wrong. His face had a mask of casual composure, but she knew it was fake.

He was upset about something, probably from the phone call. Julie realized that it hadn’t been about work at all.

It must have been about Maddy, and it hadn’t been good.

Julie’s throat ached at this knowledge, but she couldn’t ask for any details—not when Maddy was in the room.

“What are we watching?” Eric asked, giving them a smile that didn’t go to his eyes.

“It’s a princess movie. You might not like it,” Maddy said.

“I’m sure I can handle it.”

Julie released the girl and got up to help Eric into position on the sectional. He could pretty much do it himself now, but she always made sure she was there, just in case.

When he was settled, Maddy scooted over to snuggle against her father. He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Both of their eyes were on the movie, but Julie wasn’t fooled. She knew Eric was holding on tight because he was afraid the girl would slip away from him.

Maybe she would.

As powerful as Eric was, there were certain things even he couldn’t control. Death was one of those things.

Death was always the deepest thing.

Julie pretended to watch the rest of the movie, but her eyes kept slipping back over to Eric and Maddy.

He looked the same as when she’d first met him—handsome and masculine, with strong features, brown eyes, broad shoulders, and a surprisingly sensitive mouth. But he seemed like a different person from the arrogant, thoughtless man she’d known back then.