Love Finds the One (Sully Point Book 2) (18 page)

He saw Maelynne crossing the street and heading his way.
Today he was more than happy to start the rumor mill going. He was going to be
a Grandpa!

* * * *

Julia talked to Howard Grant later that morning. Howard had
been her accountant since she was eighteen. She wasn't too concerned about
having the money to start up a business. She'd invested well through the past
eight years with Howard's help. No, the problem was her mother.

"Howard, I need to ask you something. Can you, or will
you, keep confidential anything we discuss? As in, not telling my mother about
it?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. "You
know I advise her on investments and my firm handles various projects for
her."

"Yes, I know. And I need an accountant who won't feel
beholden to tell her what her daughter is up to."

Howard sighed. "Of course, Julia. You mother isn't
exactly my favorite person either."

She was surprised. "You do a good job of kowtowing to
her, Howard."

"That's just good business. Now, what is it you're
hoping to hide from your mother? Although I warn you, the woman sometimes seems
to have a sixth sense when it comes to ferreting out information."

"I don't want her interfering in the beginning. Once
everything is set up, I won't care what she knows. I'm starting a
business."

She proceeded to lay out her plans. Howard had a suggestion
about the structuring of the loan with the bank, but, aside from that, seemed
to think her plan was sound. "You've got enough savings from investments
to buy the building outright, but I wouldn't recommend doing that. No need to
draw down your funds. You know the trust fund could help you--"

"And you know as well as I do, Mother would prevent it.
I'm not going to touch the trust fund. It just gives her a way to control my
life."

"Good for you. What about your father? Will you tell
him?"

"I'm...not sure. Not right away. I don't know how he'd
react."

"You might be surprised, Julia. I think he'd be proud
of you."

"You do?"

"Yes, but they are your parents."

"Thank you for your help, Howard, very much."

She hung up feeling reassured and more confident about her
financial situation. It was a funny thing, but even though she'd made her
decision, she felt like talking it over with Cody.
He really has become a
big part of my life in a hurry.

* * * *

Anna was surprised, but not shocked, to have her sister
Holly show up on her doorstep at the beach house in the afternoon. She would
bet Frank had been on the phone to Holly first thing this morning about being a
grandfather.

"You look fantastic! You're glowing, Anna. I'm thrilled
for you," Holly said as she hugged her sister.

Anna brought her inside the house and they sat in the living
room, and Holly asked, "When are you due?"

"May."

"I'm very glad you came back from Italy. Do you know
what it is? Boy or girl?"

"No, although to me it feels like a boy. Sam says it's
a girl. We really have no clue."

Holly's face turned serious. "Listen, Sis, I want to
stay and talk, but there's a situation I need to deal with first. Do you know
where Julia is staying?"

Anna frowned. "At the loft, but what situation are you
talking about?"

"Just something Julia needs to hear, I think. Nothing
you need to be concerned about."

"Holly...what are you up to?"

"Saving my friend some heartache. I'd better go and see
if I can find her at the loft. I'll be back later."

Anna stood up and walked with her to the door. "Holly,
I think you may be mistaken--"

But Holly was out the door and gone with a wave. Anna frowned,
looking out the door. Holly could be utterly impulsive at times.

* * * *

Julia was expecting Cody around three o'clock and ran to the
door when she heard the knocking, excited he was early. She was thrown when she
saw Holly standing there instead of Cody. "Holly--what on earth? Come in,
come in. What--Why are you here?"

Holly came in and gave her a hug. "I need to talk to
you. It's important."

The two women sat down on the couch. Once Holly settled
herself, she said, "Dad called me this morning about Anna. He said you're
thinking of starting your own business? Is that true?"

"Yes. I should have known he couldn't keep it
secret." Julia laughed. "I do like your father, but sometimes I
suspect he is as big a gossip as Maelynne."

"But why, Julia? Why start a business here in Sully
Point? This is a very small town."

"Yes, and that's why I like it. I'm tired, Holly, tired
of the rat race, tired of the frenetic pace of the city. I'm ready to settle
down somewhere peaceful."

"And how much does Cody have to do with this?"
Holly asked.

Julia felt confused. "Cody? Well naturally I've
discussed it with him, in fact I expect him in a while to talk about it some
more."

"Julia...just how involved are you with Cody?"

"I'm not sure what business that is of yours." Julia
felt uncomfortable at Holly's tone.

"I'm only talking to you about this because I'm worried
for you. You come here and start seeing him, am I right? And next thing you
know you're starting a business here? You talk about settling down. Are you
going to let him control your life like your mother?"

"Holly! Cody isn't controlling my life. But we are
together. I think he loves me. I know I love him."

"Julia. Listen to me. Cody has a pattern. Has had the
same pattern with women for years now. I love him, he's a great brother. But he
goes after women hard, and then once they have totally fallen for him, he drops
them. Don't get me wrong, he's always great to them, he never does it in a mean
way, but Julia--he can't commit! Don't make the same mistake as those
women."

Julia was shaken by the intensity of Holly's speech. "I
think you're wrong about him. I think he's changed."

"I wish you were right, but I know my brother. You
can't believe it when he says this is forever, because it won't be. The longest
he's ever been with someone is two months. And you've only been with him--how
long? You don't really know him yet."

"You can't be right...." Julia said, her voice
trailing off. She remembered how Cody had told her about all the women before
her. Was he preparing her in some way to be let down at some point? But what
they had together felt real.

"Holly, you must be wrong. What we have feels right."

"That's what Deb thought too."

"Deb from the deli?" Julia remembered she'd been a
girlfriend of Cody's.

"Yes. She believed it when he said he loved her. I
think Cody believed it too. Deb cut off the beginning of a relationship with
Claude, to be with Cody. Fortunately, Claude waited for her, and when Cody
dropped her, he was there to pick up the pieces. I remember Deb telling me how
right it was between them--just like you. I don't want you to be hurt, Julia.
But I can't sit by and say nothing."

Julia thought of what Cody had said about Deb, but she
couldn't recall him saying they'd been in love with each other in that way. Why
would he have lied to her? Unless what Julia said was true...

"No, I'd know if it was all a lie."

"Would you, really? You've never had a long-term
relationship yourself."

"But Cody has been--he makes me feel safe--the
intensity between us--you have to be wrong."

"I wish I were. But I have the evidence of years of
watching him with women. He's a good man, but he runs from commitment. It's one
thing if you want a good time for a while--then he's your guy. But if you think
it's anything more, you're deceiving yourself."

"I have to go," Julia said abruptly.

"What?" Holly asked.

"If this is true--I can't stay here. I've made a
terrible mistake. I'm heading back to the city."

She stood up and headed for the bedroom area and pulled out
her luggage. Holly followed her, frowning. "Julia, don't leave. I didn't
say this to make you go back there. I just want you to be careful."

"Evidently I haven't been careful enough. I can't deal
with this. He--I--" She began to cry. Holly hugged her for a moment, and then
let her go.

"I'm sorry, so very sorry. But I think I had to tell
you."

"Yes, you were right to say something. It would be
worse if it had gone on until later. If you wouldn't mind leaving, Holly, I
need to pack and get on the road."

"Well, okay," she said uncertainly. "If
you're sure I can't help you."

"No, no, but thanks."

* * * *

"Cody, I can't believe you did this!" Holly
stormed into his shop and the few men sitting around the wood stove perked up
their ears. "She's my friend, not some bimbo."

Cody stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Julia! Leading her on like this, making her believe
you're in love with her. How could you do it to her? She was devastated when I
told her--"

"What--Holly, what the hell did you tell her?"

"That you have a pattern with women, dating them for a
while, but you always drop them in the end. You do it nicely, but you never
stick."

Cody walked out from behind the counter and stood in front
of Holly trembling. "You did
what
? Are you out of your mind?
Holly--I'm in love with Julia! She's the one--I'm going to ask her to marry me!"
He yelled, "What have you done?"

Holly's face drained of color. "You want to marry--? Oh,
no! Cody, I didn't know. I swear--I thought she was like all the others, and I
thought it was unfair for her to keep believing--Cody, you have to stop her!"

"Stop her?" He said in a menacing low voice.
"What do you mean?"

"She's packing up to go back to the city right now.
Like I said, she was devastated when I--damn, damn, damn. Hurry Cody--go stop
her. I'll stay here--I think I've done enough damage," she said, with
tears filling her eyes.

He started to say something to her and then shut his mouth
and ran out of the store.

Chapter 8

Cody drove like a madman on the road leading out of Sully
Point. He'd already been by the loft and seen that Julia's car was gone. He was
boiling mad at Holly, while at the same time being afraid he was going to lose Julia.
The feelings were too overwhelming, so he focused on driving instead.

There, just up ahead was her car. He sped up until he was
right behind her and then honked several times. Her car swerved a bit, then
straightened out and speeded up. The road ahead was straight and empty and he
pulled the Corvette up beside her. She glared at him out her window and he
motioned for her to pull over. When she didn't, he pulled ahead and then began
slowing down. Every time she tried to get by him he moved his car to block
hers.

Finally, he saw with relief that she was pulling off to the
side of the road. He parked and dashed from his car to hers, and knocked on the
window of the passenger door. She stared at him for a moment, and then unlocked
the door. When he got in, he could see tears streaming down her face.

"Julia, don't cry, please. It's not like Holly
said."

"But she said--with Deb--you thought it was love then.
But you didn't tell me that. I don't know what to believe!"

"Just listen to me for a minute, okay? I could kill
Holly, but in some ways she was right. There has been a pattern--for me to be
involved, and then to break-up after a while. I've never wanted to settle down
with anyone--until now. Julia, I'm not just in love with you. It's more than
that, more than I ever expected it could be. I want to be with you. I want us
to share our lives. I want us to grow old together. Julia, I want to marry
you."

He watched as her face went from tears to confusion, to a
startlingly brilliant smile. And then, saw her smile fade.

"Cody--how can you be sure? We've only known each other
such a short time."

"That's true and is also part of why I'm sure. From the
very beginning, I've felt a connection to you, a completeness inside me when
we're together. It's like you're my missing half. I've never had this
experience before. And, I've certainly never even thought of marriage, yet, now,
it's all I want."

Julia began to smile again. "I'm in line after you to
kill Holly." Then she leaned across and threw her arms around his neck. He
kissed her and hugged her and laughed. "But without her, who knows how
long it would have taken me to say all this to you."

"There is that." She pulled back from him and
looked in his eyes. "I love you Cody, I have almost since the moment I met
you."

He felt the last bit of tension leave his body as she said
those words. "Then I'd say we're the luckiest people alive right
now." He paused and then frowned at her. "You were actually going to
go back to the city? Are you nuts?"

She grimaced. "I was distraught! And I was already
re-thinking the plan of leaving Sully Point. Once I got on the road out of town,
I remembered what I would be going back to. Then, suddenly, there you were
honking your horn."

"Let's make a pact. Any time either of us gets confused
by something someone else says, we promise to talk to each other first before
doing something rash."

She nodded. "I think that's a good idea. Especially in
Sully Point. There's no telling what you might hear."

"Particularly now, since the car that just went by was
Maelynne's."

Julia began to laugh and Cody joined in. He could listen to her
musical laugh all day.

* * * *

That evening Julia and Cody celebrated with a private dinner
in the loft--pizza from Delucci's and garlic bread from the bakery. They drank
a nice Pinot Grigio and spent as much time laughing as they did eating. There
was a giddiness in the atmosphere around them, as their happiness bloomed.