Page 30 of A Recipe Called Home

That night, after explaining the situation to her grandma and a quick phone call to Winnie, Jules relaxed next to Miles on his couch as he strummed his guitar. He looked so at ease with it in his hands, she allowed herself to melt back into the comfortable cushions, taking in the sexy sight. He had grown an affection for tight-fitting V-neck t-shirts, and she could see why. They showed just the right amount of his chest without looking like an extra onThe Jersey Shore. Her mouth went dry at the thought of running her hands underneath it later, just before taking it off.

“Am I boring you?” he asked, lifting his eyes to hers.

“Quite the opposite,” Jules said, meeting his gaze. “I don’t know how any of your students concentrate when they have you to look at.” He rolled his eyes and laughed, playing louder.

Although she enjoyed listening to him play, she found herself trapped in her thoughts. The topic of her trip to D.C. hadn’t come up yet, and she didn’t know why she’d put it off. Miles needed to know, or else he might feel blindsided again, which was the last thing Jules wanted.

During a lull in his strumming, Jules finally mustered the words she needed, “Miles, I got a call from my boss earlier. They need me to go back for a few days.” He stopped strumming the guitar, jerking his head up to look at her.

Chapter 11

“Butyou’recomingback,though?” he said, eyes scanning her face.

“Yes, on Saturday. I’m on the first flight out tomorrow."

“Wow, tomorrow? That’s quick." He swallowed hard before continuing, “Do you have a ride to the airport?” Although his voice was neutral, it was clear from the strained look on his face that he didn’t want her to leave.

“I’ve arranged a car service to pick me up, since it’s so early.”

Miles nodded and went back to playing. The feeling in the air had somehow shifted, like the bubble they’d been living in for the past week had burst from the sharp poke of reality. Jules didn’t live in Riverbend and would be gone again in a few short weeks. Those were just the facts.

Later that night, after they’d made their way to his bedroom and were lying wrapped around each other, Miles whispered, “I’ll miss you.”

Jules stiffened under his embrace. She knew she’d miss him too, but they shouldn’t say those things out loud. A ringing started in her ears that grew too loud to ignore. This was a mistake; she should have never let it get this far. How could she have thought this would just be a fling with Miles? Of all people,Miles?

Quickly, she slid out of the bed and gathered her clothes, pulling them on without so much as a glance at Miles who didn't say a word. Slipping on her white sneakers she looked over her shoulder at the bed, face cast downward.

“I’m sorry. This might have been a mistake.”

She gave a small shake of her head and walked out the door, not stopping even after Miles called her name. Once in the driveway, she remembered Miles had picked her up earlier. Through blurry tears, she tapped the Uber app on her phone to order a ride home.

Jules knew Miles deserved an explanation and she should go back inside, but fear kept her rooted in place. She couldn’t let herself get hurt again. Couldn’t let herself hurthimagain. Even if she was taking the coward’s way out. Better to leave now, than let it go any farther.

***

The airport was quiet the next morning. Only a few people in suits sat waiting for their routine flights to who knew where. Thankfully, Jules had cut it close this time, avoiding the empty downtime she usually experienced before a flight, leaving her just twenty minutes to grab coffee and a bagel before boarding. She’d get caught up on the hearing details on the plane so they could hit the ground running when she got to the secretary’s office later. No time to even stop at her apartment; she’d bring her bags with her.

Laying in bed awake the previous night, Jules tried to calm her mind but ended up on a roundabout of thoughts and scenarios. Close to the time she had to get up for her ride to the airport, she swore to herself she’d put all thoughts of Miles and Riverbend out of her mind for the next two days and focus only on the work ahead of her. Becca had given her an opportunity to reconnect with her real life, and that’s what she intended to do. Maybe after this trip, she’d be ready to go back to D.C. for good, recommitted to her career and rebuilding the personal life that she’d put on hold for far too long after the split with Luke. She owed it to herself to try again; it was the life she had worked so hard to create.

Rejuvenated with a sense of purpose, Jules strode into the secretary’s suite of offices a few hours later. Becca was already waiting to greet her, worry etched across her face. After a quick greeting, Jules headed towards her office to drop her bags before seeing Secretary Monahan.

“So, as you probably suspected, he’s anxious to say the least,” Becca said, leaning casually against Jules’ office door, although her face was tight with worry. Secretary Monahan never liked to be unprepared or surprised, which this last-minute request to testify must feel like to him, although it came with the territory.

“I’m sure he is, but we already have prepared talking points for this exact topic in one of our briefing books. He’ll be fine. He just needs to get comfortable,” Jules said as she gathered her notebook and pen out of her tote bag. “Is he ready to start now?”

“Yes, I’ve cleared his calendar, so we’ll have all day to get him ready.”

“Perfect. Let’s do it.”

For the next eight hours, Becca, Jules, and Secretary Monahan holed up in his palatial corner office surrounded by soaring views of the Potomac River. By any standards, it was a beautiful space, even more so because it was in a government-owned building which were often outdated. None of them paid any attention to the view, however, as they poured themselves over binders full of talking points and data. This process was never straightforward, but Jules had learned how to deal with the secretary and his insecurities over the last two years by letting him take his time with the materials. He always came around to some sort of agreement with her recommendations, so long as he felt like he had a say in making them himself.

While they waited for their ordered dinner to arrive, Jules snuck out for a quick break, needing some fresh air. As she rode the elevator down to the bottom floor, she had a moment to reflect, feeling detached and exhausted. Normally, this kind of day was what she lived for, thriving on the chaos of a task with a looming deadline. She worked best under pressure, but now all she could think about was home, although the “home” she pictured in her head wasn’t her empty apartment. It was Riverbend.

Startled at the thought, she began aggressively pressing the “lobby” button repeatedly, as if it would make it go any faster. Once outside, Jules regained her composure and breathed in the evening air. Becca joined her after a few moments to indulge in her one vice that not too many people knew about, the occasional Marlboro Light.

“Thanks for coming back. You did great in there,” she said, lighting the cigarette. And for a moment, Jules felt glad she was here. Words of affirmation had always meant a lot to her, even if she never learned how to take a compliment. But then she caught an unmistakable edge in Becca’s voice when she said, “He was so worried all last night. Poor guy couldn’t get an ounce of sleep. He was restless. He just wantedyou.”

Becca turned her head, one arm across her chest, propping the other holding the cigarette to her lips. Her gaze shot a note of warning that Jules had never seen from Becca before.

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