Page 67 of Welcome Home, Cowboy
“Speaking of new beginnings.” Allison stood at the edge of their table.
“Hi, Allison.” Julie set her drink down and glanced at her watch. “You’re early.”
“I hope that’s okay. I’m just so excited about the news I have to share with you. Mind if I sit down?”
“Not at all.” Julie looked at Kat and Val to make sure.
“I actually have to get home to Micah,” Kat said apologetically. “Meet us again sometime soon,” she told Julie. “You, too, Allison. The more the merrier. And call me tomorrow to tell me about this good news.”
Julie waved. “You got it. Kiss Ben for me,” she said.
“And kiss Micah for me.” Val winked, then stood also. “I’m out, too. Great seeing you, Julie. Bye, Allison.”
Julie watched them leave, and then turned to Allison. “So what’s up?”
Allison sat down. She was already holding her own drink, which made Julie feel less awkward continuing to drink from hers. “Guess who walked into my office today?”
Julie thought for a second and started to answer before Allison cut her off.
“I’ll tell you who. Mr. Banks.”
Julie lifted her brows. “Okay. How is he doing? Is everything okay?”
“Better than okay. He says he has a new lease on life since his”—she used her fingers to make quotation marks in the air—“near death experience.”
“I see,” Julie said.
Allison nodded, excitedly. “He wants to buy the empty building next to ours and turn it into our new health and wellness center!”
Julie nearly spat her drink out of her mouth. “Holy crap! That’s huge.”
“He’s going to renovate it to look similar to our main building.”
Julie smiled. “That is amazing news, Allison. I’m sure you’re over the moon.”
“And the sun and the stars. You should be, too.” She narrowed her eyes.
“Me? Why?” Julie asked.
“Because I think you’d be the perfect assistant director.”
Julie sat back and dug a finger into her chest. “Me?”
“Of course. You’d be great. You have a degree in business and exercise science. You’re from Seaside and know exactly what our military community needs.”
Julie was nodding along. Allison was right. She was the perfect woman for the job. “If Mr. Banks has a say in this, it will never happen. I might have won him over a little bit, but I don’t think he’ll go for that.”
“Mr. Banks just needs some convincing. That’s all.”
Julie met Allison’s mischievous grin. “I admit I would love the job.”
“Great. Then let’s make sure you get it,” Allison said.
Chapter 19
Lawson stared down the dimly lit hallway. He’d been sitting here for forty-five minutes, trying to make his feet move toward the flight simulator at the other end of the building. It wasn’t the real thing by any means, but it was a step in the right direction. If he was going to do this, he needed to do it soon. He was picking up Julie tonight to go to Kat and Micah’s for dinner—a couple’s dinner. That was another step in the right direction.
Commander Oakes turned a corner and started walking toward him.
