Page 56 of His Best Friend's Baby

Now she was beginning to wonder if anywhere else in the world might be better than here. But then she would never have seen Jesse.

She was twenty-four years old. She had a son. She’d lived all around the world and she was just now figuring out what she really wanted. Jesse was a part of that, but he came with a price—her pride.

“Will you take care of my son while I’m working?” she asked. “Just until I have enough—”

“Of course,” Ron interrupted. “You don’t have to ask.”

“I’d also like to discuss private mail,” Julia said, still outraged that Agnes had opened that letter.

“Hold on a second, Julia,” Ron said, holding up a finger. “The letter was addressed to me. It came with a private note from a friend in admissions at Lawshaw.” Again those kind eyes turned cold. “I pulled a lot of strings to get you early acceptance—”

“I didn’t ask—”

“You filled out the application, Julia. If you weren’t interested you should have said so then.”

She felt as though she were a child lacking in common sense. Guilt curved her shoulders and pressed her eyes to her plate. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to upset anyone.”

“Well, you’ve done a terrific job of that,” Agnes snapped.

“Agnes,” Ron barked, chastising her. Collectively they held their breath, watching each other from the corner of their eyes, waiting to see who would make the first move.

I can leave. I should leave. I should just go.

But where would she go? She had no money for an apartment. She had no friends. She had only Jesse, and she didn’t even know what he was.

She felt torn between circumstances and her desires.

“Now, if school is not in the cards for you right now, I think that’s fine,” Ron said and she waited for the catch. “I understand. You should have some money. But you should consider what a college education can do for you. For Ben.”

The guilt choked her so she could barely breathe. All of her strength, anger and righteousness vanished. “I will. Thanks,” she managed to say.

“All right.” Ron nodded as though everything was settled. “Agnes, a wonderful meal, as usual.” He patted his belly. “I’ll wash if you dry,” he said to his wife, who appeared to feel as small as Julia felt.

“Thanks,” Agnes said and turned into the kitchen.

“I’m going for a walk,” Julia told Ron’s retreating back. She had to get out of here.

“Sounds like a fine idea, take a sweater.”

HOW HAD SHE MANAGED to be so bullied? Again? Julia wondered, shutting the oak door behind her. All they had to do was mention Ben and she folded in on herself with guilt. She was a good mother. She had nothing to be ashamed of.

Except for a meager bank account and homelessness.

She’d wanted to hold out for that Holmes Landscaping job, for any job that didn’t actually involve polyester uniforms and chicken-fried steak. But a job was a job and she needed one desperately. Especially now with the open hostility in the Adams’ house.

Before she’d even realized it, she’d skipped across the dark lawns and jumped the ditch and stood on the sidewalk beside Jesse’s house.

Jesse’s house was dark but lights pooled on the grass from his garage. She saw his shadow pass one of the windows and her heart swelled, trembled in recognition.

There was nowhere else she wanted to be but in that garage with him. It was as simple as that. Her body, her heart, everything led her here.

She remembered the squeeze of his hand as she’d left earlier, the unshuttered look in his eyes as he’d thanked her for stopping by as though he’d meant it. As though he’d wanted her there.

The memory of that look was enough to propel one foot in front of the other across the grass in the direction of that old building.

Unsure of her greeting, she knocked tentatively on the splintered gray wood of the garage door.

His head turned toward the doorway and, for a moment, she thought his battered lips might smile. Instead he bent back to the wood he was inspecting.

“Hello,” she said.

He grunted in response.

“I saw your light on….”

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