Page 40 of The Glass Dolphin

“I have to go,” she said. “They’ll be here soon.”

“I want an update tomorrow,” Helen said. “I can’t believe you’re just now getting ready to leave the house. It’s dark already.”

It wasn’t even six o’clock yet, but Julia’s smile only deepened. “Don’t go to bed too early,” she said.

“I’ll go to bed when I want,” Helen griped back. “I get up at three to make doughnuts, you know.”

Julia laughed, but she didn’t argue that Helen had passed the early morning baking shifts to her younger assistants. “Love you, Helen. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“I love you too, dear.” The video call ended, and Julia sighed as she dropped her phone to her lap. She couldn’t quite figure out where to look, and she ended up meeting her own eyes in the mirror.

She could only see herself from the neck up, and instant alarm wailed through her when she realized she hadn’t finished her makeup. Jumping to her feet, she yelped and then hurried back into the bathroom. Helen had wanted a fashion show, and what Helen wanted, Helen got.

A few minutes later, Julia left her bedroom and bathroom behind and entered the main living area of her house. The clock ticked to six, and Liam didn’t immediately ring the doorbell. He hadn’t texted, but Julia didn’t need to worry. He wasn’t always precisely on time, because clocks varied, and he’d never been more than a minute or two behind hers.

Her phone vibrated, and she checked it, only to see the women in her new friend group had started texting while she’d been on the video chat with Helen. Over a dozen messages had come in, and they were all something similar to the one Robin had started with.

Have an AMAZING time on your date tonight, Julia! I’m sure it’ll be incredible, and I can’t wait to hear how it goes.

Her heart warmed that she had friends—actual friends—concerned about her. After her divorce, she wasn’t sure anyone even knew she existed anymore. Time had a way of healing and erasing, and she spoke more often to her sons now. Her parents…Julia still had a hard time with them—mostly her father. Or maybe her mother. She wasn’t sure which. They’d both made mistakes, and on the outside of their relationship, Julia could see clearly what they each should do.

But she’d been on the inside of relationships before, and nothing was as ever clear as it seemed.

Her sister also knew about tonight’s date, but she hadn’t texted. Alice, El, Laurel, AJ, and Kelli had though. Jean had just added her voice to the mix with,Remember, he’s only fifteen right now. He won’t be that age forever, and that somehow reassured Julia that while she viewed tonight as important, it wasn’t pivotal.

It wasn’t now or never. Ian might not like her, but as Jean had said, he wouldn’t be fifteen forever.

The doorbell rang, and Julia almost dropped her phone as her head jerked toward the front door. Her pulse clamored through her body, ringing like a big church bell meant to signal to everyone within ten miles that the service was starting.

Surely Liam would be able to hear it, see it throbbing against the skin in her neck. Julia pressed her hand there, felt her pulse against her fingertips, and took the first step toward the door.

It’s fineran on a loop in her head, and she felt like she was swimming through quicksand as her arm—reached—out—to—open—the—door.

Then a tidal wave rushed inside, and she blinked at the tall, curly-haired man standing on her front porch. Liam’s hair was the stuff of legends, and he claimed not to put any hair products in it. It had full body and wave, and while it didn’t hang lower than his ears, it curled back in glorious waves Julia had had the extreme pleasure of burying her fingers in.

They tingled now just thinking about kissing him while she tangled her fingers in that hair.

His bright blue eyes beamed a hello at her, though he hadn’t said anything. His son, who had slightly less curly hair and slightly less electric eyes, looked at her from his side. Liam put his arm around his boy and said, “Ian, this is Julia Harper. Julia, my son, Ian.”

A smile crept across her face as she took in the teen’s reaction to her. He clearly recognized her, but he might not have known from where. She stood up a few inches, but she still only reached his height.

“Hello,” she said pleasantly. “It’s so great to meet you.” She stuck out her hand, and Ian didn’t look at his father first.

He took her hand and said, “You too,” as he pumped it a couple of times. “My dad can’t stop talking about you.” He did shoot his father a wry look then.

Julia laughed a little. “Well, he talks about you all the time too.”

“Like you stop talking about Billie,” Liam said to his son right before he rolled his eyes. They both looked at her again, and Liam added, “Are you ready? Do you need us to come in?”

“I’m ready,” Julia said. “Let me just grab my purse.” She backtracked a few steps and picked up her purse from where she’d slung it over the back of the couch. She shouldered it and faced the porch again.

Liam now stood there alone. He stepped into her house, glanced over his shoulder, and pushed the door almost all the way closed with his foot. “You look incredible tonight,” he said. “That dress is…” His eyes dropped to the belt, then her feet, and came back to her face. “Stunning. I am so lucky to go out with you.”

He knew all the right things to say, and Julia stepped easily into his arms. His hands on her waist fit just right, and she took a deep breath of the crispness of his shirt, the woodsy-ness of his cologne, and the maleness of his skin. Warmth crept through her as she tipped her head back to look at him.

“He’s a nice kid,” she said.

“He said two sentences,” Liam said. “It’ll take time for you two to get to know one another.” He leaned down to kiss her, but Julia pulled back an inch, stalling his progress. “What?”

---