I blushed, but luckily the table’s attention had already moved on to the next conversation.
I took a moment to soak it all. How comfortable I felt around everyone. How they had welcomed me in. I hadn’t been part of a bigger dinner like this since my parents moved to Florida, so it was nice to get that this summer.
“I’m so glad we made it tonight,” I whispered to Wes.
He looked down at me, a smile on his face. “Me, too. And I’m sure there’s still more antics to come,” Wes said as Eliza was pushing Cooper’s phone away.
“Jeez, Cooper! Warn us next time?—”
“Oh my god,” he said, annoyed. “I literally did, Eliza.” Cooper let out an exasperated sigh. “I said, ‘Look at this snake I saw while out in the parks today,’ but you weren’t listening?—”
“I also didn’t hear you say anything,” Lily interrupted, siding with Eliza.
“Of course, you didn’t, because you were talking to her!” Cooper hung his head and looked over to Wes for help.
“I heard him loud and clear,” Wes chimed in.
With Laura and Mark not getting involved, the group looked in my direction.
My eyes widened. “I don’t want to get involved in this!”
“Jules is automatically on our side. That’s just how it works!” Eliza said to him with a sarcastic smile.
Cooper rolled his eyes, running a hand through his dirty blond hair. “I need another beer.”
Wes reached over to the cooler, pulling out two bottles. “One step ahead of you.”
Once dinner wrapped up, Laura and I teamed up in the kitchen to get the various plates and silverware into the dishwasher. Cooper and Wes were starting a bonfire while Mark cleaned the grill. Eliza and Lily had called Jade for a few minutes to catch up.
“I appreciate the help, Jules, but I really want you to know that I’m fine in here,” she assured me for the fifth time.
I let out a gentle laugh. “I’m happy to help. Really. It’ll go faster with the two of us, and then you’ll be able to see therevamp we did to Eliza’s studio.” Eliza promised to show Laura the photos once we got settled around the fire.
“I’m so excited to see. I remember all the ideas Harper, Eliza and Cooper’s mom, had for her own studio, and I love that Eliza is making it her own. She reminds me so much of her.” Laura had a wistful smile on her face.
“You two were close, I take it?”
“Very much so. Harper was my best friend, and we talked about how it would be a dream come true if our kids were best friends, too. And it happened. Maybe Harper and Rob aren’t here to see it themselves, but I see them every day in Cooper and Eliza. I love those kids like they’re my own, and that’ll never change. That’s the nice thing about family. It isn’t defined by blood.” Laura looked over at me. “And it’s easy to bring someone new to the mix at any time.”
“Oh, um, I appreciate that?—”
“I might’ve overstepped, and I apologize for that, but I want you to know you always have a place here. Regardless of your plans after the summer. You’re always welcome—please don’t forget that.”
“That means…” I paused, clearing my throat. “That means the world to me. Thank you, Laura.” I set the final couple of plates into the dishwasher as I gathered my thoughts. “I’m not sure what my plans after the summer are. I like it here, a lot, but I never planned to stay.” I hadn’t said any of this out loud, but talking to Laura was natural, especially after her kind words.
“Well, Jules, that’s the thing. Plans change, and that’s okay. The only constant thing in life is change. Doesn’t mean it isn’t scary—because it is—but it’s also beautiful. Because it means even if things aren’t going your way one moment, they might the next.” Laura turned the water off, drying her hands with a towel. “You’re going to figure out the right thing for you. I know it,” she assured me, giving my hand a squeeze.
Laura’s words were exactly what I needed to hear, but it didn’t mean things were any easier. I thought back to the start of summer—about how much I needed change. How I found that change in Golden Falls. That was a perfect example of things not going my way, but now I was here, and it felt like everything was right. Except I was never meant to stay.
So, what happened next?
43
JULIETTE
Laura’s wordsplayed on repeat in my mind over the next couple of days. Wes and I were going to have our conversation the next day, but he got called into work with how busy it was. Between our schedules, we kept missing each other and hadn’t had a chance to talk about what was next for us.
It did allow me extra time to think, though, and I felt ready to tell Wes what I wanted. I wanted to stay. I wanted to have a life with him in Golden Falls.