she and Jules’s aunt were spending a few months just hanging out. Some lipstick—red, she decided, to match the sweater. She smoothed her hair back to catch a few flyaways.
“Blond like honey. His hair I mean. A little too long, which looks sexy of course. Curls. I bet they’re soft. I can’t believe I didn’t get a good feel earlier when he kissed me.”
“You can be forgiven. Some men have the power to kiss the sense right out of you, and before you know it you’re getting married.”
Jules let herself be calmed by Gillian’s way. That funny, matter-of-fact teasing she did to put people at ease was one of her finest qualities.
“Yes, I believe he’s one of those. He’s got slow, sexy green eyes. Oh! Really nice arms. The kind of man who works with his body. I bet the rest of him is just as hard and defined.” She transferred a lipstick, her phone, some money and a credit card into her bag.
“He’s . . . well, for want of a better phrase, he’s a cowboy, complete with boots and worn jeans.”
“Well now. I can most certainly understand the appeal of that.” They headed out to the living room where Gillian leaned against the couch. “I’ve been arguing with myself as to whether or not I should say anything.”
Jules knew. Cal .
“I’ve watched you watch Cal. And watched Cal watch you for years now. This Gideon is not the same as the others you’ve dated. I’ve never seen you like this with anyone before. Just . . . what about Cal?”
“Yeah, Gillian, what about Cal? Huh? All he’s done is look. He’s never made a move. I’m thirty-three years old and he’s never made a move . Am I supposed to wait around and pine forever? I want what you have with Adrian. I want a man in my life. Gideon is different. Or, well, he feels different anyway. Who knows? He may not be. He might be a jerk who never makes me come. But I won’t know if I don’t give this a try. I can’t wait for Cal. I have to move on and I will. Cal has moved on, for god’s sake. He’s had how many girlfriends and boyfriends?”
She’d waited so long and he’d never stepped up. As much as she’d wanted Cal, it was time to let go of something that would never happen.
“You’re right of course. I just love you. Him too. I want you to be happy. And you should move on.”
“I bet no one ever says, What about Jules? to him. It’s stupid. And while I know everyone is just trying to be nice, it’s not going to happen. There is no Jules and Cal, no matter how much I might have wished it, or you all wanted it. I’ve wanted Cal for a long time. I can’t lie about that. But he doesn’t want me back. Not the same way. It’s long past time I move on. And so I am.”
Gillian sighed. “I know. I know. For what it’s worth, I absolutely believe with all my heart that he does want you. But you’re right to say he’s never moved on it and you have to let it go. I don’t even know Gideon; he could be far better for you and you should make that choice yourself. I’m sorry.”
She hugged Gillian. “Don’t be sorry. You all have brought him up in one way or another. I think for a long time it was expected. People just assumed it would happen. Anyway, it’s not going to, and I have this other thing and it’s just a date, but it feels like more. Gideon is different from those other dates I’ve had.” She shrugged. “This is a good time in all our lives.”
It was. She needed to keep that first and foremost in her mind. Gideon came with all sorts of possibilities. Which was pretty cool.
• • •
Gideon drove up the street slowly; it was dark and he hadn’t been to her house before. But he knew which one was hers without having to glance at the address. Just a simple white house with dark blue shutters and window boxes. He parked and walked up to her door, pausing to smile at the wind chimes she’d hung from a nearby tree and all the birdhouses she had. Pretty and classic. A lot like the woman who
“Blond like honey. His hair I mean. A little too long, which looks sexy of course. Curls. I bet they’re soft. I can’t believe I didn’t get a good feel earlier when he kissed me.”
“You can be forgiven. Some men have the power to kiss the sense right out of you, and before you know it you’re getting married.”
Jules let herself be calmed by Gillian’s way. That funny, matter-of-fact teasing she did to put people at ease was one of her finest qualities.
“Yes, I believe he’s one of those. He’s got slow, sexy green eyes. Oh! Really nice arms. The kind of man who works with his body. I bet the rest of him is just as hard and defined.” She transferred a lipstick, her phone, some money and a credit card into her bag.
“He’s . . . well, for want of a better phrase, he’s a cowboy, complete with boots and worn jeans.”
“Well now. I can most certainly understand the appeal of that.” They headed out to the living room where Gillian leaned against the couch. “I’ve been arguing with myself as to whether or not I should say anything.”
Jules knew. Cal .
“I’ve watched you watch Cal. And watched Cal watch you for years now. This Gideon is not the same as the others you’ve dated. I’ve never seen you like this with anyone before. Just . . . what about Cal?”
“Yeah, Gillian, what about Cal? Huh? All he’s done is look. He’s never made a move. I’m thirty-three years old and he’s never made a move . Am I supposed to wait around and pine forever? I want what you have with Adrian. I want a man in my life. Gideon is different. Or, well, he feels different anyway. Who knows? He may not be. He might be a jerk who never makes me come. But I won’t know if I don’t give this a try. I can’t wait for Cal. I have to move on and I will. Cal has moved on, for god’s sake. He’s had how many girlfriends and boyfriends?”
She’d waited so long and he’d never stepped up. As much as she’d wanted Cal, it was time to let go of something that would never happen.
“You’re right of course. I just love you. Him too. I want you to be happy. And you should move on.”
“I bet no one ever says, What about Jules? to him. It’s stupid. And while I know everyone is just trying to be nice, it’s not going to happen. There is no Jules and Cal, no matter how much I might have wished it, or you all wanted it. I’ve wanted Cal for a long time. I can’t lie about that. But he doesn’t want me back. Not the same way. It’s long past time I move on. And so I am.”
Gillian sighed. “I know. I know. For what it’s worth, I absolutely believe with all my heart that he does want you. But you’re right to say he’s never moved on it and you have to let it go. I don’t even know Gideon; he could be far better for you and you should make that choice yourself. I’m sorry.”
She hugged Gillian. “Don’t be sorry. You all have brought him up in one way or another. I think for a long time it was expected. People just assumed it would happen. Anyway, it’s not going to, and I have this other thing and it’s just a date, but it feels like more. Gideon is different from those other dates I’ve had.” She shrugged. “This is a good time in all our lives.”
It was. She needed to keep that first and foremost in her mind. Gideon came with all sorts of possibilities. Which was pretty cool.
• • •
Gideon drove up the street slowly; it was dark and he hadn’t been to her house before. But he knew which one was hers without having to glance at the address. Just a simple white house with dark blue shutters and window boxes. He parked and walked up to her door, pausing to smile at the wind chimes she’d hung from a nearby tree and all the birdhouses she had. Pretty and classic. A lot like the woman who
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