Chapter 1ย
โThanks, Mama.โ Seth Casella squeezed his motherโs hand. โAnother great breakfast.โ
Carmella smiled. โIโll miss these meals with you when you go back to your own place.โย
Seth had stayed at his motherโs house to recover from a stabbing at Legal Aid by the disgruntled husband of a client, but he was healing well.
โIโll miss them, too. Iโm going to try not to work so much this time around and come to dinner when youโll have me.โ
โIโll believe that when I see it.โ Neither had heard the woman come in through the garage and enter the kitchen until she spoke.
Seth swallowed hard. Julianne Ford been visiting every day since his sojourn here. And her appearances were just about killing him. โHi, Julianne.โ
โGood morning, Seth.โ A frown marred her brow. โHow much longer are you going to be at your momโs house?โ
โIโm going home soon.โ
Mama stood and hugged her. The two women had gotten close, even though Seth had blown his and Julesโ relationship more than one timeโand now, for good.
โHello, dear.โ When Julianne sat at the table, they chatted some, then Mama asked, โDid you talk to Celia yesterday?โ Celia Ford and Sethโs mother had been friends for decades and raised their families together.
โYeah, Momโs loving the hot weather in Florida. She said to say hi and sheโll call you soon.โย
Seth stood. โWant some coffee?โ
โUm, sure.โ She addressed his mother. โActually, I came over to ask you to go out to dinner, Carmella.โย
โNot tonight, sweetie. Iโm watching Tommy.โ Sethโs oldest brotherโs son.ย
โSome other time, then.โย
Carmellaโs phone rang. Her face brightened โI-I have to take this. Iโm expecting a call. Iโll be back, darlings.โ
His mother left, and Seth poured coffee in a cup labeled Julianneโs Mug. His hands were shaking, damn it, as he hadnโt quite recovered. Or was it Julianneโs proximity? โHere you are.โ
She angled her chin to where his mom had gone. Her blond hair fell in one sweep at her shoulders and some slid over her forehead. โThink she has the power to make her phone ring?โ
โNo, she was waiting to hear from Rafe. I knew the call was coming.โ
โAh.โ She studied him over the rim of her mug. He wanted to tuck that strand of hair behind her ear. โSo, are you feeling better?โ
โPhysically, yes. Iโm still not up to par, though.โ He hesitated. Might as well tell the truth. โBut I miss you, Julianne. Seeing you every day these two weeks makes me feel worse about our breakup.โ
Her blue eyes darkened. The two of them pretty much had the same coloring. โFor the record, our contact has made me feel bad about us, too.โย
Theyโd grown up together. Playmates until junior high where they became friends, though it got awkward sometimes, like when they shared their first kiss. But in high school, they started going steady, and were a couple in college until they graduated. Theyโd stayed together when she went to Julliard for a masterโs degree and he attended law school. How could she not miss him?
โSo, howโs work going?โ he asked to break the awkward silence.
Julianne had her own music therapy studio and was practically a violin virtuoso in her own right.
โSame as always. I still love teaching. Helping kids through music.โ
โHowโs Jordan?โ
She smirked. โDo you really want to know?โ
โYeah, sure.โ
โHeโs fine. We see each other almost every day.โ
โFunny, I havenโt noticed his car in your driveway that much.โ
โKeeping tabs on me?โ
Instead of answering, he asked, โSo, itโs gotten serious?โ
โMaybe.โ She shook her head.
โWhat?โ
โYouโre like a dog with a bone, Casella. You break my heart by sleeping with other women, then we split, but you canโt stand to see me with another man.โ
โIโve always felt that way. Remember Colin Camp in high school? Jack Carroll in college? Watching you with them was torture.โ
โYet you slept with one Sandy Baker junior year. And a teacher, for Godโs sake, in college. More after that. Youโre a serial adulterer.โ
โI thought you had to be married to commit adultery.โย
The joke fell flat.
She scraped back her chair. โYou know exactly what I mean. Tell your mother that Iโll come back tomorrow.โ Setting down her coffee with a thump, she stood and headed for the garage door.
Seth caught up with her in the mudroom. โWait.โ
Her back to him, she shook her head. But sheโd stopped.
He moved in close so his body nearly aligned with hers. โCanโt we try again?โ
She whirled on him then. Her face flushed and her eyes glittered. But not because she was turned on. Anger burned in her from head to toe. โYou have to be kidding me! I finally got out from under my love for you. Do you honestly think Iโd ever take you back?โ
Stung, he leaned against the wall, insolently. โYou have before.โ
The slap came hard on his face. โGo to hell, Seth.โ And she stormed out.
He rubbed his cheek. Everybody in his family thought he was the nice one, the giving and forgiving one. But they were wrong. At least where Julianne Ford was concerned.ย
With her, heโd been a real bastard.
#
Julianne strode into the house sheโd lived in all her life. Two years ago, sheโd bought it from her mother when Celia went to Florida to move in with her sister.
Jules didnโt slam the door, though. She didnโt stomp her feet. But above all, she didnโt cry. Years ago, sheโd promised herself she would never cry over Seth Casella again. Three months ago, sheโd even made up a steady boyfriend, Jordan, so Seth would leave her alone. The ruse made her feel foolish but she had to protect herself.
She was dating, though. She picked up her cell phone from the counter, checked her texts and punched in a number.ย
He answered. โHey, there, Julianne. You said you couldnโt get together tonight.โ
โYeah, my plans got aborted.โ Sheโd hope to spend time with Carmella, without Seth hovering around them.
โThen are you free to meet?โ
โYes. How about The Hidden Cove Inn for cocktails at six?โ
โGreat. See you then. Iโll be the one with the big smile.โ
She disconnected and looked out at the back lawn, not as big as the Casellaโs but beautifully landscaped with bushes and trees. She and her mother had planted flowers which bloomed all summer, and now, at the very end of August, the geraniums and impatiens were even bigger and fuller than before. And on the deck, sheโd put multi-colored ones in pots. The view soothed her.ย
But with the calm came sadness. As if in a trance, she climbed up the stairs, crossed into the closet and pulled out an album. Sat the big square brown leather book on her bed. The insert on the front read, Happily Ever After.
As if.
The first page depicted her and Seth as babies, with both their moms. Then preschool, entering the building holding hands.ย
The next was a play, where she was Cinderella and he was the Prince. He was the always the good guy. She leafed through the elementary grades and junior high, and finally the prom pictures for eleventh grade.ย
Sheโd been so happy that night. Theyโd talked about sleeping together afterward so sheโd put on her best underwear, used some of her motherโs perfume and smoothed down the as-sexy-a- dress as her parents would allow. She and Seth had danced the night away, totally in love. Or so she thought. At the end of the prom, heโd gone to get the car, and when he didnโt show up by the time he should have, she went to look for him.
And found him kissing the daylights out of Sandy Baker, whoโd attended with a group of girlsโฆ
Suddenly, Julianne came out of the Seth-spell and said, โWhat the hell am I doing?โ
Damn, damn, damn. It was what she did when memories of them got to her. When he got to her. She rolled to her feet, spread the album on the bed, and proceeded to viciously rip out the pages. Then she tore each of them into pieces.ย
Sheโd wouldnโt wallow like this again. After disposing of the mess, she crossed to her closet and picked out a dress to wear tonight. Thinking about someone else was just what she needed.
#
Seth waited for his supervisor from work to arrive. He hated having to put her out, but his doctor forbade him to drive for another week and she offered to come here to talk to him in person.
He was going stir crazy.
The doorbell rang at four. He crossed to the foyer and let Ellen Danner in. They werenโt close friends but he liked her. About forty-five, married with two kids, she was tall and attractive. โHey, Seth. You look better than I expected you to.โ
โThanks. Following doctorโs orders.โ
โAs if youโd ever do any harm to yourself or others.โ
Having been hurt by Julianneโs remarks, he enjoyed Ellenโs view of him. They took seats on the sofa in the adjacent living room and made small talk for a few minutes. Then, Ellen gestured to the bag she placed in front of her. โSo, weโve got a backlog,โย
โWhat else is new?โ
โThis time itโs serious.โ
He frowned. โBecause Iโve been out?โ
โPartly, but in any case, we need more counselors and we still canโt get the funding for them.โ The plight of social organizations that helped the poor.
โCan I do anything from home?โ
โYes, if it wonโt tax your recovery.โ
โPlease, Iโm going nuts.โ
โThatโs what you said on the phone. Youโve been with us a long time so I trust you with this. I brought a stack of case files. I was thinking you could go through them and prioritize them.โ
โYou mean rank the applicantsโ misery.โ
โI see it that way, too. If you donโt want this distasteful job, itโs okay.โ
โNo, Iโll try to be objective.โ Not his strong suit, though.
โYouโll have to set up phone interviews. Youโre still getting paid because yourโฆinjury happened at Legal Aid.โ Her eyes clouded. โIโm so sorry for that. I know I told you that before, but I am.โ
He squeezed her arm. โEllen, Iโm doing fine. It was no oneโs fault but Maloneโs.โ The guy who stabbed him. โDid you get an alarm system put in?โ
โYeah. Of all things. We received an anonymous donation for it.โ
โWhere from?โ
โNew York City. I have no idea why. We got a cashierโs check and a note telling us to use it for security.โ
That seemed like Hayleyโs hand. Heโd ask her point blank.
โSo, youโll do this, Seth?โ
โUh-huh.โ
โLet me know when youโve decided on the first five weโll take. Thatโs all we can handle now. And thanks. Iโm glad you didnโt quit.โ
โWhat for?โ His hand went to his stomach. โA little cut like this?โย
โYour injury was a lot more than that. Youโre a good guy, not bitter about what happened to you.โ
โThatโs what they keep telling me.โ
#ย
Julianne showered and dressed for her date in a calf-length deep peach skirt and matching T-shirt. But before she left, she went to a closet and fished out the journals from over the years in case she needed to remember something tonight.ย
She kept a record of her online dates from a service called RightMatch.com. Everybody told her these sites could be dangerous, but she didnโt want to date a colleague and she didnโt socialize much. She used to have Sethโs family in her life and that was enough. Besides, she knew a lot of people whoโd met their soulmates through the internet.
You already met your soulmate.
Stop it, Julianne.ย
She opened the book. And looked back.
Two years ago: Tristan Long, tall, blonde, handsome, a lawyer in Hidden Cove, nice guy. The relationship lasted six months, but they didnโt have a lot in common.ย
Eighteen months ago: Mitch Preston, dark eyes, dark hair, a middle school music teacher, sweet. Too sweet, as it turned out. Sheโd written: Why canโt I fall for somebody like this?ย
A year ago: Carlo Monti, very Italian, sheโd liked his possessiveness at first. Then he became overly controlling. Too bad, because the chemistry was great. Heโd been the first guy sheโd slept with since than Seth.ย
Six months ago: Drew Anderson, friendly, average guy, solicitous lover. But he was a sports fanatic, and all he wanted to talk or go see were sporting events.ย
There were two more, but she closed the book. Her online life had not been fruitful.
Maybe tonight would be better.ย
With still a half hour to go, her phone buzzed. Her sister, Liliana. Julianne clicked into FaceTime.ย
โHey, sis, just checking to see how you are.โ Liliana was dressed in a navy suit with a white blouse. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a bun, which accented her high cheek bones.ย
โHi, Lil.โย
โDo you have time to talk?โ
โYeah. You still at work?โ
Liliana was and undersecretary to the governor of D.C. She had ambitions and immersed herself in Washington politics. โYeah, no rest for the weary.โ
โDo you do anything outside of work?โ
โDo you?โ
โYeah, I go out.โ
โThat why youโre dressed up?โ
โUh-huh, Iโm meeting a friend for drinks.โ
She heard commotion, then said, โHold on a sec.โ From a distance, Liliana asked, โDo you need something, Mark?โ A mumbling. Then, โSorry Jules, I have to go. It thought I had time to chat, given the hour, but duty calls.โ
โDonโt worry about it, we chat more soon.โ
She and Liliana used to be best friends, growing up only a year apart, sharing all of their experiences, but had had grown apart in the last ten years. She was never a Seth fan, so that caused division, too. All that made Julianne sad tonight.
Fifteen minutes later, she walked into the Hidden Cove Inn, then entered the restaurant. Several people were sitting at the bar. One turned. And smiled. That must be Jason Zyzeri. He slid off the stool and walked toward her. He was tall and well-built, but not pumped. His hair was dark and his eyes light brown, she could see when he got closer.
โJulianne?โ
โYeah. Jason, right?โ
โYes.โ He extended his hand. โNice to meet you.โ He looked around. โLetโs get a table.โ He motioned to one then allowed her to go first.ย
When they were seated, a waitress approached them. โIโve got a drink,โ he said to her. โJulianne?โ
โIโll have a gin and tonic.โ
โSo,โ he asked when the woman left, โWhat do you want to know about me?โ
โWell, I know you like old movies, you work at a computer firm in Camden Cove, and that you have a dog you love.โ
โThatโs on my profile. What else?โ
Sheโd given this some thought. โWhat makes you happy, Jason?โ
โLong walks in the park.โ
Her face blanked.ย
โGotcha, there.โ
She laughed at the clichรฉ. A sense of humor in a guy was a good thing.ย
โI like riding my bike in the morning. I love Italian food, red wineโโ he held up his glass to prove it. โAnd I want a family. I didnโt put that down, so if you donโt, we can enjoy our drinks and part on friendly terms.โ
โI want a family. I didnโt put that down either because the notion scares men away.โ
โYeah, parenting isnโt for sissies. I know that term isnโt PC, but it fits the bill.โ
โDo you have any kids?โ
His eyes crinkled. โA hoard of nieces and nephews.โย
โAh.โ
โDo you have any? Kids or other little ones in your life?โ
โNo. Thereโs only my sister and me. She has no children either.โ
When Alessia, Sethโs sister, had been in her life, she her adorable nephews to spoil.
They traded more likes and dislikes, and at the end of the hour Julianne had set for herself, she reached down and picked up her purse. โThanks for meeting me tonight. I enjoyed your company. I hope you felt the same.โ
His eyes widened. โDo you have to leave now?โ
โIโm afraid so.โ She stood. โI have a strict rule for first online dates.โ
โHave you had many?โ
โNo. You?โ
โYouโre my first.โ
โIโm honored. Iโll be in touch.โ
โI hope so, Julianne.โ
โThanks. Good night, Jason.
What she didnโt see as she walked away was Jasonโs hand fist, the dark scowl on his face. Nor did she hear the mumble arrogant bitch come from his mouth.
ย 
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M. 
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