He took her to Paul’s Pancakes, another place Claire had raved about. And she discovered she was extremely hungry. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and got out of the car.
Luke linked his fingers through hers. “I meant it about needing to talk, Julia. Whatever problems you think you’ve got, whatever happened all those years ago, we’ll face it all together. I’m not an unreasonable man. Or a weak one. I can face anything with you.”
“You may be asking for more than you know,” she warned.
He opened the restaurant door for her. “I can handle it.”
“We’ll see.”
He held her hand until they were seated in a booth against the window wall, releasing it only with obvious reluctance. “I’m afraid if I let you go, you might disappear.”
Julia picked up the coffee the waitress brought to give herself something to do with her hands. “When we have our ‘talk,’ you might wish you had.”
“Does this mean you’re finally going to lay everything out on the table? Tell me what’s so terrible it’s kept us apart?”
She placed the cup slowly back in the saucer, careful not to slosh any of the hot liquid, and tried to decide where to begin. But then two people walked into the restaurant and she froze. Beth and Courtney were laughing at something, giggling as if they were both thirteen. Julia felt the blood drain from her face. Of all the places Beth could have taken her sister, why did it have to be here? The very thing she’d fought so hard to prevent, the knowledge she’d sacrificed her life to keep hidden, was going to come out and in a way she couldn’t control.
“Julia?” She heard the concern in Luke’s voice. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“Oh, God.” She bent her head low over her coffee cup, hoping her daughters would take a booth at the far side of the restaurant.
“What?” He reached across the table and closed his fingers around her wrist. “What’s going on here?”
“I-I…”
But she never got the chance to get any more words out.
“Mom?” Beth was suddenly beside them, astonishment plain on her face. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
“Why are you here with a man?” Courtney’s tone was harsh and defensive. “On a Saturday? Who is he?”
Julia finally found her voice. “Beth, Courtney. I’d like you to meet…a friend of mine. Luke Buchanan.”
She twisted her hands together in her lap to keep them from trembling and looked across the table at Luke. He stared at Courtney with an expression of half shock and half anger, his face taut, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
“Um, Luke? These are my daughters, Beth and Courtney.” Oh God, everything was going to hell in a handbasket.
The girls and Luke just continued staring at each other, no one saying a word.
“Hello.” Beth’s voice held the strangest sound.
Courtney said nothing.
“Mr. Buchanan is with Connell Wilson.” Julia tried to make her voice as bright as possible. “A new client. We were just discussing the new campaign Bright Ideas is rolling out for them.”
Luke couldn’t seem to drag his eyes away from Courtney. “Hello, girls. Nice to meet you.”
An uncomfortable silence draped itself over them.
“Well, we’re just going to have some breakfast,” Beth interjected as the silence dragged on. “I’ve been raving about the peach pancakes.”
Courtney turned away. “Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
“Mom?” Beth turned back to her. “Are you going home from here? I’ll see you there.”
“Yes. Fine, honey. Enjoy your meal.”
Luke’s gaze followed them as they walked away and slid into a corner booth. When he turned to Julia, the look in his eyes made her want to crawl under the table.
“Exactly how old is Courtney?”
Julia wet her lips with her tongue and wished she could transport herself to another planet.
“Julia?” Luke’s voice was insistent. “Did you hear me? How old is your daughter?”
“Th-Thirteen.”
“Interesting. Were you ever planning to tell me, or were you just going to shut me out of her life forever?”
“How did—”
“There’s no way you could know this, but she looks exactly like my mother did at that age.” The rage in his voice was barely controlled, but underneath it was a lot of pain.
Nausea rose up in her throat. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, unable to look at him anymore.
“Sorry doesn’t begin to cut it.” He shoved away his coffee cup. “Look, I don’t intend to make a scene in public so we’re going to get up and walk out of here quietly. Wave to your daughters. Then we’re going back to my place, where you’re going to give me some answers.”
But all her good intentions, her carefully crafted courage fled in the face of his all-consuming anger. “I can’t.” She could barely speak. “Not now. Not now.”
She grabbed her purse and pushed herself out of the booth. Luke dropped some bills on the table and followed her but she managed to stay ahead of him. By the time he ran out of the restaurant, she was already pulling out of the parking lot, praying he didn’t follow her back to the house.
* * * *
“Who is he?” Courtney demanded.
She and Beth walked in the door loaded for bear, each in her own way, Courtney ferocious and angry, Beth confused and uncertain.
“He’s a…client,” Julia said, waiting for the tea to brew. Soothing tea, her answer to everything.
“Baloney. You’re lying to me. Something else is going on. You were so nervous I thought you were going to throw up.” Courtney’s smile was anything but pleasant. “You sounded like me when I’m trying to get away with something.
“Courtney’s right.” Beth frowned. “We’ve never seen you with a man all these years. Besides, I don’t ever remember you having breakfast on a Saturday with a client. Not once. And he didn’t look at you like he was a client. So what gives? And why is he
