He grabbed the envelope and climbed out of the truck. As he headed for the post office door, he saw someone push through and hold the door for him. He stopped short and sucked in a deep breath when he realized it was Julie.
“Oh,” she said quickly, taking a step to the side so he could walk through the door.
She dropped her hold on the door when his hand connected with it, but then he let go and the door closed leaving the two of them standing outside.
“I didn’t expect to see anyone here this time of night,” Julie said awkwardly.
“Neither did I. But I’m glad I caught you.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded. “You said you’d call.”
“I’ve…been really busy.”
“To busy to explain why you left so abruptly and never told me why?”
“Yes.”
She looked around as if she were searching for people who might be looking at them.
“We’re not doing anything wrong, Julie. I don’t know what you’re afraid of.”
“I know that. I thought no one would be here now.”
Confused, he asked, “What were you doing?”
“I needed to send a letter to someone.”
His stomach dropped. He didn’t want to know if that someone was a man.
“I’m dropping off a… Do you want to get something to eat?” he asked, hoping they could finally cut through the awkwardness that was driving him crazy.
“I ate. And I…”
“Yeah, sure. Okay,” he said quickly.
“I’m not sure being in a public place to talk is such a good thing,” she added. But her words only confused him more.
“Why should that matter?”
“Well, I…just don’t think it should be someplace public.”
She took a step onto the path leading to the parking lot. There were no other cars in the parking lot, but he saw her car parked on the street. He hadn’t noticed it when he’d pulled into the parking lot.
“You’re making excuses, Julie,” he finally said. “If you don’t want to talk, then let’s cut the charade. I’ve waited ten years already.”
He pulled at the door and waltzed into the post office, fuming about how bad things had just gone. He hadn’t expected Julie Samuel to come home and fall into his arms as she had when she was seventeen. But he sure as hell hadn’t expected this.
He stalked over to the outgoing mailbox and dropped his rent check inside the slot. Then he walked over to his mailbox, searched for the key on his keychain, and unlocked his box. He pulled out the mail and sifted through it, depositing the circulars he had no time to look at in the recycle bin by the window, and placing the bills he needed to pay on the table next to the bin.
He felt a rush of wind against his skin as the door opened. When he looked up, he saw Julie coming through the door.
“Did you forget something?” he asked.
“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “I forgot to say that I’m sorry. And I know that is long overdue.”
She turned on her heels and rushed out the door. He started to go after her, but then remembered the bills he’d left on the table. By the time he’d grabbed the mail and run out of the post office, Julie was already at the street and clicking the button on her remote to open her car door.
“Julie!” he called out. But she ignored him. Instead, she climbed into her car, turned the engine over, and then pulled a U-turn on Main Street. All he could do was watch as she disappeared from view.
* * *
Julie wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and then gripped her steering wheel. Her hands were trembling. In fact, she was trembling all over so badly she could hardly drive.
If she dared to go home and Caleb was there, he’d notice. The last thing she wanted was twenty questions from her brother about why she was so rattled.
She took a drive on the main road as far as she could, passing Caleb’s apartment, and not stopping. His truck wasn’t in the parking lot, which surprised her since he’d said he’d be working until five o’clock. They hadn’t made plans for dinner so maybe he’d gone to see Katie.
It was so strange knowing her childhood friend was in love with her brother. That was going to take getting used to.
And Hunter. Oh, God, how was she going to tell him the truth? God only knew what he was thinking.
As she drove, her mind wandered to the places she’d been and the people she’d met. The letter she’d sent off was to Margaret to thank her and tell her that she’d miss her. And she did miss her already. It was easier to talk to her than it had been to talk to her own mother the other night. Caleb had insisted on calling while she was there even though Julie had already called her parents a few days earlier as she’d promised.
It was all too much. She’d gone out for a drive instead of staying cooped up alone in the apartment and ended up deciding to write a letter and mail it off to Margaret. And now she was driving out of town to where? She didn’t know. She was running. Always running and never arriving, Dr. Matthews had told her.
She put on her directional and heard a ping on her cell phone indicating she had a text message. Her purse was in the back seat of the car so she waited until she saw a gas station up ahead that had a little market and a big sign that said HUCKLEBERRY COFFEE in the window. It had been years since she’d had huckleberry coffee, so she turned into the parking lot and parked along the building.
Reaching in the back seat, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her cell phone to check her messages. There was one from Gary saying that he’d take her
