It's Better This Way Read online

  Scooting back her chair, she stood and reached for her purse. “Thanks for the latte and for saving me from my sister. If not for you, I would have been forced to meet yet another man who is absolutely perfect for me. Not.”

  Heath rose with her. “My pleasure.”

  She hesitated, and then added, “I enjoyed this.”

  He grinned. “Me, too. See you tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow,” she said, and even to her own ears it sounded like a promise.

  * * *

  —

  Hillary glanced across the table at Julia. “Mom?”

  Julia looked up from her salad. “I’m sorry, honey, were you saying something?”

  “Where’s your head? You look like you’re a million miles away.”

  “Sorry, I was thinking about this morning.” She’d thought of little else since leaving Heath.

  “Did something happen?”

  “Not really…I shouldn’t say anything. I had coffee with a friend and rather enjoyed myself.”

  “That’s nice.” Her daughter raised her finely shaped eyebrows in speculation. “Is this friend male or female?”

  “Male, but don’t make more of it than there is.” Julia could almost see Hillary’s head spinning. Like Amanda and most of Julia’s friends, they assumed she needed a man to be happy. Nearly six years alone—the anniversary date of her divorce was only a month away—had proved otherwise. Yes, life as a single woman had been an adjustment, and yes, she was lonely at times. However, that wasn’t reason enough to compromise herself.

  “Tell me about your friend. Divorced? How’d you meet?”

  Julia answered her daughter’s questions, downplaying it as best she could. “We both agree we’re finished with dating.”

  “What if he asks you out? Would you go?”

  Her immediate response was that she would, but she didn’t admit it. “I might, I don’t know. I barely know him. I will say that we seem to be comfortable with each other; like me, he would want to keep this on a friends-only basis.”

  “This is encouraging, Mom. Go for it.”

  Her daughter’s words lingered in her mind as Julia left for her appointment with the masseuse. It’d only been since the divorce that she’d indulged in this luxury. Amanda had suggested a massage would help relieve her body of the tension of dealing with Eddie, following their separation. It helped, and she’d been hooked ever since, scheduling one every two weeks. As the masseuse worked on her, Julia closed her eyes and reviewed once again her conversation with Heath, and how good it had made her feel.

  Her next stop was the hair salon, where she had a standing appointment every five weeks for a haircut.

  “You’re in a good mood,” Terri, her hairdresser, said as she clipped away.

  She was. Her step was lighter, and she had the almost irresistible desire to break into song. She giggled at the absurdity of the thought. She was losing it.

  When Terri finished drying Julia’s new cut, she twisted the chair around and handed her a mirror for Julia to look and approve.

  “Great as always,” she said.

  As she returned to The Heritage, she found herself eager for the next morning, when she would see Heath again.

  Chapter 4

  Heath couldn’t stop thinking about Julia for the rest of the day. It had been a long time since he’d felt this at ease with a woman. For the last couple weeks, they’d exercised with each other and had barely spoken a word. When she first showed up, he’d resented the fact that his space and time had been invaded in the smallish room. He’d hoped her arrival was a one-off, and that she wouldn’t return. She had, and after a week, he felt obliged to introduce himself. After his negative dating experiences, he’d gone out of his way to avoid conversation with her or make any effort to become friends.

  When he saw that she was at the Busy Bean, he’d surprised himself by asking her to join him. He realized she genuinely wanted to avoid her sister and he knew he could help. Because she sat with her back to the window, Julia didn’t know her sister had come out of The Heritage looking for her. She walked toward the Busy Bean, saw Julia with him, and then, just as he’d predicted, had walked away.

  He noticed that Julia hadn’t mentioned one word about her divorce, which he found rare. It proved that she truly had moved forward. That was the exception, if his limited experience was anything to go by. Every divorced woman he had met to this point felt it was necessary to enlighten him to the horrors of her marriage and the unfairness of the divorce.

  Heath preferred not to discuss his own disillusioned marriage. It stung that his wife had left him for another man. In many ways, he blamed himself. He’d been oblivious and hadn’t noticed the subtle changes in their relationship. Over the years, they’d fallen into a pattern, and without him being aware, they had grown apart.

  He should have suspected something when Lee said she wanted to sleep in another bedroom, claiming his snoring kept her awake. It’d been months since they’d last made love, and her moving to another bedroom hadn’t upset him.

  The day she asked for the divorce, he’d been stunned. At the time, he didn’t realize there was someone else. He could have fought the divorce harder, insisted they go to counseling and attempt to save what was left of their marriage. Lee wasn’t interested. If she didn’t want to find a way to save their marriage, then he felt he couldn’t do it alone.

  His son was the one who enlightened him to the truth. Their mother was involved in an affair. The news that Lee had taken a lover shocked him. Once he learned she’d cheated, he was glad he hadn’t tried harder to resuscitate the marriage. As far as he was concerned, it was over. Way over. He was done.

  He left the details to the two attorneys to sort out, and other than negotiating a couple points, he was happy to let her go, and twenty-six years of married life circled the drain. Of course, there were regrets and recrimination. He probably hadn’t been the best husband. Since Lee had sought out another, it made sense that he hadn’t met her emotional needs. He accepted responsibility for his part in the failure. Heath wasn’t looking to remarry, but, as Julia had mentioned, he was accustomed to being a couple, and single life challenged him. All he was looking for now was companionship.

  Heath spent part of the afternoon at the office, checking the stock market and his accounts. Repeatedly his mind drifted to Julia, and every time it did, he found himself smiling.

  His assistant brought in a report he’d asked her to retrieve. She paused when she set it on his desk. “You’re in a good mood,” she said.

  And he was.

  A very good mood, better than any he’d had in a long while.

  * * *

  —

  The following morning, he arrived in the exercise room five minutes early, eager to see Julia. He had an idea he wanted to float past her. When she was a few minutes late, he found himself watching the time and growing anxious.

  When she entered the room, it was with a smile. “Morning,” she greeted him, her eyes bright.

  “Morning,” he returned, and was surprised by the relief he felt that she had showed.

  Julia walked over to the treadmill. Before she could adjust her earbuds, he said, “Do you have time for coffee this morning?”

  “Sure. What time do you want to meet?”

  “Does ten work?”

  “It does.”

  “Great. See you then.”

  As he started his regular routine, Heath noticed that he didn’t need exercise to get his heart going. All that was necessary was seeing Julia.

  * * *

  —

  When she arrived at the Busy Bean, Heath had already secured a table and ordered their drinks. In the late morning, the coffee spot wasn’t as crowded, and getting a place to sit wasn’t much of a problem.

  He stood when Julia approached and ha
nded her the same drink she’d ordered the day before.

  “Thanks, only I was hoping you’d let me buy this time.”

  “No need.”

  “I disagree,” she said, taking a seat.

  The summer sunshine fell over her, lighting up her face. She was lovely. Not beautiful in the classic sense. Her face was heart-shaped, and her dark hair—she’d done something different with it, he noticed—was stylish in a flattering pixie cut. Her eyes were the color of warm topaz.

  “Why’s that?” he asked, when he realized he’d been staring.

  “I should pay, otherwise this might be considered a date, and we have both decided to not date again.”

  He nodded. “You’re right. My mistake. Next time you buy.”

  “Next two times,” she said with a smile.

  A smile that made his insides stir. He lifted a finger and pointed to her hair. “You did something with your hair.”

  “Just a cut.”

  “It looks nice.”

  She seemed pleased that he’d noticed. “Careful with the compliments. They could be considered flirting.”

  “Not flirting, just a comment.”

  They each sipped their drinks.

  “I had something I wanted to ask you,” he said, easing into the conversation.

  “Fire away,” she said, and gestured toward him.

  “I’ve been in my condo for a year now. Lee didn’t take much with her, and I sold almost everything and bought new. With no experience in this sort of thing, I walked into a store, picked out a few items that appealed to me, and left it at that. Lee was the decorator. Not me. My place is sterile, without any accessories or personality. I was hoping you would give me a few pointers.”

  She looked interested.

  “Naturally, I’d pay you your normal fee.”

  “Don’t be silly, I’d love to help. I do this sort of thing for friends all the time. It’s what I love.”

  “When would you like to take a look?” he asked, eager to spend more time with her.

  “Is now convenient?”

  “Now is perfect.”

  They finished their drinks, and Heath led her to his condo on the top floor. He had the penthouse, and a lovely panorama of the Seattle waterfront. He didn’t know how much longer he would have that spectacular view, with office buildings and condos going up every other week, it seemed. Which made him determined to enjoy the scenic wonder of life on Puget Sound while he could.

  “Oh,” Julia whispered, as she entered his condo.

  He noticed how her gaze immediately went to the view.

  “It was that sight that sold me on The Heritage.”

  “Little wonder. It’s breathtaking.”

  “I’d been house-shopping for a while. When I first started my search, I was looking to downsize, perhaps a three-bedroom place in an upscale community. The longer I looked, the more disenchanted I became.

  “Growing frustrated with me, the agent suggested condo living, something I hadn’t considered at that point. This was the first place she showed me. I’ll admit when I saw the older brick building, I wasn’t impressed. I almost discounted it without even entering. Once I did, it was such a pleasant surprise—I felt an immediate sense of welcome, of home. Then I learned that Eric, my friend’s son, lived here as well, so naturally Michael was keen to have the two of us in the same building.”

  “It was the same for me,” Julia said.

  “The only unit available was the penthouse, and I made an offer immediately,” he said, although he would have welcomed any of the units, had it suited his needs.

  “I found The Heritage early on in my search and loved it immediately. The same as you, I realized right away that this was where I wanted to live, only there weren’t any units available. My name was on a list, and when one went up for sale, I made an offer, sight unseen.”

  “Brave of you.”

  “In retrospect it was daring, probably the most out-of-character purchase I’ve ever made. The condo itself didn’t matter. I could turn it into whatever I wanted. If it needed updating, I knew plenty of contractors who would do a brilliant job. If it was too small, I would adjust. All that was important was the feeling I had of finding home.”

  “Home,” he repeated, unaware he’d said the word aloud until she nodded and smiled.

  “That’s what drew us both here, I suspect,” she added. “We’d lost more than our spouses. We’d lost our homes, and that feeling of familiarity, of belonging. My house ended up selling quickly, and I realize now that was a blessing. I should have known I couldn’t live in the same space that I’d shared with my husband with all the memories. It would be like facing that loss every time I walked through the door.”

  “I hear you.”

  After Julia stepped away from the large windows overlooking the city, Heath gave her the grand tour. He noted how Julia studied and appraised each room.

  “Do you mind if I make a few notes?” she asked.

  “Not at all.” He led the way to his home office and grabbed both paper and a pen.

  Julia stood in the doorway, surveying the room. When he gave her the pen and pad, she immediately started writing.

  After viewing each room, she made a second journey through the rooms, adding to her notes. “This kitchen is amazing,” she said, coming to stand behind the long white marble countertop that faced the view. The stainless-steel appliances and white cabinets were behind her.

  “The way the light comes in and floods the living area makes this entire area stunning,” she added.

  “I was drawn to that myself,” he said.

  “Other than a few accents and decorative additions, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “What do you think?” he asked, once she’d finished, curious to hear her thoughts.

  Julia guided him back into each room, giving him a detailed list of what she would suggest in the way of accessorizing the area.

  “You did a good job choosing the furnishings,” she told him. “They show your personality in every way.”

  This was news to Heath. “And what’s my personality?” he asked, interested in hearing her thoughts.

  “You’re a man’s man. Big. Bold. Intelligent.”

  He laughed. “You’re saying that because my office computer has two monitors.”

  Smiling, she shook her head. “It’s far more than that,” she said, and didn’t elaborate. “How do you feel about my suggestions?”

  Everything she’d recommended suited him fine, and he told her so.

  “What’s your budget? I shop economically and promise not to spend money needlessly. The reason I ask is that it gives me parameters, so I know how much to spend in each room.”

  Never having worked with a decorator before, Heath wasn’t sure what to tell her. “I don’t have a problem with anything you suggested. The one thing I would ask is to preview any paintings you purchase.”

  “Perfect. There’s an art show coming up at Gas Works Park this weekend. If you’d like, we could go together and check it out.”

  “I’d like that.” Although he didn’t admit it, he’d enjoy any activity that gave him more time with Julia.

  * * *

  —

  They met midmorning on Saturday. Julia greeted him with two coffees and handed him one.

  He grinned as he accepted it. She’d been serious about buying him coffee, and serious about being friends and not dating. Now that he was coming to know her, he was inclined to bend the no-dating rule. He’d wait and see how she felt after she’d had a chance to know him better.

  Gas Works Park was located on the north end of Lake Union and south of the Wallingford neighborhood, which meant they would need to drive. After Lee moved out, Heath had foolishly splurged on a red Ferrari convertible. He sold it after a year, kicki
ng himself for the indulgence. These days he drove an electric car, which was far more practical. And, frankly, better for the environment.

  It worked well that they arrived at the art fair early enough to find parking, which was never easy in the Seattle area, especially on such a glorious July summer day. The artists had set up displays all around the nineteen-acre park. It would take more than a day to visit every booth.

  Julia wore a yellow summer dress with a white short-sleeved sweater and a big straw hat to shade her from the sun. With her round sunglasses and her smile, it was hard to keep his eyes off her. He couldn’t remember seeing any woman look more relaxed or lovely.

  He soon learned shopping with Julia was an experience. He was inclined to see something he liked and buy it. Not Julia. She had her notes and her tape measure and collected photos with her phone. It surprised him that she knew several of the artists personally. It was apparent that Julia was well respected and genuinely admired.

  They broke for lunch, eating deli sandwiches, which he insisted on buying, seeing that she was giving of herself and her time. As they sat in the air-conditioned deli, sipping their drinks, Julia reviewed the paintings, pulling each one up on her phone for him to appraise again. She’d made meticulous notes about each one, the artist, the asking price, and the location of the booth.

  “I’d purchase every one of these,” Heath admitted.

  “You don’t have the space.”

  “I know.”

  “I like the old-world navigation painting for your home office,” she told him.

  That had been one of his favorites. He’d been drawn to it immediately. “How much was the asking price again?”

  “Twelve hundred. However, I know the artist and believe I can persuade him to lower it to nine hundred.”

  “I would be willing to pay full price.” And he would, without question.

  “This is why you have me. I will get whatever you need, cheaper than what you would normally pay. It’s what I do, and I’m good at it.”