It's Better This Way Read online

  “That’s a twist. A woman who saves me money.”

  Julia grinned and shook her head. “Now, that was a sexist comment if I ever heard one.”

  “Forgive me. I’m old-school. Be patient, I’m learning.”

  “Good.” She patted his hand, and he felt an immediate surge of warmth and electricity shoot up his arm.

  * * *

  —

  For the next hour, they made their decisions about which paintings to purchase. When they finished, Heath was pleased, eager to finalize the deals that afternoon.

  When they returned to Gas Works Park, Julia went to work. She claimed she was good at negotiations, and she was. With finesse, she was able to get each and every painting he decided on, at a price below what was listed. Heath had the feeling these talented artists recognized having Julia Jones purchase one of their art pieces was a positive career move.

  On the way back, Julia got a call. Heath was driving and the traffic was heavy, and although he could hear one end of the conversation, it didn’t make much sense. All that came through was Julia’s excitement.

  “Good news?” he asked when she ended the conversation.

  “Terrific news. My niece, Carrie, got the job. She’s going to be the new concierge at The Heritage.”

  “That’s great. I look forward to meeting her.” Julia’s niece was sure to be an improvement over Melanie, the previous concierge.

  Chapter 5

  Carrie was thrilled to have gotten the job, although no more so than her parents. From their reaction, one would think she’d been awarded a gold medal in the Summer Olympics.

  Before the day was up, her mother, along with Carrie, had her bedroom packed and her father had loaded the boxes into her car. Eager much? The relief she felt was overwhelming, and clearly for her parents as well. Once at The Heritage, her mother helped her unpack and set up what she needed for the night. As soon as she finished, she fled, as if she feared Carrie would change her mind.

  The studio apartment that was part of her employment package was small. The furnishings were mostly new and modern; it wouldn’t take much to make the place her own. She was sure her aunt Julia would advise her what to do to brighten up the space.

  She was surprised at how busy she was. This was a job she could lean in to, as every day offered a learning experience and a challenge. She intended to make the most of this opportunity. Her aunt Julia, whom she deeply loved and admired, had given her a recommendation, and Carrie refused to do anything that would let her aunt down. Carrie made a point of introducing herself to each of the residents and found them all to be friendly. The only one she had yet to meet was Eric Hudson, as he had yet to appear to collect his mail. From what she’d learned, he had a home office and worked odd hours. At some point, she would introduce herself.

  The Friday night of her first week on the job, she was making notes for the following morning, when her cousin Hillary strolled up to the counter where Carrie sat.

  “Hey,” Carrie said, looking up.

  “Hey.” Hillary beamed back at her, looking unusually happy and cheerful.

  Before Carrie could ask the reason, Hillary’s sister, Marie, entered the lobby.

  “What’s up?” Carrie asked. Her two cousins looked as if they were ready to burst with good news.

  “We’ve come to see Mom. Can you join us, or are you on duty?”

  “I’m finished for the day, so sure.” Obviously the two had some fabulous news to share.

  Carrie put aside her notes and followed her two cousins to the elevator. Julia must have been expecting them, because she had several appetizers set out. There were the usual cheese and crackers, and Julia’s special vegetable dumplings that were a family favorite. At any family function her aunt Julia was required to bring these, as no one else seemed to make them taste like hers.

  “Oh good, Carrie’s here,” her aunt said, ushering them past the appetizers, which she had set on the counter, and into the living area. Her aunt Julia’s condo was one of the nicer ones, and of course it was decorated beautifully in soft shades of gray with teal accents.

  The four sat, and Julia looked expectantly toward her daughters. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense, what’s the good news?”

  Marie looked to Hillary and then Hillary raised her left hand, splaying her fingers. A beautiful diamond engagement ring sparkled from her ring finger. “Blake asked me to marry him,” she announced, “and this time I said yes.”

  Carrie knew that Blake had been after Hillary for some time to take the next big step in their relationship. He wanted to start a family and buy a house, and he wanted to do it with Hillary. Carrie never fully understood why her cousin kept putting him off. She kept insisting she wasn’t ready, and according to Marie, Hillary’s delays had become an issue with Blake. Carrie suspected Blake had given Hillary an ultimatum; either make a commitment or he was moving on.

  Carrie had gotten to know Blake a bit over the last few years. He was a catch, and if Hillary didn’t want to commit to him, she knew plenty of other women would. He worked at the University of Washington in the IT department.

  At her daughter’s news, Julia leaped to her feet, and with tears glistening in her eyes cried out, “Hillary, oh Hillary, that’s wonderful!”

  “I knew it would make you happy.”

  “I’m more than happy. I’m over-the-moon thrilled.” Mother and daughter embraced and swayed back and forth a few times, overcome with joy. Like Carrie’s own mother, her aunt Julia looked forward to spoiling grandchildren one day. It would happen, only not anytime soon.

  Although she’d never tell her mother, Carrie knew how deeply Hillary’s parents’ divorce had wounded her cousin. Carrie had been afraid Hillary would never marry, for fear of what would happen in her own marriage. If her parents could divorce after being together for more than thirty years, what was to say any marriage would last? For reasons Carrie never fully understood, her cousins seemed to believe that in divorcing Julia, her uncle Eddie had divorced his daughters at the same time.

  “Do you have a date for the wedding yet?” Julia asked, sitting down and pressing her hands between her knees, as if to hold herself back from hugging them all half to death.

  “Not yet. Blake and I are looking at different venues, and it all depends on what dates are available. We were hoping for mid-November, sometime before the holidays.”

  Julia nodded approvingly.

  “Pastor Rick has agreed to perform the ceremony and will be counseling us. As soon as we know where we can have the wedding dinner and reception, we’ll coordinate the date with the church.”

  The whole family attended the same church. Pastor Rick had been their pastor for as long as Carrie could remember. They’d all grown up with him. If she remembered correctly, Rick had been a youth pastor to her mom and aunt years earlier, when they’d been teenagers. Their history went a long way back.

  “I’ve asked Marie to be my maid of honor and I’d like Carrie to be a bridesmaid,” she said, looking to Carrie.

  “I’d love to. Hill, this is such great news.”

  Her cousin glowed. “Now that I’ve accepted Blake’s proposal, I’m sorry I waited this long.”

  Julia reached for Hillary’s hands and stared at her daughter. “Have you told your father?” she asked, her voice low and serious.

  Hillary immediately stiffened. “No.”

  “Honey, you need to let him know. This is wonderful news, and you should be the one to tell him. He’ll be happy for you.”

  Carrie knew that Hillary’d had little contact with her dad since the divorce. Her uncle had made several attempts to break through, with no success.

  “I’m not telling him, Mom.”

  “It’s been six years. It’s time to let all this anger go. The only one it’s hurting is you. Your dad loves you and he’d—”
br />   “Mom, please, don’t bring Dad into this. He made it clear who he loves. When he left you, he walked out on us, too.”

  “He didn’t walk away from you. He never would; you’re his children, his precious daughters. You need your dad, and I know you might not think it, but this separation has been just as hard on him as it has been on you.”

  “Not likely,” Hillary insisted, her back as stiff as a broom handle. “I don’t believe he cares about us the least bit.”

  “He misses you.”

  “Good. I hope he’s miserable and that this new wife of his makes him suffer.”

  “Listen,” her mother said, her expression one of regret and anxiety. “If you believe having a relationship with your father is somehow being disloyal to me, then you’re wrong.”

  “Mom,” Marie butted in, coming to Hillary’s defense. “It isn’t that. Dad is the one who is making any kind of relationship impossible. He refuses to see us unless Laura comes with him. Neither of us wants anything to do with her.”

  “He’s trying to force that parasite he married on us,” Hillary added, and shuddered as if she’d bitten into a lemon. “If seeing Dad means I have to deal with Laura, then I refuse.”

  “Has Laura reached out?” Carrie asked. She knew her uncle had at least tried, and she wondered about his new wife.

  Hillary snickered. “The only time I’ve spoken to her was the day her son and I had it out. She stood between us and shouted at Marie and me to leave, which we were more than happy to do. She was rude and horrible. I have no intention of speaking to her ever.”

  “Honey,” Julia said, as if looking to interject reason into this discussion. “Laura was standing up for her son. Had the situation been reversed, I would have leaped to your defense.”

  Carrie knew her cousins’ actions had been less than civil. It was shortly after the Lake Sammamish incident that her aunt had finalized the divorce. Whatever had happened that day had deeply impacted her cousins. It was from that point forward that Hillary and Marie refused to have anything more to do with their father.

  “You should be able to talk to your father without Laura,” Julia suggested gently. “He’ll want to know you’re engaged.”

  “Not doing it,” Hillary said, and shook her head for emphasis.

  “You say Dad misses us?” Marie scoffed. “Mom, I think it’s best if we drop the subject. Dad made his choice and so have Hillary and I. As far as we’re concerned, he can live with the consequences.”

  Julia slowly shook her head, as if disappointed by their unwillingness to bend. “Oh girls, you’re as stubborn as your father.”

  “At least we come by it honestly,” Hillary said, as if making a joke.

  In a blatant effort to change the subject, her cousin walked over to where Julia had arranged the appetizers. “I have always loved these dumplings.”

  “Okay,” Julia said, sighing loudly. “Message received. I won’t bring up your father again, although someone needs to let him know the news.”

  Hillary paused from loading a second dumpling onto her small plate. “You can tell him if you want. You appear to be the only one in this family willing to talk to him.”

  Marie shrugged. “Yeah, Mom, you tell him.”

  “And while you’re at it,” Hillary added, “you can remind him that he isn’t invited to the wedding if he plans on bringing Laura.”

  “Hillary!” Julia protested. “She’s his wife!”

  “I’m serious, Mom. I have no intention of letting her ruin my special day. As far as I’m concerned, when he walked out that door, he made his choice. I no longer consider him my father.”

  Perhaps she shouldn’t have asked, but Carrie was curious. “Who will walk you down the aisle?”

  “I haven’t thought that far ahead. Maybe I’ll just walk myself. Daddy gave up the privilege a long time ago.”

  Julia’s face fell. “You need to seriously think about this, Hillary. You might regret this decision down the road.”

  “No, I won’t. I’m the bride-to-be, and if Dad wants to be part of my wedding, I’m willing to let him, with one small stipulation. I don’t want Laura there. If he can agree to that, then he, and he alone, will receive an invitation.”

  “I shouldn’t have said anything,” Carrie murmured, regretting asking the question.

  “It’s better to get this out now,” Hillary said, “so there’s no misunderstanding.”

  “And if your father refuses?” Julia asked.

  “Then so be it. What was it that Gramps always said?”

  Carrie and the two cousins recited it together: “It’s better this way.”

  * * *

  —

  After her cousins left, Carrie headed back to her desk to complete the list she’d been working on earlier. When a meal delivery came for Eric Hudson, Carrie saw this as the perfect opportunity to meet the elusive resident. Seeing that the meal had already been paid for, she decided to deliver it herself.

  Standing in the hallway outside his door, she waited for him to answer.

  “Give me a minute,” he shouted from the other side.

  “No problem,” she said. If he didn’t care that his dinner was growing cold, then she wouldn’t worry about it, either.

  The door opened a couple minutes later. He grabbed the sack from her hands and was ready to close the door when she stopped him.

  “Eric?” she said, making it more of a question than a statement. She hadn’t expected him to be so young. He had to be around her age, perhaps a year or two older. She couldn’t help but notice he was easy on the eyes. His hair was badly in need of a cut and it didn’t look like he’d taken the time to comb it. He was dressed in sloppy jeans and a T-shirt and had bare feet.

  He glanced up as if noticing her for the first time in her pencil skirt and silk blouse. His eyes widened, as if he was as surprised as she was. “Yes. I’m Eric. Is there a problem?”

  “No, not at all. I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Carrie, the new concierge. I’m here to do whatever I can to make life easier for you. If you need me to collect packages, or book a reservation, or if anything needs repairs, don’t hesitate to ask.” She bit her lip to keep from suggesting an appointment with the barber.

  His gaze briefly held hers. A beep came from somewhere inside his condo. He glanced over his shoulder, then said, “Nice to meet you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my computer.”

  “Of course. Have a good evening.”

  “You, too,” he said, as he swiftly closed the door.

  Well, that was interesting, Carrie mused. Even though their interaction had been brief, she was intrigued. From what she’d observed and what she’d heard, Eric was something of a recluse. As far as she could tell, he collected his mail in the wee hours of the morning when no one else was about. He ordered take-out meals, and the only visitor who’d signed in to see him appeared to be a businessman. The guy had scribbled his name down and the only part legible enough to read was Michael. One visitor, and that was it. Everything else—groceries, laundry, meals—was all delivered.

  When she’d gone to meet him, she’d expected to find a senior citizen with a long white beard, not a man in his late twenties or early thirties. There was more to him than met the eye, and Carrie found herself curious about what had led Eric Hudson to hide away in his condo. She’d do a little digging and find out what she could.

  Chapter 6

  Julia knew if she had a conversation with Eddie it probably wouldn’t go well. Because neither of her stubborn daughters was willing to tell him about Hillary’s engagement, it had been left to her.

  She debated with herself all weekend, unsure she even should. The last thing she wanted was to stand between Eddie and their children. Before she left, Hillary made sure Julia accepted the fact that she had no intention of enlightening her f
ather as to her wedding plans. If Julia felt he needed to know, then she would need to reach out. Hillary was content to leave her father completely in the dark.

  Julia couldn’t let that happen. If Eddie were to hear the news of Hillary’s engagement from one of their mutual friends, it would devastate him. Eddie might be her ex-husband, but she had no wish to hurt him.

  Before making the call, she carefully reviewed how best to tell him without stirring up hard feelings. Which meant not mentioning Hillary’s dictate that Eddie attend the wedding without Laura. Excluding his wife would put Eddie in an impossible situation. To Julia’s way of thinking, their daughter was being unreasonable. She feared banning Laura was the one thing Hillary could do that would keep Eddie away. This would prove what Hillary had said all along—that her father had never really loved her.

  It hurt Julia to see her daughters punishing themselves by keeping their father out of their lives. And if it made her own heart ache, she could well imagine what it did to Eddie. She wondered if he had ever considered the fallout when he’d started his affair with Laura. And if he’d had any inkling of the havoc it would cause, would it have made any difference? Silly thoughts, really, seeing that it was all water under the bridge now.

  Sunday evening, when she didn’t feel she could delay it any longer, she reached for her phone. It rang three times before Eddie answered.

  “Hello.” His voice was gruff and unwelcoming.

  He didn’t greet her, although he knew from caller ID it was her. Perhaps he was with Laura and didn’t wish to say her name aloud. Already, her nerves made this harder than it should ever be.

  “It’s Julia.”

  “I know who this is.”

  Oh dear, this wasn’t starting out well.

  “How are you?” she asked, hoping to ease into the conversation with small talk. Her hand tightened around her phone, trying to remain calm, despite his lack of warmth or welcome. She didn’t make a habit of contacting him out of the blue. It’d been months, probably more than a year, since they’d last spoken.