Julia’s mind flashed to Pippa’s skinned knee, her anxious face at Wendell’s. “But I’m doing this for her,” she argued.
“I believe you,” Lottie said. “And I know how desperate you feel. But from now on, if you want to make a case to a judge that you are mature and responsible enough to be considered for emancipation, your actions need to demonstrate that. Let your legal counsel advise you. And stop taking matters into your own hands.”
Lottie made perfect sense. But what Lottie, and others, could never understand was how much was at stake. What Julia did not tell Lottie about was Wendell buying Radcliffe. Although he hadn’t told Julia to keep it a secret, she knew that if Candace found out, she would probably fire him. And after all he’d done for her and Pippa, she couldn’t risk doing that to Wendell.
After her appointment with Lottie, she vowed to be more careful. More sensible. In order to see Raddy, Julia covered her tracks. She made up stories to tell both Pippa and Candace, that she was going bike riding with Chloe. Or to the town beach. Pippa had been sworn to secrecy about Raddy being at Wendell’s house, but if she knew Julia was going to see him, she’d want to come, too, and Julia couldn’t risk Pippa accidentally giving the secret away. Luckily, Candace was so entrenched with realtors and the lawyer that she barely paid attention. It gave Julia a chance to spend more time with Wendell and put to rest any doubts that lingered.
“Wendell, why did you take the job at White Pines?” she asked. It was the afternoon of the meeting with Jamie Aldeen.
He looked confused. “It’s a good job. Your folks were good people.” He returned his attention to the post he was setting.
“That’s not what I mean. I see the way you are when you’re there. You appreciate White Pines maybe as much as I do.”
Wendell looked up at her. “Maybe.” He stepped back to eyeball whether the post was level while she held it. “Tip it a little to the right. No, that’s left. One more inch…” Wendell’s militant perfectionism was starting to wear on her. But there was Raddy, grazing happily in his pen, so no way was she about to complain. She held the post tight as Wendell shoveled gravel into the base of the hole to help stabilize it. Then he packed it with dirt.
“What about White Pines do you love?” she asked.
“?‘Love’ is a strong word.”
Julia groaned.
“I can tell you what I like about it. I like the peace and quiet of it, working in the fields, knowing that I don’t have to talk to anyone or bend or flex for anyone all day.”
“So you hate people,” she said.
“No, I just like being alone.”
“What about White Pines? Everyone who visits says it touches them, that it’s a magical place. Does it do that for you?”
“You sure do ask a lot of questions.”
“You sure do try to avoid them,” she told him. “Come on. Don’t be a sissy.”
He threw her a look.
“I’ll stop talking if you answer,” she said.
“I doubt that.” But she could see from his expression that he was picturing the property. “I guess I like the way the place can change so much each season but still remain itself.”
“Like how?”
“The way the sun hits the orchard in the late afternoon on a fall day, and the way the edges of the pond freeze into these sparklingslivers where the water meets the land, one layer stretching over the other like silver-blue threads. Thousands of them, if you look close.” His eyes twinkled as he told her.
“Remember that spring we found the baby bird?”
He shook his head. “You found the bird. Then you made me climb up the tree and find its nest.”
Julia loved that memory. “You didn’t seem to mind.”
“Nah, I guess I didn’t.”
He was coming around, and she could feel it. “See, you do love White Pines, even if you won’t admit it. If you came to take care of us, you wouldn’t ever have to leave it.”
“Julia. Your aunt is selling White Pines. You know that.”
“Not if I stop her. My lawyer said that she needs to review the will first, but who knows? There could be a way around it.”
Wendell sighed and set down the level he was using. “So now you’re not just going to emancipate yourself, but you’re going to stop the sale of White Pines?”
