Page 16 of Written with Love

“When she was a few months shy of her first birthday, she was rushed to the hospital. It took a while to figure out what had happened, but after the second surgery, they realized it was abuse. She’d been left in his care while our mother had been at the store, and they put two and two together.”

“What happened?” she asked, only wanting more details if he felt comfortable talking to her.

His eyes moved away from the workers and scanned the horizon, as if he was looking for answers there.

“He was arrested. He adamantly denied any wrongdoing, but the bruises on her body and statements from me and my older sister sealed his fate. My parents divorced and, after a year behind bars, my father was released and he disappeared.” He turned back towards her. “Faye has had more than two dozen surgeries in her life. She’s slowly losing her hearing, among other health issues, and at this point, there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”

“I’m so sorry.” She touched his arm.

“She’s damn strong.” He nodded his head a few times, as if trying to convince himself. “Stronger than my older sister, Ally. Last year she went through a divorce after giving birth to my niece, Charlotte. Her husband decided he didn’t want a woman whose body wasn’t perfect after childbirth.” He rolled his eyes. “I still want to punch the man, but I’ve made several promises I won’t. Anyway, Ally took things hard and moved back in with my mother and Faye. It’s been a year and she still hasn’t managed to recover. I know that some women go through depression after childbirth, and being abandoned would only add to that. But Ally…” He shook his head. “There are days she won’t even get out of bed. My mother and Faye are currently caring for Charlotte.”

“Depression can be debilitating,” she offered.

He nodded. “She refuses to seek counseling. We’re not sure what else to do for her. I know I shouldn’t, but it’s hard not to compare the two of them. Faye is losing her way of life forever and continually struggles with health issues and still manages to hold down a full-time job, while my other sister refuses to change her own daughter’s diapers.” He let out a long slow breath.

“She’ll recover.”

He nodded. “I was hoping she’d come visit here, after it’s ready. Maybe a change of scenery will be helpful.”

“That’s a wonderful idea.” Juliette smiled. “With this many bedrooms and all this space, you could open up a bed and breakfast,” she joked.

He chuckled. “I have too many plans already. I doubt I’d have enough time to run a B&B.”

“Oh?” She stood up and nudged his shoulder. “Plans like marrying me?”

He groaned and rolled his eyes. “I was hoping I’d hallucinated proposing to you.”

“Twice.” She held up two fingers and smiled at him. “You proposed twice.”

He laughed. “Well, maybe next time I ask you, you’ll surprise me by answering with a yes.” He nudged her back playfully.

By the time she drove home that evening, her skin was warm with the beginnings of a sunburn, and her hair was a tangled mess from the high winds that had crossed the yard.

After a long, hot shower, she slipped into her favorite flannel pajamas and headed downstairs to have dinner with her parents. Watching them together, she was struck by how lucky they were, and how lucky she was to witness the kind of love they shared.

She had heard the story of how they met more times than she could count. Her mother had been on the run, fleeing the weight of her own guilt after a tragic accident. She had been behind the wheel the day that her younger brother, Nate—the namesake of Juliette’s older brother—had lost his life. Though the accident hadn’t been her fault, she had never forgiven herself for letting the young boy sit in the front seat. In her mind, he had been too small, too fragile, and that decision had played a part in his death.

Overcome with grief and convinced the police were after her, she had taken off, desperate to disappear. She had dashed into the Brew Ha-Ha to hide—and ran straight into the arms of Rafe, the man who would mend her heart and claim it for his own. Juliette’s dad.

They both said that it was love at first sight. She’d never really understood what that meant. Until she’d bumped into Max at the restaurant.

The following morning, with the sun streaming through her window, she groggily rolled out of bed, still replaying her thoughts from the night before in her mind. Love at first sight? It sounded ridiculous, but the moment she’d met Max, something had clicked.

Then she remembered the other night at his place. How he had proposed to her. Of course, the man had been practically concussed at the time, so maybe his feelings were more head trauma than heartfelt sentiment.

Shaking off the thought, she got ready for her shift at the restaurant. What she wanted to do was head to Max’s place and film, but she hadn’t worked out her schedule yet.

The moment she stepped inside, the scent of sizzling meat wrapped around her like a warm hug. The late-morning rush was already in full swing, and Sophia was balancing three plates while expertly dodging a rogue toddler who had escaped his booster seat.

“You’re late,” Sophia sing-songed, setting down the plates and spinning towards Juliette with a knowing grin.

Juliette scoffed. “I am not late. I’m just not as disgustingly early as you.”

Once her table was served, Sophia walked over and leaned against the counter, eyeing her suspiciously. “So, rumors have been swirling.”

“About?” Juliette held in a yawn.

“Oh, not much. So, how’s your fiancé this morning?” Sophia chuckled.