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Julie knew she was aiming the comment at her and two other women near them who were single.
“Maybe you haven’t had a kid yet,” Charlene said, “but you’ve already had three husbands when I haven’t even had one.”
Leanne turned to Julie. “You’ve only been married once, right?”
“Right,” she said, knowing what was coming next from her.
“How come you never talk about your ex?” Leanne said. “We all know who married who around here, but you’ve never even told us your ex-husband’s name.”
Julie’s gut knotted and she said only, “You wouldn’t know him.”
Before Leanne could continue her probe, Rachel rescued her, saying, “They men are coming this way. Who is ready to open up a conversation?”
“I can do it,” Charlene said. “Even though you have all met Murray, he’s a neighbor of mine.”
As the four men walked off the court toward the opening where the women were waiting, Julie felt Noah’s eyes on her and remembered he used to love her long legs. Would they still look as good to him?
When they got closer, he avoided eye contact and so did she. Charlene started right in asking Murray to introduce the new member.
“Actually, he’s my guest,” Murray said. “I’m trying to talk him into becoming a member, but since he lives on the North Fork and will only be in our neighborhood once or twice a week, he’s still deciding.” A short slightly overweight man, Murray put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “This is Dr. Noah Taylor.”
Then Murray named all the women, and when he got to Julie, Noah said, “Julie and I are old friends.”
“It’s great to see you here, Noah,” Julie said. Then she ducked through the fence and onto the tennis court, ignoring the dagger eyes from the other women.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Leanne said, “Why didn’t you say you know him?”
“It was a long time ago. In college. So I wasn’t sure if he’d remember me.”
Then she suggested they get started since she had to meet her daughter after her dance class.
A couple hours later,Noah was leaning against the side of the pool trying to figure out how to get away from the two women who were talking his ear off when he saw Julie ambling into the swim area, a cute little girl holding her hand. His attempt at keeping his focus on the child instead of the exquisitely beautiful mother was futile. Julie wore a one-piece swimsuit, but it was cut high on her legs and low between her breasts. The little girl’s suit was a bold rainbow print, her dark hair in a high ponytail.
He could not help watching as Julie went to the area at the far end that had a shallow children’s pool and a play fountain with a slide.
“Time for me to get home,” he told the two women next to him. Then he added, to prevent any kind of awkward offer of a phone number he did not want, “I’ll likely be joining the club, so I will see you both again soon.”
Purposely taking the exit near the children’s section, he stopped where Julie was sitting on the edge of the pool looking pensive.
“You’re like a fish out of water here,” he said to her, reminding Julie of something she used to call herself many years ago. How she took that comment would tell him if she had become someone he would not care to know or if she was still the same Julie he had fallen in love with.
“Said the man with X-ray vision.”
She used to say that about him because he could always see what she was thinking and feeling despite the well-practiced front she put on in most circles.
He nodded to her daughter who was kicking her feet and hanging onto a pool noodle and said, “She is the spitting image of you.”
Julie looked up at him, delight in her big eyes. “So many people say that. I’m too close to be able to see it myself. Would you like to meet her?”
“Sure would.”
“Molly, come here,” Julie called out, and the girl came paddling over. “Noah, this is my daughter, Molly. Molly, say hello to Noah.”
“Hello, Noah. I’m learning to swim and then I’ll be able to go in the big pool.”
“That’s great, Molly,” he said, squatting down to her level. “Do you like being in the water?”
“Only when it’s hot outside. I wouldn’t want to swim when it’s snowing.”
