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“That’s us,” the girl said, as the boy knelt near Molly, who was in her giggling glory getting a first class greeting from the dogs.
“I’m Molly,” her daughter said, amidst her petting and hugging frenzy.
Melody pointed at Julie. “You look like Bryce. Are you his sister? He said you were coming.”
“That’s me,” Julie said. “Good guess. Is there a table for gifts?”
“I’ll take them,” Melody said, as Julie handed her two medium-sized gift boxes. Each had an art deco vase inside, one that she knew Tricia would love, another that she thought matched Kaylee’s style. “Most everyone is in the back great room or the backyard,” the girl said.
“Molly, come with—”
“No. I want to stay here and play with Snooper and Deetz,” she whined, the kind that often preceded some yelling.
Before Julie could decide how she wanted to handle this, Melody said, “Benji and I can watch her. He even knows how to make the dogs to tricks. Want to come with us and see Snooper and Deetz do their tricks, Molly?”
“Yes, yes! Please, Mom, can I?”
“Okay, but come get me if—”
“No problem,” Melody said. “Jordan and Carter put me on kid duty today. Go find the newlyweds and have fun.”
Julie wandered to the back of the big house, thinking what great parents Carter and Jordan must be.
“There she is.” Tricia came rushing to her and wrapped Julie in a hug.
It was the first true hug they’d shared, actually.
And it was all Julie’s fault.
She had been both suspicious and resentful when she found out her brother was getting into a serious relationship with a dancer. She’d accused Tricia of being after Bryce for his money and had warned her brother about Tricia’s motives. Luckily Bryce saw through his sister’s bluster and told her in no uncertain terms she could either accept Tricia or lose him.
That was when Julie realized her reaction was really about her fear of losing Bryce as a stand-in-father for Molly. Ironically, even though the time Bryce could give to her daughter had diminished somewhat, Molly had gained an Aunt Tricia who doted on her to make up for it.
Since then, Julie made every effort she could to repair the rift and gain Tricia’s trust. It took some soul searching, but she finally came to terms with the fact that Bryce deserved a happy love life apart from his duty to his single-mom sister, even if she hadn’t managed to get one for herself.
Hence, her reluctant push to try the dating scene again—which she had already decided was a waste of time.
But some of the things her friend Gillian had said to her about finding the “old Julie” who’d been fun and creative were beginning to make sense.
It was like a shocking mirror test when Julie discovered she was acting just like those country club women she hated. In a desperate attempt to totally reject her damaged wild child past, Julie had entombed herself in the persona of a cold,independently wealthy woman hiding behind the walls of her privileged world.
“Bryce was so afraid you would make some excuse and not come,” Tricia said, walking her to the next room, an arm around her shoulders. “Where is Molly?”
“Playing with the kids and the dogs.”
Tricia laughed. “That girl doesn’t waste any time getting to what’s important in life.”
“Julie!” Bryce pulled her in for another hug.
“Congratulations,” she said. “Not that I haven’t said it already, but now it feels more official.” Her hands reached out to both of them. “I wish you many years of happiness together.”
As Julie moved further through the crowd, she was glad she’d decided against dressing up too much. She had been told it would be casual. The grooms were in jeans, the two brides in summer dresses, Tricia’s short, Kaylee’s mid-calf. Julie had opted for a sweetheart-collared, flare skirt, mid-thigh floral print dress. Okay, maybe hers had a designer label when others here might not. She reminded herself that Jordan and several others in this crowd were wealthy, but they did not act like the snooty Southampton network she had somehow found herself a part of.
A fish out of water. Wasn’t that what Noah had said when he saw her there? She had just traded one fake life for another. And looking for some man to save her from it was not the answer. Hell, she had already made that mistake with Wayne, but at least she had her precious daughter to show for it.
“You’ve never met Micah,” Kaylee said, as Julie gave her a hug and offered her congratulations.
Kaylee’s husband looked like a blond surfer-type guy, but Julie knew Micah was also a brilliant architect now working for the company her brother had opened in the Hamptons. Kaylee next introduced a tall muscular Black man. Kaylee’s brother, Aaron. And her mom, Libby.
