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He heard that loud and clear, and respected her more for it. “I’ll bet you are a wonderful mom. I know you remember I originally wanted to be a pediatrician, but then when I got involved in Hannah’s illness, I went all in. I volunteer at a few low cost women’s clinics on the East End of Long Island, in Queens, and Brooklyn. Prevention and early detection are the best things when it comes to women’s health.”
“I admire what you do so much,” Julie said, taking a bite of her fish. “And I know you did not have anything handed to you the way I did.”
“You only had money handed to you, Julie. Along with a lot of toxic messages. No emotional support or guidance that took your needs into concern.” When she looked down at her plate, Noah realized he’d gone into dangerous territory. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go there.”
She looked up at him, not doing a great job at concealing the vulnerability in her eyes. “Hey, you saw and heard it, warts and all. But you’re right—let’s not go there. If we decide to keep seeing each other, we’ll get to all of it eventually.”
He knew she was asking him not to bring up her marriage, and he kept reminding himself she would tell him about it when she was good and ready. The fact that Jordan had said her ex was British meant she had met him when she went to London right after their breakup, which at least let Noah think she was not seeing anyone else while she was with him.
While they were having coffee after finishing their lunch, Phil appeared with peach pie covered in whipped cream, a piece for each of them.
Julie dug into hers, saying, “This is yummy, Phil. And when I can’t fit in my slacks anymore, I will know who to blame.”
“You’re perfect just as you are,” Phil said.
And Noah could not agree more.
They had madeit to three different vineyards for wine tastings. And Julie loved every minute. They walked outside in the sunshine and gazed over the rows of vines, sat in a flower-deckedgazebo, heard a short lecture on a new wine, and they had even run into a couple friends and patients of Noah’s.
Most of all, it was the thrill of being with him. Was it merely the fact that she had gotten a little tipsy? No. Since their early days in New York City, Julie had felt a special buzz whenever she was close to Noah. Something in the air seemed to change when they were together. Years ago she had believed they were soul mates.
Until everything fell apart and she no longer believed in anything, much less those kinds of romantic notions.
“Why don’t we go see my house now,” he said.
She put her hand on his chest. “Noah Taylor, are you trying to seduce me?”
He bent his head forward and met her eyes. “The truth is, I’m trying to keep you from driving home while you have too many glasses of wine in you. But the suggestion of seducing you has merit.”
Julie laughed, gazing into those same brown eyes that had her enthralled from the first day she’d seen him. She threaded her arm through his and they headed for his car. She had left hers in a lot he’d told her to use in Greenport that he knew was safe to leave there even overnight.
Was that something he wanted? He knew she had a daughter, and although her part-time nanny would be there with her today, Julie had to get home before Molly went to sleep. They had a bedtime ritual of talking and sharing every night that she would never break. But it was still only around five, so it would probably be fine if she just had some coffee and time to clear her head.
When he pulled up to his house that had a beach-style look to it, with several wings on the sides and tall glass windows in one area, Julie sighed and said, “That is a beautiful house, Noah.”
“I like it,” he said, and she could see the surge of pride that he rightfully should have being able to buy a home like this that had several wings and three floors and a back deck that led to a path down to the Sound. “Want to walk by the water?”
“Yes, I’d love that.”
Instead of going inside, they followed a flagstone path around the side of the house to the back and then down a mild slope to the Sound beach. It was narrower than the ocean beach, but more private, which Julie liked right now. Noah took her hand as they looked out across the blue expanse. She took off her shoes and he did the same, carrying them as they stepped in and out of the low waves during their stroll.
Although Julie could be a bubbly talker at times, especially when she was nervous, she had always been able to be quiet around Noah. One of the first things she’d liked about being with him was that he did not mind silence and did not try to fill it when it occurred. Walking along with him today reminded her of so many treasured moments they’d had when they sat together in her apartment, musing or just “feeling the space” as she used to put it when she’d brought a new piece for the living room.
But today, despite the beautiful stretch of blue to look at and the warm sun and sand, there was an added awkwardness to their silence. How could there not be after all this time and all the unanswered questions?
At the wedding party when Julie had told him she did not want to talk about Molly’s father, she had promised she would tell him soon. Was he expecting her to open up about that today? She still was not ready.
So she started talking about the wine and The Blue Albatross, and by the time they got back to the house, her mind was spinning. When they went inside, she looked around at this place that was Noah’s home and she scampered from room to room oohing and ahhing.
“As you can see, I don’t have your artistic eye,” Noah said. “Or that much furniture.”
“I think the place looks wonderful. It’s so sunny and airy. And I love the stone fireplace.” She turned to face him. “It’s very you, Noah.”
“Whatever that means.”
They stared at each other and the heat between them soared. Suddenly she was in his arms. Who moved first or farthest, she was not sure, but when their lips met, she could swear fireworks went off inside her. She hadn’t planned this and doubted he had either. Her guess had been that they would take it slow, maybe give each other a chaste kiss when she left.
But now that Julie was in his arms, she wanted all of him.
