“Huh? You look great.”
“Oh, it’s just, you didn’t sound…”
He looked at her for a long moment, considering. “You look perfect, just…different.”
She was saved from answering by the intercom beeping, advising William that his family had arrived.
CHAPTER 22
William
William gave Juniper’s hand a reassuring squeeze as they rode the elevator to the rooftop terrace. Although she was pretty much an open book to him, generally sharing her thoughts and feelings unreservedly, he was struggling a little to read her at the moment and it bothered him. He let go of the concern for now as they stepped out onto the terrace. A table was set with a snowy white cloth and an elegant setting nestled beneath a shade sail, offering stunning views of the bridge and opera house. His mother, sister and sister’s partner rose to their feet and William’s heart swelled at the chance to finally introduce his family to Juniper. His mother was the first to step forward, a welcoming smile on her face. She looked impeccable as always, her grey hair pulled back neatly in a French knot, her slim form clad in a sleeveless black dress, fancy high heels on her feet.
“Juniper! It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you,” Juniper said, shaking her hand in return. Then Cassie and her partner James came forward and shook hands.
William moved over to his father, who reached out with his left hand, gripping William hard around the wrist. “Help me up, son.”
“Dad, that’s not necessary.”
“Important moment. Help me up.”
His father had that steely note in his voice, even though his speech was slurred, that brooked no argument, so William obeyed, hefting his father to his feet with an arm hard around his waist. He waited until Robert had steadied himself with his walking frame before stepping back slightly to allow Juniper to step forward. Because Robert was mostly paralyzed on his right side and was therefore leaning on his frame with his left hand, it made it impossible for him to shake Juniper’s hand without losing his balance. It was one of the adjustments he’d had to make since the stroke, a new way of navigating these sorts of social situations. William knew that Robert hated it, especially that awkward moment when people first met him and weren’t sure how to greet him, since the habitual handshake was not an option. But Juniper solved that issue easily by stepping right up to him, placing her hands on his shoulders, and pressing a warm kiss to his cheek.
“I’m very pleased to meet you,” she said with a smile.
“Likewise.” Robert was so obviously delighted with her that it warmed William’s heart. He helped his father back into his chair at the head of the table, before taking the seat at his right hand, his mother sitting opposite William. This tag teaming with his mother to look after his father was a familiar routine when William was home. The transition from fully fit, functioning businessman to reliant invalid had struck Robert hard and William tried as hard as he could to inure his father to the worst of it whenever he could. He knew his mother did the same, as evidenced by her current focus on making him comfortable. Once William could see that Robert was settled, he leaned back against the bench seat, layinghis arm along the back of the seat, resting his fingertips lightly on Juniper’s shoulder.
Cassie, sitting at the foot of the table, picked up her wine glass and turning in her chair, said, “So, Juniper, full disclosure here. You’re the first girlfriend of William’s we’ve met in, what is it, Mum? A decade?”
Gwen nodded. “It must be about that long.”
“Lord, wasn’t she a sour faced piece of work. I can’t even remember her name. You’re so much better.”
“Um, thank you.”
“But we have a problem; William has told us barely anything about you. How did you two meet?”
Juniper looked at William, a little stumped. It wasn’t that he deliberately hadn’t told them, it was just that moments after Billy had been born, he’d found out about his father’s stroke. With all that dealing with that had entailed in the months afterwards, it hadn’t really come up. Then when he had met her again, he had kept her to himself. He wasn’t sure exactly why. Maybe at the time, it had just felt too big to share, or too uncertain.
“Well, that’s quite a story, actually,” he said, pouring more wine for himself and Juniper and juice for his father.
“Right, let’s get the entrée served before you start, so we aren’t interrupted,” Gwen said. As they ate an entrée of crisp bread rolls and Vichyssoise, the conversation remained superficial, covering the weather and the upcoming football season. Once they were all finished and the bowls removed, Cassie linked her fingers through James’s, propping her chin on her other hand and looking expectantly at William. He relayed the story, finishing with seeing Juniper on the beach a week or so after returning to Blessed Inlet.
Cassie sighed. “That’s like fate. How beautiful.”
“So, Juniper, what’s his name? You’re little boy?” Gwen asked with a smile.
“William,” she said simply, looking at William with that glow in her eyes that warmed him to his core. “But we call him Billy.”
“He’s named after William, then?” Cassie confirmed.
“He is.”
“This is the best story I have ever heard. I’ll be having words with you later, William Locke, for not sharing it earlier.”
“What’s he like?” Gwen asked.
