He’d have to tell her the truth about why he left.
CHAPTER 25
Juliette was ready to meet with Rodrigo and Charity. She’d planned and prepared all week. She’d gone over exactly what she was going to say during the tour of the beach house—everything from pictures and portraits to flower arrangements and dressing rooms. Her list of bullet points was flawless. Nothing could take her by surprise. Until her phone rang, and the screen lit up with Gabrielle’s smiling face.
“Hey Gabi.”
“Hi Jules!” Her sister’s voice burst with excitement on the other end of the line. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“I found you a job!”
All of the air pulled from Juliette’s lungs. “You what?”
“A job, Juliette.” Gabrielle laughed, then continued as a horn sounded in the background. “I found you one. Here, in Cali.”
She couldn’t quite understand the words she was hearing. “You found me a job in California?”
“Yes!” Gabrielle squeaked. “I know it sounds crazy, but Jeremiah and I met this woman at one of those galas where they like to honor local military members. We got to talking, and come to find out, she’s the CEO of ColorSpace.”
Juliette gasped and clutched one hand over her chest. “ColorSpace?”
She couldn’t believe it. ColorSpace was a premier interior design company based out of San Diego. It was owned by Hannah Weaver, the queen of colorways. Her design aesthetic was incomparable. Her sense of style was off the charts. She booked out months in advance for consultations and led the way in terms of women-owned businesses. She was exactly the sort of woman Juliette had always strived to become.
“You met Hannah Weaver?” Juliette asked. Her pulse jumped and she tried not to faint.
“That’s her name! She was incredibly kind. Anyway, I was chatting with her and mentioned you, then showed her some of your work.” Gabrielle sucked in a breath, the words spilling from her faster than Juliette could keep up. “She mentioned she’d been looking to hire another designer and she absolutely loves your style. She asked how soon you could come out here for an interview!”
Juliette’s mind was spinning, her thoughts being pulled in every direction. It was like being on a Tilt-A-Whirl at the fair except she couldn’t get off. Dizziness swept through her, making her lightheaded. This was it, the moment she’d been waiting for—the chance of a lifetime. And yet…
And yet Brock was here.
And Vivianne, Adrienne, and Anne-Sophie were here.
And the beach house was here.
“Gabi, this is amazing, and I’m so grateful.” Juliette chewed on her bottom lip, pulling the stack of papers for her meeting with Rodrigo and Charity out of a pretty lavender binder. “But I can’t afford to live in Southern California.”
“You wouldn’t have to,” Gabi said quickly. “You could stay with me and Jeremiah, at least until you get on your feet. We’d have the best time with you out here.”
She didn’t doubt it. But California wasn’t Mystic Cove. And she’d just told Brock she was ready to stay, that she was ready to make an effort in their relationship, that she wanted to try again.
“I don’t know, Gabi. It’s a huge change.” And despite wanting something like this to happen to her for so long, it suddenly sounded terrifying.
“Hannah doesn’t need an answer now, but she will soon. Take a day or two, maybe.” There was a waver of doubt in Gabrielle’s voice. “Just promise me you’ll at least think about it?”
“Of course. Yes.” Juliette sucked in a breath. “I absolutely promise. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“Good. I’m heading in for another shift, so I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay. Love you, Gabi. And thank you.”
“You’re always welcome, and love you more.”
Her sister’s line clicked off, and Juliette stood in the beach house, dumbfounded. Gabrielle had just flipped her entire world upside down, but she had no time to collect her feelings on the matter or even catch her breath because she could already hear voices outside. Rodrigo, Charity, and Anne-Sophie had arrived.
Juliette was prepared for every question Rodrigo and Charity had for her. She was even able to field the ones from Rodrigo’s future mother-in-law. She showed them how the bedrooms would be set up and which ones would connect. She walked them through the ceremony if it was held outdoors on the beach, and how it would look on the main level of the house in case of inclement weather. Not a single detail was overlooked, not one concern wasn’t met with a backup plan.
