Bittersweet Junction Read online

  Bittersweet Junction

  Ivy Sinclair

  CHAPTER ONE

  As she passed the tall single silo with the smiley face on it, she felt as if it taunted her. It was only another fifteen miles to the edge of the small town of Benton Hill, IA. The silo was one of those landmarks that seemed to stand the test of time. For as long as she could remember, it served as a visual reminder that she was almost home. Today, instead of that thought comforting her, it made Julia Bell feel sick to her stomach.

  The day after she graduated from high school, Julia ditched Benton Hill like a bad habit and escaped to Minneapolis, sure that her destiny hid behind the smog of her reality at the time. She never made any plans to come back, even though she knew in the back of her mind something would eventually snare her and force her hand. She staved off the inevitable for five years. It should have been more than enough time, but now she wasn’t sure if there was such a thing.

  Julia snatched her cell phone off the seat next to her and glared at the screen. The one bar mocked her. “Damn BFE,” she grumbled. She dialed Clary’s number and drummed her fingertips on the steering wheel waiting to see if she’d get lucky. After a pause that felt like eternity, she heard the dial tones kick in.

  After several rings, her sister’s voicemail picked up. “You have reached the voicemail of Clary Bell. I can’t come to the phone right now. Please leave a message after the tone, and I’ll return your message as soon as I can. Have a great day!” Clary’s perky voice sounded younger than her twenty-one years, and it grated on Julia’s nerves. It wasn’t natural. Her sister was born one of those happy people.

  “Clary, it’s Jules. I’ll be in town in fifteen minutes. I guess I’ll go by the house unless you guys are still at the hospital. I’m freaking out about Dad. Call me back.” Julia hit the disconnect button. Alternating waves of panic and anger swept over her. Since Clary’s breathless voicemail six hours before telling her that their father was taken to the hospital for chest pain, she had been waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  Unable to reach Clary after her sister left the message, Julia had no choice but to throw a suitcase in the trunk of her car and head for Benton Hill. Clary sent two vague text messages asking how far away she was but then she didn’t respond to any of Julia’s follow-up phone calls or texts. Julia cursed that she hadn’t been able to talk her father into keeping his cell phone.

  Jack Bell turned fifty the year before, and Julia was sure he delighted in driving her crazy acting like an old fogey even though he was a man in his prime. Although she had barely seen him in five years, they spoke over the phone twice a week. Since selling his business six months ago, he retreated from technology and told her that he was going back to his old school roots. He canceled his cell phone and Facebook account. Clary said that he refused to go online for anything. If it wasn’t accessible from the home landline, he said it wasn’t worth it.

  Her father was living the life of a dinosaur on the brink of extinction. The idea of a world without him was driving Julia out of her mind, and she wondered if his behavior had been hiding a completely different reason. That was what brought her to the border of Benton Hill, speeding toward the house and the memories that she vowed to avoid like the plague. She planned her route around Main Street just like she used to in high school, lurking in the side streets to hide from the prying eyes of Smalltown, USA. Of course in reality, she was hiding. In that respect, nothing had changed except her reason for covert mission.

  Julia’s car slid up next to the curb outside of 451 Maple Avenue, and for a moment she found that her fingers refused to move to turn off the engine. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to turn the car around and drive back to Minneapolis as fast she could instead of facing the memories she kept at bay.

  She cranked her head toward the house, and it was inevitable that her eyes swung past her childhood home and landed squarely on 453 Maple Avenue. The house next door, owned by the Brewers, looked freshly painted with its robin’s egg blue exterior and white shutters. The grass was green and lush compared to the slightly brown yard with dandelions in her father’s yard.

  Her heart constricted as her gaze settled back on the small white house. Her old home was a one story rambler with antique white peeling paint and a drooping front porch. She found it ironic how much things could change and yet stay the same. Her father never cared for yard work, and it was evident in the curb appeal of the house. Yet it was home. No matter what, it would always be her home. It held a special place inside of her.

  With as much time as she spent in the Brewer’s kitchen next door, watching Mrs. Brewer whip up cookies and pies and other treats for the neighborhood children, Julia always felt as if it was her second home. She had a lot of history with that house as well, including the residents inside of it. She couldn’t think about that yet. Five years was still a long time. Surely Mike Brewer had moved on, just like she had.

  Julia’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. She took a breath and mentally steeled herself. She was there for her father. She’d make sure that he was okay, and then she’d head home, hopefully without any interactions with ghosts from her past. Surely Clary was overreacting about the severity of her father’s condition. The thing that nagged at her was that Clary was always the calm and levelheaded one.

  She climbed out of the car and allowed herself a leisurely stretch that belied the anxiousness that practically made her body hum. Julia forced herself to walk across the street and front yard up the steps to the door. Her shoes felt as if they were made out of cement. With the summer sun still high in the sky, there were no visual clues if anyone was home. She could check the garage in back, but that felt like another delay tactic. When she reached the front door, she wasn’t sure what to do. Did she knock or did she just go inside? It was her home for eighteen years, but yet she felt as if she forfeited her claim to it the day that she left and didn’t come back.

  Julia stood there, mute and frozen, with her hand on the doorknob. Her breathing came in short gulps, and she hoped that she wasn’t on the brink of a panic attack. When the door flew open revealing her baby sister, she felt instant gratitude that she hadn’t been forced to make the awkward decision. She saw Clary’s face, and a wave of emotions rippled over her.

  The only thing that was similar about them was their physical characteristics. Both of them took after their mother with petite frames and auburn hair. Julia was a few inches taller than Clary though and while Julia had emerald green eyes, Clary inherited their father’s hazel color.

  Clary was Julia’s opposite in temperament in almost every way. Where Julia was wild and hot-tempered, Clary was cool and even-keeled. Julia took risks and always followed her own rules. Clary always colored inside the lines. Clary was the good girl while Julia was the bad one. Yet they loved each other fiercely. There was nothing that Julia wouldn’t do for Clary.

  Her sister’s auburn hair was shorter than she remembered, and there was a wariness in Clary’s eyes that was also new. But that wasn’t what stopped her short. As her eyes swept down her sister’s body, she forgot to breathe. The slightly rounded curve of Clary’s belly caused Julia’s concern for her father’s welfare to slip momentarily by the wayside.

  “Jesus Christ, Clary! Why didn’t you tell me?” Instantly she felt horrible. She hadn’t seen Clary in five years and already she was geared up to give her sister a lecture. It appeared to be a lecture that was coming far too late.

  Clary opened the screen door. Her welcoming smile slipped into a grimace. “I’m happy to see you too, Jules. Why don’t you come inside? You don’t want to scare the neighbors.”

  Julia pushed her way into the house, the awkwardness she had felt moments before forgotten as all o
f her attention focused on Clary. “The neighbors have heard worse from me, I’m sure. Clary! What the hell?”

  Clary’s hands settled on her mid-section. She drew herself up to her full five feet two inches and raised her chin. “Let’s have a cup of tea, Jules. I have some brewing on the stove. We have a lot to catch up on.”

  Julia put her hands on her sister’s shoulders ready to shake the information out of her. “Who did this to you? I’m going to give him a piece of my mind! You are only twenty-one years old!”

  Clary sighed and maneuvered herself out of Julia’s grasp. “Jules, I don’t want to argue with you. C’mon back to the kitchen.”

  Julia was outraged at Clary’s evasiveness. She was on her sister’s heels as they moved through the small living room and into the kitchen at the back of the house. Her mind registered the subtle changes in paint color that were likely Clary’s doing, but otherwise the old house looked the same.

  “Does Dad know about this?”

  Clary laughed. “It’s not something I can hide. He is aware.”

  Things were coming too fast for Julia to process. First, she was inside the house that she had abandoned five years ago. She didn’t know if her return would end with a funeral. Then on top of that, her lovely, sweet, pure baby sister was knocked up.

  That didn’t even scratch the surface though. She stood one hundred and fifty yards from the house of her high school sweetheart, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he still lived there and what he thought about her. Then there was their best friend, Ben. She doubted that he even still lived in Benton Hill. She figured he was out there somewhere in the world, starting graduate school at some Ivy League school having long forgotten about her. She sank into the bent metal chair next to the yellow chipped linoleum table that sat in the corner of the kitchen for as long as she could remember. Her mind refused to work. She had to focus.

  Clary moved the teapot off the stove, and a few minutes later set a cup in front of Julia. “Chamomile. Your favorite.” Then Clary settled herself into the chair across from her staring at her expectantly.

  Julia stared at the teacup as if it was going to bite her. “Can you tell me what is going on now, Clary? I feel like I’ve walked into some kind of nightmare.”

  Clary stirred a teaspoon of sugar into her tea. Her posture was stiff, and Julia sensed that there was a tempest of emotions bubbling under the surface of her sister’s calm façade. She watched Clary continue to stir the tea longer than she had to, and then slowly set the spoon down. Clary avoided her eyes.

  “I thought we could use some quiet time to talk, Jules. I have something to tell you, and I’m not sure how you’re going to react to it.”

  Julia felt the blood drain from her cheeks. She reached out and gripped Clary’s hand. The original reason for her mad dash to Benton Hill re-emerged in her mind. “What’s wrong with Dad? Just tell me, Clary. I can handle it.”

  Clary extricated her hand from Julia’s fingers. “Yea, about Dad.”

  “For Christ’s sake, is it that bad?” Julia’s voice cracked and was at least two decibels above what she considered proper. She took a deep breath. Now was not the time for hysterics.

  A visible shudder ran through Clary’s body, and it appeared she had difficulty choosing her words. “Dad’s fine. He’ll be home at six. He plays poker with his buddies at the fire station on Thursday afternoons.”

  Julia felt like her brain short-circuited as she processed Clary’s words. It didn’t make sense. “You left me a message that you thought he had a heart attack this morning.”

  “I lied.” Clary shrugged her small shoulders. “I needed you to come back here so we could talk. I’m not proud of what I did, but I knew that it would take something extreme to get you to come home.”

  “I can’t believe you!” Julia shot to her feet. “I dropped all my work projects. I drove six hours straight to get here thinking my father was about to die. That is just wrong, Clary!” White hot bolts of anger racked Julia’s body. It wasn’t like Clary to do something so cruel. She didn’t think her sister had a manipulative bone in her body. “How could you? Why would you?”

  She expected Clary to burst into tears and beg her forgiveness for her deception. Clary was the consummate peacemaker, never wanting to ruffle feathers or have anyone mad at her. Clary was the warmest and most considerate person that she knew. It was Julia’s small consolation when she left home the day after graduation. She knew that Clary would take care of her dad and that even though they’d both be hurt, Clary would keep it together for both of them and smooth it over.

  Instead of a meek, apologetic reaction, her sister merely stared at her. That was more unsettling than tears or even anger. “You disappeared like a ghost in the night five years ago, Jules. I know you must have had your reasons. Dad and I didn’t push or fuss at you about it. We let you go and figured you’d come home someday. As time went by, it became pretty apparent that wasn’t your intention at all.”

  Guilt bubbled up inside of Julia, but she pushed it back down. “I was eighteen years old. I didn’t need permission to leave. I’ve been busy with work and starting the new company. I just haven’t been able to get away.” She told the same lie so many times that it was automatic.

  The corners of Clary’s mouth tightened, and the expression threw Julia for a loop. This was a side of her sister that she had never seen. The last five years had changed Clary, and Julia wasn’t sure that was a good thing.

  “Look, I’m not going to get into it with you about why you left even though I think you owe me some explanation someday. The point is, I needed you to be here with me this weekend. I knew if I asked you and told you the real reason, you wouldn’t come. In fact, I was afraid you’d never talk to me again.”

  Julia was ready to storm out the door, but there was something in Clary’s tone that kept her feet glued to the floor. She forced herself to listen to Clary’s words and turn them over in her mind. There was an obvious question that Julia had to ask. “What’s going on this weekend?”

  Clary’s face broke out in a shy smile. She clutched her belly again and caressed it lightly. “I’m getting married.”

  Julia collapsed back into her chair. The surprises kept coming, and she wasn’t sure that her heart could stand it. “Married? You’re only twenty-one years old, Clary.”

  “Mom and Dad got married two months after high school graduation,” Clary replied.

  Julia couldn’t even remember Clary ever having a boyfriend. When she left her sister was obsessed with old John Cusack movies and epic fantasy novels. Clary never displayed the slightest bit of interest in boys. She wondered about the kind of guy who could draw Clary out of her shell.

  “This isn’t the 1950s anymore, Clary. You don’t have to get married anymore just because you’re pregnant.”

  Clary rolled her eyes. “We’ve been together for almost three years. He asked me to marry him before I found out I was pregnant, so the baby isn’t the reason we’re getting married. We’re in love, Jules.”

  “Still, you’re young. You have your whole life ahead of you.” Julia’s words were wooden. Talk of marriage and commitment brought up other memories that she wasn’t ready to deal with quite yet.

  “I’m ready to get married. I’ve always wanted to get married and settle down and have a family. I’m not afraid of becoming a mother. I want you to be happy for me, Jules. It’s important to me.”

  Julia realized that everything she knew about her sister was outdated and worn. Somewhere along the way in the last five years, Clary grew a backbone. Julia was dismayed and yet proud at the same time. She needed time to think.

  “When’s the wedding?”

  “It’s on Saturday,” Clary said. “I’d very much like you to stay and be here with me. I feel like you owe me that, Jules.”

  Two days. Julia had two days to figure out if what Clary said was true, or if she was making the biggest mistake of her life. If she was, Julia needed to help her see that. She hop
ed it was enough time. She didn’t have a lot of time to get up to speed.

  Slowly she nodded. “Okay. So who’s the lucky guy?” A swirling feeling of unease rolled through her stomach when she watched Clary avoid her eyes again. “Clary? Is it a big secret or something? Is it somebody I know?”

  Clary sighed, and it sounded like it ripped up her body from the tips of her toes. “I don’t even know how to say this to you. You’re my big sister, and I love you more than anything. I would never do anything deliberately to hurt you. I hope you believe that.”

  Julia stiffened. It couldn’t be. “Tell me.”

  “It’s Mike, Jules, but I need you to understand how it happened…”

  Julia was out of her seat before Clary could finish her sentence. She bolted for the door. She was the one who had made a huge mistake coming home, and unfortunately, karma had arrived to bite her in the ass.

  CHAPTER TWO

  When he saw Julia Bell fly out the front door and stumble down the front steps, Ben Miller was transported back in time. Her hair was longer than it was in high school, but her curves had filled out in a way that immediately took his mind into the gutter. He didn’t know how it was possible, but she was even more beautiful than he remembered. His memories paled beside the vision of her in the flesh.

  Ben didn’t know if she’d recognize him, so he still ducked his head as his car cruised past her house. He overheard Mike and Clary talking about Julia’s arrival that afternoon. His curiosity got the better of him. He made up an errand to get out of work, and then spent an hour telling himself he’d just drive past her house to see if her car was there. If it was, then he’d worry about finding a way to talk to her. He needed to see her to confirm once and for all that she was out of his system.

  Ben, Mike, and Julia. It was the three of them in almost every childhood memory that he had, and it was difficult sometimes to separate where one stopped and another began. Their friendship started the first day of kindergarten. Julia and Mike knew each other already because they lived next door to each other. Julia offered to share her apple slices with Ben, and Mike admired a toy truck Ben smuggled into class. It was a simple start, but one that glued them together for twelve years.