Bittersweet Junction Read online

  It was eerie. Three days before graduation, he saw her dashing out of her house as if chased by the devil just like she was now. He had been on his way to meet up with Mike but as he passed Julia’s house and he saw her, their eyes met through the windshield. She looked scared and lost, a pale image of her usually confident self. He automatically stopped the car. He wasn’t surprised when she made her way to the passenger side of his car and slid inside.

  “I need to get out of here, Ben. Don’t ask me about it. Just drive.”

  Ben didn’t need to be told twice. He put the car in drive and did what she asked. Mike would have to wait.

  Mike didn’t know about what happened between Ben and Julia that night, and Ben intended to keep it that way. He didn’t think that Julia told Mike either. She ran out of town before he could even try talking to her so that he could make sense of it himself. Now it had been so long he didn’t know what he would say or if it even mattered.

  His cell phone buzzed in his pocket, and Ben dug it out. He saw Mike’s number on the display. “What’s up?”

  “She’s back,” Mike’s voice sounded strained. “She knows.”

  “It was kind of inevitable, Mike,” Ben said. He felt bad for Julia. A lot of things had changed since she had been gone. She probably felt sucker punched when she found out that her little sister was about to marry her high school sweetheart. “I still don’t understand why you guys didn’t tell her before now.”

  “Clary wanted to tell her in person,” Mike said. “I tried to tell her it was a bad idea, but she insisted that she wants Jules to be her maid of honor. This is going to be the most messed up wedding ever, isn’t it? You need to help us out, Ben. She’ll listen to you.”

  Ben saw the slight form in his rear view mirror cross the street and then lean heavily on a small red compact car. She buried her head in her hands, and her long auburn hair shielded her face from view. He put his foot on the brake. It was just like Mike to ask Ben to run interference with Julia on his behalf.

  “It’ll be fine. You both just need to back off and give her time to get used to the idea,” Ben said. “Look, I gotta go. I told Maggie I’d be back an hour ago.”

  “C’mon, Ben. I’m sure you’d like to see her too. Rehash the good old days. She can’t leave. It’ll ruin everything for Clary. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t trying to keep my bride-to-be happy. Do it for Clary.”

  Ben hated it when Mike played the guilt card. He knew that Ben thought of Clary like a little sister. It was hard not too. She tried tagging after the three of them wherever they went. After Julia left, Ben stepped in to watch over Clary because he figured that’s what Julia would want.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” he said.

  “You’re the best. I’ll tell Clary you’re going to stop by to talk to Julia. Thanks, Ben. Later,” Mike said.

  Ben was grateful when Mike disconnected and he didn’t have to admit that he was already outside the Bell house. Mike would find that strange and start asking questions that Ben didn’t want to answer.

  What Ben said about his sister Maggie expecting him back at work was true. His loose excuse to leave wasn’t intended to buy him anything more than enough time to drive past the Bell house, and he was way over that limit now. But he felt the invisible tug that only meant one thing. Julia needed him. He wheeled the car around, and moments later he slowed to a stop. He was less than ten feet away from her, but still Julia didn’t turn around even though she had to have heard the car. He rolled the window down.

  “So the prodigal daughter returns.”

  Her head come up, and she whirled around. Ben saw tears glistening in her emerald eyes. Then a soft smile flitted across her lips. “Well, well. What a surprise.”

  Ben wasn’t sure what he expected her to say, but he was glad that she wasn’t throwing something at him. The tentative smile though was equally unsettling. He had no idea what to say next.

  “I assume you’ve been sent to talk me into staying,” she said

  It was uncanny her ability to predict the actions of her family and friends. He understood better than anyone the swirl of emotions that she must be experiencing at that moment. Five years may have passed. She was different and so was he, but they had been best friends from that first day of kindergarten until the day she left. He could see in her eyes that she needed a friend and, just like that, he fell into his old role.

  “I’m not here to talk you into anything. In fact, you probably haven’t heard, but I’m the new Welcome Wagon. Get in. I’ll show you around town, and you can see what you’ve missed since you’ve been gone.”

  He expected her to laugh at his joke, but she didn’t. Instead, Julia glared over the hood of his Jeep at her old house. “Apparently I’ve missed a lot of things.”

  “You need some time to calm down. It’s a lot to take in. C’mon. Get in.” Ben knew that he was supposed to be heading back to work, but he couldn’t resist the idea of spending time alone with Julia. Almost every good memory he had of his childhood had her in it, and Ben craved some of that happiness in his life again.

  Julia crossed her arms. “I’m not staying. You’re not going to change my mind on that. This is a train wreck waiting to happen.”

  Ben shrugged and tried another tack. “Your dad won’t be home until later, and I’m sure you want to see him before you go. You drove all this way. It looks to me like your options are going back inside to hang out with your sister, or taking a ride with me.”

  It worked like a charm. Julia was inside his car ten seconds later. “I’m never speaking to Clary again,” she said sullenly.

  Ben didn’t hesitate to hit the gas. He glanced over at Julia and saw that she was deep in thought staring out the window. It struck him again how lovely she looked with her hair curled around her shoulders framing her pale skin. Ben gulped and turned his eyes back to the road.

  “I need a drink,” Julia declared.

  Ben grinned. That was something he could do and would keep him out of trouble with Maggie. Double bonus. “That I can help with.”

  The silence stretched on for several minutes after that as Ben tried to concentrate on navigating the road in front of him instead of looking at the woman next to him. He had a million questions for her, but his tongue didn’t seem capable of any further movement.

  “What’s your story, Ben? You married yet?”

  The question directed at him was unexpected, but then he realized that she would have weddings on her mind. He guessed it was a reasonable assumption on her part, but still it annoyed him. Did she think he’d get over what happened between them so easily?

  “Nope,” he replied. “I’ve been too busy.” It was some semblance of the truth.

  “I always thought you’d go off to college, and some girl would swoop you up. You were always one of the good guys,” Julia said.

  Ben winced. That reputation plagued him through his entire school career, and despite what girls said, they didn’t want a good guy. They wanted the dark, mysterious, rebel guy who made big promises and then broke their hearts. Either that, or they wanted a guy like Mike, popular, handsome, and the town’s star athlete. They didn’t want the guy who offered a shoulder to cry on, got good grades, and was always there for them. It was Ben’s curse.

  “Marriage is not something I’m interested in right now,” Ben said. “How’s the job, Jules?” He knew that he could pretend not to know what Julia had been up to for the last five years, but it was a small town and everyone talked. Jack Bell bragged about the fact that Julia started a consulting business to anyone who was within earshot.

  “It pays the bills,” she said. A long sigh that seemed to drag out to the depths of her soul erupted from her lips. “I feel like I’m dreaming right now.”

  Ben wanted to reach out and take her hand, but that would feel too close to that night five years ago when he made the mistake that cost him his best friend. He felt like he had a small window of opportunity to course correct that moment of insan
ity, and so it was better to proceed with caution.

  “You’ll have a drink and things will settle in your mind,” he said. He spun the wheel into the parking lot of Bruiser’s Spot and navigated to an opening at the back. The Thursday afternoon happy hour was already in full swing.

  “Is the whole town here?” Julia asked, looking around at all the cars. “I’d rather go somewhere quiet. I’m not interested in any reunions.”

  “I bet nobody will even recognize you,” Ben said, cutting the engine. “Besides, we’re already here.”

  Julia shook her head. “No, I don’t want to go in there.”

  He got out and leaned against the doorframe peering in at her. “What are you, chicken?”

  “That crap doesn’t work on me anymore, Ben. We’re not ten years old,” Julia snapped.

  “I’m going in to get a drink. I’ve had a long day too. You’re welcome to join me,” Ben said. Then he shut the door and started to stroll leisurely across the parking lot. A few seconds later, he heard the slam of a car door and smiled. Julia may have changed in many ways, but at least some things were the same.

  She caught up with him easily. “You’re an ass.”

  Ben couldn’t help himself. He threw his arm lightly around her shoulders. “I missed you too.”

  When she stopped in her tracks, Ben’s arm slid back down to his side. She looked up at him with a serious expression on her face. “Look, I’m sorry about how I left things between us.”

  Ben could feel his heart begin to pound in his chest. Part of him wanted to hear what else she was going to say, but the other part of him wanted to leave it alone. He didn’t want to hear that Mike had been the love of her life, and he had caught her at a vulnerable moment when her guard was down. He couldn’t stand to think that she regretted what happened between them. It might be better leaving some things in the past where they belonged.

  He forced a nonchalant smile on his face. “Jules, that was a long time ago. It’s ancient history. You shouldn’t be worrying about me anyway. You have enough on your plate.”

  Ben wasn’t sure, but something that he imagined was relief flitted her face. She let out a loud breath and wiped her hand across her forehead. “Okay, I agree. No sense in digging up things that don’t matter anymore.”

  He nodded but turned his head so she couldn’t see the smile on his face begin to crack. Of course, it wouldn’t matter to her. He hated that it still mattered to him. Then he felt the buzz of his phone in his pocket. Maggie was probably starting to freak out about where he was, especially with how packed the bar appeared to be.

  “I’ll buy you a drink, and we’ll catch up,” Ben said, cocking his head toward the bar entrance. “Whatever you want to know about what’s going on in this town, I’ll tell you. You have five years of gossip to catch up on.”

  “Is Ms. Beasley still sneaking across the street to Mr. Jacobsen’s and trying to pretend they don’t have anything going on?” Julia asked with a sly grin.

  Ben welcomed the distraction. “She wasn’t willing to admit anything until Mrs. Hadley started hanging around Mr. Jacobsen too.”

  “What?” Julia laughed. “Mrs. Hadley is ten years older than Mr. Jacobsen!”

  “There are only so many prospects for the older crowd,” Ben said. He kept mum on the fact that Norma Beasley had taken up calling on Jack Bell of late. If Julia did stick around, she’d find that out on her own soon enough.

  Julia slipped her arm into his and Ben started to walk again before she could see the surprise on his face. It was just like old times, except everything was different.

  CHAPTER THREE

  She had been in town for less than two hours and she was already on Ben Miller’s arm looking for mischief. It didn’t matter that it was just a drink to take her mind off much weightier issues. Ben proved to be her willing partner in crime in the past. It seemed only fitting that he appeared when she needed someone to help her make sense of everything Clary dumped on her. She needed to take the edge off before she did something really dumb.

  Julia wasn’t naïve to think that she and Ben didn’t have some unresolved issues of their own. Over time, she realized that she had taken advantage of their friendship. He seemed unaware of her current discomfort around him. Ben’s muscular chest and trim waist hadn’t escaped her notice either. She felt his bicep flex as she gripped his arm and it made her shiver. He had always been attractive to her in a platonic way, but then her eyes were opened to his appeal in a totally new way that night he offered her a ride to cool off right before graduation.

  She realized that she held her breath as Ben led her into the bar. Bruiser’s Spot used to be called Tiki’s Pub and was an eyesore on the edge of town. The outside had been redesigned, and inside she was surprised to see that despite the trappings of a sports bar with TVs displaying scores and highlight reels, the place was otherwise clean and tastefully decorated.

  The stools lining the bar on the far end of the room were almost all taken and the tables and booths throughout the rest of the large room were similarly occupied. She was glad that even though it was busy, no one seemed to be paying attention to the door. Julia had no desire to take a walk down memory lane with people from her past.

  “I’ll be damned!” A familiar voice cut through the din as they closed in on the bar and Julia cringed. She didn’t have a chance to catch her breath before a diminutive form with mile high platinum blond curls pulled her into a tight embrace. “Julia Bell! I can’t believe it!”

  “Hey, Mags,” Julia managed to sputter. For a small woman, Maggie Miller was strong. Maggie released her and Julia sucked air back into her lungs gratefully. “How have you been?”

  “I wish I’d known you were coming! Leave it to Ben to keep me in the dark. No wonder he hasn’t been answering my texts and calls. Sorry, Jules, but we need him in the back for a few minutes.”

  “In the back?” Julia looked at Ben inquisitively.

  “Mags and I bought this place a few years ago. She runs the front, and I manage the kitchen,” Ben said with a small shrug.

  “Wow, that’s great, Ben” The news was bewildering. Ben was valedictorian of their class and was accepted at every college where he applied. She hadn’t expected to find him in town at all, or that he had settled down there permanently. Of the three of them, Ben had been the most likely to have a shot at getting out of Benton Hill for good. Still, if she was honest, it was a more than pleasant surprise that he was still around. From the moment that she headed back to Benton Hill, there was a part of her that hoped to see Ben while she was there.

  “Can’t Beez cover for me?” Ben said.

  “We’re way behind,” Maggie said. “Go get him caught up. I’ll keep Jules company until you get back.”

  “Yea, it’s okay, Ben,” Julia said. It probably wasn’t a bad idea to have a little bit of space. Despite her nonchalant attitude, seeing Ben spun up a whole other set of emotions that she felt unprepared to deal with because she was ashamed and embarrassed. She had treated him horribly.

  Ben looked uncertain, but then a crashing noise in the back drew his attention. “I’ll be right back. This won’t take long.” Then he strode toward the back of the room.

  Julia watched him go, her eyes straying to his backside. She couldn’t help but notice that she wasn’t the only woman in the room watching Ben’s departure. She blushed when she realized that Maggie was watching her intently.

  “It’s been a long time,” she said, clearing her throat.

  Maggie flung her thumb at the bar. “Pony up to the bar. I’ll get you a drink. On the house of course.”

  Julia followed Maggie across the room, and felt the eyes follow her. That was one thing she hadn’t missed in her escape to the city. In a small town, everyone was constantly in everyone else’s business. She was sure that running out on her family and Mike had caused quite a stir in the local gossip circles. She could just imagine what everyone thought now that her little sister was about to marry him.


  Julia settled on the bar stool at the end and ordered a rum and coke. She ducked her head trying to keep out of sight. She didn’t want to run into anyone else that she used to know. She had enough to deal with, and she had no idea how to act if someone asked her about Clary and Mike.

  “So where do you disappear to, Jules?” Maggie asked as she poured Julia’s drink.

  Maggie was Ben’s older sister by six years. She babysat Julia and Clary when they were little. Maggie had always been a little wild, and Julia thought that was the reason that Ben was even keeled and studious. Someone had to keep the crazy people in his life in check.

  “I live in Minneapolis,” Julia said, although she was sure that Maggie already knew that. “Things are good.” She was deliberately vague.

  “I take it you’re back for Clary’s wedding?” Maggie pushed the drink across the bar.

  Julia took a quick swallow. “Something like that,” she said evasively. For the last fifteen minutes, she had been trying to forget the entire situation. Being around Ben helped. He had the uncanny knack of knowing just what to say when she was upset. She realized that she missed him more than she thought. Friends like Ben were hard to come by. That’s what made considering changing that dynamic with him five years ago so scary.

  “Everyone around here is buzzing about the wedding,” Maggie said. “For obvious reasons, I’m sure you understand. Even though Mike and Clary have been together forever, lots of folks still remember that he started out dating you.”

  One of the things that Julia had always liked about Maggie was that she didn’t sugarcoat anything. Today, it was a characteristic she didn’t appreciate. “I’m sure it’s the event of the century.”

  A shot glass of amber liquid appeared next to her highball glass, and Julia looked up into Ben’s solemn blue eyes. He glared at his sister. “Get out of here, Mags. Leave Jules be for a minute.”