The Guardian

She put her hands on her hips and studied him. "You know, sometimes I can't help wondering what you'll be like when you grow up."

"I don't think there'll be much chance of that, to tell you the truth."

She laughed, thinking, I like this guy. How could I not?

"Well, I just wanted to drop in to tell you I had a great time last night."

"Me too," he said. "And I'm looking forward to tonight."

"It should be fun."

Their eyes met before Julie glanced at her watch. "But listen, I should probably be going. I've got appointments all morning, and I'm supposed to have lunch with Emma, so I can't fall behind."

"Say hi to Emma for me, will you?"

"Sure," she said. "Have fun today."

"You too."

She winked. "And watch those fingers, will you? I'd hate to think you'll be bleeding all over the engines you work on."

"Ha, ha," he said. Not that he minded being teased. He knew this was her way of flirting with him. Real flirting, not friendly flirting.

And by God, he liked that! He liked that a lot!

They said good-bye, and a moment later Julie was crossing the street with a bounce in her step.

"So it looks like your date went pretty well, huh?" In his hand, Henry held a half-eaten doughnut.

Mike hooked his thumb into his coveralls and sniffed. "Oh yeah," he said. "It went real well."

Henry waved the doughnut and shook his head. "Will you cut the James Dean stuff, little brother? I'm telling you-it's not you. And it can't hide the cross-eyed goofy look in your eyes, either."

"I don't look goofy."

"Goofy. Love-struck. Whatever."

"Hey, I can't help it if she likes me."

"I know you can't. You're just irresistible, aren't you?"

"I thought you'd be happy for me."

"I am happy," he said. "And I'm proud of you, too."

"Why?"

"Because somehow, whatever your plan was, it looks like it worked."

"So what happened with Richard?" Emma asked. "At the bar the other night, it looked like you two were getting along great."

"Oh, you know how it goes. . . . He was nice, but I just didn't feel anything for him."

"I guess it was the way he looked, huh?"

"That part, I'll admit, wasn't so bad," Julie said, and Emma laughed.

They were having salads at the deli, formerly a home in the historic district. Sunlight spread across the table in the corner, collecting in their glasses of tea and making them glow amber.

"I said the same thing to Henry after I got home. I kept asking why he didn't look that way anymore."

"What did he say?"

"He said . . ." Emma sat up in her seat and lowered her voice, mimicking Henry. " 'I don't know what you're talking about, but if I wasn't sure you loved me so much, I'd think you just insulted me.' "

Julie laughed. "You sound exactly like him."

"Honey, when you've been married as long as I've been, you'll find out that it's not all that hard to do. The only thing I'm missing is the waving doughnut."

Julie giggled into her tea, spilling a bit on the table. "But he still makes you happy, right? Even after all this time?"

"Most of the time he's a pretty good guy. Sometimes I want to whack him with the frying pan, but I guess that's normal, right?"

Julie's eyes took on a mischievous gleam as she leaned forward in her seat. "Did I ever tell you I once threw a pan at Jim?"

"You did? When did that happen?"

"I can't remember. I don't even remember what we were fighting about, but I launched that pan right at him. It missed, but I had his attention after that."

Emma's eyebrows went up and down. "Life behind closed doors is always a mystery, isn't it?"

"I'll say."

Emma took a sip of her tea, then started on her salad again. "So what's this I hear about Mike?"

Julie had known this was coming. In lieu of politics or sports or the latest headlines, people in this small town thrived on the goings-on of its citizens.

"That depends on what you heard."

"I heard he asked you out and that you went to dinner."

"Kind of. Actually, I was the one who asked him out."

"He couldn't do it?"

She looked over her glass. "What do you think?"

"Mmm . . . I think he probably froze up like a shallow pond in winter."

Julie laughed. "Pretty much."

"So how was it? What did you do?"

Julie recounted their date, and when she was finished, Emma leaned back in her seat.

"Sounds like it went well."

"It did."

She studied Julie's face for a moment. "And, what about . . . you know . . . Did you think about . . ." She trailed off, and Julie finished for her.

"Jim?"

Emma nodded, and Julie considered it. "Not as much as I thought I would," she said. "And it didn't really bother me at all by the end. Mike and I . . . we just get along so well. He makes me laugh. He makes me feel good about myself. It's been a long time since I felt that way."

"You sound surprised."

"I was. To be honest, I wasn't sure how it would go."

Emma's face softened. "That's no

t surprising. You and Jim were really something. We used to joke about the way you stared at each other when we went out."

"Yeah, we were something," she said, a touch of wistfulness entering her voice.

Emma paused. "How did Mike seem?"

"Fine, I guess. He was pretty nervous, to tell you the truth, but I don't think it had much to do with Jim. I think it had more to do with the date itself."

"Oh, gee, really?"

Julie smiled. "Really. But I had a good time."

"So . . . do you like him?"

"Of course I like him."

"No. I mean, do you like him?"

That's what it came down to, didn't it? Julie thought. In the end, she didn't need to answer; her expression spoke volumes, and Emma reached across the table to squeeze Julie's hand.

"I'm glad. I always figured this was coming."

"You did?"

"I think everyone did, with the exception of you and Mike. It was just a matter of time."

"You never said anything."

"I didn't have to. I figured that you'd recognize the same things in Mike that I do when you were good and ready."

"Like what?"

"That he'll never let you down. That boy's got a heart the size of Kentucky, and he loves you. That's important. Take it from someone who knows. My mom used to tell me that whatever you do, marry someone who loves you more than you love him."

"No she didn't."

"Of course she did. And I listened to her. Why do you think Henry and I get along so well? I'm not saying that I don't love him, because I do. But if I ever left Henry or something, God forbid, ever happened to me, I don't think he'd be able to go on. And the guy would risk his life for mine in a heartbeat."

"And you think Mike's that way?"

"Honey, you can bet your bottom dollar on it."

Julie was still thinking about her lunch with Emma when she left the salon at the end of the day.

Thinking about a lot of things, actually. Especially Jim. No doubt that wasn't Emma's intention, and even Julie couldn't put her finger on exactly why she was feeling as she did, but it had something to do with Emma's comment about her mother. And, of course, Emma's remark about Henry not being able to go on if he ever lost her.