Page 18 of The Lake House (Southern Charm #2)

Chapter Eighteen

When they landed on the Gold Coast in Australia, it was early morning on a Thursday. They’d left at night on Tuesday, which meant that Julie had skipped an entire day. She’d never get to live through that day. It was a strange realisation.

When they landed, the weather was cool, but not cold.

It was winter in Australia, but the sun shone in a brand-new day.

It was already high in the sky by seven thirty.

The sky was a brilliant blue, and the world looked brighter than she’d ever seen it.

There was something very different about this land. Excitement electrified her.

They chatted together in anticipation of their adventure as they gathered their luggage from baggage claim and carried it through the very small customs section. From the gate to the exit was a brief walk, and before they knew it, they were standing out in the sunshine, waiting for a taxi.

Everyone around them sounded just like Matilda. Julie immediately loved the accents and found herself smiling uncontrollably.

“What are you grinning about?” James asked her as he pushed sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose.

“I love it here already. I’m supposed to be Australian. I can feel it.”

He laughed. “That’s a good sign. Did you get any sleep?”

“I slept great. And I watched three different movies. I’ve never flown before, so I can’t say this with certainty, but I don’t think I’ll ever want to travel in economy.”

“I hear you on that,” he replied.

It was their turn. A taxi pulled up in front of them, and the driver climbed out. James helped a driver load their luggage into the back of the taxi.

The drive to the hotel was exciting. Julie spent the entire time with the window down, peering out at the sights.

The traffic was heavy but didn’t slow their progress too much.

The air was heating up by the moment, and the sun on her skin felt delicious.

They drove close enough to shore that she could see the beach in the distance briefly, and she definitely smelled the salt in the air.

She’d only ever seen beaches in Florida and North Carolina, so she was excited to visit them. She hoped they’d have ample time.

They wound past palm trees and neighbourhoods, then into a small city with high-rise buildings, restaurants and packed sidewalks. She wound up her window and smoothed back her windblown hair, grinning at James.

“This is so great,” she said.

He smiled. “It’s different from what I thought it’d be.”

“In the best possible way,” she replied with a sigh.

When they reached their hotel, she climbed out of the car and had to strain her neck to see the top of the building. It was very tall. It almost gave her vertigo.

“We’re staying here?” she asked.

James nodded. “It’s called Q1. The tallest building in Surfer’s Paradise.”

“I believe it. I only hope we’re not too close to the top. I’m not sure I’d be able to stand looking out the window.”

She was wrong about that. They were close to the top of the building, and she had no trouble peering out the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined one entire wall.

It was an incredible view. She’d had no idea how close they were to the beach.

It stretched as far as she could see in both directions.

Azure waves curled to shore on brilliantly white sand, so white it was almost blinding from where she stood.

Behind the sand were rolling dunes covered in seagrasses and foliage.

And before that, a wide footpath with ant-sized people strolling, riding bikes and weaving on skateboards.

In either direction, high-rise buildings crowded the shoreline, but quickly petered away into smaller structures.

“This place is called Surfer’s Paradise? Where are the surfers?” she asked.

James squinted beside her. “Those black dots might be them.”

She saw what he was pointing to. “I think you’re right.”

“You’re okay here?” he asked, scanning the room. “I’m right next door if you need anything. I might go get unpacked and have a shower.”

“The room is fantastic.” She looked around.

There was a king-sized bed, a spacious living area with TV, and a luxurious-looking bathroom.

She couldn’t wait to get out of her dirty clothing and under a stream of hot water.

“I’m tired, but we should try to stay awake until tonight so we’re not too jet-lagged. ”

“I agree. I have to go to the conference tomorrow, so I need to get some sleep tonight.”

“We can grab lunch later, if you want,” she suggested.

“That sounds good. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

“Perfect.”

Two hours later, she was resting in bed. Her eyes were starting to drift shut when the phone rang, startling her into wakefulness.

“Are you ready to go? I fell into the deepest sleep and I’m struggling to wake up, but I’m also starving. Want some lunch?”

She blinked a few times and yawned. “I’m up and almost ready. Give me two minutes.”

They found a hibachi restaurant just outside the building. The chef sliced and cooked everything in front of them, even throwing shrimp to James to catch in his mouth. It was delicious and a lot of fun. She hadn’t laughed so much in a long time, and James was a good sport about it all.

After lunch, they paid and wandered outside.

“What should we do now?” James asked.

“I really want to see the beach.”

He smiled. “Let’s go, then.”

It wasn’t hard to find. They walked a couple of blocks, crossed the street, and there it was, stretching out before them.

Julie had changed into sandals and a sundress with a light cardigan over the top. She slipped her feet out of the sandals and held on to them by the straps, then descended the few stairs to the sand. It was cool on her feet. She squished her toes down into it, joy filling her soul.

“That feel good?” James asked, joining her.

“I love the beach. I hardly ever get to go, and I’ve never seen one quite like this. It’s beautiful.”

They set off along the beach without a destination in mind. James reached for her hand as though it was the most natural thing in the world, and they walked that way for half an hour, hand in hand. It was relaxed, and Julie was happy. She had almost forgotten what that felt like.

Back at the hotel, Julie fought diligently against sleep.

She yawned and picked up her Kindle, then got comfortable on the couch with her legs tucked up beneath her.

She had a few hours until dinner. They’d both agreed that they’d just try to get through dinner before collapsing in bed.

After their long walk on the beach, they were exhausted and had gone back to their respective rooms for a rest and to change for dinner.

But she wondered now if they’d given themselves a little too much down time. How on earth would she make it through?

Maybe she should call Stella.

Her heart skipped a beat. The thought of speaking to her biological sister made her breath stick in her throat. She would only be in the country for a week. If she didn’t make the phone call soon, she’d run out of time.

She put the Kindle down and picked up her phone. The number was already saved in her address book. Rita got it from Matilda in the hopes that Julie might use it, and now that she was here, it all seemed so much more real. Nervous flutterings in her stomach made her head light.

The phone rang and she stood to pace, unable to sit still any longer.

“Hello. This is Stella.”

She hesitated.

“Hello?”

Julie inhaled a quick breath. “Hi, Stella. My name is Julie Brown. I’m your sister.”