Free C.J. Urban - Julie Townsend 01 - Hidden Intent by C.J. Urban

of relatively calming music in. He knew visiting Jacob Leigh had been a real ordeal for Julie. The hospital, the hostile patient, everything. So he let her be, and soon she fell asleep.
    Skye kept glancing at her, thinking how beautiful she was. Beautiful, smart, brave. He shook his head, amazed at how life could change on a dime. A week ago, he wouldn’t have imagined it, yet there she was, right beside him.
    Julie stirred when they pulled into Gloria’s driveway, and she saw that Gloria and Sam were sitting on a red and blue checkered blanket, having a picnic on the lawn. She and Skye got out of the truck and walked over to them.
    “Looks like you’ve been having a good time,” Julie said, looking down at them.
    “Yeah, Gloria is awesome. Can I come over every day?”
    “I think we need to give Gloria a break.”
    “Anytime you need a sitter, just ask,” Gloria said. “He was wonderful.”
    “Hey Julie, can Skye and Gloria come over for dinner?” Sam asked suddenly.
    This is one of the things Julie wasn’t used to yet when it came to Sam. He wasn’t particularly adept at controlling what came out of his mouth.
    “Well, we have to find out if they’re free first,” Julie said, feeling cornered. She hadn’t been planning on having any guests over, and wasn’t really ready to entertain.
    “I’m sorry, Sam, but I have a previous engagement,” Gloria said.
    “I’m free though,” Skye said. He then knelt down to Sam’s eye level. “If my mom doesn’t come, am I still invited?”
    Sam gave the question some serious thought. “Yeah, you can come.”
    “Excellent,” Skye said. “Anything you’d like me to bring, Julie?”
    “Could you bring bread? That’s the one thing I don’t have, and Sam loves it. Especially if it’s garlic bread.”
    “Sure thing. Let me take you guys back to your car, and I’ll go pick some up.”
    They reached the hardware store and Skye pulled up next to Julie’s truck. “What time should I be at your house?” he asked Julie as she and Sam got into her truck.
    “Let’s make it six o’clock,” she said, checking her cell phone for the time. “That’ll give me a good hour.”
    “Soun ds great, I’ll see you at six.”
    Skye was elated at having an opportunity to spend more time with Julie. He couldn’t help wanting to be around her, getting to know her better. The way she looked when she smiled made his heart skip a beat every time.
    Skye headed for the only grocery store in Dupont. It wasn’t busy, and he was in and out of the tiny store within minutes, clutching two loaves of freshly baked garlic bread. It was only 5:15 when he got home, so he turned on the oven and stuck the bread inside to keep it warm, and then settled into his favorite brown leather chair, waiting, and thinking.
    Skye understood Julie’s interest in the murder, although he was a little uneasy that she might get herself into trouble. After all, Tara had been Julie’s cousin. And, they were finding more and more evidence to support Julie’s theory.
    She’s got a bold spirit , he thought to himself. And he was impressed by her devotion to Sam. He knew it couldn’t be easy on her to be a mother figure to him, when she was also dealing with the loss of her parents herself.
    Skye checked his watch again and saw it was nearing six, so he grabbed the bread from the oven and left his apartment, arriving at Julie’s house right on time. He knocked on Julie’s door and came face to face with Sam.
    “Hey Sam,” Skye said, putting the bread quickly behind his back. “I brought something I think you’re really going to like.”
    Sam peered around Skye and sniffed the air. “Garlic bread?”
    “Yep,” Skye said as he pulled it out from behind his back.
    “Awesome,” Sam exclaimed as Skye handed it to him.
    Skye walked into the entryway and closed the door behind him. “Is she in the kitchen?” he asked Sam.
    “Hey Skye,” said a soft female voice to his left. Skye smiled and turned