They gathered around the large marble counter top in the kitchen where Jillian had set up snacks. Julie didn't feel very hungry but felt she better eat so she wouldn't come off as being rude.
"So Julie, Nicky says you work at the lab in Vegas," Jillian inquired more about her job.
"Yeah I process crimes scenes and specifically focus on blood spatter analysis when needed but also assist with interrogating suspects, gathering evidence and what not" she explained as simplistic as she could so as not to alarm them with the horrors of her work.
"Tell them how we first got together," Nick insisted, leaning back in his chair at the counter wearing a smug grin.
"Oh well it was really funny," Julie gushed happily "we spent a lot of time combing through dumpsters looking for evidence and goofing around when no one was looking, and then after this one case, we were joking around about chivalry and he still made me climb in that last dumpster and that's when I knew I loved him."
She smirked at Nick, recalling that hilarious moment.
"And then," Julie continued "he was so sweet to me after my coma that we-
There was an uproar; cries of shock making Julie jump, startled.
"Coma?" Jillian shrieked. "What coma?"
"The one I was stuck in for a few weeks, two years ago?" Julie explained, confused by their confusion, glancing at Nick, searching for help.
"I'm sorry," Nick said hastily "I should have told you guys, but it was kind of our business and I didn't want to burden you guys with that stress."
"Well how the heck did it happen?" Jessica asked now.
Julie didn't know how to explain what horrors had been unleashed on her to Nick's family but she took a deep breath and explained, all about Gig Harbor, the cases, the attack, waking up, recovering. She talked straight through, fearful that if she stopped talking; her emotions would get the best of her and embarrass her in front of his family.
"Those were really tough days at first," she concluded "but Nicky was my rock, he took care of me, he let me know that it was okay to feel hurt and confused, he helped me get through therapy so that I could work again, he never let me quit even when I wanted to, I couldn't have gotten through that time without him."
She stopped to address the stares that Jillian, Bill and Jessica were giving her.
"She's amazing," Nick praised Julie, squeezing her shoulders "and that's why we're here, so you can celebrate with us when we get married."
The second uproar was just as loud as the first. But this time, only Jillian and Jessica shrieked in shock.
"Oh honey congratulations," Jillian squealed happily.
"About time," Jessica said, reaching across the table to punch Nick's arm.
"Let me see the ring," Jillian said, reaching eagerly now for Julie's hand.
Julie flashed the ring, happy to do so at any opportunity.
"It's beautiful," Jillian sighed "isn't this great dear?"
She glanced at Bill who had remained silent during this chaos.
"Well yeah, I guess," he said, pausing to sip from his coffee mug "if you like rushed weddings."
"It's not rushed," Jillian said, lightly smacking Bill's arm in protest of his words "they've been dating for two years."
"Yeah, only after she got out of that coma," Bill said nodding at Julie nonchalantly, "seems kinda rushed to me, you barely know each other."
"Come on dad," Nick said "it's not like that."
But Julie couldn't shake the feeling that Bill was not convinced.
After the awkward lunch in the lavish kitchen, Nick gave Julie a tour of the house. It was full of rooms where guests could stay but some of the childhood belongings of Nick and his sisters remained. Julie immersed herself in photos of him as a child that hung on the walls along the winding hallway and stairwell. It was the first time she had seen pictures of him as a child and she couldn't help but gush over how adorable he was.
"You're so cute," she giggled at a photo of him dressed in full cowboy gear and it wasn't even Halloween.
Nick enjoyed her excitement in the moment and was relieved that some of the tension and awkwardness had subsided. The last place he showed her was the loft space which boasted a large couch, bookshelf, view into the kitchen below, a solid wood railing ensconced the whole thing and a large bay window was set just at the height of the porch roof.
"I used to sneak out that window to go to parties, down to the river for bonfires, you name it, I was sneaking out to get to it," Nick enticed her with his stories.
"Down to the river?" she repeated, "that is so incredibly Texas, it hurts."
She grinned at her smart remark and he rolled his eyes.
"Say what you want about Texas," Jessica's voice floated from behind them "but I think you like the "so incredibly Texas" thing I have planned for you two tomorrow."
"Is it horses?" Julie asked now, recalling Nick telling her about his sister's work with them.
"You bet," Jessica confirmed "I've got some new ones coming in real early for pampering and relaxation before we start training them for the therapy folks and I could use some help in the stables, think you're up for it?"
"Oh yes, definitely!" Julie gushed, feeling truly excited now for the first time in hours.
She had always wanted a horse ever since she was little but living in suburban Philadelphia and then bustling Seattle, horses were hard to find.
"Sounds great," Jessica said "see you tomorrow, six am sharp."
The early wake up call did not diminish Julie's spirit. In their guest bedroom that evening, she made sure to lay out her clothes beforehand and set an alarm just in case. But her excitement at finally getting a chance to be close to horses made it difficult for her to sleep. Nick could feel her tossing and turning restlessly throughout the night. So it was no surprise that when he woke up early the next morning, she was already awake and standing at the window, staring out it with an eager but tired gaze.
"What are you doing babe?" he asked her.
"Waiting for your sister," she explained quietly, her face inches from the window glass, craning her neck trying to see through the hazy early morning fog that was spread across the large property.
Nick smiled, loving her enthusiasm and excitement after a rocky start to their trip. She had dressed down in clothes suitable for working with his sister in the stables; jeans, a dark blue shirt and tennis shoes. When Julie spotted the pick up truck carrying the horse trailer through the foggy mist, she jumped up and cried "She's here, they're here, I'm going."
She raced over to the bedside to kiss him goodbye before bounding out the door. It took Nick a few more minutes to feel awake and energized like her before he got dressed and followed her downstairs. His mother was it the kitchen making coffee but he didn't see Julie.
"Morning," Jillian greeted him in a soft whisper.
"Where's Jules?" he asked now.
Jillian just smiled and pointed to the front porch where Nick could see Julie standing, leaning over the railing, straining to see the horses in the fog. Nick joined her on the porch, hugging her from behind, rocking her gently.
"Look at them!" she gushed pointing across the yard where she could see Jessica and her handlers guiding the horses of the trailer and into the barn "aren't they beautiful?"
"They are gorgeous," he agreed, thinking only of her in the moment.
"You don't have to stay back here," he reminded her now "you can get closer."
"I don't want to scare them," she said worriedly.
"You won't," Nick assured her, reaching for her hand to hold now "come on."
He guided her gently off the porch and across the yard to the barn where Jessica was waiting. She had several farmhands and trainers bustling around the barn, checking each horse into its own stable. When Jessica spotted them approaching, she called out "Looking good guys."
Jessica introduced her team to Nick and Julie, most of the trainers already knew Nick from previous visits.
"So," Jessica said, clapping her hands together eagerly "ready to work?"
"Yes ma'am," Julie said politely.
"All right," Jessica said "grab some work boots from the shelf there, some gloves if you want them, we are gonna clean the stables, make sure everyone's got food and water and just spend some quality time with them, get them used to people."
Julie dove right into the supply area nearby, hastily ripping off her shoes and replacing them with rubber work boots. Nick was still hovering near the barn entrance.
"You sticking around?" Jessica asked him.
"Nah, dad wants my help replacing some of the fence around the property." Nick said "it'll be just you and Jules, is that okay babe?"
He glanced around for Julie but she had already scampered off to the closest stable with one of Jessica's trainers and was gently petting a horse. She would never even notice him sneak away to help his father.
As the sun rose and the fog broke, Julie, Jessica and the trainers had cleaned out all the stables, filled the troughs with food and water and giving the horses lots of attention and praise. Julie focused on learning their names, their history and the types of people who visited the stables. Jessica told her stories about young kids and adults with special needs who benefited from spending time with the horses. How some visitors were recovering from addictions and their recovery was aided through the horses and learning to care for them.
"They give people hope you know?" Jessica concluded her speech and Julie smiled, loving the passion she had for the horses and the patients who came here.
By late afternoon, Nick and his father had finished most of the fence repairs and Nick returned to the stables to check on Julie. He spotted her, petting a different horse than she had been when he left. He watched her sneak the horse a carrot, smiling when he saw the horse nudge her for more which she happily obliged, unable to resist giving the horse a quick kiss on the nose. She was so immersed in caring for them, talking to them, and making sure she did a good job in helping Jessica, she didn't even notice Nick enter the barn.
"How'd she do?" he asked Jessica who had noticed him standing there.
"She's a natural," Jessica told him "every single one of them was calm with her, she worked hard, got all the jobs done, and she's a real sweetheart, you know I bet my babies would have been good therapy for her after that coma, why didn't you bring her around back then?"
"I wanted to," Nick said "but she was still recovering and the doctors wanted her travel limited, she was exhausted all the time, I couldn't risk bringing her here and making her feel worse."
"I get it," Jessica said "poor kid, but you can't even tell looking at her now, can you?"
Nick watched again as Julie pet the horse in the next stable, giggling when it too nudged her for more carrots.
"No, you can't," he finally agreed, proud of how far they had come in getting Julie back to her normal self.
Julie happened to tear her gaze away from the horse and noticed Nick at last. She bounced back up to him, gushing happily about her day and all she had learned.
"It was so much fun," she concluded, breathlessly.
"I'm glad you had fun," Nick said, tenderly wiping away a few smudges of dirt from her face.
"Thank you so much," Julie turned to Jessica now, grateful for the experience.
"Oh no problem," Jessica said "you're a natural, you know, if you want, you can ride one of them."
"Really?" Julie asked, stunned momentarily, twisting her hands together nervously "are you sure?" I love them, they are so sweet but I don't know anything about riding."
"It'll be easy," Jessica said "I'll be right with you the entire time, what do you say?"
Julie glanced at Nick, silently asking for his thoughts on the matter. He was slightly worried about her falling and hurting her head, but he couldn't deny her this small joy after all the hard work she had done today.
"Go for it," he encouraged and she smiled.
Jessica helped Julie pick out the calmest horse, set up the saddle and reigns and show Julie how to carefully get up on the horse. Once Julie was sitting on the horse, Jessica guided her gently out into the open field. Julie was nervous at first, clutching the reigns tightly but as they slowly maneuvered around the pen, she felt more at ease and eventually loosened her grip on the reigns, relaxing with the motions of the horse trotting casually around the pen. After five trips around the pen, Jessica and Julie returned to the stables. Julie shakily slid off the horse, happy for the experience but also happy to be back on solid ground.
"Thank you," she whispered to the horse, leaning gently against him in a sideways hug.
Nick felt his heart ache when he saw her do that.