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“No one is going to lose me, Sierra. I promise. I’m going to be careful.”

“You’d better be.”

Julia smiled at the woman’s statement. Her stepdaughter had grown so much since she’d arrived. From a spoiled girl who held everyone at arm’s length to a woman who cared deeply for her, she’d morphed into one of her biggest allies and friends.

“I promise. I’m not leaving anyone here, okay? And Ally isn’t going to make me go away either.”

“She’d better not,” Sierra said. “She’s so mean. How can you be related to her?”

“Ally was always the tougher one. But…she’s just…scared, too. And that’s how she reacts to being scared.”

Sierra sniffled before she wiped at her cheeks. “I guess she has some issues, too, huh?”

Julia nodded.

“She shouldn’t point the finger at anyone else, then. She’s sort of crazy, too. Kyle said she told him and Daddy you filed a restraining order against them. That’s crazy.”

“We all tend to do crazy things for the people we love.”

Sierra shrugged. “I guess so. As long as you don’t leave. Also, I’m going to change our massage to be here at the house. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Julia patted her hand and smiled at her. “Whatever you want to do. I meant what I said. I’m not going to hide in the house and let your mother win.”

“Well, we arenotskipping the Mother-Daughter tea.”

“No, we are not. You’ve been looking forward to that, and I don’t want us to miss it.”

Sierra inched forward and wrapped Julia in a hug. “Oh, Step-mommy, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Sierra.”

“If my mom does anything to hurt you, I’ll kill her myself.”

Julia cupped Sierra’s face. “I’m going to be just fine. Now, no more tears, right?”

“Right. I’m not like my mom. You don’t think I am, and that’s all that matters.”

Julia grinned at her before she kissed her forehead. “See you at dinner.”

“Can I bring James?”

“Of course,” Julia answered. “See you both later.”

She left Sierra’s room behind.

“She okay?” Alicia asked as she stepped into the hall.

“No thanks to you,” Julia answered as she strode past her sister toward the stairs.

“I’m sorry, Juju. But they’re all weird.”

“They are not weird. Just because they don’t behave the way you think they should doesn’t make them weird.”

“Julia–” she started when Julia whipped to face her.

“No, Ally. I love you, I do, but I’m not going to let you cause trouble in my family. I love them, too. We have spent two years going through a lot together.”

“Big deal, Julia. We spent a lifetime together. But you love them more than me, I guess.”