Page List

Font Size:

Lydia’s games had gone on long enough. It was time to protect his family, to protect what they’d built together. He vowed to let nothing, not even Lydia, tear them apart.

A quiet voice interrupted his rumination.

He twisted to find Julia slipping into the office and plastered on a grin that he hoped hid the turmoil raging inside him. “Hi.”

He crossed to her, pulling her into his arms. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay. How are you? This has to be a shock.”

He loved how she always worried about someone else. “It is. I can’t believe any judge in his right mind would let her out afterwhat happened. But…I’m doing everything I can to make sure she doesn’t hurt you or any of us.”

Julia massaged his shoulders. “I know you are. That’s not what I’m asking.”

He avoided the question and her gaze. He’d already lied to her several times in the short time they’d been together. He hated to keep doing it, but he didn’t want the start of their relationship to be tainted. Nor did he want her walking away.

“Grant?” she prodded.

As much as he wanted to answer her honestly, to share his concerns and fears, he didn’t want her scrambling for the exit with everything going on. Instead, he chose to present a front of confidence. “I’m fine. I’m not happy, but I’m fine.”

She rubbed his arm. “How’s everything at HG? Did you get everything squared away?”

“Almost.” Another lie, he thought as he pulled away from her, returning to his desk to retrieve his bourbon. “We’ve got all the pieces in place to solve the problem.”

“Good. I’m glad you got it solved. You know, you never said what it was.”

He shot her a glance before he returned to staring into his bourbon. There was no way he was giving her something else to worry about. “Didn’t I? Probably because it’s nothing to worry about. Just a minor thing.”

She sucked in a breath, her features pinching. She looked pale. He was doing the right thing by keeping this from her. She had enough to deal with already. “That’s good. That it was minor, I mean.”

Concern washed over him as she massaged her temples. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just a headache. It’s been a long day.” She offered him a weak smile that didn’t quite look genuine.

He cupped her cheek in his hand, rubbing her skin with his thumb. “You sure? You look a little pale. Maybe you should lie down.”

“Yeah, maybe I will.”

That wasn’t like Julia. He narrowed his eyes at her. “Really? Do you promise or is this just you saying that before you try to take on the world?”

“No, I’m really going to rest. As long as you’re okay.”

“I’m fine, Julia,” he said with a kiss. “Hey, if you’re not feeling any better in an hour or so, maybe check with Kyle.”

She nodded. “Wow, it’s nice to see you two getting along. Even recommending him as a doctor.”

Grant grinned at her, this time the smile was genuine. “We’ve made some progress. And all because of you. We’d have never made it this far without you Julia. So, you have to take care of yourself.”

“I promise. You can even check on me if you don’t believe me.”

“I just might,” he warned, shifting his weight as he prepared to deliver another lie. “Although, I’m going to run into the office while you’re resting and finish with that little issue.”

“Okay,” she said with a squeeze of his hand. “Good luck.”

She gave him a peck before she left him behind. He watched her slip out the door as he downed the rest of his bourbon. With a shake of his head, he reassured himself that lying was the right thing to do. He was protecting her. And she needed protection. She looked overwhelmed when she’d left.

He couldn’t dump more onto her plate.

And it was too late now, anyway. He’d already made his decision. And if he didn’t leave now, he’d be late to meet Lydia. With any luck, he could end this, though he doubted it. But maybe their meeting would lead him to a solution.