Page 7 of Believing in a Billionaire
“Right, well, here I am. So, now you can still count on me. Or track me down and force me to listen.”
“I suppose I have my father to thank for that,” he said with a deep sigh.
“Maybe that’s something else you can bond over.”
“I’d rather bond over destroying someone. That was more fun.”
Julia tilted her head at her stepson. “That’s not healthy behavior.”
“It’s notthatunhealthy. And we didn’t argue much while we were trying to make sure you didn’t run off with Luke. What happened to him, anyway? Is he still hanging around, waiting in the wings to strike?”
“No, he’s not going to strike. When we talked after the gala, I told him he was part of my past. Luke and I said goodbye. I don’t expect to see him again.”
Kyle frowned at the words.
“I thought you’d be glad to hear that.”
“Yeah, but now we can’t destroy him.”
“You shouldn’t destroy him, anyway. He’s not a terrible person. He just…”
“Tried to rip our family apart and deserved to be removed from the equation.”
Julia’s shoulders slumped. As usual, Kyle showed her the opposite view. From their perspective, Luke had been a threat large enough to endanger what they’d worked so hard to build. “Well, he’s removed. So, no more destroying Luke, okay?”
“Okay, Julia. As long as he doesn’t try to steal you away from us…I won’t sink all his tour boats.”
She grinned at the words. “You’re sticking around, right?”
“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. Maybe now that Lydia is behind bars and DG Industries won’t be creating havoc at every turn, we’ll actually be able to be a normal family.”
“We’ll never be a normal family, Julia. But that’s what makes us special.”
Julia chuckled at the statement. “You’re right. On both counts. But either way, maybe things will settle, and we all can have an easier relationship.”
“As long as you’re here, we have a shot. I’m pretty certain if you wouldn’t have come back, we’d have all killed each other.”
“Well, I’m glad to be here preventing that from happening.”
“I’m holding you to that, Julia. And…I’m really glad you’re here.” He squeezed her hand again, offering her a smile tinged with a little sadness.
“Thanks.”
“Well, I’ll let you get back to work. See you at dinner?”
“Yep, see you there. It’ll be nice to not have Lydia at the table.”
“Tell me about it,” Kyle said as he rose and dragged the chair back to its original place. “Happy writing.”
Julia smiled at him before he strode from the room, and she swung back to her monitor. She stared at the display, her fingers ready to type, but the words didn’t come. Instead, she stared at the blinking cursor with a frown.
With all the drama in their past, she thought writing would be easier. Instead, she couldn’t get beyond a single word. She wondered if a call to her sister was in order.
She glanced at her phone, but before she could grab it, warm hands rubbed her shoulders. Grant’s voice tickled her ear. “Writer’s block, Mrs. Harrington?”
She twisted to face him, sliding her hand onto his. “Something like that.”
