Page 10 of Believing in a Billionaire (Hearts and Holdings #7)

JULIA

J ulia dabbed the corner of her lips as she stared after Grant. He’d been unusually quiet at breakfast. She wondered if it had to do with the issue at Harrington Global or her sister.

Whichever it was, he wasn’t telling her, which frustrated her. Their relationship before the contract had ended had seemed more open than this. Suddenly, now that she’d agreed to return with him, he seemed like a brick wall, unyielding and unwilling to let her in.

Maybe it was nothing, and he was just tired, she told herself as she rose from her seat.

“See you at lunch, Julia. I reserved a table at the Riverwalk Bistro at one.”

“Great, I’ll meet you there,” she said as he smiled at her before he strode from the room.

“Don’t forget we have Mommy-Daughter massages Monday morning,” Sierra said as she pulled Julia into a hug and kissed her cheek.

“I haven’t forgotten,” Julia said as Sierra shot a glare in Alicia’s direction before she twisted back to grin at Julia.

“I’m excited.” She grinned at Julia, then spun on her heel and strode from the room with another dirty look at Alicia.

Julia watched her stepdaughter’s retreating figure, a mix of admiration and concern filling her.

The fierce protectiveness Sierra and Kyle displayed was both endearing and a testament to the fractured paths they’d all navigated to form this unlikely family.

She found herself determined to hold them together.

“You’ve amassed a real fan club here, sis,” Alicia said.

Julia heaved a sigh. “They’re protective. Especially after what happened in Maine.”

“Yeah,” Alicia said with a bob of her head.

“Hey, let’s head up and talk, okay? I just want to check on Grant.”

“Check on him? He seemed fine. Probably wheeling and dealing like I assume he always is.”

Julia chewed her lower lip. “No, there’s something going on at Harrington Global. I just want to make sure he’s okay. Meet you upstairs?”

“Sure,” Alicia said with a nod. “I should be able to find my way. This house is way too big, though.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Julia assured her as she walked her sister to the foyer. They parted ways at the steps with Julia giving a soft knock at Grant’s office door.

He didn’t respond, and she tried again. His muffled voice inside told her he was still inside and on the phone. She hesitated, wondering if she should leave him to his business.

Something about his demeanor, though, bothered her. She twisted the knob and pushed the door open slightly as she slipped inside.

“–don’t give a damn. I want this handled, and I want it handled now!” Grant shouted before he jabbed at his phone and tossed it on the desk with a deep sigh.

“Hey, something wrong?” she asked.

He snapped his gaze to her, his features surprised before they twisted with an emotion she couldn’t read.

“Grant?”

“Julia, what did you hear?” he asked.

She furrowed her brow at the statement. Why was he being so secretive? “Nothing. But you seem upset.”

“I’m just…tired.” He smiled at her, but it looked forced.

She closed the distance between them, sliding a hand onto his shoulder. “Hey, whatever’s going on, I’m sure it’ll work out.”

He didn’t answer, offering her that fleeting smile that suggested he was hiding something. Was it her sister’s presence that had him on edge or something else?

“And if you want to talk about it–”

“No, no,” he said with a shake of his head. “No, it’s fine. It’s nothing. I’m just…I’m annoyed because I wanted to spend time with you today, and I’m still fielding these calls.”

She gave him a consoling smile. “It’s okay. I’m going to spend some time with Alicia, and then I have lunch with Kyle.”

Grant heaved a sigh at the words.

“Which is fine. I still have plenty of time on my calendar for you. Let’s catch up at dinner, okay?”

This time his smile looked genuine. “Yes. And I would very much like that meal to be private. I still owe you that surprise.”

“I still hate surprises. You know that, right?”

“I do,” he said, some of the tension in his shoulders releasing. “But that’s not going to stop me from surprising you with something special.”

She smiled at him as she cupped his cheek in her hand. “I already have something special.”

He laced his fingers through hers and kissed her hand. “Which is why I’m going to surprise you. Now, go talk to your sister and get this lunch with Kyle over.”

“Okay. Don’t work too hard.”

The fleeting smile he gave her brought her concerns rushing back as she glanced over her shoulder at him before she left him behind. Something was definitely bothering him. Maybe it was that they hadn’t had much time together since the intense conversation that brought them together as a couple.

Between the crisis at Harrington Global, Alicia’s trouble, and Sierra and Kyle, they’d been busy.

As she climbed the stairs, she tugged the note she’d received yesterday from her pocket.

She’d intended to tell him, but he seemed so upset when she’d walked in that she’d thought better of it.

She hadn’t meant to keep it from him, but she didn’t want to add more to his already full plate.

Maybe later, though she was loathe to ruin his evening. She’d take things as they came. Right now, there was nothing pressing that made her think the note was anything more than a trick designed to make her uncomfortable.

She shoved it back into her pocket before she pushed into her sister’s room, finding herself in the middle of another one-sided argument.

“–had to get out of there because I couldn’t stand anymore…Yeah, well, so did you…No, I’m not going to just stand by and let you paint me as the bad guy, Ethan, I’m sick of this.”

Julia scrunched her features into a sympathetic look as her sister twisted to face her. Alicia gave her an upset glance and motioned to the chair.

Julia crept over to it and eased into it as the conversation continued.

“I’m with my sister…Yep…No…No, I’m not coming home right now…Well, I don’t know what to say, Ethan, fire me.” Her sister slapped a hand against her forehead before she nodded. “Fine…yeah…yeah, well, thanks a lot, too.”

She pulled the phone from her ear and poked at the screen before she shuffled over and collapsed into the chair next to Julia with a sigh. She sank her head into her hands.

Julia leaned forward, rubbing her sister’s back.

Alicia leapt from the chair and paced the floor. “I’m fine. I’m just…frustrated. I’m mad, and I’m…” Her voice cracked. “Upset.”

Julia rose and pulled her sister into a hug. “It’s okay, Alicia. Whatever you’re feeling, just…let it out.”

Alicia wrapped her arms around her sister. “I’m feeling grateful that I’m standing here with my sister who wants to help me.”

Julia pulled back from her and cupped her sister’s face. “Nice try. What are you feeling about Ethan and your marriage? Do you miss him? Or does it feel like a relief to be away?”

Alicia raised her eyebrows and fluttered her eyelashes at the question. “Wow, that just hits right at the heart of it, doesn’t it?”

“It does. And maybe you don’t know the answer, but it’s a start. When you woke up this morning and realized you were in New Orleans, what did you feel?”

Alicia shuffled to her chair and collapsed into it. “I don’t know. All things.”

Julia eased into the chair next to her sister and grabbed her hand. “Okay. Tell me about it.”

Alicia stared at a spot on the floor. “You know, in the first few minutes, I just…was so upset. I wanted to cry, but then I remembered I was here with you. And you were…wow, well, I was going to say really close to me, but I feel like you’re a city block away in this house.”

Julia chuckled. “I’m not that far. Okay, so you’re happy to be near me, but you’re missing Ethan.”

“Yeah, until I thought of all the stupid arguments we’ve had, then I was just mad.”

Julia sucked in a breath. “You know, when we were in Harbor Cove, you and Ethan seemed so solid. You said it was because you were distracted.”

Alicia pulled her knees up to her chest. “Yeah, we were. We didn’t…argue. We just…we worked together to try to get you and Luke back on track. We were so focused on that, I guess we forgot our troubles.”

“Are you two maybe just…in a rut because you don’t have anything exciting happening?”

“What do you mean? Juju, after so long, nothing exciting happens in your marriage, trust me.”

“Exciting is relative. Why don’t you plan a trip or take a dance class together.”

Alicia laughed. “Ethan taking a dance class? No.”

“What I’m saying is, when you had me to focus on, you two were fine. So, maybe it’s not an underlying problem with your relationship. Maybe you’re both just restless.”

“Maybe,” she answered. “Maybe the break will do us good. Hey, thanks for letting me stay here, too. I wanted to let you know that I apologized to Grant.”

“I heard,” Julia said with a raise of her eyebrows and a smile. “Grant said you two had a very nice conversation.”

“I’m glad he thought so. I tried. I’m not good at that stuff. I guess we bonded over looking at the oddly large picture of you two in the living room. Who does that?”

“Sierra,” Julia said. “Sierra does that. She had it hung right after the wedding. Grant and I both have it on our desks, too. Although, I’ve grown fond of that picture.”

“I can see why. You both look happy. Hard to believe that was fake.”

“I’m not sure it was. I think we both were a little enamored from the time we met. We just spent two years avoiding it.”

Alicia shook her head as she ran a hand through her hair. “It’s just such a strange thing, but I’m not here to judge.”

“Thank you,” Julia said with a smile before the conversation moved to other topics.

As the time ticked by, she checked her watch. “And now, I should run so I can make it to lunch with Kyle.”

“Oh, right, you’ve got Dr. Romeo on your event calendar. How does Grant feel about that?”

“I think it’s very clear to everyone now where my heart lies. Kyle and I have already spoken about it.” Julia shook her head. “And more than anything, he wants acceptance.”