Page 8 of Believing in a Billionaire (Hearts and Holdings #7)

GRANT

W ith exhaustion clinging to every fiber of his body, Grant pushed through the front door, stepping into the silent grandeur of Harrington House, its opulence shadowed by the late hour.

The quietness of the house unsettled him as much as the tumultuous situation he’d left behind at the office. For a second, his stomach turned over, and he wondered if Julia was gone.

The soft glow of warm lights emanated from his office caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes at it as he shuffled toward it in search of bourbon to soothe his ragged nerves.

He pushed the door further open as he shed his suit jacket and loosened his collar. His steps ceased as he spotted Julia curled in one of the armchairs near the fireplace, her phone still clutched in her hand. Had she been awaiting a message from him?

Of course, she was. That was Julia–waiting and worrying for someone else.

Guilt coursed through him as the sight of her tugged at his heartstrings, both a balm and a reminder of the facade he felt compelled to maintain.

He had avoided sending her any messages as he dealt with the spiraling situation at Harrington Global.

He hadn’t wanted to worry her, but instead, she’d sat up waiting for him.

He approached, his footsteps soft as he tried not to disturb her. The gentle rise and fall of her chest and the peacefulness in her expression, bathed in the warm glow of the fireplace, brought a smile to his face and reminded him why he’d fought so hard for her.

He winced as he stepped on a creaky board on the floor and her eyes fluttered open.

She offered him the soft smile that melted his heart. “Hey, you’re home. Did you get everything settled?”

Her eyes, filled with concern, were both a comfort and a burden. “Yeah, I’m home,” he managed, his voice a low murmur. “Long day, and I’m happy to be back. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s okay. I was waiting up for you, but I must have dozed off.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” he answered.

“I wanted to,” she said with a warm, but sleepy smile as she stretched and leaned forward to take his hand. “So, how did it go?”

The question, so simple, ramped up the complex struggle inside him. To share his day with her meant to expose her to the worries he’d vowed to shield her from, yet he desperately wanted her comfort.

His mind flitted back to the moment he’d learned of the potential takeover, the cold dread that had settled in his stomach.

But looking at Julia, her face lit with concern and love, he shoved the memory away.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” he assured her, offering a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he chose to shield her from the storm.

“But I’d rather not bore you with the details of my day…

a day I wasn’t even supposed to spend at the office. ”

“Right, you were supposed to be surprising me, but I ruined it,” she said with a laugh as he rose to pour himself a bourbon.

“Join me?” he asked.

“Thanks,” she answered.

He poured her a brandy before he settled in the chair across from her. “Yes, you did ruin my big surprise. But that’s okay because I got the end result a day early. And I’ll plan another one.”

“You’re really determined, aren’t you?”

“I am,” he said, this time the smile more genuine as he began to relax, comforted by her presence alone. “Hey, how did things go with your sister?”

“Oh,” she said with a sigh as she flicked her gaze to the dying fire next to them, “she’s here.”

“Uh-oh,” he answered as he leaned back in the chair, cradling his bourbon. “That sounds ominous.”

She offered a soft laugh. “It’s not, but…”

“But?”

“It’s nothing,” she assured him. “Why don’t we get some sleep?”

“Julia,” he said as he leaned forward again, “you spent two years keeping your personal life hidden from me. I didn’t want you to do it then, and I definitely don’t want you to do it now.”

“It’s not that important, and it’s handled. You’ve had a long day. You’re tired.”

“And I’m still your husband, and I want to know. Now, what happened?”

She settled back in her chair with a sigh. “Sierra and Kyle weren’t very pleased about our houseguest.”

Grant groaned as he let his head smack into the chair behind him, letting his eyes slide closed.

He imagined the scene that had ensued. He’d have to have a conversation with both of them about giving Julia a hard time.

He heaved a deep sigh, adding it to his problem list. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to them.”

Julia eyed him as she traced the rim of her glass. “No, I handled it. It’s okay–”

“No, it’s not,” he said as he leapt from his seat and stalked to the mantel, his voice sharper than he’d intended. The stress of the day coupled with his children’s bad behavior frayed his already damaged nerves.

She remained silent as he stared into the flames until a hand wrapped around his shoulder. He slid his eyes closed as he reached for her, interlacing his fingers through hers. He didn’t want to face her, afraid he’d burden her with all of his day’s issues.

“Grant,” she said, her voice soft.

He couldn’t resist turning to face her and pulling her closer. “I’m sorry–”

“Don’t apologize. But you don’t need to talk to Sierra or Kyle. It’s handled. I am capable of solving problems, you know?” she said with a coy smile.

“I know, but I don’t want you to solve them. I just want you to be happy.”

She squeezed his shoulders. “I’m fine.”

He pulled her into a hug again, appreciating her warmth and the gentle comfort her presence offered. At least one of them was fine. As he leaned back, he said, “At least tell me Alicia took the news about our marriage better than I’m thinking she did.”

“What are you thinking?” Julia asked.

“An epic meltdown in which she handcuffed you and tried to drag you straight back to Harbor Cove.”

Julia grinned at him. “Well, then I’m happy to tell you it’s better than what you were thinking.”

“Well, at least one thing’s gone right,” Grant said with a sigh.

The smile slipped from her face, replaced with concern. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

He pulled back from her, staring down into his bourbon. “Yeah, just…a long, long day.”

She rubbed his arm as he downed the last of his drink.

“I just need some sleep.”

“You sure there’s nothing you want to talk about? I’m a good listener.”

“I know you are,” he said with a smile. “But I promise, everything is fine. I’m just tired.”

“Okay, let’s get some sleep.”

He set his glass on the table as he followed her from the room, hating that he’d spent their first day as a couple buried in work at the office. He wondered if Alicia had told her what a terrible husband he was, leaving her for the entire day when he’d promised her a weekend away.

He’d find out tomorrow. He planned to spend the entire day with Julia, leaving all the troubles still brewing at Harrington Global far away.

Despite needing sleep, though, he tossed and turned, the current threat to his company haunting him until the first signs of daylight broke on the horizon.

He climbed from the bed in search of coffee and an update on any progress made by his team despite it being the weekend. He demanded they be ready for the opening bell Monday morning. He couldn’t risk losing more of his company to Lydia.

As he waited for the coffee to brew in the quiet house, he wondered how she managed to pull so many strings while still behind bars.

Before the pot filled, he yanked it from the machine, poured a full mug, and shuffled toward his office. As he entered the foyer, he stopped dead.

Julia’s sister hovered at the edge of the living room, her arms crossed as she stared forward.

His stomach twisted into a knot as he wondered if he could avoid her entirely. Without Julia around, the chances that they ended up in a shouting match were pretty high.

Before he could slink away, though, she snapped her gaze in his direction, her eyebrows raising. He prepared himself for the onslaught of negative comments aimed at him, but she only said, “Oh, good morning.”

“Good morning,” he said tentatively as he closed the distance between them.

She flicked her gaze back to whatever she had been looking at before as he sidled up to her. “That’s a really huge picture of you and my sister.”

“Oh,” he said with a half-chuckle, “yeah. From our wedding.”

“Yeah,” she answered. “I can’t believe I missed my baby sister’s wedding.”

He stared down at the dark liquid in his cup as he shifted his weight, waiting for the argument to ensue. “Sorry about that. It was…”

His voice trailed off as he realized he didn’t have any other words. Maybe he ought to offer her a cup of coffee.

Before he could, she twisted to face him again. “Actually, I kind of feel like I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

He nearly choked on his coffee at the words. “That’s not necessary–“

“No, it really is. I was…completely out of line in Harbor Cove. I just…reacted.”

“I appreciate that,” Grant said. “Let’s try to put it behind us. For Julia.”

“Right, for Julia,” Alicia said with a bob of her head as she twisted back to the massive photograph. “She looks happy. You both do.”

“I am,” he said. “And I’m doing my best to make sure she is, too. I know that may sound…ridiculous to you, but…”

She sucked in a breath, glancing up at him. “No. I mean, I don’t know you that well, so I hope that’s true, but Julia seems to think it is.”

He offered her a fleeting smile. “Well, maybe we can get to know each other better while you’re staying here.”

“Yeah,” she answered, “sure. Umm, and by the way, thank you for letting me stay here.”

“You don’t need to thank me. This is Julia’s house, too. And it’s nice for her to have you close.”

She nodded again, each of them delicately dancing around the tension still brewing between them.

“I heard Kyle and Sierra weren’t exactly welcoming. Sorry about that,” he said, giving her a sideways glance.