Page 25 of Betrayal of a Billionaire

The world faded around her as she studied him, so very much the same as when she’d walked away from him less than two years prior.

He hadn’t recovered from his shock yet as he murmured, “I didn’t realize you were home.”

She started to answer when he suddenly pulled his eyes from her as though he’d just realized others were present. “Uh, sorry, umm, why don’t you folks head aboard? I just need a minute with my…I just need a minute.” Luke poked a finger toward Julia.

Julia slid her eyes closed for a moment as she prepared to inform him she was with them. This wasn’t at all the way she wanted to speak to Luke. Actually, she hadn’t wanted to speak to him at all. If she could have avoided him for the duration of the trip, it would have been preferable to the mix of emotions churning through her right now.

Before she could speak Sierra did. “With your dog? Who by the way, nearly viciously attacked my step-mommy.”

Julia’s features pinched at her words as she opened her eyes and stared at the complete disbelief on Luke’s features.

“What?” he asked.

“My stepmother. Your dog nearly killed her.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know who you mean.”

“I’m really starting to wonder about the fun you guaranteed me.” Sierra grabbed Julia’s hand and held it forward toward him. “My stepmom. Mrs. Grant Harrington. Duh.”

Julia’s features melted with upset as Sierra broke the news in the worst way possible.

Luke studied her, upset and shock clouding his dark eyes. “You got married?”

She flicked her gaze to the sun-bleached boards of the dock beneath her feet before she raised her eyes to his. “Yes.”

The news crushed him, just as she expected it would. It crushed her, too. She bit back the tears that threatened. She hadn’t wanted him to find out this way. It felt so disingenuous. She wanted to explain, at least for old times’ sake. Or maybe because of the unresolved feelings that had kept her from stepping foot in the town for years.

“Wow,” he said as he stared down at the clipboard in his hand.

She wanted to say something, but instead, she let the awkward moment pass, desperately trying to manage her ownfeelings before the moment turned into something she preferred it didn’t.

“Well, uh, I guess we should get underway. Uh…”

She pressed her lips together as he struggled to make sense of the situation.

“Climb on aboard, and I’ll be right with you, I just need to make a quick call.”

“Finally,” Sierra said, seemingly oblivious to the tense exchange.

Julia blew out a sigh of relief as she hoped everyone else had overlooked it, too. One glance at Grant as she stepped forward suggested that wasn’t the case. Prickly heat washed over her as she realized he hadn’t missed the tension.

The dog trotted along next to her, following her as she hopped onto the gently swaying boat. The spacious open deck with its panoramic views invited passengers to immerse themselves in the beauty of Harbor Cove. She’d been on this boat before, and she actively shoved those memories away as she slid into a bench seat on the side.

Grant began to sit next to her when Duchess growled and snapped at him. “Whoa.”

“Duchess, no!” Julia said. “Bad girl!”

He tried again with the same reaction from the dog before he slid his eyes toward her. “Maybe if you switch with Sierra.”

“Fine,” Sierra said as she hopped from her seat next to Kyle. “I’d rather not sit next to my goofy brother anyway.”

The new seating arrangement seemed to appease the malamute who settled down to lie at Julia’s feet.

“Well, that was intense,” Kyle said as he flicked his gaze over the sparkling waters.

“Yeah, really,” Sierra answered. “He was kind of weird, huh?”

Kyle screwed up his face. “Are you serious?”