Page 103 of Julian

“Yep.”

The drive from the helipad to the house was short. Once there, Julian grabbed one of his suitcases while Anthony took care of the other two.

“Do you want me to carry them to your room?” Anthony asked when they set them down on the porch by the front door.

“I’ll take care of them,” Julian said. “Thanks for the help.”

Anthony gave him a two-fingered salute, then jogged back down to the UTV. After he’d driven away, Julian approached the door. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should knock.

In the end, he turned the handle, figuring if it was locked, then he’d knock. The knob turned easily, and the door swung open.

Immediately, he was greeted by the aroma of food. Warmth and spice, and the smell of fresh bread wrapped around him. A tightness he hadn’t even been aware of in his chest loosened.

And when he spotted Kiara in the kitchen, he had a feeling of coming home. Of being home.

“Hi there,” he said as he stepped through the door into the open living space.

“Hey.” Kiara smiled at him as she wiped her hands on a dish towel and came toward him. “How was your trip?”

“Long,” he said. “Even though we had an overnight after our trip from Dubai to New York, it kind of felt like one long journey.”

As she neared him, Julian could see that her belly had grown even more since he’d last seen her. Since he’d given her a hug goodbye in New York, it only seemed natural to give her another hug as a greeting.

Having her in his arms felt right, but the hug was brief. Too brief. Julian wished he could have held her longer. However, he wouldn’t make things awkward by prolonging the contact when she was clearly done with it.

“It smells delicious,” Julian said. “Is there enough for me?”

“Of course,” Kiara said. “I made plenty in case you were hungry.”

“I’m starving, actually.” He hadn’t felt like eating on the flight, but now, with the tempting aromas in the air, his stomach rumbled.

“I made some beef stew, and Annie helped me with some sourdough bread.”

He followed her as she walked back toward the kitchen, noting that the dining table had been set for two.

“Don’t you have any luggage?” Kiara asked as she stirred the contents of a large pot.

“My suitcases are on the porch.”

“The food isn’t quite ready, so you have time to bring them in if you want.”

With a nod, Julian turned and headed for the door. After he’d taken his suitcases to his suite, he made the snap decision to change into something more comfortable.

He settled on a pair of flannel pajama pants and a faded sweatshirt from his college alma mater. Even though he hadn’t been wearing a suit while they traveled, it still felt like he’d changed out of his work persona.

Back in the kitchen, he found that Kiara had put the food on the table and divested herself of her apron. She had on leggings and an oversized sweater that had plenty of room for her bump.

“Water okay?” she asked as she stood next to the table with a pitcher in her hands.

“Perfect.” He wasn’t sure what the other option might be for him since he no longer drank alcohol. Milk maybe?

In addition to the tureen of stew, there was a bowl of salad and a basket containing thick slices of bread. It was the perfect meal for a chilly fall evening.

Remembering his manners, Julian helped Kiara with her chair, then sat down across from her. When she didn’t immediately serve herself, Julian said, “Don’t wait on me.”

“Oh. Okay.” Kiara hesitated, then reached for the large spoon in the stew. She ladled some into the wide bowl in front of her, then returned the spoon to the tureen and moved it so it was in front of him.

Julian’s stomach rumbled again in anticipation of what was to come. And his first bite of the stew was an explosion of flavor.