Page 113 of Julian

He knew she liked avocado toast, but it was unlikely that she’d likehisversion, which would most likely be burned or undercooked.

“What are you looking for?”

Turning, Julian closed the fridge door. Kiara was walking toward him, dressed in a matching burgundy sweater and skirt that hugged her belly. She looked more rested, so he hoped she’d had a good night’s sleep.

“I was trying to decide if I should inflict my cooking on you.”

“You know how to cook?”

Julian chuckled as he leaned back against the counter, giving her space to move around the kitchen. “No. But unless you want to hire a chef, I’m beginning to think I should learn.”

“That’s not in my plan,” Kiara said as she opened a bag of bagels. “I don’t mind cooking the meals we don’t eat at the main house.”

Julian frowned. “I don’t want to make work for you.”

“You’re not,” she said as she put the bagel halves into the toaster. “If I don’t feel up to cooking something, we have the main house as an option. Elizabeth told me I’m always welcome, so I assume that applies to you too.”

“But do youreallyenjoy doing the cooking?” he asked.

“Strangely enough,” she began as she opened the fridge. She appeared a moment later with a tub of cream cheese and a container of strawberries. “I’m finding that I do enjoy it. I’m not as passionate about it as Angie, who is apparently having great fun trying all sorts of recipes. But since I don’t really have anything else to do with my time, cooking has become something I enjoy.”

“Do you want to grab me a couple of plates?” Kiara said, gesturing to the cabinet he stood next to.

He turned and opened the door to retrieve two plates. Moving close, he set the plates on the counter in front of her.

For the next couple of minutes, they worked together to get the simple breakfast on the plates, then Julian carried them over to the table. Kiara filled mugs with coffee, then joined him.

“I hope this is enough for you,” she said.

“It’s great,” he assured her. “I appreciate you making it.”

She gave him a smile that brightened her face. “I hope baby boy appreciates it too.”

Julian really did appreciate the things she did for him, but he didn’t want it to be a one-way street. He wanted to be able to help her out too, but he wasn’t quite sure how. Something told him that she was a very self-sufficient person and would decline help if offered.

Once they were done with breakfast, they cleaned up the few dishes they’d dirtied, then got ready to leave for church. They took the UTV to the main house, where they met up with Elijah and the bodyguards.

Elijah took the back seat while Julian sat in the middle row with Kiara. The trip to Coeur d’Alene passed quickly, and soon they were walking into the church.

When he noticed Elijah keeping his head ducked down as they walked through the foyer, Julian realized that his friend was aware that he might be recognized. He hoped that it didn’t happen, especially since Elijah appeared to want to avoid any attention.

As with the last service he’d attended, the music was uplifting, and the pastor’s sermon was thought provoking.

He and Elijah had talked a lot about what being a Christian meant. For every question he’d had, Elijah had been able to direct him to a passage in the Bible that answered it.

When Elijah had asked him what was holding him back from taking that final step, Julian hadn’t had an answer for him. Part of it, he knew, had to do with feeling like he’d be taking on another set of expectations that he wouldn’t be able to meet.

He was afraid to take on the responsibilities of being a Christian, only to fail in front of his family and Elijah.

But for the first time in his life, he had a strong desire to be a better man. He wanted to be a good father, and someone his son would look up to and admire. And in a moment of shocking revelation, he wanted to be a better man for Kiara. He wanted her to know that he would always be someone she could count on.

He wanted to leave the person he’d been behind.

If Julian knew one thing, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to do any of that on his own. Was God the answer to his becoming a better man?

Everything he’d heard from Elijah and through the pastor’s sermons said He was, so maybe it was time he took that final step and trusted that God would give him what he needed in order to be better.

Unfortunately, it only took a day for Julian to be faced with a situation where he had to let Kiara down.