Page 72 of Julian

Kiara shrugged. “Once again, I asked her for a couple of options based on what you’d told her, then I chose from those what I thought you might like.”

“Well, you did a good job,” Julian said. “It all looks great.”

Kiara was glad he was happy with the outcome. She’d tried to choose things that she thought created a homey and comfortable environment for him.

She had no idea how living together would go for them. It would be different than when they’d both lived in the main house together. In a way, that had kind of felt like living in a hotel. Even though it was still more elaborate than any place she’d ever lived, moving to the house had felt like coming home.

She wondered if Julian had felt the same way. He probably wasn’t in the mindset of thinking of it as home just yet. Not when they still had the trial period to go.

The house was going to be her home, regardless. But at some point, he’d probably move out. Whether it was in a month or when they got divorced, it wasn’t his forever home like it was hers.

“Are you still eating at the main house?” he asked, straightening from the doorjamb.

“Yes. I usually join Benji and Annie since Duncan and Elizabeth are still gone,” she said.

“Do you just walk over?” he asked. “Or do you call for a ride?”

“I’ve just been walking. They did say I could have a UTV, but I haven’t taken them up on the offer yet.”

“Maybe when we walk over for dinner, I’ll grab a UTV.”

“You know how to drive one?”

“Yep. I was driving a small one when I was around ten. You’ll be safe.”

Kiara laughed. “I’m not worried.”

“Good.” He glanced at his watch. “Should we head there now?”

“Sure.” She managed to get to her feet without looking too cumbersome, then they made their way through the house to the front door.

Julian kept pace with her as they walked, though she was sure he probably could have made the walk in half the time.

“Is Elijah coming back?” Kiara asked.

“At some point. He went to visit his mom’s family, and his mom and sister were going to join them.”

“How did your visit with your mom go?”

“About how I thought it would,” he said with a humorless laugh. “She was unimpressed with my having gone for help to get sober. She didn’t think my drinking was a problem.”

“Didyouthink you had a problem?” Kiara asked.

Julian was silent for a moment, then said, “I don’t think anyone with a drinking problem initially thinks they have one. I was sure that I could handle it. I was still able to do my job. It wasn’t until I didn’t have access to alcohol anymore that I realized it was a physical problem. And once I was past the worst of the physical withdrawal, I realized it was also a mental problem.”

“And your mom didn’t understand that?”

“No.”

“Did you tell her about what happened when you were a kid?”

“Not yet,” he said. “I know I need to, but I kind of felt like I was dropping a lot on her already.”

“Like the baby and us getting married?”

“Yes. She was angry and convinced that you were trapping me.”

Kiara wasn’t surprised to hear that. Jill didn’t have a very good impression of her to start with. Her ending up pregnant probably just reinforced what she already thought about Kiara.