Page 9 of Our Unexpected Beginning (Club Surrender #4)

“I’m not sure I’m up for much after yesterday.” She hadn’t heard from her mother or aunt since they left after dinner. It wasn’t out of the ordinary.

“It’s okay.” Graham patted her thigh. “I believe it is item fourteen.”

“I’m sorry, can you try that again in English?”

Graham fumbled in the console and grabbed his phone. “Here, pull up the notes.”

Julia obeyed and scrolled down through their quiz to question fourteen.

14. What’s one item from your bucket list?

Graham - go to Thailand

Julia - see the universe

She remembered the night they talked about their list. Some items seemed silly, while others bordered on impossible.

“I don’t have my passport.”

Graham gave her a mischievous grin. “We don’t need that where we’re going.”

“Did we forget what happens when Julia is around surprises?”

“But I’m in charge of this one.”

“By the scenery, I’m wondering if we’re going to do a remake of every cliché Lifetime movie about escaping a serial killer.” She noted she hadn’t spotted a house in the past few miles.

Graham had turned down a dirt road, causing the truck to bounce and Julia to groan.

Her stomach twisted in protest, a reminder that she had yet to tell him about the little life growing inside her.

It was a detail she had been selfishly avoiding, wanting to savor their time together before the inevitable shift in their relationship.

But as she looked over at him, his face focused on the rough terrain ahead and the truck’s engine revving in response, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

She knew she couldn’t keep this secret forever, and she also knew that Graham deserved to know.

But she didn’t know how to bring it up without changing the easy dynamic they had created.

As they reached the top of the hill, Graham pulled over to the side and turned off the engine. He looked over at her with a small smile. “We made it,” he said, his voice soft and full of affection.

She peered out of the windshield, looking out to the empty area outside the line of trees.

There was a tent and fire pit already set for visitors, and Julia looked over at him.

“Do you not like my bed that much?” She teased, unable to hold back a smile, her heart swelling with adoration for this man who had become such an important part of her life.

Before he could reply, the shrill ring of his phone chimed through the truck’s speakers. It auto-connected on the third ring, the interior filling with an unfamiliar voice.

“Hello, this is Christian Michaels, and I’m with The Reporter. I was hoping to get a moment of your time.”

“Oh for fucks sake.” Graham sighed heavily in annoyance. “Sir,” Graham’s tone was terse. “With respect to your job, please save yourself and everyone else the time and stop barking up this tree.”

“I’m sure you can understand that Senator Rutford left behind a legacy.”

Julia noticed as his grip on the wheel tightened in frustration. “That might be so. However, it has nothing to do with me.”

“Mr. Sawyer, you have the right to a claim on his estate–you are his son.”

“Genetically, that is correct. But my grandparents raised me, and I have no want or desire to have anything to do with this matter. Mr. Michaels, I suggest you lose my number, or our next conversation will not be as polite.”

Graham disconnected the phone and sighed. “See, everyone has some dysfunction.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Julia placed her hand on his and they sat in silence. She understood the complicated dynamics of family. And until now Julia realized she’d assumed he had everything together.

Graham cleared his throat and hopped out of the truck. He came around to her side and opened her door. Julia slipped out and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m not one to throw stones and all.”

He pressed his finger to her lips and shook his head. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” Graham kissed her lips softly. “Later. We have to set up before it gets dark. ”

“So what Tori Spelling movie are we roleplaying?” Julia teased looking around the campsite, noticing there were no signs of any other people.

“You’re so full of fire today.” He handed her a blanket, grabbing a duffle bag from under the seat. “I can string you to a tree with my belt and there’s nobody around to hear you beg.”

His words caught her off guard and she gasped. Her cheeks reddened and her core clenched at the memory of the fiery flogger welts he’d left on her the night they played with Claudia at the club.

Graham playfully smacked her ass. “C’mon, let’s set up, there’s bags in the back.”

Julia looked at him suspiciously. “What on earth did you do when I was sleeping? How do you have the energy?” She hastily gathered her hair and pulled it up into a haphazard bun, wrapping it with the black band she kept around her wrist.

As if he felt her unease, Graham pulled her toward him and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I can be resourceful.”

He turned her to face the campsite, his arms hugging her from behind. “We’re going to see the universe.”

The realization of what he planned for them brought tears to her eyes. Julia placed her hands over his arms in support. “Graham.”

“Bucket lists are important.”

You’re important .

Filled with emotion, Julia tipped her head against his chest and closed her eyes to the setting sun. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Tell me how you like your s’mores.”

*

Joking that the bed of the truck was a clown car of surprises, Julia was amazed at everything Graham had put together without much notice.

Upon further inspection, Julia discovered beside the double tent and fire pit was an inflatable mattress complete with several oversized pillows and two folded blankets in the corner.

It didn’t take them long to settle in and as promised, Graham opened up to her about his childhood. While they shared the same history of parental entrapment and an absent father, his was more complicated.

He’d shared that since the news of his fathers passing he’d been inundated with calls and letters from various news stations about his standing in the family. It unearthed his connection to the deceased politician and brought to question what he could gain.

While Julia knew some of the history between his sister Kat and Wes, he filled in the missing pieces about how she’d left one night when Sarah was six months and never looked back. He’d tried countless times to initiate conversation and connection, but it wasn’t something she was interested in .

Despite his sister’s transgressions it was never held against him and Wes encouraged Sarah’s relationship with her uncle and his Grandmother.

Graham started a fire while she finished putting together their ‘star-nest’ as he called it. They bundled in and she taught him her version of the constellations.

“We had trouble remembering the real names, so my brother and I would make them up.” Julia leaned against his chest, sitting between his thighs, and pointed at a small cluster of stars. “Goldfish.”

Graham ducked closer and followed her gaze. “I can see that. The five on the end look like a fish tail.”

“Yes!”

“What else?” Graham’s arms tightened around her middle and gave her his undivided attention.

She laughed and scanned the sky and spotted another familiar cluster. “See how that one splits into a Vee with the three stars behind it?” He nodded. “Tuning fork.”

Graham pointed toward the direction of the truck. “Those zig-zag, like mountains. Those to the left of the moon is a bucket truck.”

Julia laughed, grabbing marshmallows from the bag and stabbing three onto the metal skewer. “You can tell you’re the older sibling.”

“How so?”

She gestured around their site and smiled fondly. “All this is very big brother coded.”

“Julia.”

“Sorry! I wasn’t calling you my brother. ”

“Julia.” His tone was serious.

“You never call me by my name…”

“I want you to hear me. It’s important.”

“Today’s filled with them.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her against his body.

“I’ve been thinking. I don’t know… This between us is more than casual. You consume my every waking thought. I wake up and want you by my side. I know this thing with us started out ‘easy breezy’, but fuck girl. I’m yours. Hook line and sinker.”

“Oh.”

“I know there’s more in that pretty head of yours.”

Suck it up buttercup.

She couldn’t hold the secret anymore.

“Graham, I’m–fuck. I’m pregnant.”

“You. Oh. I.” He blinked at their intertwined hands and sighed.

“So, um, without me getting hit or sounding like an asshole…”

“There wasn’t anyone else. You’re not an asshole for asking, but you would be to microscope me.”

He gripped her chin, reminding her of the importance of eye contact. “Julia, I believe in taking someone at their word. I don’t have right or reason to question your answer. You won’t get that from me.”

One point for the golden boy.

“Thanks.” Silence stretched until Julia cleared her throat, brushing it off. “I’ll go on my own, no skin off my nose.” She was putting on a brave face. But it wasn’t as if she didn’t have options if she was going to do this solo.

“Jules. Listen to me clearly. Understand the words I’m speaking, if you want to go to the doctor and not do this. I’ll hold your hand. You want to move across the country. I’ll help you pack. But understand the words I’m saying. You’re stuck with me, babe.”

“Okay. I’m sorry, okay. My brain goes to the worst case no matter how much I protest. I’m always prepared for a disaster. It’s the way I’m wired.”

“When will you realize I’m not a runner, Jules?”

She ignored him, pretending that she hadn’t heard him and fiddled with a forgotten s’more.

“I’m not everyone else.”

Julia stopped, “Graham, it wasn’t–”

“I know that I need to make things a lot more clear to you.” He grabbed her arm and pulled Julia into his lap.

“I see you, all the weird quirky things you try to hide. I know that you need music to work, but it has to be your playlist. I know you need the TV on to fall asleep, but not on all night or you can’t stay asleep.

Snacks to the right and drinks to the left.

Cozy but not hot.“ He cupped her face in his hands.

“You aren’t too much, there’s nothing you can show me that will scare me away.”

“I don’t want someone who has to stay. They have to want to. Our kid deserves more than the dysfunction we had. ”

“It’s rooted in my genes to run, but I’m breaking that pattern. I don’t just want to be casual. I want the whole package. I know with me being gone on site it doesn’t make things easy. It will take work. But don’t count us out yet.”

She studied his features, noticing how the three-day stubble made his jaw sharper. He had a scar under his eye that wasn’t noticeable to the casual observer. It was also evident he’d broken his nose a time or two.

“Every man I’ve ever loved has left without looking back. You’ve got a tough track record to break.”

“I know you’re conditioned to run for the hills, but you’re worth every flight risk.

” Graham cupped her face and forced her to look at him.

“Jules, I love you. Unconditionally, point blank. You don’t have expectations to live up to with me.

You don’t have to be anything but happy, loved, and safe.

I hope to fuck I am lucky enough to be the person to give it to you.

I’ll love enough for us both until you’re ready. ”

“I’m not good at this, you know?”

“Good at what?”

“Relationships and shit.”

“Me neither, I guess that just settles it.”

“Settles what?”

“We’ll have to figure it out together.”