Page 11 of The Best Wild Idea (Off-Limits #3)

“Whatever you need,” I quietly promised, feeling the air escape my lungs as I said it loud enough to make it real. “I can promise that Juliet will want for nothing as long as I’m alive, and after I’m gone, too. If that’s how you want it.”

He thanked me then, the relief in his voice utterly gut-wrenching.

“And be nice to her, Si,” he warned. “I mean it. I want you to bring her back to life, not bury whatever’s left of her by then. You’ll have a year to get yourself right. Don’t let this—”

“I won’t,” I interrupted before I had to hear him say it. Don’t let this fuck you up even worse than losing your dad did.

Some things shouldn’t have to be said out loud.

We’d talked a bit more, but mostly left it at that. I was supposed to take care of the woman he loved when he no longer could. The request, I imagine, was excruciating for him.

“I’ll be there Tuesday,” I promised. “As soon as this merger is done. We’ll talk details when I’m back. I’ll get my PA in touch with Monica to sort it all out.”

He let the silence linger before his voice came strained from the other end, “Sure, man, yeah. Monica’s got the details. Thank you, Si. For everything.”

“Just thank me when I get there Tuesday. Better yet, don’t thank me at all.”

I know now that he probably knew he wasn’t going to make it until Tuesday.

His words and the promise I made that day have echoed in my mind ever since.

Even now, I don’t like knowing that my best friend could see right through me all those years the three of us hung out together. Roomed together. Did everything together. Wondering which moment he’d realized that we were both in love with the same girl.

I’d fought hard to hide it, dating anyone who sparked my interest, then became someone even I hardly recognized following my father’s death — the week they got engaged — just to prove to Grant that I didn’t have the slightest romantic feelings toward her.

Every woman I was photographed with after that was in stark contrast to the type of woman Jules is.

Beautiful, yes, but opposite in everything else.

She’d tried to salvage our friendship at first, but I’d pushed against her and pretty soon she’d pushed back.

We started butting heads over everything after that. It was the beginning of the end for us.

I sit down and rest my elbows on my desk, rubbing my jaw.

“Do you want to order dinner while we wait?” Dax asks, settling into the chair across from me. “Or head out to that new place you wanted to try over on Avery? A little distraction while you wait to get the news? Either way, I’m good.”

“It’s fine,” I tell him. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a whole year to build this up in my mind, and I really don’t want to let Grant down when she refuses to go because of my stupid past mistakes.

You go on with the rest of the legal team.

” Dax came out to supervise a handful of junior associates handling a merger for me at his firm.

They’ve just completed the deal here today.

“Enjoy your night. You guys have plenty to celebrate. I’ll let you know what she says. ”

After he heads out, reluctantly, I sit back down, watching the clock tick on the corner of my desk, growing more and more frustrated with every passing minute that I don’t hear the damn phone ring.

I grab my phone to call Monica but it starts ringing before I can punch in her name.

“Monica,” I say instead of hello, my chest constricting so hard I can hardly breathe. “What’d she say?”

“Well, I just got off the phone with her.” Her voice is hesitant.

“And?” I ask, impatiently. “How mad is she?” I grab a pen from my drawer and start tapping it nervously against the edge of the desk.

“A good amount,” she says, adding a nervous laugh. “Ms. Hart was pretty shocked about everything, which is to be expected, you know, considering .”

“And the part about taking the trip? Specifically with me? What’d she say? Is she asking for a fake death certificate with my name on it to be faxed over so she can do it alone?” I’m only half kidding.

She chuckles. “Yeah, she wasn’t too thrilled about any of it.”

I sigh and recline my chair to stare up at the ceiling, then set the pen down in favor of rubbing my temples, right where a vicious headache is about to set in. I can feel it.

“She didn’t ask for a fake death certificate, but she did ask for her own flights,” she admits. “Separate from yours.”

I sit up straighter, then rise to my feet and begin pacing the room, turning the phone to speaker mode.

“The entire trip?” I knew it was going to be bad, but not that bad.

I can hear Ryan’s footsteps rummaging around outside my office door.

I take my voice down a notch before continuing.

“That wasn’t what Grant wanted though. I’m supposed to escort her.

Ensure her safety. Keep an eye on her. I can’t do that if she’s—”

“I know,” Monica interrupts. “I let her know the arrangements couldn’t be changed this late. You’re confirmed to fly out first thing in the morning.”

“Together?”

“Together.”

There’s a long pause on my end of the line as it all sinks in.

A whole year of holding my breath is coming to an end.

“She’s agreed to go,” Monica confirms again through what sounds like a smile.

“But first, she asked for the itinerary so she could just call these hotels herself to claim that you died and couldn’t go with her so she can get the letters without you.

I only let her know which countries and hotels you’re heading to, but you’ll have to break the news of the activities once you get there.

She might not board the first flight if she knows what’s waiting at the other end of it. ”

My relief turns into a full-blown laugh. Leave it to Jules to push the envelope, headstrong forever.

“Any changes to the plan?”

“No. You’ll pick her up at seven tomorrow morning with your driver.

The flight crew will be waiting when you arrive.

Wheels off the tarmac at eight. First stop is Bern where a car will be waiting at the airport to take you to the helicopter.

From there, you’ll fly to Interlaken. It’ll be a long travel day, but your crew is ready for it, and now so is she. ”

“Thank you,” I say, now ready to hang up. “You’ve done an impeccable job, Monica. We’ll be in touch along the way.”

“I’ll keep things running smoothly on my end. You just enjoy the trip. Take care, Silas. It’s been a pleasure.”

Once we hang up, I type another name into my phone. One I haven’t had a reason to call in well over a year. Realizing how odd it is that someone so important to me — someone I used to talk to on a daily basis — now seems impossible to call.

I stare at the photo attached to Jules’ contact info on my screen.

Striking blue eyes — so light that they’re nearly white around the center ring. Thick blonde hair trailing down to her waist. And a smile so wide that, nine times out of ten, I nearly forget my own name when I see it.

I want to call her.

I should call her.

To ask if there’s anything else I can do to help her get ready for the trip that she never wanted to take with me at all.

My thumb hovers over the green call button and I wag it back and forth while I imagine how the conversation might go.

She could change her mind about going if I say the wrong thing, or if just hearing my voice repulses her, like it did a year ago when we last saw each other.

I can’t risk it. I toss the phone out of my reach to save myself from myself for the rest of the night. Deciding, for my own good as well as hers, that it’ll be better to let her digest what lies ahead of us without me interrupting her any more than this plan unfolding tonight already has.

Besides, she’s about to get another surprise that she also wasn’t expecting tonight.

I hit my intercom button to get the next phase rolling.

“Sir?” Ryan’s voice fills my office.

“Time to take it over,” I tell him.