It had been a rare feeling when he’d been at the estate in the past. Alcohol had played a big role in his meals. He’d washed every dinner down with it, and his hangovers had often robbed him of his appetite for breakfast.
Glancing over at Kiara as they walked into the dining room, his gaze went to her belly. That little boy was the reason he needed to get his act together.
No more using alcohol to dull his feelings. His thoughts went to the alcohol that was still hidden in his closet, and he knew he needed to get rid of it. Soon.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kiara was uncertain if Julian expected her to sit next to him at the dinner table that night, but she felt a strong need to reinforce—especially to herself—that they were married in name only. Which meant they didn’t need to sit next to each other.
Instead, she chose a seat between Angie and Elizabeth. Julian was seated across the table from her, with Elijah and Benji on either side of him.
Since they had exchanged letters, Kiara had been prepared for the mental changes in Julian. What she hadn’t been prepared for were the physical ones.
He no longer had the gaunt look that had been present before heading to the treatment center. Even when she’d gone there to see him a few weeks ago, he’d still looked hollow-cheeked with a haunted gaze.
But as she looked at him across the table, she thought he’d never looked more handsome. His eyes had a light in them that had been lacking before, and he just looked healthier. Even happy.
Kiara struggled with the knowledge that he probably didn’t see an improvement when he looked at her. Despite the nausea she battled off and on, she’d still gained weight, and it wasn’t all just in her belly. She was also aware that she looked tired a lot, especially if she didn’t put on makeup.
She knew it shouldn’t make a difference what Julian thought. They weren’t in a relationship, and their marriage was just temporary. Despite that, she didn’t like the idea that he would only see negative changes in her.
Her emotions were a mess most days, and that was even when Julian wasn’t there. Now that he was, and the reality of their situation was in her face every day, she could only imagine where her emotions were going to end up.
There were just so many ups and downs in the days ahead.
Kiara was genuinely happy that Julian’s treatment had been successful, but it was going to be hard to have him around, especially for the wedding. She was also happy for Angie and Jude, but she was going to miss having Angie live under the same roof as her.
“Is everything ready for the wedding?” Duncan asked.
“Yes,” Elizabeth responded. “The floral delivery and decorating will be done Saturday morning, and the caterers will be here early in the afternoon. The ceremony starts at five, and we should be ready to eat by seven.”
“Is a photographer coming?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m bringing one in from New York that I’ve worked with before. Same with the hair and makeup people.”
“NDAs?”
“All signed,” Elizabeth assured him. “I had our lawyer take care of it, and he said they’ve all been signed.”
“So are you experiencing wedding jitters, Jude?” Duncan asked, turning to the man seated to his right.
Everyone laughed at the question. It was hard to imagine Jude having any sort of nerves, let alone jitters.
“No jitters here,” Jude said.
“None here either,” Angie added. “Just excited.”
“The plans for the honeymoon are all in place,” Duncan said.
“Where are you going?” Julian asked. “Or is it a secret?”
“Not a secret,” Jude replied. “Duncan has generously offered the use of his island.”
Just when Kiara thought she understood how rich Duncan was, something else would come up. Like finding out he owned a whole island in the Caribbean. It was unfathomable.
“We’re leaving Sunday morning,” Angie said. “And we’ll be gone for two weeks.”
Two weeks sounded like an eternity. When Kiara had first heard how long Angie planned to be gone with Jude, she’d felt a moment of panic at being left alone on the estate.
