Great, thanks.
He and Jackson had blocked out three hours later in the afternoon to do Smithson trial prep, and he had two other client meetings, as well as a partner meeting at lunch.After all that, maybe he’d get to see Isla again.
Ernie was probably still trying to figure out when Julian had been abducted by aliens, which was amusing to him.Julian from a week ago wouldn’t recognize the version of him that was counting the hours until he could see a woman.
But she wasn’t just any woman.She’d touched him in ways that no one else ever had, even Aimee, and she’d done it in a matter of minutes.That was the part that was still unbelievable to him, too.After spending a lifetime avoiding the very thing she represented, he’d been sucked into her silken web so quickly he’d already been trapped before he’d even realized he’d been captured.
He scrolled through his texts while he waited for Rachel and read one from Griffin to their sibling group chat.
Kids, I have shocking news.I recently heard from an ex that I am the father of her daughter.I took a paternity test that came back positive, and, well… meet Hadley Jane.I’m already in love.Her mom, McKenna, is a great person, and if this had to happen with anyone, I’d pick her.So… other than that… LOL
He’d included gorgeous photos of the baby and one of him holding her, looking stunned but elated, too.
Theholy shit, broresponses from their siblings were amusing and heartfelt.
I’m an auntie,Jordan said.She’s gorgeous!When can we meet her?
Have you told Mom that she’s a grandmother?Ethan asked.If not, can we be there when you do?
What he said,Roman replied with an emoji arrow pointing to Ethan’s text as the others chimed in with congrats and questions and compliments on the beautiful baby girl who’d made them aunts and uncles for the first time.
Haven’t told the folks yet,Griffin said.Will get to that.Eventually.Will arrange a sibling meeting soon.
She’s wicked cute, despite having your DNA,Jackson said.Congrats, bro.
So happy for you, Griff,Julian wrote.She’s a stunner.
Oh, look who it is,Carson said.Our fearless leader is back on the grid after a quick trip to somewhere he said he never wanted to go… Are you back to stay, Jules, or will you be entering temporary insanity once again?
Julian didn’t want to be pissed at Carson’s snarky text, but it stung nonetheless, coming from the brother he’d always been the closest to.He chose not to dignify Carson’s comment with a response and stuffed the phone in his suit coat pocket so he wouldn’t have to see what the rest of them had to say about his recent departure from normal.
He got it.If one of them had acted the way he had in recent days, he’d be worried, too.He’d probably be planning an intervention, which was no doubt happening in a separate group text that didn’t include him.
He thought of Isla and how she’d looked after the third time they’d made love the night before and had to quickly think of something else to avoid an embarrassing and obvious reaction to some of the sweetest memories he’d ever made with anyone.
Was he out on a limb in this situation?Absolutely.They’d made their vow to one another for damned good reasons, and he’d fully intended to honor that commitment—until he’d met someone who made him want more.
Would he marry her?No.He’d never marry anyone, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have a meaningful life with her and her kids if that’s what she wanted, too, and he wouldn’t justify himself to anyone, even the siblings who’d sustained him during their darkest times.He loved them more than anything, but they weren’t going to tell him how to live his life.
His phone rang with a call from Rachel.“Hey.”
She told him where she was, and he walked to meet her while holding the phone to his ear.“I’m coming.”
He texted Ernie to make sure he was ready to pick them up at the curb.
On the way.
Rachel emerged through a door, wearing her own clothes and carrying a plastic bag.She looked ragged and terrified.“Have you heard anything about the kids?”
“Not yet, but I’ll check on that when we’re in the car.Let’s get you out of here.”
They emerged into bright sunshine and a crush of bottom-feeding “reporters” who tended to show up for only the most salacious cases shouting questions at Rachel about why she’d shot and killed her ex-husband and how she’d managed to get released when she’d murdered someone.
Julian put an arm around her and led her through the scrum, keeping his gaze locked on Ernie, who stood outside the SUV with the back door open for them.“Keep your head down and just keep moving,” he said to Rachel, who shook with silent sobs.
“Did your kids see you shoot their father?”
“Had he threatened you before?”
