He could almost talk himself into being angry with her for forcing him to have to manage something so ridiculous, but he couldn’t let that happen.It certainly wasn’t her fault she was beautiful, sweet, sexy and incredibly resourceful.That last thing had really done it for him, the way her planning for potential catastrophe had very likely saved their lives.That was incredibly impressive.
Shewas incredibly impressive.
And easy to talk to and funny and a wonderful mother.
“Fuck my life,” he muttered as he checked the time and found he’d wasted half an hour thinking about a woman.
Enough of that.
She was great.No question about it, but she was no longer his concern.Jackson would take excellent care of her and would consult him if he had any questions.Julian would remain detached from the situation, protecting his heart and his ethics from any complications.
It was better that way.
ChapterThirteen
The kids were out of sorts all afternoon and extra cranky at bedtime.They didn’t like the bathtub in the rental because it wasn’t as big as the one they’d had at home, and Isla had forgotten to pack their bath toys, which was another source of irritation for Theo.He wanted his boats, and she couldn’t immediately provide them the way she could at home.That sparked a thirty-minute meltdown focused on the unfairness of not being able to have all his things when he wanted them.
Isla agreed with him.She’d forgotten her favorite pair of Nikes and the hair clip she used every day.
As comfortable and safe as she felt in the rental, it was unsettling for the kids to be out of their usual routine in the only home they’d ever known.She supposed she’d been delusional to think she could smoothly move them somewhere new with no bumps or bruises.
When Isla read them a story at bedtime, Theo started crying for Daddy, which got Mila upset, too.If he cried, she cried.
With them finally settled down for the night, she went straight to the fridge for a glass of the chilled rosé she’d been looking forward to all day and checked her phone for the first time in two hours to find a message from Julian.
Will stop by around eight, if that’s okay, to drop off some additional paperwork and pick up what you have so far.
It was now seven forty-five.
Shit.That didn’t give her much time to change out of the shirt that’d gotten wet during bath time and run a brush through her hair.
Yes, that’s fine,she replied, her heart racing with anticipation because she’d be seeing him in a few minutes.
Jeez, get yourself together, girl.He’s dropping off papers and picking up others.That’s all this is.
She knew that.Of course she knew, but it’d been so long since she’d experienced butterflies over the thought of seeing a man.It’d been like that with Gabriel at first.He’d been the most romantic, thoughtful boyfriend she’d ever had.Marrying him had made perfect sense, and at first, everything had been great.He’d been a hard worker who was always thinking of ways to make her happy.When Theo was born, he was absolutely in love with their little boy from the first second he ever saw him.
For a time, she’d felt like she was living a dream, but it’d all come crashing down in a flurry of increasingly disturbing incidents, none of which could be easily explained or addressed.She’d have been hard-pressed to describe the scenarios that had each unfolded differently.
Prior to the baseball bat, the worst thing, other than him missing Mila’s birth and not meeting her until she was a month old, had been the time she’d been trying to pay for groceries with a debit card that had gotten declined.A kind woman in the line behind her had paid for Isla’s groceries, and when she’d gotten to her car, she’d checked her bank app and seen nothing but zeros.All their money was gone.To this day, she still didn’t know what he’d done with it, but it’d been terrifying to have no money at all for weeks until he’d gotten paid again.
The more she’d pushed him for answers, the more hostile he’d become.
Isla had buttoned up a denim shirt and brushed her hair when a soft knock sounded at the door.That Julian knew not to ring the bell with the kids sleeping earned him big points.As she ran to the door, all troubling thoughts of Gabriel and his erratic behavior were forgotten.With Julian Remington standing on her doorstep in a gorgeous navy pinstripe suit with a lighter blue tie, she didn’t want to think about anything other than him.
“Come in.”She headed for the kitchen, where she’d left the envelope containing the worksheets.“I’ve got the paperwork for you.I did as much as I could.There’re more liabilities than assets, unfortunately.Oh, and I wanted to tell you… I listened to the music you sent, and I loved it.‘Both Sides Now’ made me weep!I listened to it ten times.”
When she turned back to him and saw his tormented expression, her smile faded.“What’s wrong?Are you okay?”
“I’m glad you liked the music.”
She noticed he hadn’t answered her questions.
“I loved it!I get now why it’s so cool that I’m living in Mama Cass’s house.And ‘California Dreamin’’ … It’s everything you said it would be.I loved that, too.”She reached for the wine bottle.“Drink?”
“No, thank you.I can’t stay.I’ve got to be somewhere in twenty minutes.”
“Oh, sorry, and here I am going on and on.But I did want you to know that I really love the music.I feel I’ve been missing out by not listening to it before now.”
