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CHAPTER 1
GRANT
Grant stared at the photo painting the background of his computer screen, a mix of happiness and fear swirling through him. The beauty of the serene beach, lit by the rising sun that painted the sky a mix of blues and pinks, brought back the memory of their family vacation to Julia’s hometown months ago. Since then, everything had shifted, and he wasn’t certain it was for the best. The picture, once a symbol of unity and hope for him, now felt like a prelude to an uncertain future.
We’re a team. The words Julia had spoken on that beach, her special place that she’d shared with him, echoed through his mind. Then, it had given him a surge of confidence and optimism. Maybe they could be a real team. His mind drifted to the ring box tucked away upstairs in his nightstand.
He sighed as he flicked off the screen, staring at the distorted image of his own face, noting the worry etched into every line. The shadows in the corners of his meticulously ordered office seemed to creep closer, mirroring the encroaching doubts in his mind.
He still hadn’t broached the subject of treating their marriage like a real one with his current wife. A contract–ending sooner than he’d like–still dictated their relationship.
He’d tried to change that so many times before, but something always stopped him; usually, it was his own doubts. The moments he’d witnessed between her and her former fiancé in Harbor Cove still gnawed at him. He’d spent dozens of sleepless nights since then picking apart every moment of that trip and searching for any encounters between himself and Julia that could compare to the easiness between her and Luke.
Every quiet glance from Julia had become a puzzle, leaving him to wonder if behind those blue eyes lay a secret yearning for a life without him or an unspoken promise of a future together.
In the end, his overthinking had caused him to remain silent. Coupled with the insertion of Kyle back into their lives and the ramping up of the investigation into DG Industries, the time had flown by, leaving him standing at another precipice.
His stomach clenched as he wondered if it was crossable or if he’d fall into a bottomless pit when Julia inevitably disappeared from his life.
A knock sounded at his door, pulling him from his introspection. “Come in.”
The doors swung open, and Worthington entered, his eyes falling on the black computer monitor. “All finished for the day, sir?”
Grant slid his eyes closed as he sank his forehead into his palm. “I couldn’t look at that picture anymore.”
“The one you requested from Mrs. Harrington? Of the beach you visited in Maine?”
Grant nodded as he slouched back in his chair.
Worthington crossed to the drink cart and poured a bourbon. He handed it off to Grant before he clasped his hands in front of him. “And suddenly this picture brings you pain?”
Grant sipped the drink, allowing the meager balm to soothe his fraying nerves. “I just…”
“Yes, sir?” Worthington asked.
Grant lifted his gaze, studying the man’s aging face, filled with wisdom. “Do you think Julia would do a third contract?”
The slight widening of Worthington’s eyes along with the stiffening of his posture answered the question without words. “Are you planning to offer one?”
Grant let his glass clatter against the polished mahogany wood of his desk. His office, decorated in deep, rich tones and thick drapes, had once been a haven for him, but it was quickly turning into a prison. With a sigh, he grumbled, “No.”
“Really? It’s not like you to ask questions on a subject you don’t plan to execute.”
“Your non-answer told me everything I needed to know about that plan.”
“Mr. Harrington, if I may be so bold, are you really considering this?”
Grant stared into the amber liquid, hating the sound of the idea when he’d heard it, too. “No, I guess not.”
Worthington cocked his head, his eyebrows pinching.
“Worthington, don’t give me that look. I’m just…trying to come up with a scenario where Julia stays here.”
“I thought that scenario was already decided.”
“For me, yes. But for Julia…I don’t know.”
“You have spent almost two years with her. Have you no idea how she may feel?”
