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Grant battled a tumult of doubt that knotted his muscles, the internal struggle clouding his normally decisive mind. He loosened his grip on Julia and allowed her to head down the hall with Kyle for their private conversation. Each step Julia took with him felt like a tightening noose of uncertainty around him.
He resisted the urge to follow them and pull her back into his protective arms. She shot him a glance over her shoulder as Kyle led her toward a waiting room at the end of the hall. The smile she offered him was meant to reassure him, but it did anything but.
He caught a fleeting flicker of fear in her eyes that unsettled him. He took a step toward them but hesitated. Maybe that wasn’t fear in her eyes, maybe it was a warning. He and Kyle didn’t get along. Perhaps Julia was signaling him to back off for the moment.
He slid his eyes closed, hating how uncertain he was of every signal she sent him. His emotions continued to cloud his judgment when it came to Julia.
In the boardroom, he’d have taken decisive action. With Julia, he couldn’t seem to get his act together. He felt like a schoolboy who wasn’t certain how to approach the pretty girl in school.
And he hated that his son seemed to have no problems approaching her.
When he opened his eyes, both she and Kyle were gone. He heaved a sigh as he spun on his heel and paced the floor outside of Sierra’s room. He tugged his phone from his pocket and pressed the call button next to Worthington’s name.
He’d update the man while he waited for Julia to return. Worthington answered on the first ring again. “Mr. Harrington, I hope there is good news.”
“Yes, there is.” He allowed the corners of his lips to turn up. “Julia is fine. Sierra is fine. We’re all fine.”
Saying the words lifted a weight off his shoulders. “It’s really a miracle that they weren’t hurt.”
“That’s wonderful, sir. Shall I prepare everything for their imminent return?”
His forehead creased. “I’m not sure. Julia’s already up and about, but I’m not sure when Sierra will be discharged. I’ll check with her and let you know. She hit her head, so they may keep her overnight for observation.
“How awful. Is she having any difficulty?”
“No, she’s doing well. Probably just precautionary. I can’t wait to have them both home.”
“I feel the same way, sir. I hope it is soon.”
Grant smiled at the man’s comment. He loved how his family had come together. His previous wives’ treatment of Worthington had been abominable. But Julia treated everyone well, including his staff. She’d won over his butler, his daughter, and him.
If only he could find the perfect way to tell her that. “I’ll go check on her now and see. After everything that’s gone on tonight, I’d really like to stretch out in bed and get some sleep.”
“I shall prepare everything for the moment when you arrive.”
“Thanks, Worthington. I’ll let you know what I find out.” He ended the call and glanced down the hall toward the waiting room. Julia and Kyle must still be having the discussion Kyle insisted they have.
He pressed his lips together as he considered peeking into the room. He imagined an enraged Kyle spotting him and slamming the door in his face or dragging poor Julia to a more private location.
Julia would offer him that slight half-shrug and an apologetic smile and tell him it was best if she heard the man out. Sometimes she was too nice.
He let his gaze fall to the tiles below his feet. Maybe she was simply tolerating him, too. Maybe the connection he felt wasn’t due to any interest on her part, but merely because she was that nice of a person.
His son had certainly fallen for her, probably for that exact reason. Julia never failed to have enough patience to handle all of Kyle’s or Sierra’s or even his drama. The familiar doubt that had stopped him so many times before from confessing his feelings crept back into his mind. Could he handle the rejection if he poured his heart out and she told him no?
He shoved the thought aside, intent on distracting himself with Sierra’s care while he waited for Julia to return. He poked his head into his daughter’s room, happy to see James’s hand wrapped around hers. It seemed their break-up had been short-lived.
He rapped his knuckles against the door. “Mind if I come in? I don’t want to interrupt.”
“Come in, Daddy,” Sierra said with a smile. “Where is Julia?”
“Ah, she’s talking to Kyle,” he answered as he tugged a chair closer to her bed and collapsed into it.
Sierra rolled her eyes. “He’s so needy. He’s needier than I am.”
“Sorry, it’s just me, baby. She should be back soon though.”
“It’s okay, Daddy,” Sierra said with a grin, oblivious to how her comment sounded. “I just want us all here together. Minus Kyle. I’d rather he not be here. He was mean to me earlier.”
