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Stunned by the impulsive kiss, she froze, her mind racing, a whirlwind of memories and unspoken emotions. Despite his new, polished exterior, Luke’s kiss awakened a familiar warmth. Her heart ached with a blend of nostalgia and confusion. He pulled back, his hand still caressing her cheek.
Her eyes slid sideways as she tried to process what had just happened when she caught sight of the ajar door. Her stomach clenched as she stared at Grant, his hand still on the doorknob. Shock, hurt, and anger danced across every line of his face.
“Grant,” she gasped, a tremor in her voice.
Grant’s eyes, a stormy mix of betrayal and pain, locked onto her for a heart-wrenching moment. Her heart sank as the complicated scenario spiraled into a nightmare.
He opened his mouth to speak to her, but no words came. Finally, he said, “Sorry to interrupt.”
A lump formed in her throat as he spun on a heel and strode from the room, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.
“Grant, wait,” she called as she took a step toward the door. “I can explain.”
Luke’s fingers wrapped around her arm, stopping her. “Let him go, Julia. You don’t belong with him.”
Julia twisted to study him, her eyes wide as emotions brewed like a storm inside her. She glanced back at the empty space in the door before she shifted her gaze to Luke. His statement echoed in her head, but the truth was she had no idea where she belonged.
CHAPTER 17
GRANT
Grant let his fork clatter against the dessert plate, eager for the meal to end. His eyes hardly ever strayed from the man next to his ex-wife. A casual observer may assume jealousy bloomed over his ex-wife’s flirtatious behavior with the man but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
He didn’t care one iota about who had the misfortune to fall into Lydia’s arms. What he cared about were the constant looks the latest addition to his dinner table continued to give his current wife.
Luke Hawthorne was a thorn in his side during the entire trip to Harbor Cove. In fact, he was the biggest threat to their marriage he’d encountered. Not even the string of horrific events that they’d endured in the nearly two years that they had been together had struck as deep a fear into his as this man.
His mind wandered back to the fateful argument that had nearly ended their relationship and the events leading up to it. Visions of Julia sailing into port after spending an entire night at sea with the man floated back to him along with the bitter words they’d exchanged afterwards.
He’d demanded to know if they slept together. She’d denied it, stating that maybe they shouldn’t be married anymore. He’d thought he lost her then when she’d stormed out of that room, but miraculously she had come back, rescued his daughter from a frightening situation, then returned with them to New Orleans after a harrowing night when her sister had stopped them from seeing each other.
He thought he’d left the problem of Luke Hawthorne behind then. He hadn’t cared how it happened or why, just that she’d returned to Harrington House at his side. But now the man sat at his dining table, apparently a few million dollars richer thanks to Lydia.
That fact alone soured his mood considerably. Suddenly the small-town man who already posed a large threat became even more menacing.
Luke had captured Julia’s heart once already. And now he had even more tools in his arsenal. Could Grant compete with the new version of Luke?
He shifted his gaze to Julia. An unknown emotion clouded her eyes. He couldn’t read it, but she seemed overwhelmed. He noted the tension in her shoulders and the pinching of her eyebrows.
As they rose from the table, he touched her elbow, silently signaling her to wait before she followed the group to the living room. He desperately wanted to do something to make the situation better. “Hey, you okay?”
She glanced up at him and nodded. “Yeah. I’m just…shocked.”
Annoyance coursed through him. “I’m not. Lydia did this on purpose. Where is she getting the money to bankroll him, though?”
“And how deep in with her is he?” Julia asked, turning pensive.
The statement only added to his aggravation. Her concern about Luke twisted his stomach. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I probably had too much to drink.”
He rubbed her arms, wanting to take her pain away as much as possible. “I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t have gotten through dinner without a steady flow of bourbon. And I can’t wait to have another.”
She laughed at the statement, flicking her gaze up to him. “I think I’d better quit and just put on my big girl pants and deal with this. It just…stunned me.”
Her lips bobbed for a second before she said, “I wonder if Ally knew about this. If she didn’t tell me…” Julia shook her head as she crossed her arms.
“Oh, speaking of, I had Worthington get you a replacement phone. I was afraid your sister may beat down my door if I didn’t.”
