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“I will if Luke does.”
She leapt from her seat and paced the floor. “I am not a toy for you to fight over.”
“Of course not,” Kyle said as he rose and took her hand in his. “You are an incredible woman who is worth fighting for. I don’t understand how you can’t see this or know how special you are. Obviously, Luke came back for you.”
“I don’t want anyone fighting over me or for me. I am an adult who can make her own choices. And I don’t want anyone getting hurt over this. Not you, or Grant, or Luke, okay? Please, let’s just focus on Lydia, okay?”
He didn’t agree, and she could tell by the tension in his jaw. “You’re choosing Luke, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t say that,” she answered.
“You didn’t have to.”
She heaved a sigh as she shook her head. “I am choosing to focus on Lydia and stopping her from hurting anyone in this family. I am not thinking about anything else. And that’s exactly what you and Grant should be doing.”
“And Luke?”
“Luke has no idea what is going on, and I’m not going to tell him, either. He’s here with his own agenda, yes. But I am not concentrating on that, okay? No one is going to steal me away before we’ve settled everything else.”
“Do you promise?”
She nodded. “Yes. Now, please, let’s concentrate on whatever this threat is with Lydia. We have the gala tonight. I’d like to get some work done before that so I can concentrate on keeping an eye on Lydia while we’re there. You haven’t heard anything else from her, have you?”
Kyle heaved a sigh and shook his head. “Nothing. I can ask her–” He reached for his phone.
“No, don’t. Leave it. I don’t want you tipping her off in any way.”
He shoved the device back into his pocket with a nod. “Okay.” He paused, flicking his gaze to her. “Are we good?”
She nodded at him. “Yes, we are.”
He pulled her into a hug. “Good. Okay, I’m going back to the hospital. I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Yep,” she said as she pulled away from him.
She slumped into her chair as he left the room, his words still ringing in her ears. Sadly, he had a point about Luke’s behavior. Did she allow him more leeway because she thought he was more genuine than the others? Was that fair?
Was it fair that Luke had walked into another man’s home and tried to make a play for his wife, fake or otherwise?
Perhaps she’d been too harsh. She picked up the toppled wedding photo and stared at it. After a second, she set it back in its place, her gaze lingering on their smiling faces. A pang of sorrow mixed with betrayal gripped her heart. Turbulent emotions still brewed below the surface as she wondered if she had been unfair earlier or if she had woven a dream around Grant that was now unraveling thread by thread.
She flicked her eyes to her screen, refusing to entertain the thoughts any longer. Kyle’s explanation had probably applied to Grant, too, but she felt a little too emotional to deal with him right now. Kyle’s conversation had been enough.
Instead, she settled into her fictional world, pounding the keys to make some progress on her book before the time came to dress for the gala.
She found herself staring at her reflection in the burgundy evening gown. Her mind whirled as she considered the events of the day. Kyle’s question about who she was choosing twisted her heart into a knot.
A sense of unease nestled into her mind, not just about her own love life, but about what lay ahead of them. Lydia’s unpredictability was a looming dark cloud. What was she planning? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
Before she could search for answers, her phone chimed. She stalked across the room, her dress swishing as she went. A text message awaited her on her lock screen. Hey, kid, the pictures are Gonzo Gates. They have been dispatched into nothingness. Go forth and tell the former ball and chain where she can shove things.
Julia chuckled at the message as her stomach fluttered. Could it be true? Were they actually free of the leverage Lydia had?
Her thumb hovered over the call button before she pressed it. It rang twice before Alex answered. “Sunshine, I assume you got my message.”
“I did, thank you. I’m…thrilled. That was quick.”
“I told you I wouldn’t need long,” he answered.
