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“It seemed obvious, yes.”
“Well, then that plays right into what I said. He came here last night and directly attacked us. And she expects us to just sit here and do nothing. Play nice with this guy who wants to take her away.”
“And she said?”
Kyle raised his chin. “That I had a point.”
Grant screwed up his face. “No, she didn’t.”
“She did so. I think she now realizes that Luke declared war first, and we were just defending ourselves. So, you’re welcome. Now we just have to focus on Lydia. I’m heading back to the hospital. I’ll see you later.”
His son spun on his heel and headed for the door.
“Kyle,” he called after him, his voice hesitant.
Kyle twisted to face him.
“Good work.”
Kyle nodded at him before he disappeared from the office. Grant mulled the information. Could he trust it? Had Kyle managed to convince Julia that Luke was equally at fault for their little stunt?
He wondered if he should take a chance to speak with her, but he decided against it. Maybe Julia had been more lenient with Kyle because of his tendency to cross lines. What she’d said to him had been harsher than a mere statement of disappointment.
And her defense of Luke had been fierce. He couldn’t hear her do it again. Not yet.
His mind drifted to his reluctance to speak with her about anything emotional. Kyle didn’t share his backwardness. What if Kyle’s boldness was what Julia preferred?
Time slipped away as he reflected on the past two years of his life. His eyes fell to the silver-framed photo on his desk. It made his heart ache.
As he stared at their happy faces, he recalled a simpler time. They’d just met. He’d been enamored with her simple beauty, but the way her gentle strength stood by him at every turn had made him fall for her.
He had never met a woman like her. He didn’t deserve her, but he did want to fight for her. But he worried it would push her further away.
Before he realized, enough time had passed that he needed to dress for the gala. He climbed to his bedroom to ready for the event.
His mind continued to spin as he threaded his cufflinks through the cuffs. He chose the pair Julia had given him, trying to draw strength from them as he wondered if it was the last gift he’d ever receive from her.
A knock jolted him back to reality. He strode to the door and pulled it open, his stomach clenching as he spotted Julia. “Julia,” he said, surprised to see her.
The burgundy dress she wore stunned him into silence. He wasn’t certain he’d ever seen her look more beautiful.
“Hi, sorry to interrupt you, but I have some news.”
“Come in,” he said as he stepped back from the door.
She lifted her skirt and slid past him, a grin on her lips. “I talked to Alex. The pictures are gone. Totally. Lydia lost her leverage.”
Had they just gotten their first break? “He’s sure?”
She nodded. “He’s one hundred percent sure. Alex would not make a mistake like this. He’s sure. We did it.” The grin she gave him made him want to pull her into his arms to celebrate.
But he couldn’t do that. Their argument this morning still loomed over him, tempering any excitement. “That’s…great news. We needed a win.”
She bobbed her head again, but before she could answer, he spoke again, wanting to clear the air after their argument. “We also need to talk.”
The grin faded from her features, replaced by a seriousness that made him nervous. “Okay.”
He hated to even say the words, but he needed to own up to his behavior. If he had any chance of being the man she chose, he needed to let her know that he was better than what she’d seen from him this morning. “About this morning…”
