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“Alex managed to delete all of the pictures, Sierra. They’re gone. Your mother can’t use them against you now.”
Julia beamed at her as Sierra plastered on a smile. He could tell it was fake, but he hoped Julia couldn’t. Sierra lifted a shoulder in the air, trying to play up her excitement. “Wow, that’s so…awesome.”
“Yes, it is,” Julia said as she crossed to Sierra and slid an arm around her shoulders.
“A real win for the good guys,” Sierra said with a pump of her first. “Is there anything else?”
“What?” Julia asked, her brow knitting with confusion.
“Any other exciting things that happened? Maybe like another big win for the good guys or something?”
Julia flicked her gaze to Grant, surprise, and confusion still mixing on her delicate features.
“Sorry. Your mother isn’t in jail yet. No other big news either. Now, we’d better go before we’re late,” Grant said as he guided them both from the room.
Sierra glared over her shoulder at him. “Right. I mean if there was something else–”
“There’s not,” Grant said. The moment had passed. He’d put more thought into a romantic gesture. Something suited to Julia’s personality that would guarantee him the right answer.
“Well, I’d rather not be late anyway. This is the first public outing with James.”
Julia grinned at her as they made their way down the stairs. “Really? Aw, so you got back together.”
“We did,” Sierra said. “And we are taking our relationship to a new level by going public.”
“That’s great, Sierra. I’m so happy for you,” Julia said as they reached the foyer, greeted by James and Kyle.
Grant shifted uncomfortably as James kissed Sierra’s cheek. His daughter had the courage to take her relationship public, and he still hid in the shadows, clinging to his fear.
He supposed it was exuberant youth that made her bold. Outside of her mother, she hadn’t experienced loss.
They filed out of the door and into the waiting limo. As the limo glided toward the Regal Hotel, the evening lights of the city cast a shimmering glow over the streets, wrapping the scene in an air of elegance and anticipation. The Regal, with its grand facade and opulent decor, stood like a beacon of high society, its entrance bustling with the elite of New Orleans.
Grant’s heart surged as Julia grinned at him as he helped her from the car and wrapped her arm around his, patting her hand.
If he played his cards right, soon he’d proudly take her to every event in his future. He led her into the opulent hotel’s entrance.
“I just need a minute if you want to head in with–”
“You can go with me, Julia,” Kyle said, offering his arm.
Grant kept the growl threatening to escape him inside. She flicked her eyes between them before she settled her gaze on him. “I can wait.”
“If you don’t mind,” he said as he pulled a flash drive from his pocket. “I just need to put this in the safe.”
“Sure, send me in with Sierra. She hates me,” Kyle complained.
“You can wait, too. There’s something I want to tell you.”
The excited smile on his son’s face ruined Grant’s mood as he strode toward the front desk. It was nothing compared to what he felt as he waited for confirmation from the clerk that his flash drive had been successfully secured.
Across the lobby, Julia grinned at Kyle who wrapped her in his arms and swung her in a circle. “That’s a little much,” he mumbled as the woman returned.
“It’s been placed in the safe, Mr. Harrington.”
“Thank you,” he said to her, already backing from the desk so he could save his wife from his son. “Well, sounds like you told him about the pictures.”
“I did,” she said. “He was thrilled.”
