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I watched as the last of the guests departed and the camera crew finally left, their taillights disappearing between the fields of corn on either side of the long straight driveway. And when the house was quiet again, I walked back around to the wide grassy lawn and took my post just off the stairs to the porch, catching Juliet’s eye briefly as I did. She smiled at me and my heart flopped over like a fish out of water.
The girls sat with Ryan and Gran on the back porch and looked out over the quiet yard as Gran talked.
"It was a good party, girls," Gran said, her voice drifting on the cooling air. "Plenty of drama, good food, and that cake was amazing, Tess."
I stood off to one side, glancing up at Juliet now and then as she laughed with her family. It was hard, being apart—not just from the woman I loved, but feeling like I couldn't be included and involved. Because I was an employee. But that would all be changing soon.
Tess and Ryan disappeared after a while, and Gran and Juliet remained, the night creatures trilling and chirping all around us.
"You might as well come up here and have a drink with us," Gran said. "Gorilla duty is officially over."
"Gran, don't call them that." Juliet's voice was light and happy, despite the stern words.
I turned, raising an eyebrow in question. I wanted to sit with them, wanted to feel like I could be the man at Juliet's side for a little while, be recognized as that man by the woman who was so important to her.
"Come on," Juliet said. "I was going to make Gran one more Manhattan. I'll get you one too."
"Better let Koko make it," Gran said. "His are better."
Juliet laughed and shrugged at me, sitting back down.
"Happy to," I said, and I went into the kitchen to make the drinks. When I returned, it felt good to sit down at the table with them, to sip a drink in the darkness and enjoy the evening. Having a drink in my hand, and Juliet and Gran at my side gave me a thrilling sense of belonging, and I realized how important that was to me, to belong in Juliet’s world, not to stand on the periphery.
"What happens next for you two?" Gran asked, looking between Juliet and me. I wondered if Juliet had told her everything, but I was betting she didn't have to. Gran was shrewd.
Juliet looked at me. "I don't know, really. My divorce will be final before too long, and my fake relationship with Ryan is over, so ..."
"But right now, you're my client," I told her. “Until we’re back in California.” I felt like I needed to finish my job professionally. I was allowing myself this quick drink, but my job was still to see Juliet home safe.
"Didn't stop you before," Gran quipped, sipping her drink and batting her lashes innocently at us as she stood. "I'm going to take this inside, if you two don't mind. I haven't gotten to play Warcraft all day."
"Gran, you were playing this morning," Juliet said.
"Huh. Well, I'm ninety now. Guess my memory's going." Gran turned and carried her drink inside.
I crossed my legs out in front of me, feeling tension seeping from my limbs. The moonlight, the drink, and the knowledge that things were changing in good ways had me more relaxed than I'd been in weeks. "Did you have a good time tonight?" I asked Juliet.
She forced a smile and then said, "I'm just glad it's over, honestly. I want to go home, get everything back to normal. And I miss Elvis."
"I talked to Mom this morning," I told her. "He's doing fine."
"And how's your brother?"
"He's doing as well as can be expected," I said. "But once he’s actually at Hollybrook, I’ll be relieved."
Juliet's lips pressed into a line and she leaned forward a bit, tracing her fingers in a circle on the table top. "And how are you?"
"Actually, I think I'm good," I said. I wanted to tell her everything about Austin’s offer, and was waiting for the right words to come to me.
"You sound surprised about it." She turned her hand palm up, and I put mine over it, watching as her slim fingers twined with my own, warmth spreading through my body at the simple touch.
I chuckled. "I am," I said. "Austin called me this morning."
"Ah, from the firm.” She clearly knew who Austin was.
"Yep. Chad told him about us, and I was pretty sure he was calling to hand me my ass. But he didn't."
"Good." Juliet didn't sound surprised.
