Chapter 25
Grant sank into his desk chair, the tightness refusing to leave his chest after the tense conversation with Kyle and Julia. He couldn’t believe she’d suggested moving out.
It shredded his heart in an entirely new way. He knew she couldn’t remember him, but her desire to get that far away jarred him.
He’d talked her out of it, at least he thought so. He would check on her shortly, whether she liked it or not. He didn’t want her to disappear on him again.
Worthington slipped inside, approaching the desk with clasped hands. “Is there anything I can get for you, sir? Perhaps a late breakfast or some coffee?”
“I’d rather a bourbon.”
“At this hour, sir?”
“After all this day has brought, yes. Despite the early hour, I’d prefer something more soothing than coffee.”
Worthington offered him a half-smile as he crossed to the drink cart and poured a bourbon. “Mrs. Harrington is home, though, and settled.”
“She’s home,” Grant said as he accepted the glass, raising it at the man in thanks before he took a sip.
“But not settled?” Worthington asked.
“I hope she is. But I don’t know. This memory loss isn’t getting any better. It seems to be getting worse.”
“Has she lost some of the memories she regained?”
“No, she’d actually remembered more. For better or worse.”
Worthington raised his eyebrows, prompting him to continue.
“She went to Kyle’s last night because she remembered being there. She recalled the whole thing from sleeping on his couch after a bet that she couldn’t stay awake for five minutes, a call from her sister, everything.”
“Isn’t it a positive thing that her memories are returning, sir?”
Grant let the tumbler clatter across the desk as he sighed. “Not when they’re all of Kyle, and she seeks him out at every turn.”
“Perhaps she is getting the worst ones out of the way, first,” Worthington suggested.
Grant offered his butler an unimpressed glance.
“You think there is another reason.”
Grant tapped a nervous rhythm against the mahogany desk as the morning sun glowed across it. “That’s my fear.”
“What is it?”
Grant pressed his lips together in a thin line as anxiety spun a terrible tale in his mind. “I’m not sure I want to say it out loud.”
“Perhaps facing it will help.”
“I’m afraid they’ve got a growing connection, Worthington. One that will overshadow anything we ever had.”
“Hmm,” Worthington murmured. “And you believe that growing connection will withstand the return of her memories?”
“If she gets them back. And yes…their relationship isn’t bound by any contractual obligation.”
“Perhaps, sir, that is the only reason her memories tend to be of Dr. Carter.”
Grant furrowed his brow. Was his butler suggesting she preferred memories of his son because they were easier to deal with? “What do you mean?”
“I mean, those memories are simple, there is no…pretense.”
Grant leaned back in his chair. “So, their connection is more real. That’s exactly what I don’t want to hear.”
“Not more real, sir. Simply, less complicated. In her current state, her mind may prefer simple things before complex ones.”
“So, she’ll remember me later?”
“It’s often the simplest connections the mind clings to in times of turmoil. Your bond with Mrs. Harrington is more intricate and layered, something she may gravitate toward once her mind seeks deeper connections again.”
Grant let his head drop into his hands. “I really wish she’d do that sooner rather than later. It kills me to see her with him.”
“Even before the amnesia, Mrs. Harrington spent time with Dr. Carter.”
“But we were on the same page, then. She felt sorry for Kyle. She didn’t have this draw to him because he was the only person in the world she remembered.”
“I’d argue she had a connection with Dr. Carter, then, too.”
Grant sighed, tightening his fingers around his glass again and gulping down the last of his bourbon. “Wrong answer, Worthington.”
“You preferred not to see it then. The only reason it is of concern to you now is because that is her only connection.”
Grant furrowed his brow as he snapped his gaze to his butler. “What do you mean, I preferred not to see it?”
“I mean you knew it was there, but you did not dwell on it as you do now.”
“I’m not dwelling.”
“You are, sir. Because it is the only thing she sees right now.”
Grant rolled his eyes at his butler. “So, I’m dwelling. Okay, fine. Still doesn’t make it any easier.”
“No, it doesn’t. But it’s important to remember that the most likely outcome is that she will regain more of her memories and their connection will no longer be the sole one in her life.”
Grant let his head fall back against the plush leather of his chair. If she continued to regain negative memories of him, she’d be pushed even further toward Kyle. The thought tightened his fingers into fists. “Let’s hope our connection is as solid as it was before. If she remembers one more bad thing about me, I’m going to lose my mind.”
A knock sounded at the door, and a voice called out, unsettling his nerves even more. “Grant!” Lydia called. “We need to talk.”
“Ugh,” Grant groaned. “Now, I really am going to lose my mind.”
“Is there no end in sight for her to leave, sir?”
“None. Thank goodness I had that drink.”
The pounding on the door continued. “Grant! I know you’re in there!”
“Come in,” he called.
She whipped the door open and stomped her way toward his desk. “Beat it, Worthington. Grant and I have things to discuss.”
“If you need anything, sir, please let me know.”
“Can you just check on Julia quickly? See if she needs anything?”
“Of course, sir.”
“She’s fine. I just saw her. That’s what I’m here to talk about.”
“You were with Julia?” Grant asked as Worthington eased the doors shut behind him, leaving them alone. Frightening scenarios crossed his mind, and he wondered if he should check on Julia himself after a conversation with Lydia.
“Yes, I was.” She crossed her arms and cocked a hip. “Tell me, Grant, how much longer are you going to put up with this charade of a marriage?”
He swallowed hard, heat washing over him. Had Julia accidentally told Lydia about their contract under the misguided assumption that the woman was privy to that information? “Charade?”
Lydia heaved a sigh, letting her arms fall to her sides as she curled her fingers into fists and paced back and forth in front of his desk. “Yes, Grant. It’s pretty obvious what’s going on here.”
His discomfort grew with the conversation. If Lydia knew about the contract, it could ruin everything. Not just his plans to save his company, but also his plans with Julia.
Lydia swiveled to face him, arching an eyebrow high. “She may as well have just taken Cooper to bed right under your roof.”
He screwed up his face. “Do you mean Kyle?”
She clicked her tongue, her frustration obvious. “Whatever his name is! It’s obvious they’re having an affair. What I can’t understand is why the divorce papers aren’t pending.”
Grant tried to muster as much confidence into his voice as he spoke, though he didn’t feel it. “They are not having an affair.”
“Oh, really? She just happened to spend the night with him last night and nothing happened.”
“She fell asleep at his apartment, and he wasn’t even there. She just was trying to pin down some memories, that’s all.”
“Wow, she really has you snowed. I can’t believe this. The great Grant Harrington buffaloed by that plain Jane.”
Grant’s pulse sped at her words, his jaw flexing. “Get out, Lydia.”
“Oh, touchy. Must have struck a nerve. Think about it, Grant. Maybe now’s the best time for you to offload wife number five.” Lydia strode from his office, slamming the door behind her as she left.
Grant grabbed his glass, tightening his fingers around it as he fought the urge to fling it across the room. His mind raced. Lydia’s words were not just an accusation but a reflection of his deepest fears–losing Julia to a world he couldn’t reach. Her taunts felt like a confirmation of every insecurity, amplifying his turmoil.
He let go of the glass, allowing it to clatter across the desk as he rose. Maybe a conversation with Julia would set his mind at ease. Hopefully, it wouldn’t bring up any more negative memories of him.
He strode from his office and climbed the stairs. With every step he took, his resolve wavered. Would he make things worse? Would he feed into what Kyle kept telling her about him being controlling? Maybe he shouldn’t check on her.
He froze in the hallway, his jaw tensing. Before the accident, he wouldn’t have hesitated to talk to her. Now, he didn’t know what to do. No matter what he chose, it seemed to make it worse. Every move he made, Kyle used to his advantage. He hated to see Julia believing him, trusting him.
“Mr. Harrington,” Worthington said, “something you need?”
“I was actually going to see Julia. Is she okay?”
“Mrs. Harrington is not in her room, sir. I was just going to check downstairs for her.”
“Oh, well, I guess then that’s my decision made. Once you find her, let me know how she is, will you? I’m going to try to get some work done.”
“Of course, sir.”
Grant reluctantly retraced his steps to his office, brought his monitor to life, and stared at the glowing screen without seeing anything on it.
A chill snaked down his spine as he couldn’t shake Julia from his thoughts. He was giving in to his fear. He’d faced down enough opponents to know he shouldn’t do that. He tried to refocus his thoughts on the spreadsheet in front of him but found it impossible.
He grabbed his phone, intending to call Julia when it rang in his hands. He glanced at the caller, his muscles tensing. Kyle.
He almost ignored it, but thought it may be more detrimental. With an abundance of reluctance, he swiped to accept the call. “Kyle, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
A sigh laced with panic met his question first. He tightened his grip on his phone. “I’m at St. Mary’s with Julia. She fell and hit her head. They’re checking her out now, but I think you should get here as soon as possible.”
His heart clenched as his pulse quickened. He rose from his seat, panic fueling his steps as he hurried to the front door. His mind tried to spin through scenarios. Had they been together or had this happened somewhere else? “What? What happened?”
Kyle’s voice shredded with upset. “She was at my apartment. She fell. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
His heart and feet stopped a few steps onto the driveway as he tried to process the words. “What do you mean you didn’t mean for it to happen?”
“Just get here,” Kyle said before the line clicked.
Grant stared down at the phone as the display died, his mind racing as panic laced him. Another head injury. At Kyle’s hands. What had happened between them?
A storm of emotions raged within including an overwhelming sense of helplessness. His heart ached at the thought of Julia in pain.
He pushed himself to hurry toward the garage as he dialed another number. “Worthington, Julia’s in the hospital again. I’m heading there now. Can you call Sierra?”
“Of course, sir. Please let us know when you know anything.”
Grant ended the call and pushed into the garage, finding James polishing one of the cars. “Mr. Harrington, how are you today?”
“Not good. Julia’s in the hospital again. I need to get there.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“I’ll drive myself.”
James shook his head. “No, you’re way too upset. Don’t worry, I’ll make good time.”
Grant heaved a sigh as he nodded. “Thanks, James.”
As their car snaked closer and closer to the hospital, Grant’s mind whirled, his muscles tense. What would he find when he got there? Would she be in another coma? Would she wake up? Would any progress she made be erased?
James barely stopped the car at the emergency room when he flung the door open and raced inside.
Sierra hurried down the sidewalk, sliding through the door with him. “Daddy! What happened?”
“I don’t know. Kyle called.”
“Kyle? She was with Kyle again?”
Kyle rose from his seat as they scanned the room, his features pinched with worry.
Grant’s jaw flexed as he stormed toward him. “What the hell happened, Kyle?”
His son shook his head, fear clouding his eyes. “She was fine. We were talking.”
“And?” Grant demanded.
“Yeah, what did you do to her?” Sierra asked.
“Nothing. I…she remembered what happened the night of the kidnapping. She panicked. She ran. I tried to stop her, and she fell. She hit her head. She never regained consciousness.”
Grant flung a hand in the air as he huffed out a sigh. “Oh, Kyle. Why can you never learn to stop crossing lines?”
“I didn’t do this on purpose. I didn’t mean for it to happen. She just looked so scared.”
Sierra poked a long nail into Kyle’s face. “You better hope she’s okay, or I’ll kill you myself.”
Kyle’s features remained penitent. Grant’s annoyance with his son was tempered by his worry over Julia. She’d remembered the horrific events of Kyle’s involvement in her kidnapping. He hated that she’d experienced that kind of fear.
He sank into a seat, drumming his fingers against the arm as he fidgeted. After what felt like an eternity, they were called back to her room.
“She’s still unconscious, but no signs of swelling in her brain. And she has a little cut on her forehead, no stitches needed,” the doctor reported.
“When will she wake up?” Grant asked.
“I can’t say for sure. It could be any time now. We’ll continue to monitor her until she does.”
Grant heaved a sigh as the doctor left them behind. He shuffled into her room, listening to the familiar beeping of the monitor. It was like a bad case of deja vu.
She lay in the bed, a few butterfly bandages closing the wound on the corner of her forehead. He crossed to her bed and grabbed her hand as he stroked her forehead. “Oh, Julia, please wake up.”
“Do you really think you should be in here?” Sierra said to Kyle. “The last thing we need is for her to wake up and die of fright when she sees you.”
Kyle stared at her form with glassy eyes before he murmured, “I’ll be in the waiting room. I’d appreciate knowing when she’s awake.”
He strode from the room. Grant felt a momentary pang of guilt but shoved it aside as his concern for Julia took center stage.
Each beep of her monitor counted another second she hadn’t woken. It stretched far too long for his taste, but after what felt like an eternity, her eyes fluttered open.
“Julia?” he asked as his heart lifted.
He leaned closer to her, squeezing her hand.
“Hi,” she said softly with a weak, but genuine smile that reached her eyes.
“Oh, Julia, thank God. How do you feel?”
Her forehead creased as she tried to sit up. “Tired of being in the hospital.”
“Easy,” Grant said. “You hit your head…again.”
She nodded, ignoring his warning as she pulled herself up to sit. “I know. I’ve had more concussions in the past year than–”
She froze, her lips parting as her features pinched more.
Grant’s heart thudded against his ribs. “Julia? What’s wrong? Are you sick? What is it?”
She shook her head, flicking her gaze to him. “No…I remember.”
Her features eased into a smile. “I remember. I remember! I remember everything. Meeting you. Getting married. Getting a concussion. That’s not the best memory, but still, I remember.”
His eyes went wide as he stared at her. “Everything?”
She nodded as she squeezed his hand. “Everything.”
“Julia, that’s great,” he said as he cupped her face with his hand.
“Even me?” Sierra asked.
Julia smiled at her and reached for her hand. “How could I forget you?”
Sierra flung her arms around Julia’s neck. “Oh, Step-mommy! I’m so glad you’re back.”
Julia returned the hug with a broad grin. “So am I.”
When they released each other, Julia glanced around the room, her brow furrowing again. “Where’s Kyle?”
“We asked Crazy Kyle to leave. We didn’t want you traumatized the moment you woke up,” Sierra said.
Julia’s lips tugged back into a wince as she glanced at Grant. “Can you find him?”
“Julia, I’m not sure–”
She grasped his hand, a pleading look in her eyes. “Please? He’s probably not in a very good place after what happened.”
“He shouldn’t be,” Grant grumbled.
“Grant, please.”
He couldn’t deny her request. And he was so pleased that she’d remembered everything, he doubted Kyle could ruin his mood. “Fine. I’ll go tell him you’re awake.”
“Please tell him to come in here.”
“Julia–“
“Grant, you know that’s never going be enough for him.”
Grant rolled his eyes. It was nice having his wife fully back, even with her worry over the son he didn’t get along with. “Fine, Julia. Whatever you want. After everything you’ve been through, you can have whatever you want. I’ll be right back.”
He squeezed her hand one last time, hating to leave her behind. As he strode from the room, he worried he’d return to find her with no memories. He entered the waiting room, scanning it for his wayward son.
Kyle rose, his features still tight. “Anything?”
“She’s awake. And she has all her memories back.”
Kyle blew out a sigh of relief.
“She’s asking for you.” The words nearly got stuck in his throat.
His features pinched, a mix of anxiety and relief. “I’m not sure–”
“If I don’t go back there with you, she’ll kill both of us. Come on.”
Kyle offered him a fleeting smile. “Wouldn’t want that.”
“No,” Grant said with a shake of his head as they headed back to her room. “Found him.”
Kyle took a few tentative steps into the room, his features hesitant. “Hey, Julia.”
She offered him a warm smile as she reached for his hand. “Hey. I’m fine.”
“I’m glad.”
“I’m really fine. And I’m sorry I panicked. Those memories without any other context were difficult for me. But I’m fine now.”
He kept his eyes focused on the floor as she spoke. “Julia, I’m sorry about what happened.”
“It’s okay, it was an accident. And I have all my memories back now.”
Kyle lifted his eyes to her, offering a slight smile.
“Yes, she finally remembers me instead of just you,” Sierra said. “All’s right with the world.”
“We are all very happy your memory is back completely,” Grant said with a squeeze of her shoulder.
“No one’s happier about that than me,” she said. “We can finally put this entire nightmare behind us and move forward.”
The words were music to Grant’s ears. They had so much to talk about. But one thing was at the forefront of his mind.
“Speaking of putting the nightmare behind us,” Grant said. “You called me before your accident and said you knew who was behind DG Industries. Who was it?”
Julia’s smile faded as her eyebrows pinched. “Oh no.”
“What is it?” Grant asked, concern sweeping over him.
“I don’t remember that. I remember everything else, but…everything from that night is gone.” She looked at him with a discouraged glance. “I don’t know who it was.”
His relief at her recovery was tinged with disappointment. The mystery of DG Industries still loomed over them like a dark cloud. As he watched her, a resolve formed within him. They would face this challenge together as a team, unraveling the secrets that threatened their future.