Chapter 2
JULIA
J ulia sank into the plush leather of the limo as the hum of the engine blended with the soft pop of a champagne cork. For some reason, the noise startled her more than she expected.
Sierra, ever the orchestrator of opulence, beamed as she poured the bubbling liquid into flutes. Once everyone held a glass, she raised hers. “To new beginnings and family bonding.”
Julia sipped at the champagne, the bubbles tickling her nose. She tried to allow the tension of the past months to lift, replaced by the allure of the unknown. “So, where are we going?”
“That’s a surprise, Julia. You’ll see when we get there.”
“You mean you’re not telling us until we’re there?” Julia asked.
“I am not,” Sierra said after another sip of her drink. “I can’t wait for you to see what I booked. I think everyone is going to be really stunned by my choice.”
The smile that had been playing on Grant’s lips slipped. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Just that…I think I’ve outdone myself.”
“We’re not going to like a third-world country where you plan to leave me for dead, are we?” Kyle asked.
“No, Kyle, but thanks for the idea. The next time I need a pick-me-up, I’ll plan that.”
Kyle narrowed his eyes at her.
Grant shifted in his seat, setting his glass down. “All right, that’s enough, you two. We just toasted to family bonding and new beginnings.”
“Sorry, Daddy. You’re right. This trip is going to really bring us together as a family.” She arched an eyebrow as she shot a pointed glance at Grant. “I’m sure you’ll agree, right, Daddy?”
Grant grabbed the champagne and took a sip. “Absolutely.”
His sudden unease made her uncomfortable. Was there more to this trip than she realized? Was there some bombshell they planned to drop? It had been a quiet few months.
Maybe he planned to let her go from the contract early. She took another sip of her drink as the limo glided closer to the airstrip. A family trip with the Harringtons was probably not going to be a simple getaway.
She stared into the bubbling liquid as her mind whirled. When she lifted her eyes, she found Grant’s gaze on her. She offered him a soft smile as the car came to a stop.
The door opened and Sierra climbed out, waving for them to follow her. “Come on, let’s go. All aboard the Harrington Express!”
“I’m really starting to get worried about this,” Kyle said as he exited the limo behind Julia. “Do you have matching shirts for us, Sierra?”
“Ugh, no, Kyle, those are so tacky. Stop being ridiculous and get on the plane before I revoke your invitation.”
He climbed up the stairs without another word. Sierra grabbed Julia’s hand and dragged her to the plane, pushing her up the steps ahead of her. Grant followed behind them.
Julia settled on the couch with Grant sliding into the seat next to her. Sierra plopped into one of the deluxe chairs across from them next to Kyle.
Worthington, already aboard, brought another round of champagne as the engines whirled to life outside.
Sierra grinned at them over the rim of her glass. “I’m not telling anyone where we’re going until we get there, but I will say this place has been described as one of the top vacation destinations this year. Be prepared to be dazzled!”
Julia’s heart fluttered with a mix of anticipation and unease. The unknown destination was like an unread chapter in a book, exciting yet daunting.
Kyle pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped on it. Sierra knocked it from his hand. “No searching.”
“Well, you can’t get rid of me now. I’m on the plane.”
“Don’t push me, Kyle. I will throw you off this plane mid-air if I have to.”
“Enough,” Grant said as his arm fell around Julia’s shoulders. “This isn’t going to be a very nice vacation with you two bickering constantly.”
Grant’s cell phone rang a second later, and he reached into his pocket for it.
“Daddy! No work!”
“We’re not there yet,” he answered. “And I need to take this.”
Sierra’s shoulders slumped. “Julia, do something.”
Julia glanced at Grant. “If you have to take it…”
“Ugh, Julia, I thought I could trust you.”
“Thanks.” He pulled his arm from around her and rose to take the call from the corner of the cabin.
Sierra snapped a few selfies with her champagne.
Kyle swapped seats, settling in next to Julia as the plane continued its pre-flight checks. “Do you have any idea what’s going on here?”
Julia lifted a shoulder. “I’ve never been on vacation with them before. I can’t imagine it will be much different from the normal…craziness of the Harringtons.”
He grinned at her before taking another sip of the champagne. “It’s been pretty quiet around the old homestead lately. Nothing new on the DG Industries front?”
Julia downed another long swallow of champagne. She hadn’t told Kyle she’d remembered Lydia was involved. Nor that the woman had threatened her. That had been kept between her and Grant.
She flicked him a glance and shook her head. “No, nothing. It’s frustrating.”
“And still no memory of the night of the accident?”
“Nope,” she answered, shifting lower in her seat.
“Hmm. That may be for the best. That night was…pretty horrible.”
“I can imagine. I think it was easiest on me, to be honest.”
Kyle stared down at the bubbling liquid in his glass.
“You know, I never thanked you.”
“For?” he asked.
“Saving my life. From what I understand, it wasn’t an easy feat. And I wouldn’t be here without you.”
Kyle smiled at her, his hand reaching for hers. “I wasn’t letting you go, Julia.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” she said as she squeezed his hand.
“I hope you’re glad Sierra included me on the trip.”
“Of course, I am. You’re family, too. And I think we all needed this. Maybe you and Grant can make some progress on your relationship.”
Kyle slid his eyes sideways to his father, still chatting on the phone. “Maybe.”
“Don’t be so quick to jump to the conclusion that you can’t move forward.”
He leaned away from her, his jaw tightening.
“I know you don’t think you can have a relationship.”
“I don’t,” he answered.
“But you need to stay open to the possibility.”
“I’m not exactly thrilled with his actions and attitudes. Maybe I don’t want to move forward.”
“I’m just saying to keep an open mind because he may surprise you. Maybe you’ll find some common ground on this trip.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“I really hate that you two are constantly at each other. You weren’t at first. You were making good progress.”
“And then I admitted my feelings for you, and that threatened him. Threatened to take control away from him.”
“He’s not that controlling,” she answered. “But let’s stop talking about it. Maybe it’s best if you don’t force anything.”
Kyle shifted in his seat to face her again. “Yes, let’s stop talking about him and start talking about DG Industries. Our investigation stalled. I didn’t want to push it during your recovery, but I think we need to dive back into this.”
Julia heaved a sigh, not wanting to get into it. “Let’s put that on the back burner, too, and try to enjoy the vacation.”
Kyle’s jaw clenched, indicating that he didn’t like the suggestion. “Are you just putting me off?”
She shook her head. “I’m not putting you off. I just think we need some time away from all the issues.”
“Okay. As long as you promise to discuss the next steps with me when we get back to New Orleans.”
“Fine,” she said with a nod.
“Kyle, do you mind getting out of my seat?” Grant asked as he slid his phone into his pocket and grabbed his glass.
“I didn’t realize it was yours exclusively.”
“Well, it is my plane,” Grant shot back.
“And we all know how you love to lord over all that you own.”
Grant’s gaze hardened as Kyle spoke, a silent storm brewing behind his eyes. Unfazed, Kyle met his father’s glare with a defiant tilt of his chin, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.
“Enough,” Julia said. “This is a vacation, not a battle.”
“She’s right,” Grant said. “Keep the seat. I’ll sit here.”
“No, no,” Kyle said as he rose from his seat. “Take it.”
“No, I’m fine over here,” Grant said as he backed toward the seat next to Sierra.
“Really, Dad, I insist.”
“No, I insist.”
The luxury of the plane’s interior, with its polished wood finishes and plush seats, contrasted sharply with the tension among its passengers.
Sierra rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop it, and sit down. Daddy, sit by Julia. Kyle…sit wherever. Everyone needs to stop raining on my fabulous vacation.”
The two men shuffled around each other, both still tense as they settled into their seats. “Thank you, Kyle.”
“Anytime, Dad.”
Julia heaved a sigh as she watched the delicate dance of politeness as each man tried to outdo the other to comply with her request. Maybe the vacation would be more tense than she hoped.
She drummed her fingers on the soft leather of the couch as the plane sailed to its unknown destination.
As the wheels squealed on the runway at their destination, Julia fidgeted in her seat. With the shades down, they still had no idea where Sierra had flown them.
“Well, can we know now?” Julia asked as the engines began to spin down.
Sierra narrowed her eyes at Julia. “Stop being impatient, Julia. The police said they were sending a liaison to meet the plane. After that’s all squared away, I’ll do the big reveal. I don’t want any distractions.”
Julia shifted in her seat next to Grant. He smiled at her, squeezing her shoulder as Worthington opened the door, welcoming someone as they climbed the stairs. Footsteps approached, clanging on the metal stairs.
A blonde woman ducked inside the cabin as Worthington said, “Welcome aboard. Right this way.”
Julia shot a fleeting glance at the officer. Something was familiar about the way she moved, giving her a nagging sense of deja vu. Her heart pounded louder with every step, the air thickening with unspoken recognition until it hit her.
Her heart stopped, and heat washed over her. Her eyes went wide as she leapt to her feet. “Alicia?”
“Juju?” the woman questioned.
“Juju?” Sierra asked, jumping up.
“What?” Grant asked, rising to his feet.
“What are you doing here?” Alicia and Julia said at the same time.
Alicia offered her an incredulous glance, poking a finger at the badge on her belt. “I work here. What are you doing here?”
Julia’s mind went blank as she stared at her sister. “I don’t know.”
Alicia dropped her chin toward her chest. “You don’t know what you’re doing here?”
Julia slid her eyes closed as she pressed her hand to her forehead. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Oh my goodness!” Alicia shrieked. “Is that a wedding ring?”
“What?” Julia asked her eyes wide.
Alicia grabbed her sister’s hand and tugged it toward her. “This gigantic diamond and the gold band. Did you get married?”
Julia swallowed hard, the lies she’d spun for the past sixteen months crashing down around her. “Maybe a little.”
“How are you a little married? You’re either married or you’re not. Are you married?”
“Yes-ish,” she said with a shrug.
“Umm, would someone mind telling me what is happening here? You’re supposed to be escorting us to our house,” Sierra said.
Alicia glanced over her sister’s shoulder at Sierra. “You must be Sierra. Yes, I will escort you in just a second. I just need to finish sorting this out with my sister.”
“Sister? You’re Julia’s sister?” Sierra asked as she slid her eyes sideways to Julia. “Julia, you’re from Harbor Cove?”
Alicia creased her brow before she returned her gaze to Julia. “What’s going on here?”
“I’m sorry,” Grant said as he stepped around Julia with his award-winning smile. “I think I can clear this up. Julia is obviously surprised. None of us knew the destination my daughter picked.” He thrust his hand out. “Hi, I’m Grant Harrington. I’m Julia’s husband.”
Julia slid her eyes closed, wishing she could melt into the floor.
“ You’re Julia’s husband? The billionaire who needs police protection?”
“That’s a gross overstatement regarding our needs, but yes,” Sierra said.
Alicia stared down at his extended hand without taking it before she flicked her gaze back to Julia. “When did you get married? Last night?”
A nervous chuckle escaped Julia. “That’s such a close guess. Sooooo close. Umm, yeah, not quite last night.”
“When?” Alicia asked.
“It was about…sixteen months ago or so. But like I said, your guess was really close.”
Alicia’s eyes went wide, the unmistakable expression of shock, hurt, and anger crossing her eyes. “You’ve been married for over a year, and you didn’t tell me?”
“Didn’t I?” Julia said, her voice an octave higher than normal. “That doesn’t sound like me.”
“I can’t believe this. I can’t believe you.” Alicia shook her head at Julia, the disappointment on her face obvious.
“Is it possible for us to go to our house and have you yell at Julia there because I have been cooped up on this plane for hours.” Sierra’s usual impatience shined.
“Sierra,” Grant growled before he smoothed his voice. “I’m very sorry about my daughter.”
Alicia’s gaze bounced back and forth among them before she nodded. “Yeah, fine. Let’s get you folks to your destination.”
“Ally…” Julia called.
“No, she’s right. You haven’t told me for over a year. What’s twenty more minutes?”
Her sister stormed from the plane, leaving Julia stunned. Her stomach churned with a mix of upset, worry, and guilt. Everything she’d been trying to hide had just been exposed. Her world had just come crashing down around her. And she had no idea how she’d fix it.