CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE #2
“Thanks for the help,” Kiara said as she stepped back from him. A small smile crossed her face, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Julian stood watching her as she walked away, and he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t understand what was happening inside of him, and as with so much lately, he didn’t know how to deal with it.
He slept fitfully that night, thoughts of the situation weighing heavily on his mind. When he got up the next morning, he still had no answers, but he had come to a certain realization.
Something had changed inside him over the past few months. It had started with getting sober and finally revealing the secret that had weighed him down for so long. But it hadn’t stopped there.
The fact that he was feeling more at home on the estate was also a major change. But probably the strangest change was his willingness to attend church and to really hear about a faith that he’d previously had absolutely no interest in.
His feelings for Kiara were undergoing a shift as well. From not feeling one way or the other about her, to now feeling a great deal for her, he was experiencing emotions he’d never dealt with before.
Out in the kitchen after he’d gotten ready for church, he started the coffee, then looked in the fridge to see what he could make for them for breakfast. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a cook.
He knew she liked avocado toast, but it was unlikely that she’d like his version, which would most likely be burned or undercooked.
“What are you looking for?”
Turning, Julian closed the fridge door. Kiara was walking toward him, dressed in a matching burgundy sweater and skirt that hugged her belly. She looked more rested, so he hoped she’d had a good night’s sleep.
“I was trying to decide if I should inflict my cooking on you.”
“You know how to cook?”
Julian chuckled as he leaned back against the counter, giving her space to move around the kitchen. “No. But unless you want to hire a chef, I’m beginning to think I should learn.”
“That’s not in my plan,” Kiara said as she opened a bag of bagels. “I don’t mind cooking the meals we don’t eat at the main house.”
Julian frowned. “I don’t want to make work for you.”
“You’re not,” she said as she put the bagel halves into the toaster. “If I don’t feel up to cooking something, we have the main house as an option. Elizabeth told me I’m always welcome, so I assume that applies to you too.”
“But do you really enjoy doing the cooking?” he asked.
“Strangely enough,” she began as she opened the fridge.
She appeared a moment later with a tub of cream cheese and a container of strawberries.
“I’m finding that I do enjoy it. I’m not as passionate about it as Angie, who is apparently having great fun trying all sorts of recipes.
But since I don’t really have anything else to do with my time, cooking has become something I enjoy. ”
“Do you want to grab me a couple of plates?” Kiara said, gesturing to the cabinet he stood next to.
He turned and opened the door to retrieve two plates. Moving close, he set the plates on the counter in front of her.
For the next couple of minutes, they worked together to get the simple breakfast on the plates, then Julian carried them over to the table. Kiara filled mugs with coffee, then joined him.
“I hope this is enough for you,” she said.
“It’s great,” he assured her. “I appreciate you making it.”
She gave him a smile that brightened her face. “I hope baby boy appreciates it too.”
Julian really did appreciate the things she did for him, but he didn’t want it to be a one-way street. He wanted to be able to help her out too, but he wasn’t quite sure how. Something told him that she was a very self-sufficient person and would decline help if offered.
Once they were done with breakfast, they cleaned up the few dishes they’d dirtied, then got ready to leave for church. They took the UTV to the main house, where they met up with Elijah and the bodyguards.
Elijah took the back seat while Julian sat in the middle row with Kiara. The trip to Coeur d’Alene passed quickly, and soon they were walking into the church.
When he noticed Elijah keeping his head ducked down as they walked through the foyer, Julian realized that his friend was aware that he might be recognized. He hoped that it didn’t happen, especially since Elijah appeared to want to avoid any attention.
As with the last service he’d attended, the music was uplifting, and the pastor’s sermon was thought provoking.
He and Elijah had talked a lot about what being a Christian meant. For every question he’d had, Elijah had been able to direct him to a passage in the Bible that answered it.
When Elijah had asked him what was holding him back from taking that final step, Julian hadn’t had an answer for him. Part of it, he knew, had to do with feeling like he’d be taking on another set of expectations that he wouldn’t be able to meet.
He was afraid to take on the responsibilities of being a Christian, only to fail in front of his family and Elijah.
But for the first time in his life, he had a strong desire to be a better man.
He wanted to be a good father, and someone his son would look up to and admire.
And in a moment of shocking revelation, he wanted to be a better man for Kiara.
He wanted her to know that he would always be someone she could count on.
He wanted to leave the person he’d been behind.
If Julian knew one thing, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to do any of that on his own. Was God the answer to his becoming a better man?
Everything he’d heard from Elijah and through the pastor’s sermons said He was, so maybe it was time he took that final step and trusted that God would give him what he needed in order to be better.
Unfortunately, it only took a day for Julian to be faced with a situation where he had to let Kiara down.
“I’m not going to be able to go with you to the class at the hospital,” Julian said after he got off a phone call with Sean. “I need to go to Singapore.”
Kiara frowned. “Has something happened?”
“Yes.” Julian sat back down on the couch.
He’d started the fire after they’d returned from dinner at the main house. Unfortunately, he’d received a call from Singapore just minutes later. “Sean called to let me know he’s concerned about a possible theft of research material for the FemPulse.”
Kiara’s brows rose. “Someone has stolen information from your company?”
“Yes. And Sean was concerned that they were bugging his electronics to monitor, so they’d know if he suspected anything. He actually bought a burner phone, then went to a hotel where he removed everything he wore and left it in the bathroom with the shower running so he could call me.”
“That is… crazy. He must be really worried.”
“He is,” Julian agreed. “But we need to deal with this as soon as possible. We can’t let it slide.”
“You’re not going by yourself, are you?” Kiara asked.
“No. I’ll have Anthony and Elijah with me, but I’ll also be taking a larger security force, including our cybersecurity team.”
Kiara's face creased with worry. "Is it safe for you to go there with something like this happening? It sounds like corporate espionage."
"That’s exactly what it is," Julian said, running a hand through his hair. "But we need to handle this quickly before more damage is done."
The warmth from the fire couldn't touch the chill that had settled in his chest. He'd been looking forward to attending the class with Kiara. It had felt like an important step—one that would show he was committed to being involved, even if he hadn’t planned to be in the delivery room.
"I understand," Kiara said softly, her hand moving to her belly in that protective gesture he'd noticed she often made. "How long will you be gone?"
"I'm not sure. A week at minimum, but it could be longer depending on what we find." Julian watched as disappointment flickered across her face. "I'm sorry about the class."
"It's okay. I understand that this is important."
Julian nodded, but the guilt still gnawed at him. After wanting to be there for her, to help her, he was already letting her down. "I'll make it up to you."
"You don't need to do that," Kiara said, shifting on the couch to face him more directly. "Your work is important."
"So is this," Julian insisted, gesturing toward her belly. He meant it too.
Kiara's expression softened. "When do you have to leave?"
"Soon. I’ll be taking the jet to New York to pick up the IT security team members, then we’ll fly to Singapore." Julian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Elijah has already agreed to go along with us, but I still need to speak with Duncan.”
Elijah had responded to his text almost immediately, stating he’d be happy to join him on the trip. Julian was glad he’d have his friend with him, especially with how uncertain the situation was.
Kiara nodded, a small smile touching her lips. "That's good. I'm glad you won't be alone."
"I hate leaving so soon after just getting back," Julian admitted. The fire crackled, sending up a shower of sparks. "It feels like I'm running out on you."
"You're not running out on me," Kiara said, her voice soft but firm. She reached out to rest her hand on his arm. "This is your job, and it's important. There are a lot of people depending on you, and from what you’ve told me, this research could be life-changing for people."
Julian covered her hand with his as he studied her face, searching for any sign that she was just saying what she thought he wanted to hear. But her expression seemed genuine, even if there was disappointment in her eyes.
"I'll keep in touch," he promised. "Daily updates."
"I'd like that."
A log shifted in the fireplace, sending up a shower of sparks.
Julian kept his hand over hers as he watched the flames dance, his mind already racing through everything he needed to do before departure.
Meet with Duncan, pack, brief the security team, review the data that Sean had sent him that had first roused his suspicions.
"I should probably start getting things ready," he said. “First, I need to meet with Duncan, then I need to get packed. My plan is to leave for Coeur d’Alene by three a.m.”
“So early?”
“We need to get going, and with the time difference, we probably won’t get to New York until around noon.
I hope that we can leave for Singapore not long after.
This time, we’re taking a private jet rather than flying commercial.
Duncan’s assistant will arrange for us to take a larger plane since we have further to fly, plus we’ll be having meetings during the flight over to review everything. ”
“How long will the flight take?”
“From New York? Around twenty-two hours. We’ll have to make at least one refueling stop.”
“Will you be able to sleep?”
“Yes. The seats are pretty comfortable on those types of jets, plus there might be a bed, depending on which plane we end up with.” He let out a sigh. “I need to head back to the house to talk with Duncan. Do you need anything before I go?”
She shook her head and gave him a soft smile. “I’m good. I might be in bed before you get back.”
Julian took her hand fully in his, turning to face her as he shifted closer on the couch. The reluctance to leave her was strong, and he knew walking out that door was going to be the hardest thing he’d done in awhile.
“Take care of yourself,” Julian said, then reached out to gently lay his other hand on her stomach. “And I hope Baby Boy doesn’t give you too much trouble.”
“We’ll be fine.” She smiled at him, her expression gentle. “You take care of yourself too.”
“Don’t worry about me.” He could see the concern on her face. “I will have good people with me to make sure I’m safe.”
“Don’t take any unnecessary risks,” she said. “Our son needs his daddy.”
“I’ll be careful. I promise.”
Julian leaned forward to press a kiss on her forehead. He didn’t know why he did it, but it felt right.
“I’ll see you when I get back.” He got to his feet. “But don’t hesitate to message me if you need to. Just keep in mind the time difference if I don’t answer right away.”
She gazed up at him with wide eyes and nodded. “See you soon.”
Julian was loath to leave her, because suddenly it felt like there was so much unsaid between them.
But he had to go. With a final look, he turned and walked to the door leading into the garage.
In deference to the cold, he’d take the UTV to the main house to see Duncan before returning to get his things ready to go.
The timing of this was the worst, but hopefully he’d be home well before the baby arrived.