Chapter Twenty
JULIETTE WAS GLAD for the long drive back to Weston. She needed time to wrap her head around what they’d learned. But when they reached her street, she was still toying with what to tell Lucas.
“You doing okay, darlin’?” Seeley asked.
“Yeah. I was just thinking about Lucas. He’s going to want to know what we found out. I don’t know how much I should tell him.”
Seeley put his hand on hers. “We’re leading with honesty, but that doesn’t mean he needs all the gory details. He needs to know we’re handling it, so he doesn’t worry about it.”
“That’s what I was thinking. I do want to tell him about Ana. It’s a good lesson in not trusting people at face value.”
“Maybe you should talk to the therapist about how to present that first? He’s such a tough kid, and he’s so protective of you. I fully support teaching him not to take people at face value, even if I’m kind of one of those people right now. But with everything he’s dealing with, I don’t want to make him unjustly tougher or too untrusting. That’s a hard way to grow up.”
She felt a pang of sadness, knowing he was talking from experience.
He turned into her driveway and said, “I’m really hoping that as he gets more comfortable with me, he’ll realize his world is still safe. Safer, actually, now that you both have me and my family and the club watching over you, and he’ll be able to go back to just being a kid, where his biggest worry will be getting a zit before a date.”
She laughed softly. “I barely remember those years.”
“Because yours were cut short.” He pulled up beside her truck and lifted his chin in the direction of the barn. “Whose horse is that?”
There was an unfamiliar horse tied to a post outside the barn. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
They climbed out of the truck, and as they headed down to the barn, Seeley said, “It probably belongs to one of his friends. As I recall from the night he took off, he has a few friends who live nearby.”
“I’m sure it is, but Lucas knows he’s not allowed to have friends over when I’m not home.”
As they neared the barn, she heard a girl giggling and froze. She grabbed Seeley’s arm, whispering, “Did you hear that? He’s in there with a girl.”
He chuckled.
“Don’t laugh,” she whispered harshly. “What if they’re messing around?”
“Then we should give them some warning so we don’t embarrass whoever he’s with.”
She rolled her eyes, earning another chuckle. Juliette cleared her throat loudly, then practically shouted, “Come on, Seeley. I’ll show you the horses.”
He shook his head, whispering, “Real subtle, babe.”
“You said to give them a warning,” she whispered, then loudly announced, “Let’s go into the barn.”
“Okay,” Seeley said loudly, playing along.
She mouthed, I hate this , and he laughed.
“Mom, why are you shouting?” Lucas called out from Warrior’s stall.
“I didn’t know I was,” she said as they made their way to the stall, where she was relieved to see Layla taking a selfie with Warrior. “Hi, Layla. How are you?”
“Hi, Dr. Chambers.” She tucked her long dark hair behind her ear, smiling sweetly. She looked cute in brown riding pants, black boots, and a white T-shirt with In my horse girl era in colorful seventies-style letters down the front. “Hi, Doc.”
“It’s nice to see you, Layla,” he said. “How’s it going, Lucas? What are you guys up to?”
“Layla was on a trail ride and stopped by,” Lucas explained a little nervously. “We were hanging out and talking while I did my chores.”
“I hope that’s okay,” Layla said. “I probably should have texted first.”
“It’s fine, honey,” Juliette said. “Although next time, Lucas, maybe you can text me and let me know.”
“Okay,” he said, visibly relieved. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“Do your parents know you’re here, Layla?” Seeley asked, surprising Juliette with the fatherly question.
“Uh-huh,” Layla said cheerily. “I texted my mom when I got here, since I hadn’t planned on coming over. She said it’s fine if I stay awhile.”
“Mom, since Layla’s already here, can she stay for dinner? I was thinking we could order pizza.” He barely took a breath before adding, “Doc can stay, too, if he wants.”
That was the first time Juliette had heard him address Seeley by a name, and she liked that he chose Doc instead of Seeley. It sounded familiar. Friendlier. Though she wondered if Lucas had called him that because Layla had. In any case, she was elated that he suggested Seeley stay for dinner, even if she had a feeling it was his way of keeping her out of his and Layla’s hair.
“What do you think, Doc ?” Juliette said teasingly.
“I’ve got church tonight, but I can’t think of a better way to spend my time until then.” The twinkle in his eyes told her how pleased he was by the invitation. “Dinner’s on me.”
“You don’t have to do that, but thank you,” Juliette said.
“You go to church at night?” Lucas asked with confusion.
“Not the kind of church you’re probably thinking of. Church is what we Dark Knights call our weekly club meetings.”
“Oh, cool.” Lucas turned a charming smile on Layla. “Do you want to ask your mom if you can stay? I can ride home with you before dark to make sure you get there safely.”
Layla beamed. “I’d love to. Thanks.”
About a dozen emotions swirled through Juliette as Lucas chatted up Layla while she texted her mother, earning the type of sweet smiles that come only when a young girl is crushing hard on a boy. She hadn’t been prepared to watch Lucas grow up so fast, but her heart felt full seeing him so happy.
“What kind of pizza do you like?” Seeley asked.
“What kind do you like?” Lucas asked Layla.
She shrugged. “Anything except onions and anchovies.”
“Pepperoni sound good?” he asked.
She nodded, eyes bright.
“We’ll have pepperoni, please,” Lucas announced.
“Got it.” Seeley looked at Juliette. “Do you still like mushrooms?”
“I can’t believe you remembered.” She shouldn’t be surprised, given that he’d remembered everything else about their relationship.
Seeley winked. “Why don’t we let them finish up with the horses?”
She didn’t know if he wanted to give Lucas and Layla a minute alone, or if he wanted a moment alone with her, but the way he was looking at her told her it was probably both. “Good idea. I have a few things to do before dinner. We’ll meet you guys up at the house.”
“Okay,” Lucas said. “Wait. Doc, are you still taking me driving tomorrow?”
“Sure am. I’ll pick you up after your riding practice.”
“Cool. Thanks.”
After Juliette and Seeley left the barn, Seeley said, “Our boy’s got game.”
“Yes, he does. But Layla’s only fourteen, so he’d better not have too much game.”
“I’ll talk with him about that when I take him driving tomorrow.”
She was floored at how naturally Seeley was taking on fatherhood. “Do you think he invited you to dinner to keep me busy?”
“Hell yes. He’s no dummy. But I’ll take it.” He draped his arm over her shoulder, hugging her against his side as they neared the house. “Gotta love those baby steps.”
AN HOUR LATER, Doc and Juliette were sitting at the kitchen table, eating pizza and chatting with the kids. It was strange to think that a few hours ago, he and Juliette were confronting Ana. Juliette was strong, but there was so much to consider with going after her father. Doc didn’t just want to hold off on calling Reggie to protect her and Lucas from any backlash. He also wanted to give Juliette time to let the truth sink in, in case she had second thoughts down the line.
He had to leave to get ready for church soon, but he was enjoying sitting with his hand on Juliette’s leg under the table, watching Lucas act cool with Layla, talking about his bull riding and playing off the falls like they were no big deal. Layla was adorably smitten with him.
This was one of those moments he didn’t want to forget. The first time his son asked him to stay for dinner, and he’d learned that it was also the first time Lucas had ever had a girl over. He wanted nothing more than to stay all evening, to laugh and joke with them. To hold Juliette long after Layla went home and Lucas was sleeping safe and sound in his bed, to make sure she felt safe, too. Talking over the phone was great, but it wasn’t the same as having her in his arms.
“I’d love to see you bull ride sometime,” Layla said, drawing Doc from his thoughts.
Lucas’s smile lit up the whole damn kitchen. “Maybe you can come to my next competition.”
“That’d be fun. Christian told my parents he wants to ride a bull,” Layla said, referring to her mischievous little brother, who was about Gus’s age. “My mom was like, no way , and my dad said Christian was going to be too busy racing cars.” Hugh was a professional race car driver.
“Lucky kid. That would be awesome,” Lucas said.
“I hope he doesn’t learn to race. Christian’s a maniac .” Layla took a drink of her soda. “I swear he doesn’t know how to sit still, which is great for Cami, because she’s always chasing him around.” Her little sister, Camryn, was an adorable, chubby-cheeked toddler.
“Doc used to ride bulls,” Lucas said, eyeing him over his glass as he lifted it to his mouth.
Layla’s eyes widened. “You did?”
“Yeah, when I was much younger. It was a lot of fun.”
“He was good, too,” Lucas bragged, surprising Doc, and by the look on Juliette’s face, surprising her, too. “He was the junior world champ five times.”
“ Wow ,” Layla said. She nudged Lucas. “I bet you can be a world champ if you try.”
Lucas sat up taller, eating up the compliment.
“He’s better than I ever was,” Doc said.
Lucas gave him a disbelieving look. “You thought I was that good?”
“Dude, you were awesome.” Doc could see him struggling with that praise, his lips twitching like he wanted to wear it proudly, but that big heart of his was holding it back.
“I think you’re both pretty great,” Juliette said.
“You have to say that. You’re my mom,” Lucas said, and they all laughed.
“I do not ,” Juliette insisted.
“Whatever,” Lucas said. “Layla competes in horse shows, and she’s really good.”
Doc was impressed with his swift pivot, but the admiration in Lucas’s voice told him it wasn’t only a pivot. He wanted them to know she was special. As if her being there wasn’t like a neon sign.
“I would’ve loved to have competed when I was your age,” Juliette said.
“Why didn’t you?” Lucas asked.
“I didn’t have the time to dedicate to it,” Juliette said.
Doc squeezed her leg under the table, knowing the truth. Her father hadn’t allowed it, but she probably didn’t want to get into that with the kids.
“It does take a lot of time, but I love it,” Layla said.
“She has a competition in a few weeks,” Lucas added. “I want to go. Is that okay, Mom?”
“I don’t see why not. I’d like to go, too,” she said.
“That sounds like fun. My sister Sasha used to compete,” Doc said. “What’s your discipline?”
“Junior dressage,” Layla said, and went on to tell them about the events she’d won and how her whole family, including her grandfather and all of her cousins and aunts and uncles who lived in the area, tried to come to her competitions.
Doc hoped that one day Lucas would be able to say the same thing about their family.