Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
The kids were out of sorts all afternoon and extra cranky at bedtime.
They didn’t like the bathtub in the rental because it wasn’t as big as the one they’d had at home, and Isla had forgotten to pack their bath toys, which was another source of irritation for Theo.
He wanted his boats, and she couldn’t immediately provide them the way she could at home.
That sparked a thirty-minute meltdown focused on the unfairness of not being able to have all his things when he wanted them.
Isla agreed with him. She’d forgotten her favorite pair of Nikes and the hair clip she used every day.
As comfortable and safe as she felt in the rental, it was unsettling for the kids to be out of their usual routine in the only home they’d ever known. She supposed she’d been delusional to think she could smoothly move them somewhere new with no bumps or bruises.
When Isla read them a story at bedtime, Theo started crying for Daddy, which got Mila upset, too. If he cried, she cried.
With them finally settled down for the night, she went straight to the fridge for a glass of the chilled rosé she’d been looking forward to all day and checked her phone for the first time in two hours to find a message from Julian.
Will stop by around eight, if that’s okay, to drop off some additional paperwork and pick up what you have so far.
It was now seven forty-five.
Shit. That didn’t give her much time to change out of the shirt that’d gotten wet during bath time and run a brush through her hair.
Yes, that’s fine, she replied, her heart racing with anticipation because she’d be seeing him in a few minutes.
Jeez, get yourself together, girl. He’s dropping off papers and picking up others. That’s all this is.
She knew that. Of course she knew, but it’d been so long since she’d experienced butterflies over the thought of seeing a man.
It’d been like that with Gabriel at first. He’d been the most romantic, thoughtful boyfriend she’d ever had.
Marrying him had made perfect sense, and at first, everything had been great.
He’d been a hard worker who was always thinking of ways to make her happy.
When Theo was born, he was absolutely in love with their little boy from the first second he ever saw him.
For a time, she’d felt like she was living a dream, but it’d all come crashing down in a flurry of increasingly disturbing incidents, none of which could be easily explained or addressed. She’d have been hard-pressed to describe the scenarios that had each unfolded differently.
Prior to the baseball bat, the worst thing, other than him missing Mila’s birth and not meeting her until she was a month old, had been the time she’d been trying to pay for groceries with a debit card that had gotten declined.
A kind woman in the line behind her had paid for Isla’s groceries, and when she’d gotten to her car, she’d checked her bank app and seen nothing but zeros.
All their money was gone. To this day, she still didn’t know what he’d done with it, but it’d been terrifying to have no money at all for weeks until he’d gotten paid again.
The more she’d pushed him for answers, the more hostile he’d become.
Isla had buttoned up a denim shirt and brushed her hair when a soft knock sounded at the door.
That Julian knew not to ring the bell with the kids sleeping earned him big points.
As she ran to the door, all troubling thoughts of Gabriel and his erratic behavior were forgotten.
With Julian Remington standing on her doorstep in a gorgeous navy pinstripe suit with a lighter blue tie, she didn’t want to think about anything other than him.
“Come in.” She headed for the kitchen, where she’d left the envelope containing the worksheets.
“I’ve got the paperwork for you. I did as much as I could.
There’re more liabilities than assets, unfortunately.
Oh, and I wanted to tell you… I listened to the music you sent, and I loved it.
‘Both Sides Now’ made me weep! I listened to it ten times. ”
When she turned back to him and saw his tormented expression, her smile faded. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I’m glad you liked the music.”
She noticed he hadn’t answered her questions.
“I loved it! I get now why it’s so cool that I’m living in Mama Cass’s house. And ‘California Dreamin’’ … It’s everything you said it would be. I loved that, too.” She reached for the wine bottle. “Drink?”
“No, thank you. I can’t stay. I’ve got to be somewhere in twenty minutes.”
“Oh, sorry, and here I am going on and on. But I did want you to know that I really love the music. I feel I’ve been missing out by not listening to it before now.”
“That’s the beauty of music. It’s always there, waiting for you to discover it.”
“I like that. It’s a really nice thought.”
He handed her a new document.
“What’s this one?”
“It’s a new retainer that names my brother Jackson as your counsel in the divorce case.”
“Oh.” Stunned and strangely hurt, she glanced up at him. “Why?”
“I… I have a huge trial starting next week, and I’m afraid of dropping balls. I want to make sure you get the attention you need. Jackson is a great attorney. He’ll keep things moving forward and arrange service of the divorce papers to Gabriel as soon as he’s released from custody.”
Julian put the printed form on the counter.
Feeling unreasonably sad to learn he wouldn’t be handling her case after all, she sat on one of the barstools to look at the form that he’d already signed to be rid of her.
That he seemed exquisitely uncomfortable only made it worse.
What happened to the easy groove they’d had the night before?
How was it possible to miss something she’d never really had?
These were the questions running through her mind as she signed the form that released him from his obligation to her.
She pushed it across the island to him.
He reached for it, folded it and tucked it into the envelope with the other documents she’d completed. “Jackson made some calls to the LAPD. Gabriel’s public defender has requested a medical evaluation for him. That could take a few days to complete, so he’ll be held until then.”
“I’m surprised he agreed to that.”
“Since he violated the restraining order by going to the apartment, I’m sure his attorney suggested he allow it, to possibly avoid additional charges.”
“This is all so surreal, but I’m not as surprised as I should be. It’s been more than two years of total chaos, and every time I’ve suggested he seek medical care, he’s told me to mind my own goddamned business.”
“I’m sorry for all you’ve been through, but I’m glad you and the kids are safe.”
“It’s a relief to be free of him and the fear of what might happen next.”
“I hope you can find some peace in your life.”
She forced a smile as she understood he was saying goodbye to her. “That’s the goal.”
“I’ve got to get to band practice. Take care of yourself, Isla.”
“You, too. Good luck with the trial.”
“Thanks. I’ll, ah… I’ll let myself out.”
For a long time after she heard the front door click shut behind him, she stared straight ahead, trying to make sense of what’d just happened.
The night before, he’d been relaxed, engaged in their conversation about the house and its musical pedigree.
He’d sent her playlists to listen to and had started to feel like a friend as well as her attorney.
Tonight, he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
Had she done something to annoy him?
“How could I have done anything annoying when I’ve been with him for less than two hours total?
” She poured another glass of wine and took it to the living room to curl up on the sofa with a soft fleece blanket over her lap to ward off the chill that’d overtaken her as Julian had beaten a hasty retreat.
“Anyway, who cares if I annoyed him in some way? That’s his problem, not mine. ”
It’d been nice to feel something other than terrified, demoralized and outraged. For a brief shining moment, she’d felt excited again, hopeful and grateful to know she could still enjoy the company of a man after the tumultuous final years with Gabriel.
Before she’d met Julian, she would’ve said no way, no how to being interested in anyone else, possibly ever again. She’d wanted to hunker down with her kids and build a new life for the three of them separate from Gabriel. The last thing in the world she’d wanted was another man.
But then she’d crossed paths with her brother’s sexy lawyer friend, and the spark of interest had reawakened a part of her that’d been sealed off for so long she’d forgotten it existed.
While she was glad to know it was still there, she was flattened by the way he’d exited as quickly as he’d entered the picture.
Granted, he probably couldn’t be “friends” with her while representing her in the divorce.
That thought stopped her short. Was that why he’d offloaded her to his brother? Because he wanted to be friends with her? But would someone who wanted to be “friends” beat feet out of her house like his pants were on fire?
What the hell was going on?
Julian felt like absolute shit as he drove away from Isla’s and headed for practice in the Valley.
Witnessing her stunned expression when he’d told her Jackson would be handling her case had been like a hot arrow hitting his chest. He hated that he’d somehow managed to hurt her feelings by doing the right thing for both of them.
She was in a vulnerable spot, and though she wouldn’t realize it right away, he’d done her a favor by bowing out of the entire situation.
The last thing she needed was a commitment-resistant guy encouraging an attraction that became stronger every time he saw her and remained on simmer in between meetings.