Stack McGregor knew he should let go of the piece of material, but for some unique reason, he thought that if he let go of the expensive wrap, he would be letting go of Julia Sherry. It surprised him how much he did not want that to happen.
His thoughts did not make sense, and that bothered him the most.
“Stack…” It was Julia’s quiet voice that brought him back to this dire reality. It was her soft tone that made him realize that she was his client. Julia Sherry was off-limits….always had been…always would be.
Worst of all, Stack knew he had to accept that.
“Are you ready, Miss Sherry?”
“Yes.” She was surprised when Stack gently tugged the wrap out of her hands and held it up. He opened it, allowing Julia to shift the faux fur around her shoulders. His closeness was welcomed and Julia found herself wishing that Stack would remain right there…near her….by her side, as if the man cared just a tiny shred about her and did not view her as someone he was only assigned to protect.
Stack stepped away. “Ready to go home?”
Because that sounded too much like what a lover would ask to the woman he adored, Julia could only nod her head. The vibrant blooming chemistry between them was electrifying. It was so completely different being alone with Stack, without her father around. Their demeanor had altered.
Stack turned and motioned toward the doorway. Julia fell in step beside him. Together they ambled into the nighttime. Darkness engulfed them. Julia watched as Stack signaled for the limo driver. A small shiver of coldness spiked across Julia’s soft skin. A tiny array of goose bumps prickled over her arms.
“I can’t, Julia,” Stack said. His tone was low and deep, as if being plagued by torment. With his features set in a grimace, Stack looked straight ahead.
“Can’t what?”
“I know you’re cold…” Stack continued to stand beside her, but now Julia felt the man distancing himself from her. “I want to wrap my arms around you, pull you to me, and keep you warm. However, I can’t do that. The car is on its way.”
“Oh, my goodness, Stack,” came Julia’s breathless reply. No words could have pleased her more….or provided her with so much anguish. Stack McGregor had feelings for her, actual feelings.
Stack…..Stack….Stack.
However, he could not do anything about it. The loyalty between Stack and Judge ran far deeper than any form of devotion that Julia had ever witnessed.
The torment of her feelings was nearly unthinkable.
Does Stack McGregor actually care about me?
The swift on-set feeling of innocence began to develop within her angelic heart.
Stack….give me a sign….please….
Stack cleared his throat. “Forget I said anything, Julia.” His tone was clipped, as if he was upset with himself for even confessing the words. Julia was about to respond when the limo etched forward. Before Julia could regain her senses, Stack had opened the back door. He did not make any sort of eye contact with her as he signaled her into the waiting car. Stack kept his distance from Julia and that hurt most of all.
He was pulling away…distancing himself from her.
And just that act caused Julia to swallow past the lump that had lodged in her throat. To further her confusion, Julia remained standing in the chill of the nighttime darkness. She noticed that Stack still held the back door open, waiting for her to enter the rear seat. With stunned emotions that Julia could not identify, she swiftly positioned herself within the limo.
Once he knew Julia Sherry was safely in the back of the limo, Stack surprised her by shutting the door. Normally, Stack would sit in the back seat beside her, just like he had done hours ago when they had traveled to the charity gala together.
Now, Stack lowered himself in the front seat, beside the driver.
Because the driver had transported the family for decades, he looked at Stack now in confusion. “You sitting up front with me, Stack?”
“Just drive the car back to the Sherry mansion,” Stack told the man. After the limo had pulled away from the curb, Stacked asked, “How is Judge feeling?”
Stack knew that the sooner they got home, the sooner Julia would be safely inside, and then he could leave.
That was the plan.
Now, he just had to stick to it.
No matter what.
Chapter 4
A FEW MONTHS LATER….
“Well this is certainly a surprise,” Ellie Carrie said to the man who was standing in front of her. The utter shock upon her beautiful face was evident. She acknowledged her boyfriend. “Hello, Ethan.”
Ethan Strat was slightly out of air when he said, “Glad I caught you.” His chest puffed up and down as he took a moment to catch his breath. The coldness chill of the evening hour smacked against his skin and he knew he should have dressed warmer. Oh well.
There was a hint of concern on Ellie’s face as she asked, “Are you okay? Did you need something?” The young woman ran a hand through her thick auburn hair as the breeze lightly twirled it around her.
Ellie was about to say more when she noticed her family walking in her direction. She saw her father stroll past her, on his new cell phone talking to the person on the other end of the fast-paced conversation and conducting business. The man was dressed in a business suit and bow tie. He acknowledged her with a nod of his head.
Wrapped in a splendid white faux fur coat and carrying a designer handbag, Sibby winked at her youngest daughter. Ellie watched as her mother placed a pair of sunglasses on, even though the sun had long since set. The usual pair of pearls hung around her neck.
The lead pilot of the plane was descending the stairs and began shaking hands with the entire Carrie family in greeting. Ellie noticed her oldest brother shift his gleaming brown briefcase to the other side of his body as he shook the pilot’s hand.
Knowing that time was urgent, Ellie turned toward her boyfriend. Ethan Strat smiled at her with a glint of love in the corner of his bright blue ocean colored eyes.
“I just wanted to see you off,” Ethan began. He stood still, as if nearly rooted to the spot. He wore a pair of khakis with a tucked in navy polo shirt and Ellie knew the man had just come from the office. She assumed his jacket was in the limousine. “To tell you to have a nice trip.”
Though his presence was unexpected, Ellie took delight in his words. “Thank you, Ethan. That was very thoughtful.” Ellie glanced at the private aircraft. She knew she had to board the plane. “I really need to be going, Ethan, and thank you so much for coming here.”
It was then that Damon Carrie walked by. Damon glanced at his twin sister. “Time to cut this love fest short, Ellie. We have to go.” Damon only nodded at Ethan and kept walking. The man appeared comfortable in a pair of jeans, T-shirt and hoodie.
Ethan wanted to swear at the interruption of his perfectly timed visit, but then thought better of it. Instead he slightly frowned at Ellie’s twin brother and turned back to his girlfriend. “Have a wonderful trip and I really need to talk to you when you get back.”
A small flutter began to prickle inside Ellie’s soul. She felt the swift emotion course through her inner-well being and now could only grin at the man.
“I have to study for final exams once I return,” Ellie hedged and then grinned a little fuller when she noticed Ethan’s lips slowly descend into a frown. Wanting to part on good terms, she added, “But we can certainly talk when I get back.”
That seemed to brighten Ethan up. He gently leaned forward and kissed Ellie on her full lips. She felt his cold hand press lightly against her high cheekbone.
“We really need to talk when you get back, Ellie,” Ethan repeated with a more serious tone of voice. “It will be a great conversation.”
“Oh, okay,” Ellie said as small tingles continued to prickle within her. She plastered a smile on her face and hoped she showed enough enthusiasm. “I will see you when I get back.”
Ethan could only nod as he eyed the young woman who had
captured his heart. Ellie was tall, nearly five-ten with a slender frame. Her heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and full lips only added to the woman’s beauty.
The white stocking cap with a puffy ball on top did little to contain the long, curly auburn hair that continued to swirl with the wind. She stood there, gazing at Ethan with her emerald colored eyes.
Ethan gently wrapped his arms around the woman he loved and tenderly pulled her toward him. His heart sizzled as he felt Ellie place a soft kiss on his cheek. She then backed away, out of Ethan’s arms and shyly grinned at him.
“Goodbye, Ethan,” Ellie said as she turned to walk toward the awaiting aircraft. Ellie could see her sister giving her a ‘thumbs up’ gesture from the small plane window. With laughter bubbling to the surface, Ellie waved back at Brisa.
“Have a safe flight, Ellie,” Ethan called. He watched as the young woman began to climb the steps to the plane. The wind continued to blow and for a few agonizing seconds, Ethan wished their flight would be canceled. “I love you.” He said the words she would never hear.
Moments later, Ellie Carrie took a seat on the familiar corporate jet. After placing her laptop on the abandoned seat beside her, Ellie tucked a fluffy pink blanket around her legs and buckled her seatbelt.
She was just beginning to type on her laptop when she noticed her brother take a seat beside her. Damon buckled his own belt as the pilot began to announce that take-off was imminent.
“So what the hell was that about?” Damon asked in a low voice that only Ellie could hear.
Ellie did not pretend to misunderstand her twin. “Ethan came to the airfield to inform me to have a safe trip…but that we needed to talk once I get back.”
Damon digested that information and asked, “Break-up talk or like commitment kind of talk?”
“I didn’t know you could even say the word commitment. Did it hurt…saying that word out loud?” Ellie teased her dear brother.
“Hey,” Damon grinned. “I’m committed to a lot of things; business, women, poker, whiskey, more women and more business.”
“Uh, huh. Wasn’t it just last month that you broke up with Insane Jane and she took a pair of scissors to all your hockey jerseys, cutting them to shreds?”
“Yeah, Jane had a little spunk to her when I told her that we really shouldn’t see each other anymore…” Damon shook his head now at the dire memory. “Then she set fire to my basketball jerseys.”
“She’s a peach.” The sarcasm within Ellie’s voice was evident. “So I know you’re going to ask me about Ethan, so out with it already. I have some writing to do.”
Damon was well aware of his sister’s writing career. For being so young and having so much success, he was proud of her. “So what’s with you and Ethan?”
“Well, you know he and I have been seeing each other for a few months….so now we have to have a big talk when I come back.”
“Do you think he’s going to propose?” Damon got right to the point and Ellie always appreciated that about her brother. “Is it that serious?”
A small tremor of turmoil coursed through Ellie. “This is going to sound really awful….”
“Good,” Damon was quick to say. He cocked his head a couple of inches so he could better read his sister. “I like awful things so spill it.”
“I can’t imagine why Ethan would be thinking of marriage… I mean he’s in the process of joining his father’s banking business and I haven’t graduated from college yet…” Ellie paused for a brief moment, thinking of the man who had gone out of his way to see her off at the private airport. “It’s way too soon to even think of an engagement, much less a marriage.”
Damon thought it was only natural to point out the obvious by saying, “Mom and dad only knew each other a week before eloping.”
Ellie knew it…she glanced toward the front of the aircraft and noticed her parents near each other. Their love was indisputable, even now, after four children and two busy careers.
“We can’t compare their love story to anyone,” Ellie said with an endearing tone. “Each love story is so uniquely different and that is what makes it special to each and every person.”
“Spoken like a true author,” Damon said. “I’m not going to give you advice, but I will give you my opinion.”
“Isn’t that relatively the same?” Ellie reread the last paragraph that she had just finished typing. Satisfied with the precise wording, she continued to write her manuscript.
“Look, I think it’s great that you write your books and that there is a lot of romance in them…but are you really ready to settle down with Ethan Strat?”
Ellie glanced up from her keyboard. “I thought you liked Ethan.”
“He’s okay,” Damon hedged and then added, “But that is not the point that I’m trying to make. You’ve only been around one type of guy, Ellie…country club…suit and tie…beyond rich…and working for their family business type of guys.”
Ellie was about to respond when Damon added, “And, no, that does not describe me. I belong to a country club, but you know I’ve never been there. I would much rather play a game of basketball than golf. Plus, I never wear a damn tie, and if I wasn’t working for the Carrie Corporation, I would have started my own business anyway.” Damon took a breath and then added, “Besides a lot of our childhood was spent in the small town of Daffodil, where no one cares about the number in our bank accounts.”
Daffodil, Georgia.
Just thinking of the tight-knit community brought a smile to Ellie’s face. It was in Daffodil that their Southern mother had been born and raised. It was in Daffodil where the entire family spent holidays and long weekends at the beach house. It was in Daffodil that Ellie became inspired to begin writing her manuscripts. The seaside town was tranquil and provided comfort like a hot cup of cocoa on a blistery winter night; it was the essence of a roaring fireplace, comfy blanket and fabulously written book that furnished pleasure.
Everyone looked out for everyone else. Children could roam the streets during daylight hours, often running from the sandy shores to the various ice cream stands situated along the coastline. Sailboats were either anchored near the docks or sailing through the vibrant blue tide. Walking along the long shores, with sand curling between toes caused people to hum with contentment.
There was Jackon’s Restaurant that created the best fried chicken, grits and creamy macaroni and cheese. The quite legendary eating establishment was known for making a variety of biscuits that complemented the world’s best chocolate gravy. Two blocks down the street was Eugene’s Pizza that served loaded crab and lobster Chicago-style thick crust pizza marinated with butter and lemon juice.
Just thinking of Daffodil caused a sense of homesickness within Ellie’s soul. Rather than think of the various childhood memories, Ellie glanced at her twin. “So you’re suggesting…”
“I’m suggesting you turn your keyboard off for awhile, go out and have some fun,” Damon advised. He shifted his tall frame on the soft upholstered seat. “I’m not saying you should have some affairs with men or anything because that isn’t your style….but after you’re finished with your book, why don’t you go to Daffodil for a couple of weeks and plan an adventure.” Damon tilted his head to the side. “What about traveling to Ireland? Or England?”
“Tutu has invited me to Kenya,” Ellie stated. She thought of her college roommate now as a small grin spread across her face. Ellie noticed that Damon was nodding in agreement. “Perhaps I’ll take her up on that once I complete the book. Julia has also mentioned some travel plans so-”
“Speaking of Julia….when are she and Stack going to get together?”
“Damon Alexander Carrie!” Ellie hissed and lightly punched her brother in the arm. “What on earth…Stack is Julia’s bodyguard.” Elie said unnecessarily, but she didn’t care. “That is how rumors get started.”
“Stack and Julia aren’t a rumor, Ellie….anyone with a pair of eyes can tell that they are into each other
.” Damon shrugged a shoulder, as he appeared innocent. “Even I have noticed the chemistry between them and I’m not a chick.”
“Since you’re asking about Julia and Stack….does that mean I get to ask you about Rae Rally?”
“You know you can’t ask me about Rae,” Damon told his twin in a neutral tone of voice. “Otherwise you would have mentioned her before now. Yeah….you would have mentioned Rae long ago.”
Ellie knew her brother was correct. “I wasn’t going to ask about Rae because I figure that particular topic is completely off limits.”
“It is,” Damon said. There was a hint of regret etched in his voice, but he ignored it. He did not regret kissing Rae at the charity ball a few months ago…but he did regret how their evening ended. “Rae is…Rae is off limits for discussion.”
Ellie did not say another word. She knew that her brother had tried contacting the young woman after the gala, but Rae had left for college and had not returned any of Damon’s messages.
Damon took a sip of water from his clear water bottle. “All I’m saying is to live a little before you think of settling down with someone like Ethan Strat. Once we get back and we have graduated, why don’t you go to Daffodil to spend some time sailing?”
“Oh, I’ve already made arrangements for that,” Ellie said as she thought of Daffodil, Georgia. The small, homey community was her sanctuary. “I’m going to be spending part of my summer at the beach house.”
“Good,” Damon said and meant it. “Take a little time to relax and plan an adventure before you think of settling down with Ethan Strat.”
Samuel Carrie hung up the phone and glanced at his wife. Sibby sat across from him, thumbing through a home interior magazine as she often did. He watched her for a moment while she quickly jotted down information in a small notebook that she usually kept in her purse.
“You know we’ve been married for over twenty-five years and I can still tell when you watch me,” Sibby said. She glanced up from her small notebook and winked at the man through her black wire-rimmed glasses. She took off her reading spectacles and carefully placed them on the table beside her seat. “Your look still gives me goose bumps.”
Humping Her Hero Page 14
