by Desiree Holt
“Don’t come in with me,” she said, when they pulled up to the curb.
“I’m not. I’m terrible with goodbyes.”
“I guess you’ll call me about the contract?”
“Right after Thanksgiving. If I can’t get you at your office, I’ll try your cell phone.”
“All right. Well, goodbye then.”
“Goodbye, Julia.” He looked as if he wanted to say something else, then simply held her to him tightly and kissed her, a long deep kiss saying more than words ever could.
Julia finally pulled away, turned, and walked into the terminal.
Chapter 6
The plane was late. Naturally. Murphy’s Law. It put Charles in a foul mood that never let up. From the time he picked her up until they reached the house, his criticism ran nonstop.
“There was no need for you to pick me up,” she finally snapped. “I told you I made my own arrangements. You’re the one who insisted, but it doesn’t give you permission to chew my head off. You no longer have the right.”
“I do until I sign those papers,” he reminded her.
For God’s sake. Would she never be able to draw a full breath again?
When he dropped her at the house, she tried to stop him from coming in.
“You’ll upset the children with this mood you’re in. Please try to remember by tomorrow you are their father and they expect a little affection from you.”
He simply ignored her, pulled her suitcase from the trunk, and followed her into the house. It didn’t matter anyway. The twins were cranky and whining as soon as she set foot inside. The phone rang incessantly: her in-laws, Claire wanting information on the presentation, and play dates for the twins over the weekend. And Charles stood in the hallway getting on her last nerve, still wearing his coat and complaining yet again about the divorce as Miranda continued to prepare dinner.
“It’s too late,” she said for the umpteenth time. “It’s done. And I honestly wish you’d go home and give me some peace and quiet.”
“It’s not done yet.” He repeated what he’d said in the car, his voice like steel. “And maybe it won’t be.”
Julia stared at him, weighted down by the block of ice suddenly lodged in her stomach. “You said you’d sign the papers,” she whispered.
“Perhaps I’ve reconsidered.” His eyes shone with anger.
She knew it was his pride talking, not emotion, but that made it much worse.
Her head throbbed. “I can’t discuss this with you now. I have too much to do, getting your perfect dinner ready for tomorrow. I’ll have my attorney call yours on Monday.” She turned on her heel and headed for the family room, unable to spend another minute in his presence. Not even a bottle of aspirin would take care of the throbbing in her head tonight.
Thanksgiving dinner was worse than purgatory. Her in-laws, always disapproving of her, carped constantly about her trip, chastised the children if they spilled something, and criticized the food. By the time they left, Julia’s headache, building since the previous day, had reached blinding proportions. Miranda handed her a cup of tea and she retreated to the bedroom to lie down with a cold cloth on her head.
Friday, with the dinner behind her and no more menacing conversations with Charles, Julia dared to draw a full breath. Her headache finally abated, and she was beginning to think Charles was just making unnecessary noise. She dropped the twins at her friend’s house and allowed herself the luxury of a day hanging out in her sweats and curling herself into the warmth of the memories of Luke.
On Saturday, she took the twins to see Santa Claus then out for lunch at McDonald’s, where they could exhaust themselves in the PlayPlace. The glow from her night with Luke stayed with her throughout the rest of the weekend, memories she allowed herself to indulge in. By Monday, she allowed herself to hope Charles would sign the final papers quickly and she could get on with her life.
“Next time, you can stay home and I’ll go on the trip,” Claire said, grinning when Julia walked into the office. A blonde collection of high-energy molecules, she was a good foil for Julia. They balanced each other in both looks and temperament.
Julia lifted an eyebrow. “And you say this because?”
“Because then I’d get the phone calls from the guy with the sexiest voice in America.”
Julia turned away, afraid Claire would spot some telltale sign on her face. A blush, at the very least. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“If you say so, kiddo.” Claire’s voice held a hint of amusement. “But Luke Buchanan’s called three times. He wants you to call him back as soon as you get in.”
“It’s business,” Julia said, hoping to derail whatever Claire was thinking. “And I think it’s good news. He told me they’d probably make a decision this week whether to sign with us or not. Maybe they met this morning. It’s an hour later there, you know.”
“Here’s for luck.” Claire held up crossed fingers.
Julia went into her private office and picked up the phone, then put it down. This was just a business call. Nothing more. She needed to pull herself together and act like the professional she was.
She looked at the number written on the message slip Claire gave her. The only thing familiar was the area code. Was this his private number? When she dialed and he answered himself, she’d guessed right.
“Luke Buchanan.”
“Good morning. This is Julia.”
“Good morning.”
She promised herself she would be strictly professional when they spoke, but the deep, warm sound of his voice sent shivers along her spine. Instantly, the image of their naked bodies tangled together in bed came unbidden to her mind.
“Claire told me you called earlier.”
“I did.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “How was your holiday?”
“It was…as expected.” The less said about it, the better.
Luke laughed a full, rich sound. “Well, that could mean a lot of things. Did you enjoy yourself?”
Like having a root canal without anesthetic.
“It was tolerable.” Liar! “And you?”
“I could say ‘as expected’ also.”
She visualized him, imagined him in his office, his big body loose in a desk chair, shirt sleeves rolled back as they’d been Tuesday night. The vision of his face nearly undid her.
“Well, I guess we’ve taken care of the pleasantries.” Now she was laughing, and suddenly she felt easy, relaxed. He was like a balm to her tightly strung nerves.
“I hope not,” he told her. “I’m hoping this entire conversation will be pleasant.” He paused. “We signed the contract this morning. Everyone agrees it’s exactly what we need and you’ve hit on the mood we want to project.”
“Oh, Luke, how wonderful.” She wanted to leap from the chair and dance. This was their biggest contract yet. “We’ll do a great job for you.”
“I expect you to. I’ve seen what you’ve done before and I have a lot of faith in your work.”
“If you could fax the contract to us, we’ll sign it and get it right back to you. Then we can get started fleshing out the outline right away.”
“It’s on the way right now. But will you be able to get much done with the Christmas holidays coming up?”
“Oh, yes. Claire and I will work on it this afternoon and tomorrow. Then I’ll call you with some specifics. But we’ll kick into high gear after New Year’s.”
“Can you get away for a couple of days next week?” He cleared his throat. “I’d like you to see the plant and meet the folks who work there, plus see the samples of the new line. With March as our first target date, I don’t want to waste any time.”
Get away? Was he kidding? How about right now?
“I think I can make arrangements.” Her stomach twisted when she thought of Charles discovering she was once again leaving town. But she’d see Luke again. Oh, God. She’d have to call her atto
rney and have him force Charles to sign the papers right away.
“Fine. See if you can work it out to be here next Tuesday and stay until Thursday. Call me when you’ve made your arrangements.” He was silent again. “I miss you, Julia.”
“I miss you, too,” she whispered, so softly she wasn’t sure he could even hear her.
But then he answered. “Good.” He paused. “How is…everything else?”
The divorce.
“I’m calling my attorney as soon as I hang up. Charles has sidestepped this long enough. I want those papers signed now.”
“Will you be okay in the meantime?”
“Yes. I can handle things.” She smiled to herself. “And next week, I’ll see you.”
He clicked off and she sat at her desk, the receiver still in her hand, her heart beating a little faster.
“And exactly what kind of business arrangement did you say this was?”
Julia hadn’t even heard Claire open the door, much less enter the tiny office.
“They bought the package,” she said, grinning hugely. “We got the contract.”
“I know.” Claire leaned in the doorway. “I came to tell you the paperwork came through on the fax, but I guess you already know.”
“Yes.” She opened her day planner and began turning pages. “We need to block out some time together today and tomorrow to go over the outline. They’d like me to come out there again next week.”
Claire dropped into the chair in front of the desk. “By ‘they,’ I assume you mean Luke Buchanan?”
“Well, yes. I mean, he is the executive vice president and the one who would give it the thumbs up.”
Claire looked at her for a long time before she spoke again. “We’ve been friends for what seems like forever, Julia. I love you more than if we were sisters. I don’t know what went on in suburban Massachusetts, but you can’t hide much from me.”
“Claire, I…”
“No. Let me finish. You know what I think about Charles. What I’ve always thought about him. You have to get him to sign the final papers before he smells something and screws it all up. The faster the divorce is final, the better off you’ll be. And I guarantee you it will be better for the children.”
Claire was right about their friendship. They’d bonded as college roommates and were attendants at each other’s weddings. Claire and her husband were the twins’ godparents. And she’d been Julia’s rock of support, her confessor, and her comforter through the whole nasty mess. Many days, Julia wasn’t sure she would have survived without her friend. Charles was never one of Claire’s favorite people and was always aware she detested him for the way he treated Julia.
“I’m calling my attorney right now. Charles still hasn’t signed the divorce papers and I’m tired of playing this game.”
Claire raised an eyebrow. “What in God’s name is it for this time?”
Julia shrugged. “He thinks he can talk me into calling off the whole thing.”
Claire’s eyes widened. “Is he crazy?”
Julia sighed heavily. “I think so. Probably. I just want this done. Finally. I’m calling Harry Whitaker right now.”
“Be careful, sweetheart.” Claire’s voice carried a warning tone.
“About what? What can he do? He’s not going to shoot me.”
“Texas law says a man can get a divorce on the grounds of adultery. If there’s anything going on between you and Luke Buchanan, and Charles finds out, technically you’re still married to him and he can tear up the whole agreement. He can divorce you on his terms.”
Julia picked up the phone. “Harry needs to put some muscle into this thing.”
“I’m running out of patience, too,” Harry told her when he answered the phone. “I’ll see if we can’t get this finished in the next day or two.”
“I want it over with, Harry,” she told him.
“As good as done,” he assured her.
But even after she hung up, an uneasy feeling wiggled through her system.
* * * *
The next day, she called Luke to tell him she was set for the trip.
“I’m making plans to arrive Tuesday morning. I’ll call you back as soon as I make the reservations.”
“The company will take care of those, Julia.” His voice was firm. “I’ll have my secretary arrange things today.”
“I’ll handle it,” she protested. “We’re going to be making money on this.”
“Don’t worry. We can afford it. Besides, I was the one who asked you to make this extra trip. And I’ll pick you up at the airport myself.”
“Won’t people wonder if you do?” She fidgeted. “I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position.”
“Not to worry. I’ve already mentioned I’d be taking you to the plant to look around. It’s much more convenient to leave directly from Boston than to come here first, so they’d expect me to meet you. Relax. We’re all business.”
But she could hear the smile in his voice.
“Uh huh. If you say so.” She smiled herself. “Okay. I’ll see you next week.”
She hung up the phone, elated, and leaned back in her chair, her eyes far away, and the smile still on her face. How was it possible to feel this way about a man after spending less than twenty-four hours with him? Was she deluding herself? Was Luke just fascinated with her—an equally improbable idea—and she the one making too much of it? She mentally shrugged. It was what it was, and soon they’d be together again.
She was still sitting there, dreamy-eyed, when Claire wandered in.
“Mm-hmm. Do I sniff another phone call with the sexy voice?”
“Business, Claire.” Julia waved a hand in the air. “Nothing more than business.”
“This is me, honey.” Claire laughed, a knowing look on her face. “You might convince someone else but I know you too well. So what’s the word today? Are we set for the rollout campaign?”
“I’m going up there for three days next week,” Julia said, suddenly busy with folders on her desk.
Claire cleared her throat. “Uh, Julia? What did Harry say about the signing?”
“He’s confident we can complete this by tomorrow.” She mentally crossed her fingers.
“I sure hope so, kiddo. If he does, I’ll be treating you to a celebration like you’ve never seen before.” Claire went over to her friend and hugged her tightly. “Enjoy yourself next week, Julia. You’ve earned some happiness.”
But that afternoon a phone call from Harry gave her a prickle of unease.
“Charles is out of town until next Tuesday,” he told her.
“What?” Her fingers tightened on the telephone and she felt as if someone dropped a chunk of ice into her stomach. Did he think this was some kind of punishment? That he could dangle the carrot forever until she changed her mind? “Harry, I—”
“I know, I know,” he interrupted. “I said everything to his attorney. But I promise you I’m over it. I muscled the attorney and told him to quit mucking around or we’d go back to court and ask for even more.”
Julia allowed herself a tiny laugh. “At least it’s nice to contemplate. I’m getting tired of this, Harry. We don’t really need his signature. It just makes it a lot neater. I know we agreed it would be best if we could just do this without any more ripples, but it’s getting ridiculous. If he refuses to sign let’s just get a date, go to court, and get the judge to sign the decree.”
Harry’s sigh carried to her over the connection. “We could, Julia. Keep in mind, though, we’re up against some formidable opponents here. You’re not a stupid woman by any means. You know how things work. I like to think I have clout, but Charles’s law firm practically owns the judicial system in the state. They dump a ton of money into political campaigns. People do ‘favors’ for each other. A judge could stall it for any number of trumped up reasons.”
“How nice that we have a system where the judges have to run fo
r office.” She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice.
“Yeah, but they do. It’s a fact of life. Unfortunately.”
There was a soft knock on her door, it opened, and Claire poked her head into the office. Julia motioned her to come in.
She tightened her grip on the phone. “I guess that’s my punishment for making a poor choice to begin with.” Damn Charles and his privileged circle, anyway. Damn them to hell. “Listen, I’ll be gone for three days next week, but I’ll keep in touch by phone.”
“Try not to worry. I’ll do my best to close the deal while you’re gone.”
Not worry? Hah! She was sure she’d worry about it enough to give herself a stress headache and make her nerves raw.
“I didn’t mean to overhear, but Julia, I swear.” Claire shoved her fingers through her curls in exasperation. “I don’t know why the hell you let him get away with this. He’s a bully who enjoys yanking your chain.” She blew out a breath. “I thought Harry was a shark who ate people like Charles for breakfast.”
Julia fiddled with a pen on her desk. “He is. I’ve been trying to keep this as simple as possible. Not irritate him any more than he already is. To get it over with.”
“Simple? Over with?” Claire threw up her hands. “Honey, it’s been anything but simple. And it’s still not over. That asshole has practically made you beg for everything. What the hell has Harry been doing? He should have gone after him with a jackhammer.”
“Harry got him out of the house,” she reminded her friend, “and worked out the custodial arrangements for the twins the way I wanted them. Charles can’t just pop in and ask for them on a whim.”
Claire made an unladylike noise. “The only reason he even takes them on his appointed days is because he knows it pisses you off. He doesn’t have to worry about winning the Father of the Year Award.”
“He can’t stick his nose in my business any more, either,” Julia said, aware how defensive she sounded.
“Yeah?” Claire studied her face. “How’s that working out for you?”
