• • •
Julianne sang along to the U2 song on the satellite radio. It had been a beautiful day. They’d found two potential mill sites, both well within the price range Sebastian had specified. Patricia had been a pit bull, hammering the owners with construction questions Julianne wouldn’t have thought of. Annabeth had been a bit subdued all day, but she’d kept Owen occupied and happy. She’d left the two of them at the inn with Patricia while she’d come home to find Will. Although she’d only been gone for the day, she missed him.
The purpose of their fake marriage was so Will could bond with his son. But the real bonding had been between Will and Julianne. The potent attraction that had pulled them together on Sea Island was now a fierce connection. She’d told him she loved him the other night, and he hadn’t run screaming into the ocean, which she took as a positive sign. They still hadn’t talked about their future, however. It was as if neither one of them wanted to broach the subject, choosing to live in the moment instead, enjoying what they could of each other. Julianne hoped they could sustain whatever it was between them, because she now knew she couldn’t live without Will.
She cautiously steered the SUV up the drive when she noticed another car parked near the house. There was a rental car sticker on the bumper, but nothing else to identify its owner. Pulling her car beside it, Julianne turned off the ignition and hopped out, quickly striding up the steps.
“Will!” she called as she entered the kitchen. His large form sitting stonily at the kitchen table startled her.
“Hi,” she said warily as she placed her purse on the counter. She took a couple of steps toward him, but something stopped her. He was back to being formidable and unflappable in his business suit and tie. His face was the same stoic one that had greeted her in the hospital over a month before.
“Where’s the baby?” he asked. Something about his tone made her stomach drop.
“Umm . . . he’s with your mom. She’s going to walk him back in the stroller. The ladies in the yarn shop like to pinch his cheeks.” She sashayed her hips a little and smiled at him, but he didn’t see the joy in little old ladies cooing over their son. Her smile vanished as unease began to grip her.
“Will, what is it? What’s wrong?” Her voice shook slightly.
A movement out of the corner of her eye captured her attention. Will’s agent emerged from the shadows.
Julianne’s gaze darted from one man to the other. “Hello.”
Roscoe acknowledged her with the briefest of nods before turning to Will. “I’ll wait outside.”
Her palms were sweating now. “Will?” she pleaded.
He stood from his chair and closed the gap between them. She wanted to reach up and wrap her arms around him, but there seemed to be an invisible force field in place keeping them apart.
“I have to go to Baltimore tonight.”
Julianne shook her head in confusion. “I thought we were together this weekend. Is something wrong?”
His eyes were full of anguished fury. “I’m going to be subpoenaed to testify.”
Her hand shot to her mouth. “No!” she cried. “You said”—she pointed toward the door where Roscoe had slipped out—“he said it was finished. You wouldn’t have to testify. Everything was going to blow over.”
Her heart ached for him. This had to be devastating for Will. She reached a hand to his face, but he recoiled slightly. Julianne’s chest constricted and the breath caught in her throat as her hand hung there in the air. Unshed tears burned behind her eyelids.
“It’s not over. I’m being yanked in front of a Senate committee investigating racketeering charges.” His words were like hard blows to her stomach.
“Se—Senate committee?” Black dots swam before her eyes. This was the point where Will had always stepped in, his big hands holding her, comforting her. But he made no move to help her now, and her heart nearly shattered. With weak knees, she backed up against one of the bar stools and leaned against it.
“Yes, Princess. You’ve heard of those, haven’t you? I’m sure you must have, since your brother is on the committee that subpoenaed me.” His voice was cold and her body shivered involuntarily. “I have to know, Julianne. Why did you do it?”
Oh, God! What had she done? She’d ruined everything. “I didn’t,” she cried. Except she had. A gasping sob escaped and she placed both hands over her mouth.
“All this time, you’ve been here collecting information for your brother. Was it fun, talking to him every day sharing my secrets, Princess?” The look on his face was savage now.