Page 34 of Blackmail of a Billionaire

“That good, huh?” He sipped his coffee.

She offered him a chuckle, pushing aside the memories that threatened to creep into her mind. “Sorry, just thinking of a plot point I was working on last night.”

“Anything good?”

“No, just some dinner party shenanigans.”

“Ohh, the kind with the hidden clues laced into each conversation?”

Julia thought of the pointed questions from Veronica. “Something like that, yeah.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll knock it out of the park.”

She batted in the air. “So, how’s the new Chief of Police position? Have you settled into it yet?”

Ethan bobbed his head around in a half-nod, half-shake. “Yes and no. Some people will never accept that Dad retired.”

“Your dad will always be my chief of police.” She winked at him before they both burst into laughter.

“Thanks for your support, Juju. Really. I can’t even count on my own sister-in-law to accept me as Chief.” He paused, his eyes settling on her. “Although that doesn’t matter much if you’re determined to stay in this concrete jungle.”

Julia’s gaze dropped to the table, her heart caught in a tumult of conflicting emotions. The idea of returning home stirred a whirlpool of both longing and fear, battling the allure of the life she lived now. Her fingers traced the wood grain, seeking solace in it.

Her normally complicated response to going home had become even more messy than it had when she was single.

He reached for her hand, tugging it toward him and squeezing it. “Julia…” His voice softened. “Honey…”

“Don’t,” she said with a quick flick of her gaze up to his face. She didn’t want to get into the lecture about returning home. Not now. Now with the emotions of the Harrington saga weighing on her, too.

“I get it,” he said. “But you can’t hide forever.”

“I’m not hiding. I’m living.”

Ethan slid a dubious glance out of the window and arched an eyebrow. “You call this living?”

Julia scoffed at his remark as visions of galas, ball gowns, glittering diamonds, sparkling champagne, sports cars, and the quiet solitude of the Harrington estate flitted through her mind. “For now, I do, yes.”

Ethan heaved a sigh. “Well, I tried.”

Julia offered a consoling smile. “I’ll tell Ally you really gave me a good long talking to.”

“I appreciate that,” he said, cracking a smile.

“Is there really a conference or did you two just cook this up to check up on me?”

Ethan set his coffee cup on the table as he shook his head. “There’s really a conference. I promise. Two days packed full of all things police chief. Just one morning of lecturing you to come home that Ally asked me to squeeze in. She misses you, Juju.”

Julia grabbed his hand again. “And I miss her. But…”

“You can’t avoid him forever, Julia. Maybe it’s best to just rip off the bandage.”

Julia rubbed at the back of her neck. “I’m afraid the bandage won’t come off cleanly, that’s the problem.”

“You’re afraid it won’t come off at all.”

She nodded at the statement.

“Would that really be so bad?”

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