Page 5 of Battle with a Billionaire

Julia’s hand went to the necklace around her neck, her thumb absentmindedly rubbing the compass at the mention of the man’s name. “It’s fine. I told you that. No big deal.”

“Well, it was to me. Beside me being an idiot for saying that to you…like your opinion doesn’t matter because you’re single which is not what I’m saying–”

“I get that,” Julia interrupted. “I know you didn’t mean that.”

“I guess what I meant was it would be so much easier if you were just here with me. I miss you.”

Julia chewed her lower lip. She really couldn’t go home right now. She couldn’t leave Harrington Global, and she didn’t want to lie to her sister’s face. It was bad enough doing it over the phone.

She’d already lied to her brother-in-law in person. And that had led to a disastrous misunderstanding in which Grant assumed she was having a tawdry affair.

She shoved the moment from her mind as her sister’s voice answered her silence.

“I know, I know. You’re too busy to come home.” Alicia sighed on the other end of the line.

“I’m sorry, Ally, I just…I really want to see you but…”

“But you don’t.”

“You know that’s not true at all,” Julia said. “I miss you, Ally. I just…”

“Can’t come home because of Luke.”

Julia bit her lower lip, happy to allow her sister to believe her ex-flame was the only reason she couldn’t return to Harbor Cove.

“Maybe I could come there–” Ally began.

“No!” Julia responded, a little too quickly and with a touch of sharpness in her tone.

“Well, thanks for really making me feel welcome, little sis.”

“That’s not…that came out wrong, I’m sorry.” Images of racing back and forth across town trying to be Mrs. Julia Harrington, CEO of Harrington Global and supportive wife extraordinaire, and a very single Ms. Julia Stanton all in the same day had her exhausted just thinking about it. “It’s just…you’d hate it here. There’s…smog and…people and cars and traffic and–”

“I get it. I get it. You don’t want me cramping your big city lifestyle.”

Julia let out a chuckle mixed with a sigh. “Hardly, Ally. I just—I know you wouldn’t like it here. It wouldn’t be a pleasant visit. Ask Ethan. I think he broke out in hives when we went to that coffee shop. Look, I’ll see what I can do about coming home, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Guilt coursed through her as she tightened her grip on her phone. “So, how are things with Ethan?”

Another sigh from her sister sounded. “Fine, I guess. I don’t know. It’s like one second we’re fine, and the next we’re not. Marriage is weird.”

“I’m sorry, Ally. I don’t know what to say.”

“You could say you’re booking a flight home so we can sit in our pajamas, eat popcorn, watch romcoms, and I can cry on your shoulder about how life’s not turning out how I expected.”

Julia offered a slight chuckle at the statement. Alicia had just captured her life in a nutshell, and she had no idea. The Maine cop still assumed her sister sat in her cramped apartment churning out mysteries for a living.

“You can still cry on my shoulder, you know. Just…virtually. I can even stream a rom-com right now if you’d like.”

“No, thanks. It’s not the same without you being here to hold my hand and pass me more tissues.”

“Ally, what is going on that you’re in tears over? Did Ethan do something? Or…did you?”

“No!” Her sister scoffed, and Julia imagined the disgusted look on her face. “I can’t believe you’d think I cheated.”

“Whoa, I didn’t say cheated. I said, ‘did something.’”

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