“Whoops, I think that’s my cue to leave,” Lydia said.
“Yes, I think we need to get out of here. This place is a tinder box,” Julia answered, taking a step toward the door.
“I don’t think so, sweetheart. It’d be better for me if you stayed here.” Lydia grabbed Julia’s wrist and flung her closer to the fire before she dashed from the room and pulled the door shut. The sound of a lock clicking sent a wave of nausea through Julia.
“Lydia!” she screamed as she crossed toward the closed door. Before she reached it, fire burst from the ceiling. A beam fell from the floor above her, stretching from floor to ceiling and blocking the door as it continued to burn.
She stared at it in horror as she realized she was now trapped inside of a burning room.
CHAPTER 7
GRANT
Grant narrowed his eyes at his wife as she passed the pills off to his son. She’d checked her phone moments ago before shoving it back in her pocket. He’d noticed a fleeting shadow cross her delicate features, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by her usual calm.
She shifted her weight back and forth instead of returning to her spot next to Sierra.
“Julia? You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, deal me out of the next round. I just want to check on Alicia and Ethan and make sure they’re settled. I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” he said with a smile.
“Hurry back,” Sierra said, “there are too many egos in this room without supervision.”
“I promise,” she said with a smile before she left them behind.
Something about the way she said it, the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes made him nervous. He was tempted to tossthe cards down and follow her into the hall. With a deep inhale, he decided not to.
He didn’t want to smother her. Maybe she’d gotten a text from her sister and wanted to handle the matter privately. He’d check in with her later.
“Daddy, it’s your turn,” Sierra prompted.
“Right, sorry,” he said as he tossed a card onto the pile.
Sierra studied her cards as Kyle made his play. “You know, Daddy, I think you should call Mitchell Caldwell in the morning.”
“Oh?” he answered as he stared out the door, wondering how long Julia would be.
“To start my adoption papers.”
He snapped his gaze back to his daughter. “Sierra, we need to discuss this more thoroughly.”
“What’s to discuss? I love Julia, and I want her to be my mom. I don’t have a mom–”
“I think Lydia may have something to say about that,” Grant answered as he focused on the cards in his hand.
“Too bad. She doesn’t get a say. She lost that right when she tried to blackmail Julia with pictures of me. Actually, she lost that right when she walked out on us twenty years ago.” Sierra heaved a sigh. “Daddy, why are you fighting me on this? You’ll probably lose.”
He raised his eyes to her. “Probably, but I just…think you should let Julia think about it.”
“She said she was fine.”
“Julia is always okay with everything. She’s the most accommodating person I know. Which is why I think we shouldn’t push this. Let’s just let everyone settle in.”
“Did you somehow mess up again?” Sierra asked.
He heaved a sigh, his shoulders slumping. “I didn’t mess up. And with the company safe from your mother’s clutches, I’m really hoping things get back to normal around here.”
