“I like that. A lifetime to make it up to her.” Ethan smiled at his clasped hands. “I’ll think about it. I know Alicia’s not going to want to leave Julia.”
“You’re only two hours away. Just let me know. I can have Worthington get it ready for you. Champagne, roses, whatever you want.”
“Thanks,” Ethan answered as the doors opened. “I’ll let you know.”
The hospital team whisked Grant from the back of the ambulance and subjected him to a battery of tests before they left him sitting in a cubicle. Ethan strolled in a few moments later. “Good news, Julia’s fine. Looks like she’ll be going home tonight.”
Grant breathed a sigh of relief at the words. “Thank heavens. That poor woman has been through far too much at the hands of my ex-wife.”
He squeezed his fingers into fists. Lydia had gone too far.
A second later, Julia hurried into the room.
“Hey, how are you up?”
“I signed myself out,” she said as she hurried to his bedside. Her clothes still smelled of smoke, dredging up the horrible memories from the house. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. How have I not been allowed to sign myself out?”
“You don’t complain as much as I do,” she said as she rubbed his shoulder.
“I just want to get home and change,” he said as he flung back the sheet covering him. “Sign me out.”
“Wait, wait,” she said. “We should wait for your results. You just ran into a burning building.”
Grant shot her an incredulous glance. “So did you,afteryou escaped from it. I’m fine.”
“You’d better be,” she said as he pulled his shirt on.
“I’m fine, Juls. Let’s get home and make sure no one killed Alex.”
She nodded at him, interlacing her fingers in his. Within the hour, they were walking into the quiet solitude of Harrington House. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, they made their way to Kyle’s room, hoping to find everyone asleep.
Voices floated to them as they approached.
“…too risky. You have to approach dangerous people in a far more calculated manner,” Alex counseled.
Julia’s brow furrowed as she shot him a glance.
“Sometimes the riskier plans pay off bigger,” Kyle answered.
“No, no. You’re working with someone incredibly dangerous. She nearly offed Sunshine more than once, and you didn’t fare so well either.”
“This shouldn’t be this hard,” Sierra chimed in. “How is she constantly winning?”
“Well, to be fair, she didn’t win the battle for HG, but she did nearly cause the downfall of your step-mommy dearest, yet again,” Alex answered as they rounded the corner and hovered in the doorway.
The gangly man tossed a ball up and down as he paced the floor back and forth. He twisted to face them, a grin spreading over his features. “Well, hey there, Team Harrington. You’re looking awfully good for a couple who just escaped a fire.”
“Daddy! Step-mommy!” Sierra leapt from her seat on the bed and flung her arms around their necks.
“Hi, Sierra,” Julia said.
“We were so worried. Alex said Lydia trapped you in a fire but that you were fine. But I had to see for myself.”
Julia pulled back. “We’re fine.” She shuffled to the bed with Sierra still clinging to her and reached her hand toward Kyle. “How are you?”
“Worried, but better now that you’re okay. Both of you.”
