“Big surprise there,” Gina muttered, reaching down four glasses from a cabinet over the kitchen counter and setting them on a tray beside a pitcher of iced tea. She shot a look at Julie. “Dealing with the King men can be cause for buying the economy-size bottle of aspirin.”
Get used to it.
Travis’s words echoed over and over again in her mind, as they’d been doing for the last few days. But how could she do that, Julie wondered. How could she ever settle for a marriage that was maintained simply for the sake of her child?
How could she ever live with Travis knowing she loved him but that he would never return the feelings?
“I can’t do it,” she whispered. “I just can’t.”
“It’s hard,” Gina said softly. “Being the one in love.”
Julie’s gaze snapped to her sister in law. “You, too?”
The overhead lights in the kitchen shone down on the other woman, illuminating her so brightly, she almost seemed to glow. She looked so content, so completely happy and at home, Julie felt a quick stab of envy.
Gina rubbed one hand over the mound of her child and smiled to herself. “I’ve loved Adam all my life. I always thought it would be one of those tragic unrequited love stories.” Her smile blossomed into a grin. “But you know what? Sometimes the men we love can surprise us. Sometimes, they wake up and see what’s staring them in the face.”
“Sometimes,” Julie admonished with shake of her head. “But Travis is much more stubborn than Adam or Jackson. He’s got a head like solid cement, I swear.”
“Just don’t give up on him too soon,” Gina told her, lifting a jug of tea to pour into the glasses. “Oh.”
Julie leaped up from her chair, hurried across the kitchen and took Gina’s arm. “Are you okay? You shouldn’t be on your feet like this. Let me do it, for heaven’s sake.” She stopped, sighed and said, “I sound like Travis talking to me.”
“You think he’s bad now?” Gina asked. “Wait until the baby’s three days overdue. Adam practically carries me to the bathroom every morning.”
“He loves you.”
“He really does.” Gina looked into Julie’s eyes and said softly, “And here’s something to think about. If Travis is that worried about you, don’t you think he might love you, too?”
Julie threw a glance at the door separating the kitchen from the dining room and the rest of the house beyond. God help her, she’d like to believe that Travis loved her. But even if he claimed to now, how would she ever know if he meant it—or if because of the baby, he was only saying the words she needed to hear?
“Come on. Let’s get you into the study,” Julie said, putting her own worries and fears aside for the moment. “I’ll carry the tray.”
“You know what? I think I’ll let you.”
In the study, there was a fire in the hearth. Soft lighting from lamps scattered around the room added to the coziness created by the dancing shadows of the flames. The three King brothers were seated in the wide, maroon leather chairs and all three of them leaped to their feet when the women entered the room.
“You shouldn’t be carrying heavy things,” Travis said as he scooped the serving tray out of Julie’s hands.
“It’s not heavy,” she argued, but had already lost the battle.
“You okay, honey?” Adam was asking as he steered Gina to a chair and lowered her down onto it with all the care of a man handling a live explosive.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m just feeling a little tired and achy.”
“Achy?” Adam’s voice went up a notch. “You’re in pain? Have you timed them? When did it start?”
“Not that kind of pain.” Gina laughed and patted his hand. “It’s just a backache.”
“Are you sure—”
“Geez, Adam,” Jackson said from across the room. “Let her get some air. If she’s in labor, she’ll tell us.”
Adam shot him a look that should have fried him on the spot, but Jackson only laughed and took a sip of his Irish whiskey.
Travis frowned at his younger brother. Jackson just didn’t get it. The worry. The fear. Ever since finding out that Julie was pregnant, he hadn’t been able to think of anything else. And rather than laugh at his older brother’s barely restrained panic, Travis completely sympathized. One part of him was terrified of what he would face in another eight months…and another part of him couldn’t wait.
It was like being a split personality, he thought. He could literally stand back and watch himself be an ass. He kept a close watch on Julie at all times and worried like hell when she was out of his sight. He didn’t know how he was going to make it through the pregnancy intact.
And beside the general worries was one he was sure Adam hadn’t had to contend with. The concern that his wife would pack up and move out at the end of their year together. Not that she’d get far. Travis would follow and bring her back where she belonged, of course. But at the same time, he didn’t want her to want to leave. He wanted her as committed as he now was to building their family.
He frowned, then told himself that he still had plenty of time to make her see things his way. For now, he would simply take care of her. And as Jackson chuckled again, Travis sincerely hoped that one day, the youngest King brother got a hard dose of reality all for himself, and then they’d see who was doing the laughing.
Travis got Julie into a chair, then poured iced tea for everyone but Jackson. When they were all settled, he looked to Adam. “Well? Everyone’s gathered. Let’s do this.”
“What’s going on?” Julie asked.
“You’re about to find out,” Travis said.
Looking very pleased with himself, Adam walked to his massive desk on the far side of the room. He grabbed a tape recorder off the surface and walked back to the group. Looking from one to the other of them, Adam started with an explanation for the ladies.
“Obviously, you two know that Travis, Jackson and I hired a P.I. to look into Jean Claude’s background.” The women nodded. “As you also know, we didn’t find anything that could be seen as illegal in the strictest sense.”
Julie shifted uneasily, but Travis dropped one hand onto her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Quit telling them what they already know and get on to the rest of it, Adam,” he said, wanting Julie’s discomfort over as fast as possible.