of them all through lunch and Chris breathed a small sigh of relief when Julie went to her bedroom shortly afterward to take a nap. Damn, he really hadn’t meant to let that slip out. She was just barely out of the hospital. It wasn’t right to saddle her with him and all his issues, no matter how tempted he was to go there with her right now. He needed to be patient.
He wandered around her apartment for a couple of hours before he finally slid out the sliding glass doors to call Colton to let them know Julie was home.
It had barely rung before Colton growled, “Penelope this better be you telling me you’re on your way home.”
“Uh oh, is there trouble in paradise?”
Chris could hear the heavy sigh across the phone lines. “Uh, hi, Chris. No just a difference of opinion. Damn woman is too stubborn for her own good, but it’s not just her she’s taking care of anymore.”
Chris chuckled at the frustration in his big brother’s voice. It was no secret that Colton knew what was best for everyone around him. He had a hard time understanding that sometimes those people didn’t agree with his analysis of the situation. “So what did you do to tick off your beautiful and very patient fiancé this time?”
“She wanted to go out to ride horses on the Martin ranch. I just don’t think that’s the best idea in her condition.”
“In other words, you forbade her to go out to the ranch.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Colton mumbled.
“Bro, someday you’re going to learn your lesson about telling Penelope what to do. You can’t run roughshod over her. She has her own very strong opinions about her life. Remember, that’s one of the reasons you love her.”
“I know.” Another heavy sigh floated across the phone line. “I’m just scared to death something bad is going to happen to her or the baby.”
“That’s what you need to tell her, Colt, instead of bossing her around. I promise you, she will respond much better to why you’re worried about her. She loves you and doesn’t want to do anything to hurt you either. Tell her your opinion, but tell her why. You may just be able to coerce her to your way of thinking.”
“Damn, you’re right. When did you get so smart?”
“Big guy, I’ve been finding ways to work around you for years. A person tends to pick up techniques.”
Colton chuckled. “Touché. Hey, that reminds me. Jake and Cassie are supposed to come home from their honeymoon tomorrow. We haven’t told Cassie about the pregnancy yet and wanted to do so as soon as possible. Do you and Julie want to come over for dinner tomorrow night? She’s home from the hospital, right? She can bring Rachel, too.”
“She is home, but Rachel took off. I’m kind of taking care of Julie right now.”
“Really?” There was a wealth of meaning in that one-word question as he drew the word out.
“Yes, really, but don’t write more into it than it is. We’re just friends… for now. But back to your original question, we should be able to be there if Julie’s feeling up to it. What time?”
“Does 6:30 work for you?”
“Sure, hopefully by then, your girlfriend is talking to you again.”
Chris chuckled as he heard Colton’s low groan as he hung up the phone.
He’d missed having Cassie to talk to for the last week while she’d been on her honeymoon, but he had to admit that he was happy to have Colton around. It was nice to touch base with his brother simply because he wanted to.
Trying to open the sliding glass door quietly, he re-entered the townhouse. He tiptoed back to Julie’s room to check on her. He planned to just peek in, but the vision standing there wiped all thought or action from his mind.
Julie had her back to him as she whipped off her t-shirt. In the middle of her back was a huge tattoo of a purple butterfly. That hadn’t been there the last time he’d seen her naked. Everything within him stilled as he looked at the butterfly. What did it mean that she’d gotten it after their weekend together? He called her Butterfly. But as she turned slightly he could see the curve of her naked breast and all other thought fled.
He must have made some sort of sound because Julie suddenly swung around with the t-shirt clutched to her bare breasts. Her eyes widened when she spotted him riveted in the