“I’ll be back in about ten minutes,” Chris said as he turned toward his place.
Her brain was still half asleep as she frowned toward her closed door. Why was he coming back? She was just planning to go to bed and she sure wasn’t up for a midnight chat. The couch called her name, so she sank into it, pulling the blanket around her. This would work for a bed for now. She was just too tired to attempt at anything better.
The sound of the door opening startled her out of her half-sleep. She sat straight up, trying to orient herself to what the heck was happening. Glancing at the doorway, she was surprised to see Chris standing there, scowling with a duffle bag in his hand. Why did he have an overnight bag? “Chris?”
“Yeah, it’s okay. Go ahead and go to bed. I’ll just make myself comfortable in your guest bedroom.” He walked on down the hall like what he just said made perfect sense.
Julie rested her head in her hands, trying to get awake enough to make sense of what was happening here. She was pretty sure they’d never discussed Chris moving in. That’s something she would definitely remember, wouldn’t she? Slowly she stood and approached the guest bedroom. Standing in the doorway, she could see that he was unpacking his bag. Definitely moving in.
“Um, Chris, what’s going on?”
The raw vulnerability in his eyes when he looked back at her took her breath away.
“I found you unconscious and practically dead on the floor once. I can’t get that image out of my mind and it terrifies me. I don’t want you here alone until you’re completely recovered. I just can’t leave you here.”
He curled his hands into tight fists and when his eyes met hers they were pleading.
“Okay, you can stay, but you aren’t allowed to use up all the hot water.” At that moment, there was no way she could have told him no to anything.
His shoulders immediately slumped in relief as he smiled at her. “I’ll try not to. Thanks, Julie. Now you need to get to bed and don’t forget to take your medicine first.”
Chapter 27
The next day, Chris was working in the office for a few hours while Julie napped when Colton cornered him. “Was Julie okay last night? Penelope said something seemed off with her toward the end of the evening.”
He wouldn’t break Julie’s confidence by spilling about her breakdown in the bedroom. “She’s just wiped out. Everything in the last few months has finally caught up with her and it’s going to take a little bit before she’s fully recovered.”
Colton gave a sharp nod. “That makes sense, but you need to tell us if it becomes something more. We all love her and want to be there for her, too.”
“Thanks, Colt. I’ll let her know.”
They stood in the reception area and Toni handed a file to Colton for him to sign before turning to Chris. “I plan to bring y’all dinner tonight. I haven’t gotten to see Julie since she got out of the hospital. I’ll give you a break for a little bit and buy us some girl time.”
He nodded. “That would be good. Julie would enjoy seeing you. Thanks, Toni.”
She began to walk away before she turned back around, “Oh and Colton, the guy called to verify they definitely want to use Mad Rob for that late flight on Wednesday.”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Toni. Can you bring that paperwork into my office in just a minute so I can make sure that we’ve covered all of their requests?
* * *
After dinner that night, Toni and Julie were hanging out in her living room. Toni said she didn’t cook, but she had obviously mastered the art of take-out. She’d brought an amazing dinner of almond crusted salmon with pomegranate glaze on a bed of raw spinach salad. It had been perfect. They’d all three thoroughly enjoyed eating it, but then Chris disappeared to allow the girls some private time.
Julie snuggled into the couch under the blanket. “So, tell me what’s going on between you and Pete. Are you still going out? I haven’t had a chance to catch up since the wedding and you two looked very cozy there.”
She nodded with a sweet little shy smile. “We’ve gone out a few times since then. He’s just such a sweetheart and the perfect gentleman. He hasn’t even tried to make a move on me yet besides a single