The Rancher Meets His Match (The Millers of Morgan Valley #4) - Kate Pearce Page 0,62
job, that I’ll be powerless again.”
“Does Adam really expect you to give up your job?” Silver asked.
“No, of course not, but I guess if I moved up to the ranch there would be plenty for me to do there.” Lizzie smiled. “I’d probably want to go all in and help him and then what happens to my job at the café? What about all the commuting to work and to take Roman to school?” She hesitated, and then blurted out, “And what happens if Adam and I break up, and I’ve got nothing to go back to?”
“I can’t see you and Adam breaking up,” Silver said thoughtfully. “He absolutely adores you.”
Julia nodded in agreement even as her mind played out various scenarios. “Have you thought about a trial period with strict conditions about what both your roles are?”
“Like a contract?” Lizzie looked interested.
“Exactly. For example, even if you move up here you agree to keep the lease on your apartment for six months. You keep your work hours exactly the same at Yvonne’s, and just see how it goes.”
“But what about Roman?” Lizzie asked. “If things don’t work out, I’ll have moved him up here, made him think he’s got a family, and then ruined it for him.”
Silver glanced at Julia before she replied. “I understand why you’re being so careful, Lizzie, but if you do as Julia suggests and work out an agreement with Adam and things don’t work out then you’ll have a backup plan and a life to return to. You can explain it to Roman like that too. He’s a smart boy. He’ll get it, but I really don’t think it will come to that.” She sat forward, her arms clasped around her knees. “Sometimes, when you love someone, you’ve got to take that leap of faith, you know?”
“Like you did with Ben?” Lizzie asked.
“Exactly.” Silver laughed. “Although, man, did he make it hard because he worried so much about everything.”
“He sounds like me.” Julia didn’t mean to speak, but the words just fell out of her mouth. “I have a lawyer’s brain. I always think of at least two thousand possible things that can go wrong before I commit to anything.”
“Does Kaiden know that?” Silver grinned.
Julia sat up straight. “I wasn’t actually talking about my personal life.”
“Oh God, I’m so sorry!” Silver held up her hands. “That was really rude and intrusive of me. Please forget I opened my mouth.” She turned back to Lizzie. “I meant to say that I think Julia’s idea is a really good one. Why don’t you write some thoughts out when you get home, and take it from there?”
* * *
After the brothers returned, Adam and Lizzie went almost immediately because they wanted to get back to Roman. Before they left, Lizzie took a quiet moment to thank Julia for her idea and to ask if she could get back to her if she managed to get something concrete down on paper. Julia was quick to agree, and glad that Lizzie at least was still okay with her.
She had a sense she’d hurt Silver’s feelings by clamming up on her when things had gotten too personal, and she didn’t know quite how to fix it. When her hostess suggested she come with her to check out her new Korean skin care routine, Julia jumped at the chance. As soon as the door closed behind them she turned to Silver.
“I’m sorry if I came across as rude earlier.”
Silver shrugged. “The only person who was rude was me. Sometimes I forget that I haven’t lived here very long, and that I should keep my nose out of other people’s business. I come from a very involved family where everyone is in each other’s faces, sometimes way too much, so I should’ve known better.”
“I’m . . . just not used to having the kind of friends I can confide personal stuff to,” Julia said awkwardly. “Most of the women I know in San Francisco are either my competitors who I would never share a weakness with, or they simply don’t have time to listen because their lives are already crammed full with stuff.”
“I know the feeling,” Silver said wryly. “The only people I trust are my immediate family. I guess that seeing as Ben’s been keeping me up-to-date about how he thinks Kaiden feels about you, I got a bit ahead of myself. It really is none of my business, and I’m sorry I said anything.”