everything needed to be said. “He’s also bossy. The first time he saw the bachelor pad where I was living, he refused to let me stay there any longer. He found me another place where it was safer.”
“Was it that bad?” Quinn asked.
“Maybe worse. I was grateful to have one less thing to worry about.” Although it was interesting how fast things had escalated after that point. She never had left his cabin.
Mattie nodded thoughtfully. “He is protective. Learned it from Dad, I imagine.”
“Definitely,” Quinn agreed. “Dad somehow found the balance between letting us explore the world and yet always being there the instant we needed backup.”
Thinking back, it was easy for Julia to see that trait in Zach. “It’s nice to have someone who’s got your back without mowing you down at the same time.” She thought of something amusing to share. “He’s sneaky bossy, but in a totally sweet way. Like, he let me drive his car once—the day we put it into storage for the winter. Then he made me ride shotgun in my own car on the way home.”
The pool area went utterly still at her laughing comment. Five sets of jaws dropped.
Petra blinked. “He let you drive Delilah?”
“Once,” Julia pointed out with a laugh. Thinking back to how sweet it had been to handle the classic car made her smile, though. “Short lived success, I guess.”
Another story followed, and the feeling of connection continued to grow. The older women got caught up in a discussion about kids’ activities for the new year. Julia found her recliner floating farther from them toward the opposite side of the pool.
Petra laughed, letting go of the rope she’d used to bring Julia to her side. “I’m so glad you’re here. When they start in on the mom talk, my eyes start to cross after the first hour.”
“I think it’s pretty natural when you get a big group together. With my sisters, only one has kids so far. The kid focus tends to be a sprinkling instead of an onslaught.”
“Good description,” Petra said dryly. “Tell me more about your job. I work in IT, where it’s all desk jockeys and keyboards. What exactly do you do at the ranch?”
Getting to talk about one of her favourite things was no hardship. Although it was telling to notice how often Zach’s name came up during their conversation. Julia kept mentioning him and everything that he’d done over the past months while they’d spent time together.
His little sister began smiling every time Julia said his name. Finally, she outright laughed. “Are you sure he’s not working in the office with you?”
Guilty. “We do end up around each other a lot. I hadn’t realized how much until now,” Julia admitted. “I like him. He’s a pretty special guy.”
“He is. I approve of him as a big brother.” Petra glanced slyly at Julia. “I know you guys explained about the whole accidentally-married thing, but it seems as if there’s more to the story.”
The parts they were keeping secret were going to stay that way, as far as Julia was concerned.
She shrugged. “I guess you can say that we’re good friends now. Zach’s always doing things for his friends. I like being able to do things in return for him.”
The other woman eyed her, curiosity rising. “Friends. Well, that’s good. I guess.”
Julia laughed. “You sound like my sister, Lisa.”
“She’s a very smart woman.” Petra leaned forward on her elbows, the inflatable chair under her rocking slightly from side to side. “Just so you know? I’ve seen my brother with his friends. And yes, he’s a very giving man, but I’ve never heard of him letting anyone drive Delilah other than his bestie. I’ve never seen Zach look at another woman the way he looks at you.”
“Probably because nobody else has ever had the power to take away everything he’s worked for.” Julia tried to say it as if it were a joke, but her throat had grown tight.
When Petra just stared at her steadily for a moment, that knot slid into her chest and grew tighter.
Finally, Petra shook her head. “Honey, you might need to do a reassessment. Because I don’t think my brother’s worried about his pocketbook. If you want to talk about having the power to take something away, you might start by focusing on something in this area.” She tapped a hand against her chest.
Julia wanted to protest. She wanted to explain how important it was for not just Zach but the rest