action instead of letting her brood over what couldn’t be changed. “Tell you what. I’m sure you want to update your sisters about what’s going on, and we need to grab your stuff from your apartment. Why don’t you give them a shout and ask them to meet you there? I’ll drive you over, and between our three trucks, we can get you settled out here at the ranch pretty quick.”
Julia made another face, this one a little uncomfortable. “I don’t think it’s going to take three trucks.”
“It’ll take whatever it takes.” He pushed the envelope back at her. “Give them a call, then you can read this to me on the drive to your apartment.”
It was the calm before the storm. Julia glanced around her silent apartment and wondered when she’d lost control of her own life.
Zach had escorted her upstairs and waited until she’d barricaded herself in before leaving to find extra packing boxes.
Her sisters were both on their way, the promise of a full explanation once they got there probably even now sending them over double-quick.
Julia shoved a hand in her pocket, and paper crinkled. The damn note from the lawyer with more inexplicable demands. Thankfully the list had been short, but the three requirements had been more than enough to make it clear there was no wiggle room to simply live separate lives.
You shall reside under one roof.
* * *
You will not be apart for more than two days/nights during any month, barring medical emergencies.
* * *
Once a month you will write and exchange a letter listing any concerns you are currently facing. While there is no specific word count required, anything less than one page will be deemed unacceptable. [Contents of these letters will not be read by anyone else, but you need to inform me that you have complied.]
Zach had growled at that last one and made a comment about bloody homework.
Her lips twitched into a smile before she could stop it. At least the man was keeping his sense of humour.
At least the man had a sense of humour—God, she couldn’t imagine being trapped in this situation with some stick-in-the-mud who didn’t know how to laugh.
And the ability to laugh was going to come in handy, considering starting any minute now she was going to have to bullshit her way through the biggest lie of her life.
The door banged against the trunk blocking the path, and she shook herself alert. “Coming.”
“Dammit, Julia.” Karen stood on the other side, peering in through the slight crack she’d managed to open. Julia dragged the trunk aside and found herself caught up in an ironclad hug a moment later. “Hey, kiddo. You’re having one hell of a weekend.”
The concern in her sister’s voice just about did Julia in. “Oh, it’s been exciting, all right.”
“Coming through. Box delivery.” Lisa arrived, a stack of cardboard in her arms as she pushed into the bachelor suite. Her nose wrinkled. “Okay, I can finally admit how much I hate this place. Let’s get you packed.”
“Only if you can pack and talk at the same time,” Karen said, letting Julia go with a final squeeze.
“I’ll do the kitchen. Karen will do the living room. Julia, start with your clothes. And yes, talk while you pack.” Lisa handed out boxes along with the orders.
“She likes to run everybody’s life,” Julia said dryly.
“I still hope to break her of that habit,” Karen offered. “Of course, now that she’s got Josiah to boss around, we should get less of it.”
Lisa stuck out her tongue before turning to the tiny kitchen and opening the cupboard doors. “What’s the news, Julia?”
Maybe with a little more practice it wouldn’t feel so weird to say. “Zach and I are married.”
“We heard that part already,” Karen scolded.
“We’re married and staying that way for one year. There’re complications with the estate-slash-inheritance Zach was given. Us getting married without a prenup messes him up financially. So, I don’t know exactly how everything’s going to work, but I agreed I would stick around for the year.”
She’d been placing clothing out of her chest of drawers into a box, straightening the edges of each article carefully as she spoke.
The room went quiet.
She glanced up to discover both her sisters blinking hard.
“You’re staying married.” Karen frowned. “This is something to do with their mentor and the whole inheritance business?”
“Yeah. If I leave, Zach loses everything.”
Karen cursed. “I know the guys think the world of Bruce, but the man is a bit of an asshole at