Page 20 of Impossible Rapids

Shawn hugged him back. It was too much. Burying Mercedes today and then the shooter getting into the yard. He wasn’t embarrassed to admit he let a few tears slip out.

“Shawn.” Franz’s voice was even more earnest, and he lowered it so not even the guards could hear. “We’ve got to hire more security and some private investigators to go after Lucas and Arianna. They’re obviously upping their game.”

Shawn nodded.

“And you have to make certain that nobody, and I mean nobody, knows how you feel about Julie. If they think they can use her as a pawn against you, they will.”

Shawn’s stomach churned with unease. They needed to keep up the appearance of Julie being just an assistant. He couldn’t protect her, stay by her side, love her.

He’d already planned on keeping his distance until they were certain Lucas and Arianna had no chance to overturn the inheritance transfer to the Holister name. This was another nail in the coffin. Maybe fifty more nails. He couldn’t lose Julie or Franz.

How in the world would he and Julie be able to go on some river rafting adventure in a month? Leave Franz behind for a week. Pretend he wasn’t in love with Julie. Keep her safe if he was the target and an assassin followed him.

His stomach wouldn’t settle. He had no answers. This might be the first time he told Mercedes no. The safest route was not doing the river challenge or the last episode. He didn’t know if anyone would agree with him.

Shawn couldn’t overturn his best friend’s dying wish. Unselfish was still his motto.

But he longed to be with Julie on the river for a week, and that was decidedly selfish.

Chapter

Six

The next few days were thankfully very, very busy. But then when wasn’t Julie’s life busy?

She hardly saw Shawn, which was for the best. Four of Franz’s security team now followed her at all times, which was annoying. She wasn’t in any danger. When she asked Theo, one of the men who always seemed to be there, he explained that Mr. Holister was very concerned for her safety, and they would keep her safe at all costs. She appreciated the gesture. She would’ve loved Shawn by her side, keeping her safe like he’d always done for Mercedes, but that wasn’t her life or his role in her life.

The media started to settle about Shawn and Mercedes’s secret wedding, the ‘star-crossed love story of the century’, and the ‘benevolent heiress thawing the Viking Warrior’. The pictures of the two of them kissing, looking lovingly into each other’s eyes, exploring the exotic and romantic kingdoms of Augustine and Magna for their honeymoon were seared into her brain. They’d obviously loved each other very deeply, and she knew how devoted Shawn was to Mercedes.

She was such a jerk. Why couldn’t she be thrilled her best friends had fallen deeply in love and Mercedes had the love of Shawn and his strong arms around her before she died? She wanted to be happy for them because nothing was happy now. Stress, work, and grief dominated her life.

Worrying about Jagger and Hays took precedence when they still hadn’t checked in. She was at Belle Enterprises downtown office in her spacious and beautiful suite, right next to Mercedes and Shawn’s very empty offices, working with the producer through decisions about the reality show airing in the fall when her phone beeped a text.

She and Shawn in a group text with Jagger and Hays minus Mercedes. That stung. No Mercedes. She wanted to talk to her friend.

Shawn. Julie. Devastated we missed Mercedes’s funeral. Didn’t know until last night. How are you both holding up? How’s Franz? So sorry.

Hays was wounded, but he’s okay. A bullet brushed his head, but he’s too thick in the head for it to penetrate. A bullet lodged in his arm. He’s in the hospital in Iraq. Should be released soon and will head your way.

I’m going for Bee. I might have to fight her dad, but she’s worth it. The only woman I ever loved.

I also found my faith. Hays almost dies and I turn it all over to the Lord. Go figure.

Love you both. Take care of each other. Check in soon.

Julie was stunned and very happy. Jagger had found his faith and was headed to be with the love of his life. It was so like Jagger to not waste any time or words.

Hays! Oh, Hays. Reading between the lines, whatever had happened must have terrified Jagger. To turn to the Lord? She hated that they’d gone through even more trauma, but she was grateful Jagger had chosen to trust in his Savior instead of hardening his heart further. Unexpected blessings.

Dropping to her knees, she prayed in gratitude for Hays being saved and Jagger finding his faith. Then she prayed for Hays to make a full recovery and Jagger to be reunited with Belinda and work things out with her parents.

She said amen, stood, and paced her office for a while. She waited for a call from Shawn to discuss all of this. And waited. And waited.

Finally, she focused on work again. When she took a break to eat dinner at her desk, she let herself Google, ‘un nasty in Old Norse’. What came up surprised her.

‘Unnasti’ meant lover.

Julie’s heart raced. Could Shawn possibly have meant it? No. He’d been teasing her. She couldn’t be reading something into that term, but now as she thought of the way he’d said ‘unnasti’ to her as he leaned in close … Her heart raced out of control, and she had to firmly push the memory and longing for him away or she’d never accomplish anything.