Page 52 of Impossible Rapids

Julie stood, grabbed her purse, and rushed out of her office. Paul and Theo were instantly at her side.

“Thank you. I’m meeting Shawn at Takara for lunch.”

“All right,” Paul said.

Theo pulled out his phone to call for a car.

Julie also pulled out her phone, calling for a private room at her favorite Japanese restaurant. She didn’t even care about delicious sushi. She and Shawn could be alone and talk. Maybe it was finally their time. Maybe.

The two men escorted her out of the office and down the elevator. They climbed into a car with Blaine driving, Paul in shotgun, and Theo in the back with her.

The restaurant was only five minutes away, but her nerves tingled. Shawn was coming. Soon.

They were greeted and escorted to a back room. The table was set down low, with cushions to recline on one side. A perfect spot to talk, and maybe even to kiss. Two large windows were open, letting in the sultry smells of jasmine, lotus flowers, and apricot trees and the trickle of a water fountain in the restaurant’s beautiful private garden. The server filled water goblets, left menus and edamame, and bowed to her.

Paul and Theo checked the room. It was small and nobody was hiding behind the cushions. “Blaine,” Paul said. “Stand guard out in the garden.”

“You think somebody will come through the windows?” Julie asked. She was teasing, sort of. The incident on the riverbank still haunted her. It was a miracle none of their men had been killed.

Paul shrugged, and he and Theo stood sentry just inside the door while Blaine went to the outside garden.

Her phone beeped a text in her purse. She reached for it just as Brandon Wallace strode through the door. Paul moved to intercept him, but Julie released her purse handle and held up a hand. “It’s okay. He’s Shawn’s lawyer.” She leaned to see past him. “Is he coming?”

“Yes, he’s on his way. Forgive me for interrupting your celebration, but he wanted to see Franz safely back to the office and told me I could share some of the good news with you.” The David Gandy lookalike smiled smoothly at her. “Then I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Oh, thank you.” She only wanted Shawn to share good news with her, but the fact that Brandon was here had to mean great news. The judge had approved everything and Shawn was safe?

“Can you give us a moment alone?” Brandon asked.

Paul looked ready to refuse him.

Julie smiled. “Paul, I’m not at any risk from Brandon. I promise. He has worked with Franz and Mercedes for years.”

Paul studied the man as if giving him a visual warning. Then he and Theo walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Brandon approached, smiling broadly. “Ah, beautiful Julie. Shawn is a lucky man.”

She hoped so, but her neck tingled. Would Shawn have shared anything about their relationship with Brandon? He’d been cautious with her and told Hays and Theo last night not to share seeing them kiss.

“First Mercedes Belle and then you rush into his arms,” Brandon said. “Lucky. Very lucky.”

Julie winced. The reminder of her friend Mercedes, the love of Shawn’s life, wasn’t a great one. Couldn’t she and Shawn celebrate for one day without the guilt and worry? What had Brandon seen? She doubted Shawn would open up to anybody besides Jagger or Hays.

“You know the truth, right?” He arched an eyebrow.

“About?” She tried to act nonplussed. What now?

“Franz said to keep it between us, but of course Shawn would’ve told you.”

“Of course.” She faked a smile. Shawn had been hiding something from her. She trusted him with everything. What was so important that he couldn’t share with her?

“You know he and Mercedes’s romantic relationship was a fraud to protect the inheritance. Of course you know, with all the time you spent with them. Were you and Shawn sleeping together even when they were married?”

Her jaw dropped. “We have never slept together.”

“Truly?” His brows arched. He didn’t believe her. “Hmm. I’m sure you appreciate that he was never intimate with Mercedes. They pretended for years, at Franz’s request, keeping Mercedes and all that money safe from the awful cousins. But you knew that. Of course Shawn trusted you and would’ve shared with you that his marriage to Mercedes was in name only.”

Julie turned away to hide her shock.