Building trust with Courtney had taken some time and patience, but Luke hung in there and eventually she began to respond. Even more amazing was how quickly something special had grown between him and the twins. Watching Luke with her children had given birth to an idea. A month after they were married, when Luke was in Los Angeles at a conference, Julia swore everyone to secrecy and flew to Boston to meet with Mark and Jared Buchanan. She hadn’t even been sure they’d accept her phone calls, but with her children gathered around her for courage, she’d dialed the numbers. She was sure only curiosity made them take her calls and agree to meet with her, but she’d taken whatever she could get.
They’d gathered in a restaurant at the Boston airport, a meeting that began in hostility but ended with a hint of conciliation. She’d brought pictures, not only of Luke and Courtney but of the twins, of Luke speaking at events, and of their family gatherings. Although they’d called her separately a few times afterward, each time cautiously and with more questions, she hadn’t been sure she’d actually be able to heal the breach. Nevertheless, their relationship with their mother was fractured and she’d sensed they were looking for some kind of familial anchor.
Holding her breath, she’d extended the invitation to Luke’s fiftieth birthday dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. Not only had his sons come, but also their wives and children. She was sure it was the first time she’d ever seen Luke Buchanan speechless. The evening had produced many moments of strain and unease, but it was a good beginning. Now at least Luke and his sons kept in touch with each other and she and Luke had already made two trips to Boston.
So many changes, Julia mused, as she searched for her shoes. Not the least of which was what everyone referred to as “the move.” Luke had insisted she sell the house and they build a new one.
“It’s diseased,” he’d told her. “No wonder no one’s happy in it. No way can we make a fresh start in this place.”
Even in a slow market, it sold quickly, along with most of the furniture. They’d camped out at Luke’s suite at the hotel during the time the new house was being built at the northwest tip of the city. Luke had insisted Courtney be included in every decision, including the shopping for furnishings, and she’d bloomed under his love and care. Maybe Beth had been right and what her child had lacked the most was a father. Or maybe it was just this father.
The Connell Wilson launch had gone so well Bright Ideas client list had grown exponentially. Bigger clients had approached them. They’d hired more staff and moved into bigger offices. But at the end of the day she always came home to Luke and the comfort of his body in bed.
Now, on this special day, Courtney burst into the room, breathless. “How do I look?”
Julia’s breath caught in her throat. Her sullen, angry, rebellious child had grown into a beautiful teenager, with acceptable grades and a blossoming personality. The result of Luke’s work, she knew, and it hadn’t been an easy task for him. Courtney twirled around, the skirt of her soft blue dress spinning with her like a cloud, her shining black hair hanging in waves to her shoulders.
“Gorgeous.” Luke kissed her on the cheek. “I’d hug you but I don’t want to disturb such beauty.”
Courtney laughed. “Daddy, you crack me up. I guess I’ll just have to hug you.”
And she did, bringing tears to Julia’s eyes.
Dimly, she heard the front door open and close, and Miranda hollered up the stairs, “Beth and Andy are here. Y’all comin’ down or not?”
Luke smiled at her. “I guess we’d better go.”
Miranda waited in the foyer with a camera. “I want plenty of shots to post on my Facebook page.”
Courtney’s jaw dropped. “You have a Facebook page?”
Miranda cocked an eyebrow. “Any reason why I shouldn’t? Now everyone get together. That’s right. Boy, don’t you just look like a fine family.”
Julia looked at each of them. “Yes, we do.”
And as they stood together posing for Miranda who snapped away, Julia realized that at long last, after so many years of incredible misery, she’d not only found the love she’d been missing, she’d found herself.
Desiree Holt
Known the world over as the oldest living author of erotic romance, and referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, Desiree Holt is three times a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award (and a winner in 2014), a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as twice a CAPA Award winner for best BDSM book of the year, and winner of the Holt Medallion for Excellence in Romance Literature. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.
“Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.” (Romance Junkies)
Learn more about her and read her novels here:
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Copyright © 2014 Desiree Holt
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