“Mr. Sherman, your schedule,” Connie said.
“Give me Julia’s new phone.”
Connie retrieved a bag from beneath her desk and handed it my way. “Your schedule?”
“Tell Ms. Banks that Michael will be in touch. For now, reschedule anything else today for virtual. I’m not leaving Julia.” Not if the Wisconsin State Patrol are on their way. I didn’t add that information. “Also, Connie, check with Sherman and Madison PR. Phillip has Julia’s phone and may be pretending to be her in an online presence. Have them scouring the social media platforms.” I looked at Michael who was now standing. “Come with me. I’ll explain on the way.”
Julia
Wrapping a towel around me, I wiped the steam from the large mirror over the vanity. Obviously, I didn’t think everything out. My items in this suite were still packed.
With my hair wet and dripping down my shoulders, I walked out to the pile of luggage in the front room. The simplest solution was to go to my old suite.
Securing the towel, I stepped into the hallway beyond the master bedroom suite. Sunshine filled the landing as I paused and listened for Margaret down below. She knew I’d moved suites. That didn’t mean I wanted to run into her or our new security staff dressed in only a towel.
The house was quiet as I made my way to my old suite.
Opening the door, I smiled at the front room, thinking how I’d finally allow Margaret to clean it once I had my things down to the other suite. My first order of business was getting dressed. Walking into a closet a fourth of the size of Van’s, I remembered his bartering comment.
Layers.
Once I had panties, soft leggings, warm socks, a camisole, and sweater on, I went into the bathroom to do something with my long, wet, and tangled mess of hair.
My thoughts were consumed with the present and future.
Van wasn’t only a twin. He was a triplet.
What happened to cause the break with his siblings and family?
Madison married Phillip.
Did that mean that Brooklyn was Madison and Phillip’s daughter?
The questions came faster than the answers.
It would be too easy to get bogged down in what happened yesterday. I could go down the rabbit hole of Van and Phillip’s feud. There were things Van had done, things he now regretted. The picture that had been in his office came to mind. I wondered where it had gone. Now that I knew it was Phillip and Madison, I wanted to see it again.
Leaning forward, I peered at my reflection. “Stop.”
The answers would come, but that wasn’t what was important. What mattered was that Van and I were home. Our wedding was going to happen on our terms. The most important thing I learned yesterday was that without a doubt I loved Donovan Sherman.
TheDonovan Sherman.
It wasn’t his good looks, his money, or anything else. Phillip pretended to embody all that Van allowed others to see. He fooled Albert and my parents because they don’t know the real Van. He didn’t fool me.
My love is for the man, his caring nature, his protectiveness, and the lust I feel when I stare into his gold-speckled green gaze.
After a smidge of mascara, blush, and lip color, I began to tackle my hair. Georgette was probably right. I should send for some of the products she recommended. The hair dryer echoed off the tile as I began to dry my hair, combing and brushing as I worked.
The funny thing about a hair dryer was that it was easy to forget how truly loud it was. The din it created settled in my thoughts, drowning out everything else until I turned it off.
Voices.
Loud voices.
My pulse sped up at the echo of footsteps pounding down the hallway.
Margaret?