13
Julia
Slipping from the large, comfortable bed, she crept toward the bedroom door. Sleep had come in fits and starts throughout the night, and more than once she’d found herself lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling as she considered her options.
Around three in the morning, she’d realized that there really was only one option open to her. She’d been able to catch another two hours of sleep once she’d settled on a plan, which she was grateful for as she eased open the bedroom door and stepped into the dark hallway. A shower would have been welcome, especially after their late-night activities, but she couldn’t risk waking him with the noise. As it was, she was certain she’d only have an hour or so head start on him by the time he woke and realized she was gone.
In her room, she used the attached bathroom for a quick refresh before changing into the clothes she’d arrived in. The keys to her car were probably hidden wherever he’d stashed her phone, but his keys were hanging in the entryway, in plain sight. Snagging them from the hook, she eased open the front door and slipped outside.
Thank god he hadn’t felt the need to install any kind of security system. One of the perks of living in the middle of nowhere, she supposed.
Praying she wouldn’t get pulled over without her license — because god only knew what Daddy Owen would have to say about that, on top of her sneaking out without so much as a note — she drove his car down the long drive to the main road.
It took just over an hour to reach her destination. A brand-new set of wrought iron gates blocked her entrance, though, and her already anxious heart hammered wildly at her ribcage as a guard approached her car. When the hell had security gotten so tight?
Rolling down her window, she flashed a smile at the guard. “Good morning.”
“Morning, ma’am. Do you have your confirmation letter and photo ID?”
Fuck. Of course, he’d ask for her ID. “I’m sorry, I don’t have my license on me. I left it at home.”
Eyes narrowed in what was clearly suspicion, he peered inside the car. “Guests must provide their confirmation letter and photo ID before being allowed on the premises.”
“Oh! I’m not a guest. I’m an employee. Well, former employee. I have a meeting with Mr. Hawkins this morning.” It was a meeting, and she did have an appointment scheduled, she’d just…moved the time a little. So, it wasn’t really a lie, right?
“Name?”
“Julia. Julia Simmons.”
She had a feeling the guard could see straight through her. But instead of sending her on her way, he stepped away from the car and back into the little booth beside the gates. Through the window, she watched him pick up a phone receiver and hold it to his ear.
After what felt like forever, he re-emerged and leaned back into the car, the stern set of his jaw making her want to slide under the dashboard. “You’re cleared. A guard will meet you at the entrance and you will be escorted directly to Mr. Hawkins’s office. If you are not at the front door in ten minutes, you will be arrested for trespassing, Ms. Simmons.”
Obviously, whoever he’d spoken with knew who she was and the circumstances under which she’d left the Ranch. “Understood. Thank you.”
Trembling with the mixture of nerves and terror pumping through her veins, she maneuvered the car through the gates and up the log drive to the main building. A lump formed in her throat at the sight of her former home in all its sprawling, gorgeous Montana glory. Despite everything, she truly missed the Ranch, and she hadn’t realized how much until right that very second.
As she’d been instructed, she stopped in front of the entrance and made her way up to the guard who was waiting on the bottom step for her. The only acknowledgment he made of her presence was a short, sharp nod before he turned and led the way into the building.
Erica was at the front desk, her dark eyes wide with surprise as Julia was led past her and straight to Derek’s office. The man himself was seated behind a desk almost as large and imposing as he was, his expression a perfectly blank mask which gave no hint as to how he felt about seeing her here at his Ranch.
“Thank you, Jason. You can go back to your breakfast. I’ll radio for someone when Ms. Simmons is ready to leave.”
With a soft grunt of acknowledgement, the guard turned on his heel and marched out of the room. The door clicked shut behind him, and it seemed as though all the air in the office went with him. Julia stood in the middle of the room, looking everywhere but at the man she’d come to speak with.
“Have a seat, Julia.”
His voice was almost as blank as his face, and her heart ached for the jovial tone he’d almost always had with his employees. Even anger, disgust, anything would have been better than the nothing he seemed to feel for her now.
Obediently, she sat in one of the plush chairs in front of his desk, her hands clasped on her lap, her gaze locked on the polished wood in front of her. A clock on the wall ticked off the seconds, each one as loud as a gunshot in the silence that stretched between them.
“Julia. Eyes on me, please.”
Forcing her eyes up to his, she suddenly wished she hadn’t decided to do this without Owen by her side. Her Daddy would know exactly what to say, or at the very least she could draw on his strength to gather the courage to say the words herself.
But she’d left him behind, so there was only her. Only her strength, her courage, and she prayed it would be enough.
Taking a deep breath, she locked her gaze on the man behind the desk. “I came here to apologize.”