“I’ll get on it.” Hannah started to get up, but then sat back down. Her face changed from determination to worry. “I… I think my water just broke.”
Everyone jumped up at once. Jules shot off the group emergency text. After Zoey’s surprise baby-shower birth, they’d created a group message. She sent the “Hannah’s water just broke in the dining room and it’s happening now” text to everyone who needed to know.
Then she helped Hannah out to the front of the building where Liam was waiting in a golf cart to take her to the parking lot. Owen was working in his Destin office that morning and would meet them at the hospital.
Jules, unfortunately, had to go back to work since all of the Wildflowers were now heading to the hospital.
After the excitement of lunch, the rest of the day dragged on. Everyone was glued to their phones, waiting for news of the new arrival.
She changed into her sequined mermaid top and skirt after work and stood behind the bar serving drinks, but her mind was on her friend, waiting for news of another baby’s arrival.
What she wanted more than anything was to be at the hospital with her other friends, waiting to get the news firsthand. To visit and hold her friend’s son herself.
She’d always loved babies. Had always dreamed of having a couple herself. She didn’t care if they were boys, girls, or one of each.
As she thought about it that day, she realized that, when she thought about her children, she was certain they would look like Damion.
She’d been building up the nerve to tell him how she felt. But then things had gotten busy with the Tribberton mess and the social media attacks.
Maybe tonight was the night? She glanced down at her silly attire and sighed. Okay, maybe not. Maybe they could take another long weekend sail? Or she could arrange a dinner on the beach? Someplace romantic.
Someone sat in front of her at the bar, and she realized she’d been so preoccupied with her thoughts that Lisa had gotten this close to her without her alarm going off.
“Well, well, who would have thought that such a little insignificant girl like you would cause so much trouble,” Lisa purred.
Lisa was wearing a sleek black dress that hugged all of her perfectly proportionate curves. Jules instantly felt like a child in her sequined outfit.
“I thought you and your husband were banned from River Camps?” Jules said, glancing around.
“Oh, Joe’s not with me tonight. I’m here with someone… else.” She smiled as her eyes ran up and down Jules.
“Why are you here?” Jules asked.
Lisa’s smile grew. “You’re smarter than you look. I think Joe underestimated you. He was under the assumption you were just a floozy. A skirt to chase.” She shifted. “A glass of your best chardonnay first. Not the crappy stuff you’re serving everyone else,” she warned as Jules moved to get the drink. Not that she wanted to wait on the woman, but she wanted to get to the bottom of why she’d come back here. Why she was making a point to hunt Jules out. Or had she? As Jules opened and then poured the wine, she questioned Lisa’s motives. Did she know Jules would be working that night?
Jules had posted a video of her in her outfit talking about tonight’s event on her social media. It was a gut instinct to brag about her work. She loved the camp, loved the job and the people. Naturally, she would want to showcase it in her life.
Okay, so was Lisa here for her?
Turning, she set the glass down in front of the woman.
“Why?” she asked again.
Lisa took a sip and then made a face as if she’d tasted something foul. Jules knew full well the wine she’d served the woman was top notch. One of their most expensive bottles. She had every intention of charging the woman for it.
“I’m here to tell you that this stops here. The little game you are playing.” Lisa shifted her gaze slightly. “Trust me when I say you are way out of your league.”
“What are you talking about?” Jules wanted to hear every word of what she was threatening directly from the woman’s mouth.
Lisa’s blond eyebrows rose slightly and for a split second, Jules saw a hit of madness in the woman’s eyes. “Fine, let me dumb it down for you. I will squash you, personally and professionally. I know all about your family.” She smiled. “And I will use their lives to my benefit to stop you.”
“Stop me from what?” Jules shook her head, unsure. At first, Jules had believed this was just about calling the woman out in the video the night before. Now, however, the way she was talking, Jules was unsure.
Lisa’s eyes narrowed. “You are to never talk about me or my husband again. Anywhere. You are to remove that tacky little video immediately. Plus, you’ll get your little friends”—she glanced around as if expecting them to pop out of the shadows magically— “to stop their attacks on me and my husband’s business. I expect them to make formal statements that confirm everything I have said about this camp.”
Jules laughed. “That’s not going to happen.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, I think it will. I have all the power here. You are nothing. This place is nothing.” The woman’s voice had risen slightly. Jules saw Brett start heading towards them.