by Grace Warren
She took another piece and quickly started mixing it in the bowl.
“I was famished.” Julie exclaimed.
“I like watching you eat.”
“Okay, that sounds a bit creepy,” she smiled.
“I don’t mean it that way. I mean, you look very cute.”
“Thanks.”
After a few moments, she finished her bowl of soup and the platter was almost empty.
“Phew! I am stuffed.”
They sat there just looking out at the ocean. The moon was full and flooded the surface with a yellow tint. Julie could feel her heart melting. The scene was like something out of a movie. Then she suddenly remembered the deal she made with Jason.
“So, you said I could ask you any question, right?”
“Uh oh. Yes, I did. I’m a man of my word.”
“Well, I studied your file and it seems like you have a very successful life on paper. You’re set to become one of the world’s youngest billionaires. You’re smart, driven, handsome….”
“Okay, okay. I can sense a but heading my way,” he interrupted.
“But, I couldn’t find much on your love life.”
“The smile slipped from his face.”
“I mean,” continued Julie, “you’ve never been in the papers, caught leaving a bar with some young supermodel or actress…so I’m just wondering why?”
He didn’t reply and instead kept his gaze fixed out on the ocean. She wondered if she had hit a nerve. Jason did say that she could ask any question.
“Too personal?”
“No, it’s okay. We had a deal.”
He took a sip from his glass of sparkling water, then looked at her.
“I’ve never told anyone this but there was someone, when I was much, much younger. A childhood sweetheart. This was all before I built my empire. It was when I was a “nobody”, not anything to be in the papers. In fact, I was a bit of a nerd in school. I was the one who usually got picked on, by both the guys and the girls. But there was this one girl who stuck up for me, Sandra. I’ll never forget her. For some reason, she could see my potential. We both fell in love and I asked her to marry me.”
“Oh, it sounds pretty romantic. So what happened?” asked Julie.
“I found out that she was cheating on me.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“With one of the guys who was bullying me, believe it or not.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, I guess I never really got over the heartache. I’ve never been able to get close to anyone ever since.”
“That’s really sad…I don’t really know what to say…”
He smiled at her.
“It’s okay. I’m doing pretty well for myself so it’s not all bad. I feel like I’m at a bit of a disadvantage though.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Well, you know pretty much everything there is to know about me, no doubt, you’ve read more than my file.”
“More than your file?”
“Yes, if I know Janine, there’s one thing she’s good at, and that’s being thorough with her clients. In fact, she’s probably the same when it comes to her love life too.”
Julie laughed.
“What I mean is, I know she’s tried to find as much dirt on me as possible, as leverage.”
Julie didn’t know what to say.
“You don’t have to answer; I’m not trying to put you in an awkward situation. I totally understand why she did it. I would do the same, it’s leverage. Leverage is everything in business. But what I mean is, I know next to nothing about you. Why are you here?”
“Well, I just really enjoyed working with numbers, ever since I was a child. Accounting seemed like the natural thing to do.”
“Sounds like a load of bull to me,” he replied with a funny look on his face.
“I’m sorry?”
“I mean, it just sounds like you’re telling me what I want to hear, it sounds like something Janine would say. Come on, tell me the real reason, I’m not going to judge you or pull the contract.”
She paused for a moment, trying to muster up the courage to tell him.
“Okay, I’ve never told too many people about this. I also had a childhood sweetheart. He was perfect. Kind, caring, intelligent. We did everything together and I truly loved him.”
“I see, what happened?”
Her eyes began to well up with tears.
“He…was involved in a hit and run. He was so badly injured that he passed away right there, in the ambulance.”
“Oh, Julie, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you. I was in a dark place for such a long time. I had lost hope. I even thought of ending it all, many times, but I never had the courage to go through with it. Then, I don’t know why, but I passed a church and something drew me in. Maybe I was just empty and wanted to go somewhere peaceful, I don’t know. When I sat there, I started to pray.”
“Are you religious, Julie?”
“No, I mean, back then I wasn’t. Up until that point, I’d never prayed before in my life. Something inside me was just screaming out for help and then I felt a kind of…relief.”
“What do you mean?”
“I felt the kindness and warmth of the other followers there. I felt the love and presence of Christ. Now, I know you could say that I was overcome with emotion and I was a willing believer, but whatever the reason, I was able to get my strength back and I gradually pieced my life back together. There was a job for a local trainee bookkeeper so I went for it.”
“I see, that’s a pretty amazing story Julie. I am also a big believer. I go to a church back in town, as often as I can. It’s good to believe in something much bigger than yourself and I know that God has guided me in my life,” he smiled, looking off into the distance, “I have many reasons to be thankful, and not because I am successful but because He brought me back to life.”
Julie reached out and squeezed his hand, “Amen.”
They talked for a few more hours and then they arrived back on the beach.
“Thanks for a lovely evening, Jason.”
“The pleasure’s all mine. Thank you for the company. Unfortunately, I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning.”
Julie’s heart sank. In her mind, she thought the romance would go on forever. She felt like it was over too soon.”
“When will I see you again?” she asked.
“Soon. Count on it.” He gave her a warm hug and again they went their separate ways, looking back at the same time as they walked off.
Chapter Five
She couldn’t stop thinking of him on her flight back. As soon as she got out of the airport, she checked her phone. Eight new messages, four of them were from Janine. None from Jason.
She went back to work the next morning, straight into Janine’s office.
“There she is, our returning champion,” said John as he popped a bottle of champagne.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“I told John here about how Hugo took an instant shine to you.”
“You showed initiative Julie,” continued John, “that’s exactly what I like to see. I knew you could do it. Keep this up and you’ll be a senior partner, in no time.”
“Thank you.”
Julie felt strange. This is what she had always wanted. To be successful at her job, to have the respect and admiration of her bosses, but something was missing. She had left a piece of herself back on that boat, but it was more than that, she missed Jason. He had revealed his inner most fears to her and she’d fallen for him. Now she felt like she was missing an important limb. It was almost painful, thinking about him.
“Is it okay if I go for some air?” she asked.
“Are you okay?” asked Janine, with concern.
“I’m okay. I just feel a little woozy.”
“Sure,” said John. “Take all the time you need. In fact, take the rest of the day off. You deserve it.”
&nbs
p; She quickly left the room and ran into the elevator.
What should I do, God? She thought. Take a breath, go for a walk and clear your head.
She closed her eyes and composed herself. She went out into the street and started thinking about the last few days. She thought about what Jason had told her, and what she had told him. She’d never revealed so much to anyone before. She’d never felt so close to another human being, not since her first love.
As she walked, she looked up and suddenly, to her surprise, she saw Jason. He was standing a dozen or so feet away from her, exiting another building. Her face immediately lit up and she was about to shout his name, when she realized he wasn’t alone. There was a woman with him. She was tall and blonde. She had legs for miles and looked like a supermodel.
Maybe she’s just a client? Thought Julie.
The woman hugged Jason and he kissed her cheek. They held hands for a moment and then crossed the street. There was no room for doubt in Julie’s mind.
I can’t believe it. He played me. He really was a playboy.
Tears started streaming down her face and she sat down on a bench close by.
How could I have been so stupid? Of course, he must have a woman in every city. Women must be queuing up to meet him.
She sat there for a few moments, feeling sorry for herself, until finally, anger took over. She stood up and went straight back to work.
“Oh. You’re back,” said Janine with surprise.
“I thought John said you should take the rest of the day off.”
“Yeah, but I’m feeling much better now.”
“Okay, in that case, I want you to look at this file.”
She handed her another USB stick.
“Let me guess, another big client of ours?” asked Julie.
“You got it. John was so pleased with the way you handled Hugo, he wants to see if you can replicate your results. I got to be honest, I’m curious myself. And just a little tip between you and me, if you can, you’ll be looking at a senior position in months, not years.”
“Okay, I’ll get right on it.”
They both smiled and Julie started making her way out of Janine’s office.
“Oh, by the way,” continued Janine. “I almost forgot. Hugo called; he wanted to talk to you.”
Julie had to forcibly stop herself from rolling her eyes.
“Oh great, I’ll talk to him later.”
“I’m sorry? I’ve told you many times that he’s our most important client, you should be at his disposal twenty-four hours a day. That’s an order. Please don’t keep him waiting.”
Great, thought Julie. What have I got myself into?
She arrived back at her desk and phoned him.
“Hi Mr. Brown, how can I help you?”
“Is that Julie? I hardly recognize you. What’s with all the formality?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Okay…are you free now?” he asked.
“Now? I suppose so.”
“Great! I’ll meet you outside in five.”
Outside the building, he was standing there in a sharp grey suit and with a big smile on his face.
“Hey gorgeous, how are you?”
She didn’t reply and instead walked passed him.
“There’s a café just around the corner if you’d like to talk,” she said.
Once they got to the café and sat down, Jason looked her in the eye.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder since the phone call. I can’t think of anything I could have done so it must be something else. You can talk to me about anything, you know that right?”
“You haven’t done anything wrong? You really believe that?”
“Yes of course, if you think I have, then just tell me.”
“I saw you earlier today with some woman.”
“What? That’s impossible, what woman?” he asked.
“She was tall and blonde…”
He started laughing before she could finish.
“Oh I’m sorry, did I say something amusing? Is this all some kind of joke to you?”
“She’s my sister.”
Julie froze for a moment.
“She’s your what?”
“My sister. She’s a financial advisor. She works in a bank, just a few blocks from here. We meet up every now and then, whenever I’m in town, I try and touch base with her. Family’s important to me, you see.”
She didn’t know what to say. She was speechless.
“I’m sorry, I, I just jumped to conclusions.”
“It’s okay, no harm done. Listen, do you want to get out of here?”
“Okay, sure, what did you have in mind?”
He smiled at her.
Moments later, they were being driven through the city to another large building.
“Let me guess, you own this building too?”
“No, but maybe one day.”
She laughed.
As they went inside Julie’s heart was racing. She didn’t know what to expect. A large private swimming pool, a private cinema, or maybe it was a jewelry store?
She realized the room was empty, except for a small pillar that stood in the center.
“I don’t understand, there’s nothing here. What exactly are we doing here?”
Jason pointed towards the pillar.
“There is one thing here. Why don’t you go and take a closer look?”
She walked up to the pillar and realized that there was a small box resting on top. She opened it and gasped. Inside was a huge diamond ring. She made a huge O with her mouth.
“Julie, I’ve been in love with you since that first moment on the beach. I may be crazy but…will you marry me?”
She desperately tried to fight back the tears to try and speak.
“Yes, of course I will. I love you too, Jason. It’s so crazy and sudden, but it’s how I feel. This feels right.”
They both hugged and had their first kiss. This is crazy, Julie thought.
“By the way,” said Jason, “this building’s being demolished in an hour so we really got to get out of here.”
She burst out laughing.
“It was almost the perfect moment,” she said.
“I’m sorry, how about lunch on the yacht? Would that make up for it?”
“Absolutely.” She gave him a big smack on the lips and they walked, holding hands, off into the clean air and onwards to the beach.
Jason pulled her hand up to his mouth, kissed it, and said, “To our new beginning.”
“Yes. That sounds beautiful.” I’ve made it, Julie thought. She smiled, thinking about her future with Jason.
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Mail Order Bride: A Ranch to Call Home
Grace Warren
Synopsis:
Lucy Carson is single woman from the big city; unfortunately, her bank account is nonexistent along with her social life. Nash McCain is a widowed Texas rancher with a hard headed sister in law and two amazing children.
When fate, through an obscure internet site, brings them together it’s a roller coaster of emotion for all involved. Lucy is in love with the children at first sight, but she can’t seem to get Nash to notice her. Aunt Van wants nothing to do with her. Finally able to see the truth Lucy lets the chips fall where they may.
Will she travel back to New York empty handed and broken hearted or will Nash open his heart and learn to love once again? Find out in this new original romance A Ranch to Call Home.
ONE
The sound of a train braking on the tracks was deafening in the early morning hours, outside the small town station on the outskirts of Smyrna, Texas. Slender legs and dainty feet adorned in open toed wedges stepped from the train car ramp and into the morning fog that covered the arrival dock. Lucy wheeled her single bag in one hand while she scanned over the
printed information from the online service in the other. According to the travel itinerary, she was to meet the taxi just outside the station and travel directly to the county clerk’s office. She assumed she would proceed onward from there by other means, as that was her ending destination on the print out.
The cab driver stood waiting for her outside the station door. He didn’t hold a sign and he didn’t ask questions, it was obvious he was waiting for her, he had to be, she was the only passenger left waiting of the few that had exited. The man assisted her in loading up her bag and closed the door behind her. The fare had been taken care of in advance, per the set up of the whole situation, leaving Lucy with nothing more to do but wait out the drive. She leaned her head against the window and stared out at all the open spaces that surround her. Expansive fields of cotton and enormous pastures with cows and horses were laid out for miles as she traveled down the highway. It was an eye opening comparison to where she had come from. Her 600 square foot loft back in New York could fit several times over in some of the houses she was passing by. Not to mention, each house was situated on acres and acres of beautiful lawn and fields with running fences that went on for miles. Lucy was feeling overwhelmed and scared. She hadn’t expected to feel so insecure, she hadn’t realized how comfortable she had been living in the tight quarters of the city and she hadn’t fathomed she would be questioning her decision with this much doubt, until this moment in time.
Her fingers unfolded a well weathered singular piece of paper. The creases showed that it had been opened and folded numerous times. Lucy opened it one last time and starred at the printed picture of a man in a white button up dress shirt, deep tanned skin and light scruff about his neck and chin. His dark hair was complimented by bright, sea foam green eyes. Lucy saw sorrow in his eyes although there was a smile on his lips. The man was flanked on either side by a child; a young girl of eight on his right, her golden hair in pig tails and a dimple on each cheek and a boy who was the four year old version of his father, on the left. She had gazed on this picture everyday for the last three months. The man was Nash McCain and the children were Olivia and Galen.