Four months passed, and Julian was searching for Eve. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was for doing what he did to her. All he wanted from her was her forgiveness; he also wanted them to become the family they were, but if Eve decided that she didn’t want to ever come back to Julian, he’d let her go.

Julian had been searching, and fell behind on work at Crane Industries, and had to put the search on hold so he could get caught up. He was informed that he needed to be at CI in Los Angeles, so he had the jet gassed up and left for LA.

Julian was in LA for three days and appeared to be caught up with business. A buddy of his invited him to a game of golf and he accepted. Julian and Gary were at the ninth hole when out of nowhere a golf ball came and hit Julian on the back of his head.

“What the…” Julian touched the back of his head and then turned around to see where the ball came from.

“Oh, damn…hey man, I didn’t mean to…” the man motioned towards his head with his hands, “Please forgive me…”

“Ah, it’s okay,” Julian shrugged as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Here let me take a look at it, I’m a doctor,” the man offered.

“No, no…it’s fine,” Julian waved his hand.

“Well, at least let me make sort of a peace offering? My fiancée and I will take you out to dinner tonight? Ohh, wait,” he snapped his finger, “The rehearsal is tonight; but my girl’s throwing a party afterwards at her place…come,” the man invited Julian, “Bring a guest…”

“You know…I really don’t…”

“Please? Come on, I hit you on the head with a golf ball; it’s the least I can do. Please, I don’t feel that an apology is enough,” he begged.

Julian laughed.

“Well, since I’m not from around here and I don’t have anything else to do…sure,” he shrugged a shoulder.

“Good, here I’ll give you the directions,” Tc brought out the little pad from his pocket and drew the directions out for Julian.
---

Julian arrived right on time at his destination. He knocked on the door and waited outside until somebody opened it.

“Oh, hi, um, Tc invited me here?” Julian told the man.

“Ohh, well, come on in,” he smiled and opened the door wider for Julian to walk in.

“Thanks,” he looked to the man who was dressed in swimming trunks, “It looks as if I’m a little too overdressed,” he laughed at the suit he had on.

“Julian!” Tc came in from out back, “Glad you made it!”

“Yeah, uh, maybe it was a bad idea; I didn’t realize that it was a swimming party…”

“I didn’t realize it either; she made the suggestion at the last minute,” Tc laughed, “But there are some extra trunks in the other room. Come on,” he led Julian to the other room to get changed.

Julian took off his clothes and slipped on the trunks. He felt a bit odd being at a person’s house that he didn’t know. He didn’t even know this ‘Tc Russell’. Julian made his way out the door and found Tc. Tc walked him around and introduced him to all of their friends.

“Ohh, you still haven’t met my fiancée, right?”

Julian shook his head as he stared at the back of a woman; a woman who looked awfully familiar.

“Baby, I want you to meet somebody,” Tc called out to Eve, “Eve, this is Julian…Julian Crane.”

Eve turned around; eyes widened and dropped her glass to the concrete patio where it shattered into a million pieces.

“Eve? Are you okay, baby?” Tc touched her cheek; something Julian didn’t take too well.

When Eve nodded, Tc bent down and began picking up the pieces he could, as Eve just stood there, staring back at Julian.

“Uh, why don’t I go and get the broom,” Eve said and immediately walked away from Julian and Tc.

God, what is he doing here?! Oh my God, he’s here to tell Tc about us in Harmony! No…no, I won’t let him ruin my life; the life I’m going to share with Tc…

“You know Tc, why don’t I go and get the garbage can while Eve gets the broom?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

Julian walked towards the garbage cans at the side of the house, but glanced back, and when he didn’t see Tc watching him, he slipped inside into the kitchen where Eve was. She was bending over and looking for the dust pan in one of the lower cabinets when Julian came and stood directly behind her. And as she stood up, Julian slid his arms around her…

“God, you still look sexy as ever,” he smelled her hair, “I like the color of this bikini better than the one we had back in Harmony,” he pulled her close to him.

“Julian, let go of me!” she elbowed him in his stomach which did the trick.

She began walking towards the patio door, when Julian brought her back to him.

“Eve, we need to talk…about us.”

“Us? There is no ‘us’.” She pointed to him and then to her.

“Eve, please, this is important…I’ve been looking all over for you,” he pleaded.

“Oh, really? And for what? So I can spread my legs for you?” she replied sarcastically and left him all alone in the kitchen as she made her way outside with the broom.

Eve was still hurt, he noted. Julian didn’t blame her, but he really needed to get her to forgive him; that’s all he wanted.

The glass was cleaned up in a matter of minutes and Eve was now standing by the bar fixing herself another drink.

“Look, I deserved that,” Julian whispered in her ear from behind, “I’m sorry, Eve; I shouldn’t have told you those hurtful and cruel words.”

She turned to look at him.

“I’m sorry, Eve…please forgive me,” he stepped closer to her, but Tc came.

“Hey, I see the two of you are getting to know each other better,” he smiled as he wrapped an arm around Eve’s waist.

Julian looked to Tc’s hand, which was squeezing her hip, and he didn’t like it; Julian was furious and Eve could see.

“Honey, why don’t we go greet Tom and Donna?” she led Tc away from Julian.

Julian watched the engaged couple from afar, and didn’t like how Tc was touching Eve. She was only his to touch, to kiss, to make love to…

And it was as Tc’s hand slipped down to Eve’s bottom and squeezed it that Julian reached out for something to grab to tear apart, but instead he placed his hand on the gassed grill and burned his index and middle finger.

“Ow, DAMNIT!” Julian screamed and waved his finger back and forth in front of him.

“Julian!” Eve yelled with concern and rushed over to him, which brought some suspicions to Tc, “Julian, are you okay?” she held up his finger and examined it.

“Yes, I’m good,” he smiled at her, “You still care for me.”

“Julian,” she said impatiently and then accidentally touched his burn.

“Ow,” he flinched.

“Oh, I’m sorry; come on, I have some ointment inside,” she pulled on his other arm.

Julian followed after her, and was suddenly stopped by Tc.

“Don’t worry, man; she’ll get you fixed up good. Eve’s an ER doctor,” Tc smiled and let Julian by.

Doctor? Eve’s a doctor? Julian smiled in amazement to himself.

Julian found his way to Eve’s room and waited for her to come out of the bathroom with the first aid kit, while he viewed Eve’s diplomas and awards.

“Here, sit on the bed,” Eve instructed him.

Julian obeyed and watched as Eve applied medicine to his wound.

“You’re a doctor?” he asked as his eyes never left her.

“Mm-hmm,” she replied as her eyes looked up to his and then found their way back to his fingers.

“So, that explains that day…when I saw you with a stethoscope; the day that you touched me for the first time,” his voice trailed off.

“Well, I think you’re all fixed up,” Eve said, totally ignoring Julian’s sentence.

She stood, but Julian was too quick for her. He pulled her to his lap and her knees straddled him.

“Julian, let go!” she tried to push off of him, “Julian, Tc could…”

She stopped talking when he began kissing her neck, when his hands began caressing her. Julian’s hands reached up for the tie at the back of her neck as their tongues sought one another.

“Eve, I was wondering if you had anymore…” her friend stopped at the sight of them in each others arms on top of the bed, “I-I’m sorry; I’ll go look myself,” she turned around and left the room.

“Oh my God! Get away; get away!” she pushed Julian from her and jumped off of him, “That should never have happened,” Eve wiped her mouth.

But Julian didn’t react the same as her; he just kicked back and lied across her bed.

“Julian! What are you doing?! You have to get out…Now!” she tried to pull him up from the bed.

“No, no, I think I’m going to rest here until my wife comes back after the party.” He folded his arms behind his head.

“WHAT?! Have you lost your mind?! I am not your wife!” she seethed, “I’m engaged to Tc; we’re going to be married tomorrow! Now GO!”

“Hmm, well, no, you two aren’t going to be married soon; that’s impossible,” he smiled, “Eve, you should know better; one can’t get married to another person when she’s already married.”

“What? What are you talking about? We’re not married…you and Evelyn are!”

“Correction, Evelyn and I were never married, but since I thought you were Evelyn, and we renewed our vows before you left, we’re now married,” Julian sat up and grinned, “You see since Evelyn and I weren’t married, and we got all the necessary requirements for our ceremony…you and I are legally married.”

“That’s impossible,” she shook her head.

“Ohh, but no,” Julian shook his head too, “When we got the marriage license, you used your birth certificate instead of Evelyn’s…”

Eve gasped and covered her mouth. Julian was right; so this meant that…she and Julian were married?

“No…” she continued to shake her head.

“Oh yes,” he nodded.

“But…but how is that with you and Evelyn? You two were married years ago; she even wrote me about it.”

“Now that’s something that has just astonished me,” Julian smiled as he stood and began walking around the room, “When your sister and I got married, she also used your birth certificate and she also signed her name as yours. I had never thought anything about it, because I never knew you existed, but when I filed for divorce, I was notified that I was not divorcing the right woman, for I was married to an ‘Eve Johnson Crane’, not ‘Evelyn Johnson’. Darling, we’ve been married for five years now,” Julian smiled and opened up his arms wide and began walking to her, “Now come give your husband a hug.”

“She WHAT?!” Eve paced as her face grew red, “I’m going to KILL her! That’s fraud; I did not consent to it…it cannot be legal!”

“Ohh, but it is legal. You see, I was thinking the same exact thing as you, but then as I thought about it; I remembered the renewal of our vows,” he looked to her, “You do remember that day, don’t you Eve? It was two weeks before you left. You wanted it, didn’t you Eve? Just as much as I did…you do remember how we looked into each other’s eyes, as we held hands, and said that we’d vow to be together forever ‘til death do us part?” Julian held her hands in his.

“I do…” she whispered.

“See, you do remember,” he laughed jokingly.

“Julian, this can’t be true! I’m marrying Tc tomorrow.”

“Well, if you want to become a bigamist, then you can marry Tc tomorrow, but for the meantime, you’re my wife.” Julian pulled her to him and began kissing her, “But you will never have relations with him, my darling.”

“Excuse me, but you will not tell me who I can and cannot be with,” Eve pushed from him, “I will not do this to Tc; we were engaged and involved way before I even knew you,” she turned her back to him, “We’ll get a divorce; that’ll fix everything…yes, yes, a divorce…”

“What?” Julian whispered, quite surprised.

Julian never thought that Eve would suggest such a thing. He actually thought she would’ve been thrilled to learn that they were husband and wife, but she didn’t appear to be…

“Eve! Eve, baby?” Tc shouted from the other room.

“Tc, we’re in here,” she opened the door to her room and Tc came into sight.

“There you two are, well, did she fix you up?” Tc held Eve from behind her.

“Yes,” Julian replied seriously, “She sure did,” he inhaled then exhaled, “Well, Tc, it was nice meeting you and your friends, and your fiancée, but I’m afraid I’ve overstayed my welcome; I best be going,” he patted Tc’s shoulder, nodded to Eve and began to walk out of her room.

“Aw, don’t leave now; you haven’t even begun to enjoy yourself.”

“Oh, but I must go, really, I appreciate your kindness, but I really must…”

“Well, it was nice meeting you; really sorry for the way we did meet,” Tc laughed a bit, “Maybe when you’re back in California we can meet for a game of golf,” Tc stuck his hand out.

Julian shook it and smiled.

“Sure, I’ll keep in touch,” Julian turned and walked to the room where his clothes were in.

Eve fought back the tears, but this was the right thing to do. She couldn’t hurt Tc, not when he had stood by her through medical school…through everything.

She and he made their way outside.

Julian changed and then snuck back into Eve’s bedroom for the last time. Julian wrote her a short letter and left it on her dresser and was about to leave, when he stopped and opened up the first drawer. He found a beige silk negligee folded neatly, so he picked it up and brought it to his nose. Julian just wanted one last smell of Eve, before he said goodbye to her forever. As he was putting the garment back in its place, he found the picture frame with the picture of him and the boys that they had given to Eve as a gift when she arrived.

“She kept it?” Julian smiled to himself.

He pulled it out of the drawer and closed it, and then walked over to the bed with the picture in his hand. Julian then laid back and held the picture above him.

“We’re going to miss her, huh boys?” he talked to Todd and J.J.’s picture, “Well, it’s what she wants; all I want is for her to be happy,” Julian nodded.

He turned over and kissed Eve’s pillow and then placed the picture upon the pillow. Julian got up and walked to the letter that was resting on her dresser top and grabbed it and placed it just below the picture frame he left atop her pillow, and then left her room. Julian made his way to the front door when Eve glanced back inside and saw Julian walk out.

The party ended twenty minutes later, due to Eve “not feeling well”. The night was still young, but she told Tc that she wanted to get rested for their big day tomorrow. Tc kissed her and whispered words of love to her and left, as did everybody else, when Eve made her way to her room. She was about to take off her bathing suit when she saw the envelope and picture out on her bed.

“What, I never left this out…” she walked over to the items, and picked up the letter and opened it.
~~~

Eve,

God, my love, I love you so much! I’m sorry I sprung this news on you like that, but don’t worry, I’ll have the divorce papers drawn up so you and Tc can move on with your lives. I know he won’t be happy to find out that you’re already married, but once he learns how Evelyn deceived both you and I, he’ll understand. With that, I’ll say goodbye, darling. I hope you and Tc will have a wonderful life, I really do…

I Love you,

~~~

A tear ran down Eve’s cheek as she got through reading Julian’s letter.

“I love you too, Julian,” she cried, “But I just can’t…I can’t…” she sobbed as she hugged the picture of Julian and the boys, Eve then walked over to her chest of drawers and pulled out a man’s button down dress shirt and slipped it on.

She walked outside and sat by the pool and stuck her legs in over the edge. Eve closed her eyes as the nice warm sea breeze hit her face. She could still smell the scent of the cologne on Julian’s shirt. Wearing his shirt made her feel safe; made her feel as if he were there holding her.

“Mind if I join you?”

Eve jumped as she turned around to find Julian stepping out onto the patio in the swimming trunks he had on earlier.

“Julian! What are you doing here? I thought you left,” Eve stood.

“Well, I did, but I felt that I didn’t receive a proper goodbye,” he walked towards Eve, but she walked around him towards the patio door, “Where are you going, Eve,” he turned around and followed her until he was right behind her, “Where’s my proper goodbye, Eve?” he whispered ever so softly into her ear as his hands ran up and down her arms, “You took my shirt, darling?” Julian pulled it off her shoulders to place kisses upon them.

“Julian…please,” she tried to step away from him, but couldn’t seem to with the way he was making her feel.

“Please, hmm?” he eased the shirt off of her, “Does Tc make you feel this way, Eve?” he said as his hands slid to her stomach, “Huh, Eve?” Julian’s hands slipped up her body to her chest, “Does he make you burn up, the way you are right at this moment in my arms?” Julian asked as he cupped her breasts.

“Julian, please don’t,” she moaned as her palms rested against the glass patio sliding door.

“I can’t help myself, Eve,” Julian slid his hands beneath her bikini top and began caressing her breasts, “You’re the only one that does this to me,” he nuzzled her neck.

Eve leaned back into Julian and brought her hand up and to the back of Julian’s neck.

“Does he make you feel this way, Eve,” Julian turned her around to face him.

And when she shook her head, Julian lifted her up into his arms.

Eve let out a whimper when she felt her husband between her thighs.

Julian had Eve up against the glass door as his hands rested on her backside.

“Make love to me, Eve…please!” he kissed her lips, “Let me make love to my wife…one last time,” Julian captured her lips once more and didn’t let her answer verbally, because her actions said it all for him.

Eve wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed Julian with the same amount of fervor he was expressing for her. Then Julian all of a sudden pulled his face from Eve’s.

“What’s the matter?” she looked to him, for he had a big grin painted across his face, “Julian…what are you thinking?” she asked cautiously.

Julian then back away from the door with Eve still in his arms and walked over to the edge of the pool.

“Julian…NO!” Eve exclaimed, but it was too late.

Julian held on tight to a screaming Eve as he jumped into the water. They came up to the surface separate from each other.

“You JERK!” Eve said angrily as she walked to the steps which led out of the pool, but Julian was faster than her.

“You’re not going anywhere, Eve,” he pulled her arm and brought her up against his dripping wet body, “I want to make love to you…right here,” he breathed into her face.

“Julian, no,” she whispered and looked down.

“Eve, look at me,” he lifted her chin and spoke when he had her attention, “Do you want me to go? Do you want me to leave at this very moment, because I will. I’ll walk out of your life forever if you want me to; I don’t want to, but I’ll do it for you. So, I’ll ask again. Do you not want me here with you?”

Eve didn’t even have to think about it; she wanted Julian. She missed him…

Eve reached for the tie at the back of her neck and at the same time, Julian reached down for his swimming trunks and pulled them down under the water and then threw them off to the side on the patio. Eve’s top made it there too.

“Take off your panties, Eve,” Julian whispered as his hands rested on her breasts.

“They’re not panties,” Eve laughed, “They’re…” Julian silenced her with a kiss.

“Take them off…I need to be with you.”

Eve did so, but before she could toss them, Julian pulled her to him. He then backed her up against the side of the pool.

“I’m so sorry Eve, for everything I said and did to you; I should have known you would’ve never hurt me or OUR family. I was such a fool when it came to Evelyn, I…”

“Shh, Julian,” Eve brought her index finger to his lips, “Let’s not talk about Evelyn; let’s not talk about anything now, except the two of us,” she brought his body to her and wrapped her arms around his neck as her lips met his.

Julian kissed her with everything he had in him…

“God, Eve, I missed you the minute…the second you had left,” his lips traveled to her neck, “Please don’t ever leave me again; just tell me when I’m being an idiot,” he moaned as his head went under the water and his lips captured Eve’s breast and brought all of what he could into his mouth.

He could taste her, even as his tongue swirled in the water first before making contact with her skin. That taste he would never forget, just as she would never forget how good it felt to be with her husband…her one and only husband.

“Yesss, Julian,” Eve groaned as she felt Julian’s mouth and hands upon her body, “Julian, Julian, Julian,” she chanted as her hands went to his neck to bring him up above the surface; Eve couldn’t wait any longer.

Julian stood and stared into Eve’s eyes before he lifted her into his arms. Eve cried out when she felt them become one. Her legs squeezed Julian’s hips tightly, wanting to bring him even deeper into her. Her heels dug into his backside every time she felt him slip out from inside her.

Julian then backed up against the steps of the pool and sat down with Eve still in his lap. Eve had used the gravitational pull of the water to her advantage. Every time she felt herself float and rise up off of Julian, she forced her hips downward upon his hard and throbbing member. Julian and Eve were too into each other to notice anything else. The crickets could be heard outside chirping, the waves crashing upon the shore…and Dr. Tc Russell could be heard inside Eve’s beach house calling out to her, but Eve couldn’t hear anyone else but Julian’s moans, and he hers.

Inside, Tc found himself in Eve’s room.

“Eve, honey, I know it’s bad luck to see each other before the wedding, but I just had to…” he stepped into her room, only to find it empty, “What? I thought she said she wasn’t feeling good?” Tc thought to himself, “What is this?” Tc walked over to the bed and picked up the picture of Julian, Todd, and J.J., “What the…”

Tc wasn’t too happy to find that picture, who would be? He tossed it back onto the bed and went in search of Eve…for answers. Apparently she knew this “Julian Crane” she seemed to only have “met” after the fact that Tc introduced him, but now, Tc knew something was not right.

He walked back out of the room and down the hallway when he heard a howling sound. It was that the patio door was slightly open and the strong wind was causing it to make that noise.

“She must’ve wanted some fresh air,” he shrugged and began walking towards the glass sliding door, only to find large smudge marks on it.

If only Tc had known that they were formed when Julian had picked up Eve and pressed her against the door…

“Oh my God, something must’ve happened to Eve,” he ran to the door, shoved it open, and stopped dead in his tracks.

Eve was lying back as Julian’s thighs cradled her. Her back was beneath the water as was almost the top half of her. Her legs were still wrapped around Julian as her calves rested upon the edge of the pool. He leaned forward and kissed Eve’s breasts as they were submersed in the water.

“My wife,” Julian said aloud between kisses.

“My husband,” Eve giggled as she closed her eyes, but that changed very soon…

Both Eve and Julian stopped what they were doing, when they heard a man clear his throat.