Julian sat in the Library, drinking a brandy, when
” What’s wrong?”
“ Eve’s gone.”
“ Oh. For how long? “
“ I’m afraid for at least the summer.”
“ Poor Julian.”,
” I would appreciate some sympathy,
” Hmmmmmmm…Maybe. Why are you moping
around, Julian?”
” The woman I love is gone for the summer. Rebecca….ugh.”
” She’s a pitbull,
” You don’t love her, Julian. You don’t even like her. And don’t tell
me you
have her around for sex.”
” Whipped? I’m not whipped. I’m..just…….yeah, I’m whipped. I love her,
” Julian, I know that you can be your own worst enemy sometimes, but
you have
to believe that you have a right to be happy. Growing up with Father,
it’s
something neither one of us learned, but it’s the truth. We BOTH
deserve to be
happy. Speaking of happiness, how’s Rebecca?”
Julian groaned. “ How can you put happiness and Rebecca in the same
sentence?”
” Because, I want to remind you of how much your happiness does NOT
depend upon
Rebecca. She’s still chomping at the bit, waiting to get married
Julian.”
” I have no intentions of marrying Rebecca.”
” Then, don’t you think you should tell her?”
” I HAVE told her,
“ I don’t think so, Julian. You haven’t told her in that ‘Crane’-like way that she would get the picture. Or, are you keeping her around for sex?”
Julian made a face like he had just swallowed ten
lemons. “
” Well, if you’re not going to marry her. And you don’t want her for
sex, then
WHY is Rebecca still around?”
” Because she thinks that she can blackmail me into marriage.”
” Can she? Does she have the goods to send you to jail?”
” Only if YOU want me to go to jail.”
” Me? What she has on you is about me?”
” Yes. You know what I’ve done to you, Sheridan.”
” Julian, I know. I forgive you. “
” YOU have, but what about Luis?”
” Luis has forgiven you, because he needs to live in the house with ME.”
Julian laughed. “ You love that hothead, don’t you?”
” More than anything. “
” Good. He stood up to Father and beat him. He never ran. Even when I
hated
Luis, I respected him. Don’t tell him that.”
” I won’t. It would almost make you human to him. Julian, about
Rebecca..”
” I really need to clear that up, don’t I?”
” Yes. You can’t go after Eve with Rebecca hanging around.”
” It’s going to be expensive.”
” It’s only money.”
” That could only come from a Crane’s mouth.” They both laughed.
” So, after I get rid of Rebecca, what else?”
” Then, you get a personal trainer.”
” A personal trainer?”
” If you’re physically fit, then you can be mentally fit for this
upcoming
battle.”
“
” Then do you think you’ll be the ONLY suitor?”
Julian got a serious look on his face.” Other suitors? I hadn’t thought of that.”
” Julian, I believe you. But, Eve had twenty years of I Love Yous from
TC, and
it wound up with her best friend getting pregnant by him. She’s going
to need
convincing. You have to get ready for the mother of all woos Julian.”
” Woos?”
” Then, get to it, Julian. Start cleaning up your
life and preparing for the
moment you can bring Eve into this house as Mrs. Julian Crane.”
| Chapter
52 |
Chapter 50 |
Site Index |