Sommersgate House (Ghosts and Reincarnation #2)(118)

However, he had bigger things to worry about because, tonight, Julia was out with Tony.

Tony, apparently, was a friend from Indianapolis who was in Bristol for some business.

Tony, apparently, was a beloved acquaintance that had Julia in throes of ecstasy at seeing again.

Tony, definitely, was a man.

It was nearly ten and Julia had left the house at five to meet Tony (the man) for drinks and dinner. Carter had taken her and she was to call when she wanted to come home. The children were all in bed and Douglas felt that any responsible guardian should have long since returned, preferably around six.

Therefore, in Douglas’s mind, she was late. Very late. Even unforgivably late.

He was just about to go find Carter, ask where she was and bring her home, kicking and screaming if he had to, when the man himself knocked on the study door.

“Sir?” Carter called.

Douglas’s head came up.

“Miss Julia phoned, she’s ready to come home. The problem is, the Bentley has a flat tire. It’ll be awhile to fix so I wondered if I could use the –”

Instantly, Douglas surged to his feet and stated, “I’ll get her.”

He grabbed his keys, Carter explained that she was at the South American restaurant that Douglas introduced her to and she’d be waiting on the pavement in twenty minutes.

It took all of his willpower not to speed through the winding roads to Bristol. He did this because the last thing Julia and the children needed was for him to crash his car. Further, if he were to crash his car, he would also miss the opportunity to wring Julia’s neck.

Or make her pay in a decidedly more pleasurable way.

He parked his Jag on the double yellow lines outside the restaurant and saw her immediately, standing out on the pavement as she promised. She was wearing a pair of her close-fitting jeans, high-heeled boots and a military-style, cranberry-coloured, velvet jacket. She had a woolly scarf wrapped round and round her neck and a matching fitted cap pulled snug on her head, forcing her thick blonde hair to press lushly around her face.

She also had her arm linked through the arm of a tall, lean, bald man and she was leaning into him like she wanted him to absorb her.

Douglas gritted his teeth and did his best to control the rampaging jealousy he was experiencing as he exited the car and stalked toward them.

Tony was one of those bald men who actually looked good bald, he was expensively dressed and exceptionally groomed.

None of this benefited Douglas’s mood.

Julia noticed Douglas approach and, to his shock, her face lit up in a smile.

“Douglas! Yay!” she shouted and pulled away long enough to clap her hands several times, claps that were muted by the wool mittens she wore. Then she stopped abruptly and half-stumbled, half-collapsed into her friend.

Douglas ignored her bizarre behaviour, figuring she was going to try to score a point by rubbing his face in her relationship with this Tony. But as he finally arrived at the couple, she surprised him by immediately disengaging from Tony and linking her arm through Douglas’s. She then leaned into him and he had to brace himself as he took on most of her weight.

“Tony, now you get to meet Douglas!” she announced happily as if this was her most fervent wish and then she swung her face to his, her green eyes sparkling. “I’ve been talking about you.”

Douglas didn’t know what to say because he had no clue what she said.

He regarded the pair warily, uncertain of her mood.

She gestured vaguely between the two men. “Tony, Douglas,” then she paused and said, “Douglas, Tony.” And then she giggled as if this was tremendously funny.

Tony was smiling indulgently at her and came forward to give Douglas a warm handshake.

“Mojitos,” he said in an effort to explain Julia’s strange behaviour.

“Ah,” was the only way Douglas could reply.

“If you’re trying to say I’m drunk, Tony Harrison, then… well, you’d be right!” Julia cried, turned to Douglas, pressed her br**sts against his arm and lifted happy eyes to his. “I love mojitos.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” Douglas murmured, trying to ignore her soft body and failing miserably.

His comment made Julia giggle which made Tony’s grin widen.

“You better get her home, I’ll be seeing you,” Tony said and Julia jerked awkwardly away from Douglas and lurched back into Tony’s arms, hugging him tightly with her arms around his neck.

“I miss you, Tony.” Douglas could hear the catch in her voice and, for some reason, it made his chest tighten.

“I miss you too, babe,” Tony gave her a firm squeeze and then let her go, guiding her carefully back to Douglas who again felt her clamp onto his arm and lean into him heavily. “You bring her back to Indiana sometime soon, would you?”

Douglas found it somewhat odd, and pleasingly telling, that this man was expecting him to be able to do anything with Julia. He nodded, said his good-byes and started to lead her away.

“Oh, and Douglas,” Tony called and Douglas turned back to Tony who was grinning madly at him. “Good call with that kitten,” he finished then he tipped up his chin sharply.

For the first time in his life, Douglas found himself in an exchange of meaningful masculine nods with another man. And after this, his earlier bad mood evaporated completely and he felt at peace with the world.