Don't Say a Word - Barbara Freethy [145]
"I must say you brought a great deal of excitement with you," Elena said to Julia as she slipped off her shoes and stretched out her legs. "I've never had a day like this one."
"I hope you're not sorry I found you." Julia sat down across from her. Alex was outside talking to Roland, and for the first time since they'd been trapped in the house with Brady, she and Elena were alone.
"Of course not," Elena said with a definitive shake of her head.
Julia was relieved to see the color back in her sister's face and the sparkle in her eyes. "You know, I wouldn't have made it out of there alive if it hadn't been for you."
"Likewise. If you hadn't jumped on Brady, he would have locked us in that room. Are you always that impulsive?"
"I'm afraid so," Julia replied with a sheepish grin. "One of my many bad habits. But you were pretty impulsive yourself, grabbing that chair and knocking him out. I was impressed."
"Desperation breeds courage and creative ideas." Elena gave Julia a thoughtful look. "What's next, Julia?"
"I haven't had time to think about the future. I've been a little busy."
"You have a life to get back to, family who love you, friends who are probably worried about you, a job…" Her voice trailed away as she picked at an errant thread on the sofa cushion. "And I have my life to continue here. I guess there's always the phone and e-mail."
"Oh, Elena, please come to San Francisco with me," Julia said. "I want you to meet my family. They'll be your family, too."
"You really are impulsive," Elena said with a small smile. "You should think about that some more, Julia. Your family is not my family. They would surely consider me an outsider, probably even a threat to their relationship with you, especially your sister, Liz. I've been the outsider before, the one people had to tolerate. I'm done with that."
The sadness in her voice broke Julia's heart. She frowned, wishing once again that Elena hadn't had to suffer so much. "You're wrong, Elena. My father, Gino, is wonderful and kind and generous. All the De-Marcos are like that. They adopted me, and they always made me feel welcome. I know that once they understand the story, they'll do the same for you." She paused. "And I really need another blonde in the family. Everyone else has dark hair, and I've always stood out. Please just don't say no," she added hastily when Elena began to interrupt. "Think about it. If you want, I'll go home first and fill everyone in; then you can come and visit, at least."
"I have the shop to run. And-"
"And you can still take a few days off. I'm sure of that."
"You don't know how busy I am, and I only have a handful of part-time employees."
"You can do it if you want to," Julia said firmly. "And you should want to, because we're sisters. And this is important to me."
Elena rolled her eyes. "You're trying to make me feel guilty."
"Is it working?" Julia asked with a grin. "I really want you to meet Liz. She might be restrained at first, but she will love having another sister."
"Impulsive and optimistic," Elena said. "I will think about it, but not tonight. My mind is too tired." She paused, her gaze moving to Julia's handbag. "You know, we never read that letter."
"You're right. I'll get it." Julia jumped to her feet. They'd retained the letter, but the music scores and the jewels, as well as the check, had been placed in another safe-deposit box at a different bank, just in case Brady had any other associates looking for a shot at the treasure. "I know one of the government