Epilogue

 

It was a farewell party for Julia’s gran and Alice. Four months had passed since their time in Peru, and now the women were going back—to hunt for treasure. Only this time, they had the backing of the Peruvian Archaeological Society and a team of armed guards they’d hired from Benson Security. A team of newly recruited guards. Joe hoped they knew what they were getting into.

Joe looked over at his fiancée, who was standing in the corner of the grand room in her parents’ house. Julia would never be the centre of attention, and that was fine with Joe. There were more than enough limelight hogs in her family as it was, and he liked that his woman only ever let her hair down with a select few people. She felt like a secret. His secret.

“Joe, darling.” Libby Collins, Julia’s mother and famed actress, bustled up to him. “I spoke to your mother last night and we agree that it would be fabulous to hold the wedding in Italy. Isn’t that a great idea?”

“Almost as good as the one where you thought we should have it in Cannes, or Lapland, or…” Nope, he couldn’t remember. “Where was that place you shot your last movie?”

“Bora Bora. And you aren’t taking me seriously.” She pouted, but Joe was onto her. Libby Collins, like the rest of her family, was all about the drama. After each visit with Julia’s family, Joe dug up his Catholic roots and lit a candle in thanks that Julia was nothing like them. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the stress of living with someone who was performing all the time.

“You’ve tuned me out again.” She smacked him on the chest, and Joe smiled.

“We’re going to get married in the spot Julia picks. It’s up to her.”

“She wants to get married in Invertary. Can you imagine anything more boring?”

Joe thought back to the last wedding he’d attended in the Scottish Highlands, and laughed. Julia heard him through the crowd and caught his eyes. She made a slight gesture, which he read as her asking if he needed rescuing. He gently shook his head.

“It’s a small town in Scotland. How will it cope with a crowd of celebrities descending on it?” Libby said.

“The same way it coped last time it happened.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Julia and I aren’t famous. We don’t want to be famous. We want a quiet wedding with our friends and family, and then we want to settle down and pop out some kids.”

“What a way to describe it.” But her face melted at the thought of being a grandmother. “But Italy would be wonderful. We could borrow George Clooney’s estate. He wouldn’t mind; he’s hardly ever there these days.”

“Hey, it isn’t me you have to convince. If Julia decides she wants to get married at Clooney’s place, then it’s fine with me.” He gave Libby a sweet smile.

She narrowed her eyes. “You know full well that you’re the weak link in your relationship. I’ll never get her to agree to something she doesn’t want. She’s stubborn as a mule.”

Yes, she was, and Joe loved it because Julia’s stubbornness wasn’t confrontational. She always listened politely and then either did what she wanted or manoeuvred people to do what she wanted them to do. It was highly entertaining to watch.

“I really appreciate it when you call me the weakest link. Makes me feel part of the family already.”

Libby shook her head. “I’m going to call your mother again tonight and tell her you’re being difficult.”

“You get right on that.” He kissed her cheek and made his way through the packed room towards Julia.

In a room the size of a ballroom, crowded with everyone from family members to A-list stars, Julia still shone the brightest. Tonight she was wearing a soft pink jumpsuit with silver heels and silver earrings. It was understated and classy. Just like she was. Even better, Joe knew what lay underneath. It seemed Julia had developed a recent fascination with lingerie. Sexy lace lingerie. And he had never been more grateful for her latest interest.

“Babe.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and sighed when she cuddled into his side.

“Belinda was just telling me that we should get married in Kenya,” she said to him. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief.

“You can get the Maasai tribes to dance at your wedding,” Julia’s older sister gushed. “Can you think of anything more amazing?”

“Nope, sounds good to me,” Joe said, and Julia elbowed him in the ribs.

“I’ll send you the links I have for the hotels I think are the best,” Belinda said.

“You do that.” Joe tried hard not to laugh as something behind him caught Belinda’s attention.

“Got to go. We’ve put together a little band, and we’re performing something for Gran. See you later.”

She hurried off towards her little band, which consisted of two members of a chart-topping group, a daytime TV host and one of the biggest action movie stars in the world. They started to play as soon as she hit the stage at the end of the room.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to all the big names that hang around your family,” Joe said.

“My family are big names,” Julia pointed out.

But he was used to her family. They were famous, but they were also deeply insane and very hard not to like.

Julia’s brother sidled up to them. “Heads up—Dad’s coming this way. He wants to talk to you about getting married in the church that held his and Mum’s wedding.” The idiot started to laugh. “If I ever get married, I’m eloping to Vegas.”

Joe looked hopefully at Julia, who shook her head. She was adamant that she wanted to get married in the place where they’d first met, and she knew he’d give her the world if he could.

“Last I heard,” Julia said, “he also wants to talk to you about your wild living. He thinks it’s time you settled down and grew up.”

The twenty-two-year-old balked. “Time for me to go.” And the coward headed for the door.

“If his fans ever knew their favourite superhero was a wimp, he’d never make a movie again,” Joe said.

“He doesn’t need to be courageous in real life. It’s acting,” Julia teased him. “He’s pretending. For money.”

He looked down at her. Damn, but he wished he wasn’t in a room full of people. He’d much rather be alone in the bedroom of the apartment they’d bought close to the office.

“How come you don’t act anymore?”

Julia’s mother had made him sit through the DVDs of Julia’s childhood TV show. She’d been electric on camera. Her presence lit up the screen, and she stole every scene she was in. Although he could have been a little biased in his assessment. He hadn’t yet made it to the recordings of her singing, but he knew her mother had them all set aside for his next visit, much to Julia’s dismay.

“Well, for one, I don’t lie well.”

“This is true.” And something he loved about her.

“Two, I tend to have panic attacks when people are focused on me. Not all the time, but it can happen.”

“Only people you don’t know well.” She hadn’t hidden behind one plant since she’d come back from Peru. Although she had been known to duck under the desk when Callum was in a rage, which seemed like all the time these days.

She leaned in and whispered, “Three, I thought it was boring.”

Joe threw back his head and laughed. He imagined such a confession was close to sacrilege in her family.

“What’s funny?” Elle said as she came over to them, Ryan and Rachel at her side. Her hair was currently daffodil yellow, and made him think of Big Bird every time he saw her. He hoped this colour phase didn’t last.

“Nothing,” Julia said as she looked past them. “Where’s Callum?”

Elle’s face dropped. “He wouldn’t come. I think he’s still trying to get used to his new prosthetics.”

Rachel snorted. “He’s in a huff. He’s been in one for months. His fragile male ego was damaged along with his legs, and he doesn’t think he’s macho enough anymore. He needs therapy. Or a smack on the head.” Her eyes went wide. “Oh, good, Cumberbatch is here. I have a bone to pick with him.”

She charged off after one of Britain’s best-loved actors, looking completely at ease in the room, dressed as she was in designer clothes and her trademark red-soled shoes.

“I hope we don’t have to hide another body,” Ryan said as he watched her go. As usual, he’d already visited the buffet, and was armed with a plate piled high with finger food.

“Any luck with the DNA database searches?” Joe asked Elle, who shook her fluffy yellow head.

“Nope. I’ve hacked all the countries I think are likely, but there’s no match anywhere. Maybe I would have had better luck with fingerprints.” She eyed Joe. “If you see David again, steal a print, will you?”

“Absolutely.” He’d get right on it. After all, how hard could it be to get a print off a man known as a ghost who could kill Joe with his little finger?

Elle bounced up and down with joy at his agreement to help, and Ryan smothered a laugh.

“There you are.” Julia’s gran rushed up to them.

She was dressed in a formfitting silver dress that hugged her curves and made her seem twenty years younger. She was followed by Alice, who was dressed as a parrot and looked her age.

“Darling.” Patricia hugged Julia tight.

“You all set for your trip?” she said when her gran released her.

“We have everything, don’t we?” Patricia said to Alice.

“Except a finger.” Alice held up her right hand. “I don’t think it’s fair that I can’t get a prosthetic finger.”

“You can’t?” Ryan asked.

Julia smiled at him. “Apparently the little finger isn’t considered essential, and although she could get a prosthetic to strap on to her hand, it wouldn’t be bionic.”

“What’s the point it if isn’t bionic?” Alice huffed.

“Yeah,” Ryan said. “I don’t see the point either. So, this trip? You really think you’ll find treasure?”

“Even if we don’t,” Patricia said, “it doesn’t matter. It would be amazing if we at least found evidence that the site had been used to store treasure. That way our theory about the textiles having a language within their imagery would be proven.” She grinned widely, and it was easy to tell she was more interested in her textiles find than the treasure.

“I want the treasure,” Alice said. “Although the Peruvian government probably won’t let us keep any of it. You’d think after everything I went through, everything we all went through, they’d let us keep a teeny-tiny bit of the treasure. After all, we did hand them Esteban’s head. Is it too much to ask for some gratitude?”

“Yeah, but we also handed them an airport full of dead bodies and the wreck of a burning plane,” Ryan pointed out.

 “At least we were able to get the plane crew back to their families and Ed to Lima,” Julia said softly. “That’s good.”

He knew she still had nightmares about the crew being caught in the fire. He’d told her time and again that they were already dead before the plane exploded—he’d seen it himself—but Julia’s subconscious wouldn’t listen.

“That is good.” He kissed her temple and breathed in her soft scent.

“What’s also good,” Ryan said around a mouthful of food, “is that Rachel’s dad didn’t charge us for the plane. Insurance covered it.” His eyes went wide. “Fifty-five million. Million!”

“Don’t think we’ll be allowed to borrow the new plane, though,” Elle said. “Pity. I liked flying private.”

The little band Julia’s sister had put together finished their mini set of travel-themed songs, which made people laugh and applaud.

Patricia smiled fondly in the direction of her eldest granddaughter. “She is such an attention hound.” She turned that smile onto Julia. “You ready to give me my present?”

Julia straightened her shoulders and rolled her eyes. Joe could practically feel the determination emanating from her.

“You know I’d only do this for you, Gran.”

“As it should be.” Patricia’s haughty look was the mirror image of the one Julia used on Joe.

“Do what?” he said. “Do you need help?” He didn’t like the grim set of her mouth. Whatever she was about to do was something she had to work herself up to.

“Not this time.” She went onto tiptoes and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. “This is for you too,” she whispered against his ear. “Enjoy it. It will never happen again.” She leaned back, looking anxious. “And Joe, please don’t take your eyes off me.”

“Never,” he promised.

Then she turned and walked through the crowd to the makeshift stage.

“What’s she doing?” Elle said in shock. “She isn’t going up on the stage, is she? She’s Julia. She can’t do that.”

“Her head will probably blow off from the stress,” Ryan said, making Joe growl at him.

“And now,” Belinda called over the sound system, “a special treat for all of you. Julia Collins is going to sing for us.”

Joe sucked in a breath as gasps erupted around him.

The crowd clapped politely, and Joe caught Julia’s eyes as the music began to play. She held his gaze as though he were her lifeline. And then Julia sang. The words burned into him, each one a declaration of her feelings for him. She was singing of her love for him, in front of everyone. Joe listened to the lyrics of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” as Julia made it come alive. It was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard, and the crowd were mesmerised, completely in awe of her ability. The stories about her award-winning voice as a child hadn’t been exaggerated. He could only imagine it had gotten better with age.

He held her eyes and felt like there was no one in the room except them. He could feel the lyrics, the melody, like a caress. He could feel her love for him, and it was a boundless thing that humbled him.

“Isn’t she wonderful?” Patricia whispered to him.

He didn’t take his eyes off the woman who owned him. “She was wonderful before she even began to sing.”

Patricia hooked her arm through his. “You’ll do, Joe. You’ll do.”