The word came out too fast, too sharp. Lucy set the glass down with a slight clatter, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
The thought of the family doctor meant her father would find out. It meant a report would be filed. It meant more questions, more lectures about how she needed to manage her temper and accommodate her future husband.
"Don't call anyone," she said, softening her tone as she realized she had spoken too harshly. "Please. I don't want anyone else in this house tonight."
Brian nodded slowly. "Understood."
Lucy looked at him. He was still wearing his driver’s jacket, the fabric neat despite the long hours he had worked today.
There was something intensely reassuring about his presence. Julian’s voice always sounded like a demand—a loud, grating horn reminding her of what
