A Fresh Start for Two Read Online Free PDF Page B

plenty of women out there that don’t know these things.”
    “Maybe so, but I know. I can see it in your eyes, and besides, the way you treat us says a lot.”
    “She told you about the incident at the restaurant?”
    “Yes, and I’m glad someone called the police. She would not.”
    “Lucia, I know you just met me, but I want to help her. That relationship is destined to end poorly. Why doesn’t she leave him? She doesn’t seem to be infatuated with him.”
    “Money. Julia makes decent money as a waitress, but her mother has worked as a cashier for years, so they have very little. She has a younger sister just out of high school, also a waitress, but she doesn’t make much money either. Julia thinks she owes it to them to stay with Vincent because he’s so rich.”
    “So her mother doesn’t care how he treats her?” Jake settled back in his chair, his arms crossed, mulling over this information.
    “I guess not. After picking her up at the restaurant the other day, her mother told her that Vincent’s attitude was all her fault. She tells her to do what she’s told. The woman has the wrong view of what a relationship should be. Her mother is so blind. She only wants what is best for herself, not for Julia.”
    Jake saw her as soon as she walked into the room. Her hair was down and long, hanging in her face. A pair of sunglasses covered her eyes, but it did nothing to conceal the light she seemed to emanate. “She’s here,” he whispered. He pulled out a chair for her as she approached and she sat down, all flushed. “Sorry I’m late. Let’s get going. We have a lot to do.” She kept her head down as they discussed the start of their business, discussing what they should name the shop, what products they would carry, and how much investment capital they would need. They were allowed to borrow from a bank in the beginning, so they calculated an acceptable monthly payment. They also found a place to lease on Main Street.
    Throughout the whole meeting, Julia kept her head down and her sunglasses on, silently taking notes for the group without lifting her gaze or speaking up more than was necessary. After about forty-five minutes, Jake couldn’t stop himself.
    He reached over and tipped up her chin. “Why don’t you take your sunglasses off, Julia? You don’t need them in here.”
    She tried to pull away from him but failed. Fortunately, there was no one around to question his behavior—Lucia was as eager to get Julia away from that bully as he was. He had a pretty good guess as to why she was acting so muted, and he wasn’t going to let it go without comment.
    He brushed her hair back from her face and her reaction was instantaneous. She jerked away from him and brought her hair back down to cover her cheek. Only she couldn’t hold back a pained wince, and he knew it. The bastard had finally done it. He’d hurt her and he was going to pay.

 
    Chapter Four
     
    Julia jerked her head back, not wanting him to see her injuries.
    In a fluid movement, Jake pushed his chair back and stood up. “He hit you, didn’t he? That bastard hit you.”
    Julia shook her head. “No, I fell. I fell and that’s it. Let’s get back to work. We need to finish this.” Hell, this was too embarrassing, even though they were the only ones around. Why hadn’t she agreed to go along with Vincent’s request?
    Because this was something she wanted for herself. She was so excited about this project, about the prospect of thinking what she would carry in their store, that she had already created an entire Pinterest board showing exactly what she would want in the early inventory. Vincent was not going to force her to quit this class, and neither would her mother. She was staying because this was the one thing in her life she wasn’t doing for Vincent or her mother or her sister. She needed it.
    Jake sat back down and she sighed, relieved to have escaped a scene for at least the time being. She knew he wouldn’t let this