Billionaire Untamed - Tate(22)

An accident? Maybe it had been accidental, but how had James bruised up Chloe’s arm by teaching her beginner martial arts? It wasn’t a tiny bruise. Her entire wrist and arm was purple and yellow. “Your father and I did disagree sometimes, but we respected each other enough not to yell.” Her deceased husband, Russell Colter, had been a handful—just like his boys—but he’d never raised his voice. He had never had to. Aileen had always sensed when something was wrong, and they’d been able to talk it out. If things got out of hand and they wanted to vent, they never did it around the children, and they never disrespected each other.

“He had a lot of responsibility,” Chloe mused. “Did he never get angry and take it out on you?”

“Never,” Aileen told her daughter emphatically. “He talked to me about it, but he never blamed me for anything that wasn’t my fault.” She studied her daughter’s face, and noted the dark circles under Chloe’s eyes and the stress lines around her mouth. “Is everything all right between you and James, sweetheart?”

“Yeah. Fine. They’re fine,” Chloe answered quickly. Maybe too quickly. “He just seems pre-occupied and stressed out about work. And with me starting my practice, things are a little tense, I guess.”

Something was wrong. Aileen could sense it. But her daughter was an adult, nearly thirty years old, and she was so proud of Chloe. She didn’t want to pry, but she planned to watch their relationship much closer. Her instincts as a mother were rarely wrong. “You know you can talk to me about anything?”

Chloe smiled at her weakly. “I know, Mom. Thanks. I missed you while you were gone.”

Aileen had missed her children, too. Chloe had been gone for school for so long, and now she was getting married and leaving home for good in a matter of months. Luckily, James was a local doctor and they would live here in Rocky Springs, but she’d gotten used to having Chloe back in the house again, and it would be hard to see her move out again.

I wish I could get rid of this nagging, motherly feeling that something isn’t right with Chloe. I’m sure it’s just because I’m sad that she’s leaving. James is a doctor, a respected physician, and my daughter is a local veterinarian now. He and Chloe should live a wonderful life together.#p#分页标题#e#

Unfortunately, Chloe just didn’t seem like a happy bride-to-be, and James was polite but distant. He always had been, so it was difficult to really get to know him well. “You and James haven’t gotten your rings yet?” Aileen knew her daughter wanted a ring. She’d seen Chloe look longingly at wedding bands and diamonds for months. Ultimately, she knew that Chloe wanted a child. Although her daughter had plenty of time left to have babies, Aileen wondered whether Chloe felt as though her biological clock was already ticking. There were moments where she wondered whether Chloe wanted a child more than she really wanted a husband.

“He still wants to wait until closer to the wedding.”

A male voice behind Aileen startled her.

“Then dump the loser and marry me instead.”

Aileen smiled and turned around, happy to see her son, Blake, and his friend Gabriel Walker, the mysterious male voice teasing her daughter.

“Blake,” Aileen said excitedly as she jumped out of her chair quickly for a woman her age and threw herself at her son.

Blake’s duties as a US Senator had kept him in Washington DC for way too long. He hadn’t been back to Rocky Springs in months.

He picked her up and swung her around. “How’s my favorite mother?” Blake joked as he hugged her tightly.

She swatted Blake’s shoulder. “I’m your only mother. Now put me down.” She scolded him, but she secretly adored the way her children were able to openly display their affections for her and for one another. They fought and scrapped like all siblings did, but their devotion to one another was always evident. And she was so blessed with the children she and Russell had created together: every one of her kids a child to be proud of, and that she loved with all of her heart.

He squeezed her tightly before he lowered her feet back to the ground. “Ah…well…even if I had fifty mothers, you’d still be my favorite,” Blake answered glibly.

Sweet talker! Of all of her boys, Blake was the most charming—which was probably good because he was a politician. But honestly, Blake had always been that way. Even as a child, he could charm the rattles off a rattlesnake.

Gabriel held out his arms to her, and Aileen didn’t hesitate to hug him. “It’s so good to see you, Gabe.” It was always nice to see Gabe Walker. He and Blake had been friends since they were teens, and Gabe was living permanently in Rocky Springs now. He owned a very profitable horse ranch that bordered Blake’s cattle ranch, which stretched way beyond the city limits of Rocky Springs. Her husband and Gabe’s father had been good friends, and Blake and Gabe had bonded like brothers when they were teens. Aileen had also been friends with Gabe’s mom, and she’d hurt for him when he lost first his mother, and then his father. Since then, she looked at him almost like another son. He had to be lonely all by himself out in the big mansion he’d built on his horse property, but he never spoke about it.