The Texas Tycoon's Baby(35)

Tyler seemed to notice, and he grinned, turning to Mina.

“We’re really glad you could come this weekend.”

“Are you kidding?” she said. “I wouldn’t miss a Barron wedding.”

He embraced her, too, then guided them to the lounge.

“Why don’t y’all get settled in there,” Tyler said. “Millie will have your bags taken to your quarters in the meantime.”

Millie was the household manager. Chet knew that she would send his things to the room that was on constant standby for him here in the mansion. Mina had been assigned a guest cottage.

Without thinking, he put his hand on the small of Mina’s back, intending to escort her into the lounge just behind Tyler.

Did she haul in a breath?

Removing his hand out of pure instinct—pure preservation, really—he followed her into the lounge, with its dark-wooded grandeur and velvet furnishings. Over a roaring fire, a painting of the “former” Barron family hung over the mantel: Eli, Aunt Florence, Tyler and Jeremiah.

Every time Chet saw it, he felt like a ghost in the portrait, felt just as empty inside of himself, too.

But he didn’t have much time to think about that tonight, because everyone in the room—Jeremiah, his fiancée, Ally, and Zoe—came over to greet them.

Eli wasn’t anywhere around, though.

Would he be able to get out of rehab to attend the wedding?

Jeremiah, who was taller than Chet by a couple of inches, though they resembled each other in so many other ways, slapped him on the back just before going to the minibar and getting out two glasses. Since he’d come straight from the office, he was dressed in a designer suit.

“My best man made it,” he said to Chet.

Tyler cleared his throat. “Co-best man.”

“That’s what I meant.” Jeremiah addressed Chet and Mina. “So what’s your poison tonight?”

Chet waited for Mina to answer before he did.

“Nothing for me right now,” she said.

He wasn’t much in the mood for drinking, either. The weekend would be bringing a lot of opportunities for that.

“I’m good,” he said.

Ally was holding a whiskey, just like Jeremiah. The fancy cut crystal glass went along well with her Grace Kelly looks—the long, straight platinum hair, a high-class bearing.

“Caroline’s already asleep,” she said, referring to the newborn she’d adopted recently, before she and Jeremiah had fallen in love and decided to get married. “I wish she could’ve stayed up to see her future uncle.”

Uncle. Chet liked the sound of that. Liked that whenever he got the chance to see Caroline, which wasn’t often since Jeremiah and Ally sometimes lived in California, the baby smiled at him, making him a little lighter, too.

“I’ll see her first thing tomorrow.” Then Chet said to Mina, “You should get a load of Caroline. She’s the cutest thing in creation.”

“Except for Lizzie,” Mina said, grinning.

“Of course.” Chet laughed.

Zoe, Tyler’s wife, said, “Sounds to me like you’re a regular sucker for children, Chet.” Her gray-blue eyes sparkled against her olive skin and shoulder-length dark hair. She was giving Chet and Mina “that” look, as if she’d already assumed he had brought a date to this wedding, that he and Mina might even be serious enough to have mentioned the possibility of having children one day.

What the hell?

Mina had shifted position, as if she felt the scrutiny. And why not, when they all obviously thought there was something going on? He could tell by the way they treated Mina—Zoe and Ally giving her those sisterly smiles, although this was the first time Mina had met Ally. Tyler and Jeremiah were even exchanging “uhhuh” glances with each other. And, this, after Chet had already told his brothers over the phone that he and Mina were traveling together because it was convenient.

Not that he thought that they were going to buy that or anything. But he tried.

Chet shuffled his booted feet. All right, so the “convenience” explanation had been a flat-out lie. He wouldn’t have asked Mina in the heat of the moment that one night if he didn’t feel right about it. It was just… Well, he didn’t know what to do with her now, whether he dared to ever touch her again when he knew damned well that it would lead to some tough questions for him, like what if he couldn’t get his act together?

When the women led Mina to a leather couch near the flickering fire, Chet couldn’t help but to follow her with his gaze.

Unfortunately, Tyler and Jeremiah noticed.

Chet cut them off at the pass by clearing his throat. His brothers got the message, keeping their opinions to themselves.