Page 37 of Back in the Texan's Bed
“Not by much,” his sister argued. “She asked Dad for a divorce, and he went after her with everything he had. Forget that she was the mother of his children. He kicked her out of her house, changed the locks, made it difficult for her to see her children. He took everything that was important from her.”
“She chose a big settlement over her children,” he snapped. “No one forced her to leave Royal, to leave us. She divorced Dad, not us. I’ve only had Ben in my life for a matter of weeks, but I would do anything for that little boy. Destroy anyone who tried to hurt him. You fight for those you love.Sarabeth,” he uttered her name on a mocking sneer, because she hadn’t been Mom to him a long time, “chose to walk away. To not be in our lives except for the occasional visit or phone call. If she truly wanted to be there for us, no power in this world, including the long arm of Rusty Edmond, could’ve kept her away. So no, it’s not similar at all.”
Asher edged closer to their sister, clasping her hand in his, and Ross pivoted away, suddenly feeling like an ogre. His issues with his mother were just that—his issues. He had no right to jump down Gina’s throat because she chose to see the woman who’d essentially abandoned them in a kinder light.
“When was the last time you saw her, Ross? Spoke to her?” Gina asked softly.
“Years. And I’m fine with maintaining the status quo.”
“You should call her. Talk to her. I think you would be surprised with the answers she could give you.”
Answers? Could heranswersturn back time and give him her much-needed presence in his life? Could they make up for her absence? For her rejection of him? For making him question his own self-worth? How could he be worthy of anything when the two people who were supposed to love him unconditionally had rejected him at every turn? His mother had chosen freedom over him, and his father—fuck, Rusty was Rusty. Everything had come before Ross, Gina and Asher. Business, women, a goddamn prize bull. The man had missed Ross’s college graduation because of a cattle sale. And now, he put his pride before his son.
No. He didn’t need to ask Sarabeth anything. Her absence and Rusty’s emotional deprivation had been enough of a very thorough explanation.
“I’m through talking about her,” Ross said, a sudden bone-deep weariness creeping into his voice. “Do you two want to meet your nephew?”
He’d brought Ben with him to the clubhouse and left him in the day care while he met with Gina and Asher.
“Of course.” Gina crossed over to him and wrapped him in a hug. “I’m sorry for bringing up Mom and pressuring you,” she murmured.
“No worries.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“Let’s go,” Asher said. “I want to officially meet my nephew. You said he’s beautiful. So that means he must take after his mother.”
Ross met his brother’s smirk and grinned. “Asshole.”
Asher laughed, pulling the meeting room door open. “Well, that’s a family trait, so let’sreallyhope he takes after his mother.”
Gina gasped in mock outrage. “I beg your pardon,” she objected as she swept past Asher into the hallway. “Speak for yourself. I merely know my own mind and am not afraid to let others know it, as well.”
Asher tilted his head. “Huh. When I do that, I’m always called an asshole.”
Ross chuckled, following his brother and sister—his family—toward the front of the building.
God, he loved them.
Eleven
“This is ridiculous,” Charlotte grumbled, staring at herself in the closet mirror.
Hah. As if the space that was bigger than her bedroom in her former home could be called something as simple as acloset. She didn’t even have enough clothes to fill all the drawers, racks and hangers. Not to mention the stacks of mini cases meant to store jewelry. Besides the pair of diamond studs that was a graduation gift from her parents and the necklace Ross had given her, she only owned costume jewelry that would look laughable in those boxes.
Speaking of the necklace... She grazed fingertips over the heart-shaped pendant, then removed it, laying it on the island behind her. So far, she’d done a good job of keeping it hidden from Ross even though they now lived together.
And slept together.
No, that wasn’t exactly correct.
They had sex and then went their separate ways to their separate bedrooms.
Then, in the morning, they pretended they were nothing more than Ben’s parents. Cordial strangers who happened to share the same space. Sometime between his meeting with his brother and sister at the TCC clubhouse and that evening when she’d returned home from work, he’d grown distant, unfailingly polite—colder. But just with her.
With Ben, he was simply wonderful. After Ben was born, and Charlotte had faced those nights of midnight feedings, crying, explosive diapers and runny noses alone, she’d wondered how different things could’ve been if Ross were there. If she’d had someone to share the load. And now she didn’t have to imagine. As aloof as he was with her, Ross poured all of his affection into their son. Even her parents, who’d been understandably shocked and confused when she’d confessed about Ross being Ben’s father, respected Ross for how he’d stepped up and taken to parenthood with an obvious enthusiasm. Though Charlotte’s unease about forever being connected in some way to Rusty and her fear of his retaliation hadn’t faded, she couldn’t deny Ben adored his father.
She also couldn’t deny her growing feelings for Ross.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
