Page 60 of The Heartbreaker (Chandler Brothers 3)
Picking up her cell, she called her stepmother. Not a morning person, Madeline still answered on the first ring. “Hello?”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Sloane, honey, thank God.” Relief echoed in Madeline’s tone. “I needed to hear your voice.”
A lump rose to Sloane’s throat as did a longing for home she hadn’t expected. Despite the lies, she loved her family. That was one truth that her time in Yorkshire Falls was making clear. “I’m fine. And I needed to hear your voice too.” To her shock, her own voice cracked and she broke down crying.
“Did you find Samson?” Madeline asked, concern lacing her tone. “Is that why you’re crying?”
Sloane shook her head, answering, “No, I didn’t find him. He’s taken off since the house explosion, but according to people here, he’s odd and his eccentric behavior isn’t all that surprising.” She blotted her eyes.
Still trying to keep Madeline in the dark and protected, she kept her explanation to a minimum. “When I left to come here, was Dad upset?” If Michael Carlisle were worried about Sloane, he might send someone after Samson to find him first, which might explain the person Earl said had been looking for Samson.
“No. He understands this is something you have to do.”
Sloane bit down on her lower lip. “And the campaign? How is that going? Frank and Robert must be working Dad like crazy, now that they’ve publicly announced he’s running for vice president.” Sloane mentioned Michael’s campaign manager in the hope that Madeline would inadvertently provide helpful information. After all, Frank was the one person who’d threatened Samson. The one with the most to lose, next to Michael, if the campaign were derailed by a loose cannon like Samson Humphrey.
“Actually, Frank’s been in meetings nonstop while Robert went out of town,” Madeline said.
“He left town now? At the height of the campaign and excitement?” Sloane asked, attempting to sound surprised.
“Family emergency. Those things can’t be helped, you know.” Madeline sighed. A long pause followed and then she took a sudden gasp. “You don’t think they’re looking for Samson to ensure his silence?”
“No! I mean, of course not. I just think Samson’s an old eccentric who disappeared. In the meantime, if Robert says he has a family emergency, I’m sure he does.” Sloane was also sure he’d keep himself hidden if in fact he was in Yorkshire Falls.
“Okay,” Madeline said, not sounding in the least bit pacified. “At least I know you have someone looking out for you.”
“Which brings me to my next point. How could you ask Chase Chandler to be my bodyguard?” she asked, calling her stepmother on her overprotective tendencies.
“I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep my family safe. Chase is a good man, Sloane.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Are you two getting along?” Madeline asked with a definite hopeful tone in her voice.
She has a lot in common with Raina Chandler, Sloane thought. “He grows on you,” she said, deliberately evasive.
Madeline laughed. “Well, that’s a start. Will you call if you need me?”
“I will,” Sloane promised. She disconnected the call and stared at it, her own thoughts coming back to Chase’s withdrawal.
Damn the man and his mixed signals. Yes, he’d pushed her away, but she’d also seen his eyes darken with need; she’d heard him groan while he was deep inside her. No man could fake that depth of feeling. Not to mention the fact that he’d broken up with Cindy. The hell with not reading too much into things, Sloane thought, rising from the bed. Despite the pounding headache from last night, her mind began to clear. She had a father to find and a life to reclaim. And perhaps Chase Chandler would be a part of it.
* * *
Chase knocked once and eased open the door to his mother’s hospital room. This time she’d been admitted overnight instead of being sent home from the emergency room. Guilt gnawed at his insides, and an overwhelming sense of his own betrayal flooded his system. He’d been concerned with reconciling Sloane’s family instead of paying attention to the things that connected him to his.
“Mom?” Chase called out quietly in case Raina was sleeping.
“Come on in,” Rick said from a chair in the corner of the large room.
Chase stepped inside, taking in his surroundings. The walls had muted pastel wallpaper covering them and a television hung from the ceiling. On mute, the picture flickered from the screen. And Raina sat up in the only bed in the large room. Eric had probably arranged for private accommodations, making certain their mother had excellent care.
Her eyes fluttered open at the same time Chase eased himself onto the edge of the mattress. He lifted her aged hand in his. “How are you?”
“Much better,” Raina said, pushing herself up higher against the pillows. “I really can’t believe this,” she murmured, her eyes twinkling with a combination of regret and concern.
