Page 61 of The Heartbreaker (Chandler Brothers 3)
“Believe what?” Rick asked, butting in as he always did. “That Chase finally has a social life?” He looked Chase’s way and winked, his attempt to lighten the mood around them obvious.
Raina laughed. “Leave your brother alone. He’s allowed to have sex without you adding your two cents about it.” She folded her arms over her chest, her expression and tone forbidding Rick to mention the subject again.
As if Raina’s chiding had ever stopped Rick.
And she was discussing his sex life. A heated flush rushed to his face.
“Well, I think it’s about time. Don’t you?” Rick unfolded his body from the chair and stretched, asking his question on cue.
Chase groaned. “I’d rather talk about how Mom is doing.”
“Not about what you were doing after you got Sloane home?” Rick joked.
But not even his middle brother’s ribbing could ease Chase’s guilt.
“Mom’s going to be fine,” Rick said at last, obviously reading the anxiety on Chase’s face.
Raina agreed with a squeeze of her hand. “I am. But, Chase, this … incident isn’t connected to the last one.” She blushed red and her discomfort was so obvious he couldn’t bring himself to express his anger at her charade.
“I know, Mom. And let’s leave it in the past, okay? What’s important now is your health and making sure you don’t have a real relapse this time.” He leaned closer, elbows on the blanket, his hand never leaving hers.
Raina blinked. “What do you mean you know?” Her gaze darted from Chase to Rick. “He knows?” she asked her middle son.
Rick nodded.
“I would have confronted you about it after D.C., but Sloane showed up and things have gotten out of control,” Chase said. “But no longer. I have my priorities back in order.” He met Rick’s gaze. “What’s the diagnosis?” he asked, wanting to know the worst so he could take control.
“Angina. Apparently, there isn’t enough blood flow to the heart, and when she overdoes it, she experiences pain as a result.”
Chase nodded, a feeling of déjà vu overcoming him as he heard this heart problem explained to him, just as Raina had once explained her last “episode.” He realized now just how much information had been missing, how many clues Raina had left that she’d been faking. Clues none of her sons had picked up on because they cared only about making her better.
“Chase, we really do need to talk about what I did to your brothers, and to you.” Raina blinked and a tear dripped down her face. “I was so wrong.”
His heart squeezed tighter at her admission. “We have plenty of time to talk, I promise. Right now I want you to save your energy so you get your strength back.” He brushed a kiss over her cheek and rose to his feet. “I’d like to find Eric and get a full explanation of where we go from here.”
“He’ll be back in a few minutes. I told him I’d gotten hold of you and he said he’d discuss the future with all three of us.” Rick lifted his hand and looked at his wristwatch. “Roman and Charlotte will be in by tonight and Eric said we can all talk again then. I’m being released this afternoon,” Raina added.
“Good.” If they were letting her go home, things couldn’t be that dire, Chase thought.
“Where’s Sloane?” Raina asked.
“Home nursing a hangover, like Kendall, I’d think,” Rick said, his humor tinged with annoyance at last night’s situation.
“Oh, come now. Neither one of them drinks,” Raina said.
“How would you know what Sloane does or doesn’t do?” Chase asked.
Raina splayed her hands over the standard-issue hospital blanket. “I can read her well. She’s a lovely, upstanding woman and she wouldn’t do such a thing,” Raina said with certainty.
“Perfect daughter-in-law material?” Rick called Raina on her obvious train of thought.
Her hazel eyes twinkled with delight. “Well, now that you mention it …”
“Wasn’t it that kind of thinking that got you into trouble in the first place?” Chase asked her.
She shrugged. “Two down, young man. Do you really think I’m going to give up on the notion of having you settled and happy like your brothers are? My methods may have been suspect, but my motives were pure.
He groaned. So much for hoping Raina’s now-precarious health would have her backing down from her quest to marry him off. “This isn’t a discussion I’m willing to have.”
“Because you have your priorities in order?” she asked.
He gave her a curt nod. “Exactly.”
She pursed her lips and let out a sound of pure motherly frustration. “If you had those priorities in order, you wouldn’t stay here with me now that you know I’m fine.”
He knew exactly where she was leading, yet he was powerless to prevent the conversation. “Where would I be?” he asked resignedly.
“With Sloane.”
Rick chuckled, not bothering to disguise his laugh as a throat clearing or anything else.
