Page 76 of The Heartbreaker (Chandler Brothers 3)
Once Sloane came to Yorkshire Falls, things changed. The explosion that rocked Samson’s house also rocked Chase’s world and things hadn’t been the same since.
“You’re a grown man. If you ask me, you should start acting like one,” Samson said. “Take responsibility for your actions. Decide what you want, once and for all. I made my choices all those years ago and I have to live with the regrets now. If you want to let her go, then wave good-bye and don’t look back. Don’t hang around playing her savior when it suits you and pushing her away when it don’t,” he said, reverting back to normal Samson-speak.
“For someone who’s been hiding out, you seem to think you know a lot about me and Sloane.”
He shrugged, but there was an arrogance in the gesture Chase was coming to notice more and more. At least when it came to Sloane.
“I’ve seen and heard a lot more than you realize,” Samson said. “And I don’t care if your last name is Chandler; the way you’re acting is a disgrace and my little girl deserves a lot better than you.”
On that parting shot, Samson settled into the couch, back in his surly mood, ignoring both Chase and Pearl, who was trying to catch his attention.
Chase couldn’t forget Samson’s words. They echoed in his head even as Rick directed Pearl and Eldin to pack their bags and move in with Raina. Samson would stay and hopefully draw out the men after him with Rick keeping watch.
But Chase had no time to think or draw parallels between his life and Samson’s until the threat to Samson and, indirectly, to Sloane and the rest of Chase’s family blew over.
Chapter Fifteen
Last time we were all together like this, one of us had to get married.” Roman folded his arms across his chest and laughed, reminding the brothers of their coin toss more than nine months earlier. A time when Raina’s heart episode had been nothing more than indigestion, but the brothers hadn’t known that then.
Raina had used the incident as the beginning of her illness charade, begging for one of her boys to settle down and give her grandchildren before she passed on. The three single Chandler brothers had tossed a coin to see who would get married and give their mother a grandchild first. Roman had lost the toss and his reunion with his long-lost love, Charlotte, had begun.
“It hasn’t been all that long, and now two of us are married, leaving just one bachelor,” Rick said, leveling a glance at Chase, who didn’t find the topic of discussion at all amusing.
The situation was sadly ironic, though, since now Raina really was sick, and Chase would do just about anything to see her well. Except that his getting married to suit Raina’s needs wouldn’t do anything to help his own.
Not even his brothers seemed to realize that fact. “Do either of you two morons realize you fell right into Mom’s trap? Trying to escape her meddling, you gave her exactly what she wanted.” Chase glanced out the window of Rick’s kitchen, the one that overlooked Pearl and Eldin’s house in the back.
At one time, Pearl and Eldin lived in the house while Kendall had stayed in the guesthouse, but the older couple’s health and Rick and Kendall’s marriage made swapping houses the perfect solution.
Meanwhile, all appeared quiet in the backyard while everyone from the guesthouse packed to leave. Only Samson remained inside the guesthouse, refusing to leave.
Roman shrugged, then headed for the refrigerator. “Soda?” he asked his brothers.
Both grunted “no.”
“Suit yourself.” He pulled out a bottle of Coke and started rummaging through cabinets.
“What the hell are you looking for?” Rick asked.
Roman slammed a cabinet and opened another. “Drinking glasses.”
“The door next to the microwave. And by the way, feel free to make yourself at home,” Rick said.
Roman chuckled, apparently not the least bit offended. “Back to basics,” he said, seating himself on the Formica counter. “Did you realize that the way things turned out, what Mom wanted was in our best interest, after all?”
“Kendall’s going to kill you if that counter cracks,” Rick said.
“Naah. She’s going to kill you.” Roman grinned, then raised his glass in a mock toast, before guzzling his drink. “So when are you going to give in and admit Sloane’s the woman to give you a kick in the ass?” he asked Chase.
Chase let out a groan. Just because Roman and Rick had opted to marry and have families didn’t mean that doing the same was in Chase’s best interest. “We all have our own paths to follow.”
“And you can’t follow yours and be with Sloane at the same time?” Roman lifted an eyebrow. “Seems to me I said the same thing. I can’t have my career and settle down with Charlotte. I was wrong.”
