Page 28 of That One Night (The Heartbreak Brothers Next Generation #4)

“What was it, just a one-night thing?” she asked him. “Or is it an affair?”

His chest tightened. It was too early and he was too exhausted for this. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

She recoiled like he’d slapped her. And he hated that, because his mom didn’t have a bad bone in her body. She was a good person, a kind one. She loved him and his brothers fiercely.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” He let out a long breath. “I just… I can’t explain it right now. That’s all.”

“She’s getting married, Hendrix. To Trenton Montclair.”

He winced as she said his name.

“What if somebody else had seen you two?” she asked him.

“What if he found out? You remember what happened the last time the two of you went head to head?” Her voice cracked, like she was lost in her own memories.

“I lost you. For years. You just left…” She pressed her lips together, like she was trying not to cry.

“I was a kid, mom. I’m grown up now. I can handle things. I can’t tell you more than this, but I promise it’s not what you think.”

“Is she still engaged to him?” his mom asked pointedly.

He sighed, because he hated doing this. “Yes.”

“Then it’s exactly what I think. And it’s what everybody else will think.”

“Not if they don’t know.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost half-past eight. He should’ve been at his uncle’s farm hours ago. Sure, Logan was relaxed as long as he got his work done before coming home to tend his own farm, but there was only so much time in the goddamn day.

“I have to shower. Then I need to get to work,” he told her.

“I know.” She nodded, still looking wary.

“I only popped over to check that you’re okay.

I was at Logan and Courtney’s for breakfast. We were going through the plans for the charity launch.

” She held up a pad she’d obviously been taking notes on.

“He said you hadn’t come to work.” She gave him a small smile.

“And of course I wanted to see you. It feels like it’s been too long. ”

“You could have called me. I would have picked up.”

Her eyes caught his. “Ditto.”

That made him feel even worse. He knew it had been a while since he’d stopped by to see his parents, but had it really been that long? He had no excuse for it, other than he was an ass.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly.

“I’m worried about you,” she told him, her brows furrowed.

“You don’t need to be.”

“I’m a mom. That’s my job.”

He tipped his head to the side. “Don’t you ever get time off for good behavior?”

That made her smile.

“Seriously, Mom, you don’t need to worry about me. Everything’s fine. Sure, I think we all wish you hadn’t seen what you did, but try to forget about it.”

“I can’t do that.”

“I wish you would.”

“Yeah.” She nodded, looking wistful. “I do too.”

“Let me get dressed, okay?” he said, because standing here half naked talking to his mom didn’t seem right.

He didn’t care that he was only wearing boxers – his mom had seen a lot worse, after all.

Growing up with three sons and a husband that the entire country adored, there was usually at least one man half naked in the house at any time.

But she was still his mom. She deserved respect.

“I can go,” she told him.

“Just one minute.” He walked into his bedroom, letting out a groan at the situation he’d managed to get himself in. He pulled on yesterday’s clothes before he walked back out to his mom. She was still holding the coffee cup. It was hardly touched.

He gently took it out of her hand, and put it on the table, before he pulled her into his arms.

It was like she needed this hug more than either of them knew. She exhaled heavily, her head against his shoulder.

“I love you,” he told her. “But you need to stop worrying so much about me. I’m all grown up now.” He was the youngest and she’d always mothered him more than his brothers, but he didn’t need that from her anymore. Hell, the twins were married with kids, fathers themselves.

And yeah, for the first time in forever, he was thinking about that. Thinking that maybe someday that’s what he wanted, too.

“I can’t help it,” his mom said. “I let you down. When you were younger…”

He cupped her face in his hands, his expression almost stern. “Mom, you never let us down. You were the best mom. You still are.” He meant it, too. Yes, he’d made mistakes, but they were never hers.

“I just want you to be happy,” she told him. Her eyes were watery now, like the emotions were finally seeping out.

“I am,” he told her firmly. “I’m so happy.”

“But you can’t base your happiness on somebody else’s misery.”

He knew she was talking about Emery again. About her being engaged to somebody else. “Can we agree not to talk about this?”

“If you promise me you won’t get hurt, then yes.”

His eyes caught hers. He could see the anxiety in them. The same emotion he used to see when they were kids off doing reckless things, like climbing too high up a tree or fighting each other in the yard.

“Well that’s easy,” he told her. “I promise you I won’t get hurt.” He was a big boy. He’d left that kind of pain behind. There were only good things ahead.

She patted his face, her lips pressed tightly together. “You’re such a good man,” she told him. “And I wish that you could see that.”

Yeah, well. Bad boys didn’t always become good men. But he was trying his best here.