“Cornered and you still won’t give up on your own.” He patted her hand. “Okay, I’ll spell it out for you. You’ve been faking your heart condition so you can manipulate Chase, Rick, and myself to do your bidding and get you grandchildren. All you need to do now is admit I’m right.”
She sucked in a startled breath. Not that she thought she was such a master manipulator—though she believed she’d done a darn good acting job so far. But she’d obviously been too overconfident. She’d never once considered that her sons might catch on.
“I’ll take it your silence means yes? I’m right?” He squeezed her hand lightly.
Raina sighed. “Yes,” she admitted, unable to meet his gaze. “How did you figure it out?”
He rolled his eyes as if the answer were obvious. “I’m a journalist. I know how to spot signs most people would ignore. Add to that I lived with you a few months back, when this supposed condition started. Tea, Maalox, and prescription antacids—a sure sign of indigestion. Plus you hit the stairs like a sprinter when you thought I wasn’t around. It wasn’t hard to put things together. Especially once I found your exercise clothes in the washing machine.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze. “You don’t sound angry.” Although his eyes, his father’s eyes, condemned her.
“Let’s just say I’ve had a while to get used to the truth.”
“But you haven’t told your brothers.” He couldn’t have since they were still tiptoeing around her like she might break at any second, whispering in concern when they thought she wasn’t paying attention.
“Not yet.”
She heard the definitive tone of that word yet and knew her charade days were numbered. “Why haven’t you filled them in?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Stupidity?”
She covered his arm with her palm. “You have to understand my reasons—and know I’m sorry I went to such extremes.”
“You didn’t feel bad enough to have come clean on your own. Dammit, Mom.” He shook his head, his frustration and anger finally coming through. “And the hell of it is I know you’d do it again if you had to, right? For some reason you just can’t let us live our own lives.”
A lump rose to her throat, the guilt she’d been suffering from for so long overcoming any justification she might have offered. “If you’re so angry, why haven’t you told Rick and Chase? Tell them and be done with it already.”
He let out a frustrated groan. “Like it’s that easy? At first I was in complete shock. Then after Charlotte and I got married, I figured what the hell. Let Rick go next and maybe he’ll end up as happy as I am.”
Raina clucked her tongue, not buying that particular excuse. “That’s giving this charade some credit. And when you realized what I’d done I’m certain you were furious. You wouldn’t have withheld this kind of information from your brothers just so they could find a woman and end up happy.”
She knew her youngest, knew the bond all her boys shared. Roman might want his brothers to share his happiness but he wouldn’t condone her antics to achieve that goal.
“You’re right, that’s giving you credit. And maybe you did help bring me together with Charlotte but I also believe in fate. We’d have found our way back to each other anyway. It wasn’t just because you’d cornered your sons into picking a sacrificial lamb to give you a grandchild.”
She cringed. “It wasn’t just because I wanted a grandchild. I want you all to experience the love and happiness I shared with your father. I want to know you’ll have more than empty apartments and empty lives when I’m gone.”
But she still remembered how she’d felt on discovering her sons had employed a coin toss. Loser would give up his bachelorhood and freedom to marry and give their sick mother a grandchild. Roman lost—and ended up the winner. She didn’t think he’d appreciate the reminder. “So you don’t want to give me credit. Then why not tell Rick or Chase?” she asked again, certain her youngest was dodging the issue and she couldn’t imagine why.
“I have my reasons.” He didn’t meet her gaze.
“Now who’s hiding something,” she asked, but decided not to force things. She hadn’t earned his trust or the reprieve he’d given her by keeping her secret. “Why tell me you know the truth now?” she asked instead.
“Because of Rick. When you called to say he wanted to gather family and friends and you asked if we could make a beeline home, I figured he’d found the right woman. And I wanted to make sure you didn’t meddle in his life the way you did in mine.” This time he did lock his eyes with hers. “Let Rick and Kendall make their own way. Or else.”
“Or else you’ll tell. Roman, sweetheart, you should know I was planning on giving up anyway. Rick found Kendall on his own and it’s getting hard to keep up the charade. Even Eric—”
“No.” Roman spoke in a firm, no-nonsense voice. “You will not tell Rick or Chase now.”
She blinked, utterly and completely shocked. “Why not? I thought that’s what you’d want.”
“I considered that option, believe me.” He leaned an arm over her, propping his hand on the sofa and leaning close enough to press a kiss on her cheek. “I love you and I’ve been observing your relationship with Dr. Fallon. I realize you’re having a hell of a time mixing a personal life with your charade.”
She sighed. Her youngest had always been astute. “Eric’s a good man and I couldn’t be happier you’re finally moving on with your life.”
She nodded, knowing Roman’s past inability to stay home in Yorkshire Falls or commit to a woman had a lot to do with that very issue. “But?”
“But if you admit your scheme now, just when Rick’s found a woman he obviously cares about, you’ll give him a reason to back off. With his past and after Jillian, it’s a miracle he’s looking at Kendall Sutton the way he is. And if you turn around now and show him women can say one thing and do another, if he sees your manipulation, he might decide women aren’t worth the effort.” Roman shook his head. “Much as I wouldn’t mind you confessing and suffering the consequences, Rick deserves the chance to be happy. Like you said,” Roman muttered, obviously disgusted at giving her notions any credit whatsoever.
Raina didn’t like it but Roman was right. Rick probably was on shaky emotional ground and didn’t need an excuse to give in to his fears and push him away from Kendall. “I’ll keep quiet.”
Even though her silence assured her relationship with Eric would continue to be rather difficult and strained, she deserved the trials she suffered now. Roman rewarded her with a huge hug and she squeezed her youngest back. Raina had made her bed, so to speak. She smoothed the heavy covers over her legs. She’d just have to lie in it.
* * *
Kendall decided to spend the hours after breakfast with Charlotte cleaning out the closets in the guest house as another way of insuring a sale. Make the storage room look big and enticing, she thought.
She’d no sooner changed into her cleaning outfit than the doorbell rang and the front door swung open wide and Pearl entered without invitation.