Page 42 of Conail
"In a day or two." Maeve linked a hand through her son's arm and wondered if he thought he could fool her. She knew her children better than they knew themselves.
"Your jacket is too light."
"It's fine. Stop fussing."
"When you catch your death, I will be the one tending to you. And in doing so, I would have to take time off from my many and varied tasks."
He cast her a look from his lofty height, amusement twinkling in his mahogany brown eyes.
"You love taking care of us."
"That might be the case, but still, it pays to be wise." Her eyes met his, and he knew instinctively what was coming and braced for it.
"You and Maddy belong together."
"Mama--"
"Please hear me out. I'm your mother and I love you to death. So, saying, it's breaking my heart to see the two of you so unhappy. That girl is head over heels in love with you."
He tried to shrug it away, but it ended up being a jerky movement. Ever since the night at the cabin, she had been steering clear of him, and he convinced himself that it was for the best. But tell that to his bloody body and mind. He could not sleep and his every waking thought was filled to the brim with her.
"I don't know what to do," he admitted quietly.
"Forgiveness frees you and that was in the past. She followed her dreams and there was nothing wrong with that. If she had married you back then, she would have had regrets, and you would have both been unhappy. She went her way and discovered that the big town is not for her and came back home. Accept that and accept her." She squeezed his arm. "It's not as if you were here just keeping yourself for her. You had your relationships too and I am betting that she would never call you out on them."
"She left," he muttered.
"Move past that and stop being so damned stubborn."
He cast her an amused look. "You always reprimand us whenever we swear."
"Sometimes it's called for. Finish your drink and go find your woman. It's time you claim what belongs to you all along."
He watched her walk away, sensible coat fluttering in the breeze, her hands tucked into the deep pockets to ward off the chill. A smile touched his lips as he tracked her progress towards the farmhouse. He admired her. To him, his mother was the ultimate woman. Beautiful, strong and capable of handling anything.
To his surprise, he realized that he could have been talking about Maddy. His Maddy. With a disgusted sigh, he finished the drink and tucked the cup into the pocket of his jacket. It was time to go and get his woman. Some groveling might have to be done.
*****
Eleanor sat daintily sipping her tea as her son paced the length of her gold and white salon. The good news that Yasmine was doing so much better had put her in a much better frame of mind. She had spoken to Maeve, and everything was back on track.
"Darling are you going to tell me what's on your mind?"
He went to stand at the mantle, bracing one arm on the marble. He had gone home and only accomplished taking a shower to wash off the travel. His housekeeper had fixed him a meal which he had not done justice to, causing the woman to stare in disapproval at the almost full plate of steak and baby potatoes. He had almost found himself apologizing to her.
He had also called the hospital twice already. When the nurse asked if he wanted to speak to the patient he had taken the coward's way out and said no.
Now, here he was at his mother's place, and he had no idea why.
"She wants to go back to the farm," he told her abruptly.
"Unfortunately, I cannot force her to come back here."
"Why the hell not?"
She gave him a bland stare that had him straightening. "She would get more assistance here."
"She's not an invalid."
