by Emily Woods
“You're such a good big sister,” Kate told Maddie affectionately. “How would I ever get along without you?”
Maddie shot her mother a quick smile, then turned her attention back to Lucas. “You want to get out of there, don't you? Are you going to show me how you can crawl?” She reached into his bed and easily lifted him out.
The infant had indeed made significant progress in that direction, and as Thomas worked on the rocking chair nearby, he enjoyed watching the two children. He'd never been allowed to play with his younger brothers and sisters. There had always been a nanny to do that. If he ever married and had children, he would raise them like Luke and Kate were doing, a method that wasn’t anything like what he’d experienced.
After fixing the slat in the chair, Thomas sat down and tested it. Carl was hunched over a letter in the corner, presumably from his mother. He had to stop himself from sighing. Why couldn't things have been different for him? He would have liked to maintain a relationship with his mother and siblings. If his father had shown an ounce of compassion toward him, or even the slightest inclination to listen to his own hopes for the future, he would have stayed and tried to convince him that he was not the one to take over the family business. However, his father had been determined that he not only work at the company, but also marry the daughter of one of the oldest families in New York, someone he overheard his parents discussing one day when they didn't realize he was nearby. That had sent him reeling with shock and was the nail in the coffin. That very night, he made plans to leave.
He'd barely been sixteen.
A clamor from just outside announced the arrival of the other men and interrupted his musings. He was glad of it, because reminiscing about his past generally brought him more pain than he'd ever admit.
“Daydreaming?” Luke asked when he spotted Thomas in the rocking chair. “Must be pretty big, whatever's on your mind, if it's making you miss dinner.”
“It's nothing,” he mumbled and stood so fast, his head started spinning. “I fixed the chair.”
Luke looked at the rocking chair and gave a little nod. “Good. The paddock's done as well, Carl tells me.”
“I believe it is, but you'll have to see for yourself.” He paused and regarded his boss, searching for words to express how glad he was. “I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity.”
Luke gave him a funny look. Every once in a while, his former way of speaking sneaked into his conversation and threatened to expose his background. He rushed to cover it now.
“I'm right glad to be working with John. He's a real good boss.”
Nodding, Luke glanced toward the kitchen. “Well, I'd say that the women will be none too happy if you keep their food waiting. Let's go.”
He was on his feet in an instant, berating himself for his gaffe, but glad that Luke didn't mention it. It was probably all the thinking he'd been doing about his past that had brought it up. He'd have to be more careful.
I hope you liked the preview of Love at Long Last. You can get the whole series for one low price on Amazon.
amazon.com/dp/B074W5Z6TC
Be sure to check out all of my books
amazon.com/Emily-Woods/e/B013U2UNV0/