The Rancher’s Royal Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 4) by Jenn Roseton Page B
Authors: Jenn Roseton
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looked so much like her mother - the mother he’d lied to her about? Anger spurted inside her. How could her father have deceived her like that?
“How could you give me up?” Pain laced her voice.
“I didn’t want to, Ellie.” Katerina looked at her helplessly. “I’m sorry. At the time it seemed the only solution. If I’d run away to be with your father, my government would have come after me, and your father would have his government demanding answers. And Mulzonia and Lintovia would have gone to war.”
Ellie twisted her fingers. She had a mother. A mother who had given her up.
Logan broke the stretched silence. “What are your plans, Katerina?”
The woman made an expressive gesture with her hands. “I’ve booked a room at a charming inn at Elk View Corner. I am now a lady of leisure with no demands on my time.” Sadness crossed her face, then she looked at Ellie. “We have so much to talk about, my darling. May I come and see you again soon?”
When Ellie didn’t answer right away, Katerina turned to Logan in appeal.
“That’s up to Ellie,” he replied.
Grateful for his support, Ellie tried to summon a smile. Right now, she felt happiness, hope and anger. But she knew she would regret it if she pushed her mother away.
“All right,” Ellie finally replied.
“Thank you.” Gratitude filled her mother’s voice. “When may I see you?”
Ellie hesitated.
“What about the day after tomorrow?” Logan broke the silence.
Ellie nodded, grateful for his suggestion. Although she wanted to see her mother again, she also needed time to process everything that had happened this morning.
“I’ll be here,” her mother promised. And Ellie couldn’t help hoping she spoke the truth.
CHAPTER 7
For the next day and a half, Ellie couldn’t stop thinking about her mother - and her father. Even helping Logan with ranch chores and taking care of Salt and Pepper did little to calm her whirling thoughts and emotions.
She spoke to her Dad again the next morning, but couldn’t find the words to tell him that she’d met her mother the day before.
“Should I tell Dad about my … mother?” she asked Logan as she picked up the phone the following day.
He looked at her thoughtfully. “It might be a weight off his mind, as long as you broach the subject carefully.”
“Mm.” She nodded in agreement and starting dialing. Perhaps she could find the words this morning.
Several seconds later, she ended the call. “Dad’s not there.” She stared at Logan, her eyes wide.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s discharged himself.”
Logan looked as if he were trying to put on a positive expression but didn’t exactly succeed. “Maybe he’s feeling better.”
“Why didn’t he call me and tell me?”
Logan shrugged, clearly at a loss. “Does he have a cell phone you can try?”
Ellie’s expression brightened. “Good idea.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that, she scolded herself as she hurried to her room to grab her phone. She’d been using the landline to call the hospital each day, because cell reception could be patchy at the ranch. But her father’s cell phone number was programmed into her phone. Picking up her phone, she speed-dialed his number, only to be disappointed with a voice asking her to leave a message.
Trailing back to the kitchen, she thunked her phone on the table. “Voice mail.” She couldn’t help the glum note in her voice.
“Maybe he’s on his way home.” Logan rinsed out the coffee machine.
“Maybe.” She tried to cheer herself up at his suggestion.
“I was going to clean out the barn today, but I can hang around here if you want.” He looked at her enquiringly.
Ellie looked at her watch. Fifteen minutes until her mother was due to arrive. Warmth stole through her at Logan’s offer. She didn’t know how she would have gotten through the surprise appearance of her mother if it hadn’t been for his solid, dependable presence. Of course, she would
“How could you give me up?” Pain laced her voice.
“I didn’t want to, Ellie.” Katerina looked at her helplessly. “I’m sorry. At the time it seemed the only solution. If I’d run away to be with your father, my government would have come after me, and your father would have his government demanding answers. And Mulzonia and Lintovia would have gone to war.”
Ellie twisted her fingers. She had a mother. A mother who had given her up.
Logan broke the stretched silence. “What are your plans, Katerina?”
The woman made an expressive gesture with her hands. “I’ve booked a room at a charming inn at Elk View Corner. I am now a lady of leisure with no demands on my time.” Sadness crossed her face, then she looked at Ellie. “We have so much to talk about, my darling. May I come and see you again soon?”
When Ellie didn’t answer right away, Katerina turned to Logan in appeal.
“That’s up to Ellie,” he replied.
Grateful for his support, Ellie tried to summon a smile. Right now, she felt happiness, hope and anger. But she knew she would regret it if she pushed her mother away.
“All right,” Ellie finally replied.
“Thank you.” Gratitude filled her mother’s voice. “When may I see you?”
Ellie hesitated.
“What about the day after tomorrow?” Logan broke the silence.
Ellie nodded, grateful for his suggestion. Although she wanted to see her mother again, she also needed time to process everything that had happened this morning.
“I’ll be here,” her mother promised. And Ellie couldn’t help hoping she spoke the truth.
CHAPTER 7
For the next day and a half, Ellie couldn’t stop thinking about her mother - and her father. Even helping Logan with ranch chores and taking care of Salt and Pepper did little to calm her whirling thoughts and emotions.
She spoke to her Dad again the next morning, but couldn’t find the words to tell him that she’d met her mother the day before.
“Should I tell Dad about my … mother?” she asked Logan as she picked up the phone the following day.
He looked at her thoughtfully. “It might be a weight off his mind, as long as you broach the subject carefully.”
“Mm.” She nodded in agreement and starting dialing. Perhaps she could find the words this morning.
Several seconds later, she ended the call. “Dad’s not there.” She stared at Logan, her eyes wide.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s discharged himself.”
Logan looked as if he were trying to put on a positive expression but didn’t exactly succeed. “Maybe he’s feeling better.”
“Why didn’t he call me and tell me?”
Logan shrugged, clearly at a loss. “Does he have a cell phone you can try?”
Ellie’s expression brightened. “Good idea.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that, she scolded herself as she hurried to her room to grab her phone. She’d been using the landline to call the hospital each day, because cell reception could be patchy at the ranch. But her father’s cell phone number was programmed into her phone. Picking up her phone, she speed-dialed his number, only to be disappointed with a voice asking her to leave a message.
Trailing back to the kitchen, she thunked her phone on the table. “Voice mail.” She couldn’t help the glum note in her voice.
“Maybe he’s on his way home.” Logan rinsed out the coffee machine.
“Maybe.” She tried to cheer herself up at his suggestion.
“I was going to clean out the barn today, but I can hang around here if you want.” He looked at her enquiringly.
Ellie looked at her watch. Fifteen minutes until her mother was due to arrive. Warmth stole through her at Logan’s offer. She didn’t know how she would have gotten through the surprise appearance of her mother if it hadn’t been for his solid, dependable presence. Of course, she would
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