Conception (The Wellingtons #4) - Tessa Teevan Page 0,100
go. I’ve been gone too long as it is. I can’t stay away from her for another second. Dad will have to understand.”
“Her?” Her melodic tone sounds amused and definitely intrigued.
I lift my gaze for a split second and see her studying me, curiosity etched on her delicate features. “Yeah, Mom. Her.”
That’s all she gets. I don’t have time to tell her all about Amelia, the woman who captured my heart. The woman who I don’t even know will have me back. The woman I don’t want to share.
The laughter that fills the air catches me off guard. Mom walks into the room and sits on the edge of my bed, patting the seat beside her. Although I’m eager to hit the road, I sit too.
“You are your father’s son, Knox. Through and through. You’ve always been that way. Clay was my softie, the momma’s boy I never knew I wanted.”
I snort. “Yeah, and look at him now. Went from momma’s boy to wrapped around Maria’s fingers.”
She sighs. “Trust me. Don’t I know it. But it’s good for him. She’s good for him. I always knew Clay would find a good woman, and it didn’t surprise me that he did it so young. But you? I worried about you.”
I meet her gaze. “What?”
“You’re so much like your father. Focused on work, work, work. I think that’s why I was elated when you found Gwen so early on, even if it was obvious to pretty much everyone that you weren’t all in.”
I start to protest, but she lifts a hand to silence me.
“I know you loved her in your own way. I also know your heart was more into work than her. But ever since you came home from Crystal Cove, you’ve been different.” She pauses, her soft amber curls bouncing with the slightest shake of her head. “No, different’s not the right word. You’ve been the same, except you’ve become obsessive with work. More so than usual. As if you have to fill up every second of every day with distraction, as if you can’t—or don’t want to—find a moment’s peace. And when you aren’t working, you’re brooding. Now, don’t get me wrong. You practically came out of the womb brooding, but this is far different than that.”
She’s right about the brooding. Clay’s called me on it more times than I can count. Not that I’ll ever admit it to her. So I do what I do best: ignore it.
“Dad needed me.” It’s a lame excuse, and she knows it. I continue anyway. “I did what you asked. I went away for the summer, had fun, threw blood and sweat into that lake house. When I left Crystal Cove, I left all of that behind. I needed to be one hundred percent at the top of my game for Dad. That’s all there is to it.”
She tsks, and though I don’t want to meet her eyes, the sound has my gaze rising. The expression on her face… It takes me aback.
Mom would love Amelia. And Amelia would love Mom. They’re so much alike and I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.
What if? What if I could give Amelia not only me, but a family again too?
And not just my parents. Or Clay. But a family of our own.
My heart nearly stops at the thought of Amelia carrying our child. Images flash through my mind. Me wrapping my arms around her swollen belly. A baby nestled on her breast. First steps. First words. First everything.
And if I wasn’t sure before, I am now. I have to win her back. We can live in Nashville or Crystal Cove or jet-set wherever she wants to. All that matters is her. All that matters…is us.
“Did I lose you?”
I blink back to reality. “Sorry.”
“As I was saying before you zoned out, your father only needed you for a couple of weeks until he was back on his feet. Trust me, neither of us wanted your summer cut short, but Knox, you’re his right hand, just like you were always meant to be. You’re the one he trusted the most to look after things while he was recuperating.”
Her words should thrill me. A year ago, they would have. It’s all I’ve ever wanted: my place at Wellington Enterprises, sitting at the right hand of my father until he handed over the baton. Yet it all seems so meaningless now. It’s still my dream, my life’s ambition. It’s just… I won’t be fulfilled unless Amelia is