“Roman!”
“You were expecting someone else?”
She shook her head. “It’s just . . . I thought you’d left the house already.”
“And you decided to run a marathon while I was gone?”
“Weren’t you supposed to have breakfast with your brothers?”
He narrowed his gaze. “I couldn’t get out of bed this morning, and don’t change the subject. Was that you running down the stairs? Because you’re supposed to be taking it easy, remember?” But hadn’t Rick said she’d sounded winded last night too?
“How could I forget something so important?” She placed a shaking hand to her chest, then walked slowly into the room, coming up beside him. “What about you? Are you feeling okay?”
Other than disoriented from this circular conversation, he was fine. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“Because your ears are obviously still clogged from the plane ride if you’re thinking you heard something as ridiculous as me running, of all things. Do you want me to make an appointment with Dr. Fallon for you?” she asked.
He shook his head hard enough to clear his ears had they been blocked and met his mother’s gaze. “I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“No need.” She slowly lowered herself into the chair beside him, then stared at his cereal bowl, a frown puckering her face. “Well, I see some things haven’t changed. I can’t believe I actually keep that garbage on hand for you. It’s going to—”
“Rot my teeth, I know.” She’d told him often enough as a kid. But she loved him enough to indulge him anyway. “You do realize I haven’t lost one yet?”
“Yet being the operative word. A single man needs all his teeth, Roman. No woman finds it attractive to wake up in the middle of the night and discover you soaking your dentures on the nightstand.”
He rolled his eyes. “Good thing I’m a respectful man and don’t let women spend the night.” Let his mother chew on that, Roman thought wryly.
“Respect has nothing to do with it,” she muttered.
As usual, his mother had a point. Women didn’t stay overnight because he wasn’t currently involved and hadn’t been in a while, and because women who spent the night took it for granted they could spend another one. And another. The next thing a man knew, he was in a relationship—which Roman supposed wouldn’t be a bad thing, if he could find a woman who interested him for more than a couple of weeks. Chase and Rick felt the same way. At this point, Roman figured the Chandler brothers’ hearts were stamped NO TRESPASSING. Any intelligent woman read the fine print before getting involved in any way.
“You’re too smart for your own good, Mom.” As he rose from his seat, he realized Raina was completely dressed for the day. She wore navy blue slacks, a white blouse with a tie, and the pin with three baseball bats, a diamond in each, clipped into the center—a gift from his father after Chase’s birth, and added to with each son she’d delivered. Other than her slight pallor, she looked great. The way his mother always looked, he thought with pride. “Going somewhere?” he asked.
She nodded. “To the hospital to read to the children.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.
“And before you argue with me like Chase and Rick tried to do, let me tell you something. I’ve been in bed since late Friday when your brothers brought me home. It’s a beautiful morning. Even the doctor said fresh air would do me good as long as I take it easy.”
“Ma—”
“I’m not finished.”
She waved a hand in front of his nose and he lowered himself back into his chair, knowing better than to attempt to get a word in edgewise.
“I always read to the children on Monday and Friday. Jean Parker has chemotherapy treatments on those days and she looks forward to hearing Curious George Goes to the Hospital.”
Bless his mother for caring, he thought. Even ill, she put others first. She’d always had more than enough room in her heart for any kid who’d walked into their home.
As if she’d read his mind, she placed her hand over that heart and rubbed gently. “And besides, there’s nothing like children to make a heart feel decades younger.”
He rolled his eyes. “More rest will do the same thing, so after you read, I expect you home and in bed.” No way would he touch the dig regarding kids. Not when he was about to embark upon a hunt to find a mother for his. “Are you finished with the monologue?” he asked politely.
She nodded.
“I wasn’t going to argue. I just wanted to know if I could make you breakfast. I wouldn’t want you to wear yourself out before you start your volunteer work.”
A smile worked its way onto her face. Considering she was over sixty, her skin still held a glow most women would envy and the lines weren’t as deep as many others’ her age. Fear of losing her suddenly washed over him. He stood again and held out his arms. “I love you, Mom. And don’t you ever scare me like that again.”
She rose and hugged him in return, her arms and her grip strong and sure. This was his mother, the woman who had raised him, and though they touched base only once in a while because of his schedule, he adored her. He couldn’t imagine life without her in it. “I want you around for a long, long time.”
She sniffed. “Me too.”
“Don’t wipe your nose on my shirt.” Female tears made him uncomfortable and he wanted her perky and strong again. “The doctor said you’ll be fine as long as you take care of yourself, right? No stress, no overdoing it?”
She nodded.
“I suppose reading couldn’t hurt. Can I drive you into town?”
“Chase is picking me up.”
“How are you getting home?”
“Eric is dropping me off after lunch.”
“How is Dr. Fallon?” Roman asked.
“Fine. Looking out for me just like you boys.” She stepped backward, dabbed her eyes with a napkin she’d swiped off the table, and though she didn’t meet his gaze, she was his composed mother again.
“How about a bagel and a cup of decaffeinated tea?” Roman asked.
“Don’t spoil me. I’ll be lost when you’re gone.”
He grinned. “Somehow I doubt that. You’re the strongest woman I know.”
Raina laughed. “And don’t you forget it.”