The Texas Cowboy's Quadruplets. Cathy Thacker Gillen

in any way. “And I didn’t want to ruin your holiday. But since Walter found us together and the secret is out—” she turned to give Chase a bolstering glance “—Chase and I figured we might as well come clean. So you wouldn’t have to go to all the trouble of fixing me up with anyone else.”

      Fixing her up? Chase’s gut tightened with jealousy. Mitzy had said her mother wanted her married. She hadn’t said anything about any matchmaking! But of course, it made sense. This was why she wanted him here. Not just for closure. Which, he figured was real. But to be a detriment to her mother’s plans.

      “I see.” Judith’s eyes gleamed knowingly.

      She was on to Mitzy, too.

      The soft sound of a baby crying had Mitzy heading for the stairs. “I’m going to see if the nannies need any help,” she said.

      Judith turned to check on the turkey roasting in the oven, then faced off with Chase yet again. “I’m not sure how I feel about any of this,” she said.

      Chase wasn’t, either, if all it was, was a means to the end of him and Mitzy.

      “Maybe we should let the young people figure it out for themselves, sweetheart,” Walter said.

      “I can’t.” Judith continued, “You broke my daughter’s heart once.”

      Chase didn’t mind accepting blame where it was due but he wasn’t about to shoulder all of it. “I think a more apt description was that we broke each other’s hearts,” he clarified gruffly.

      Judith paused. In the awkward silence that fell, Chase could see Mitzy’s mother mentally going down the laundry list of all his faults.

      As expected, she tried once again to dissuade him.

      “The point is, Chase, Mitzy deserves more than you can give her.”

      Chase knew he’d been far too focused on fulfilling his ambition then, to the detriment of all else. He nodded. “She deserves more than I did give her, ten years ago.”

      Judith’s gaze narrowed. “I’m not just talking about time and attention, although there is that. I’m talking about the financial aspect, too.”

      Obviously, although his ex had kept up with his accomplishments, her mother had not.

      Chase was still trying to figure out how to disclose his greatly improved status, without sounding like a braggart, when Mitzy came back into the kitchen, an infant in a BabyBjörn carrier, snuggled against her chest. To Chase’s frustration, the infant’s face was turned away from him, so all he could see was the outline of the baby boy’s sturdy little body, encased in the canvas carrier, and the blue-and-white knit cap covering his head.

      Clearly, she’d overheard enough of the conversation to know what was going on. “Can we please not talk about money today?” Mitzy swayed back and forth, gently lulling the child. A more natural mother had never been made, Chase thought admiringly. “Besides, haven’t you heard, Mother?” Mitzy added wearily. “Chase is wealthy in his own right now.”

      Her spine stiff with indignation, Judith gave the gravy another stir. “Darling, there’s wealthy. And then there’s wealthy.”

      Mitzy made a face. She walked farther away from the trio. Giving him an even better view of her enticing backside and spectacular legs.

      Judith continued brightly, “The men I have lined up for you to meet at the quadruplets’ debut have fortunes on par with Walter’s.”

      Only one problem with that, Chase thought, as he swept another wave of unwanted jealousy aside. Money and/or influence had never been what Judith’s daughter wanted. That had been his ambition.

      “Your mother could have a point,” Chase said, playing against Mitzy’s widely stated values.

      She met his eyes.

      New sparks flew.

      He shrugged affably. “The fifty-million-dollar company I started is probably nothing compared to what those dudes likely inherited.” And if their blood was as blue as he imagined, they probably did nothing to earn...

      Mitzy shot him a droll look and glided nearer, giving him another tantalizing but maddeningly incomplete glimpse of just one of her four sons.

      What was it going to take to get an introduction?

      Although he knew very well why she wasn’t showing him her boys.

      She was trying to keep at least some boundaries erected between them.

      “I want more than money from anyone I’m involved with,” Mitzy said sternly.

      Chase was glad to hear that. It meant Mitzy was as deeply romantic as she had once been before practicality trumped all and she had decided to have her babies the new-fashioned way. Sans intimacy of any kind.

      “Why do you assume that just because a man is rich he’s somehow not worth having?” Judith demanded, taking the potatoes off the stove to drain.

      Chase noted the grinning Walter seemed to agree with Judith that he was very much worth having.

      Mitzy continued her gentle waltz about the kitchen. “I don’t know, Mother.” She bent to kiss her baby’s head, then cast a chastising glance over her shoulder. “Maybe your second, third and fourth husbands might have something to do with it?”

      Chase knew Mitzy’s previous stepfathers had all been emotionally remote and/or neglectful, at best, often viewing Mitzy as a nuisance. Luckily, she’d had Gus, and her time in Laramie to counter that.

      “Exactly why I promptly divorced them after only a year or two,” Judith huffed, handing over a bottle of wine for her husband to open. “They weren’t the right person for me to be married to.”

      “But they were increasingly wealthy,” Mitzy pointed out as Walter worked off the cork.

      “Well, of course.” Judith refused to apologize for that as she passed the canapés around. “I wasn’t going to fall for anyone who guaranteed us downward mobility!” She paused to put the tray aside then grasped Mitzy by the shoulders. “Listen to me, darling, it is just as easy to fall in love with a wealthy man as it is to fall in love with a poor one. The difference is a truly wealthy man has so many more ways to make you happy! And if you need an example of that—” Judith let go of Mitzy and went to kiss her fifth husband on the cheek “—you need to look no further than my darling Walter.”

      Chase wanted to disagree with that, but couldn’t. Not entirely, anyway. It was a heck of a lot easier to be happy if you didn’t have to worry about putting food on the table or a roof over your head.

      Mitzy frowned. “I’m not disputing the fact that Walter is wonderful, Mother, or always has been.” She sent Walter an affectionate smile, which he returned. “But it’s not his money or his talent with investing that makes him so exceptional. It’s his kind heart and generosity.”

      Judith took the turkey out of the oven and set it on the back of the six-burner stove. “You think Chase has your best interests at heart?”

      Mitzy paused, a little too long for his comfort. Which meant he had a lot of work to do to get their relationship back on an even keel.

      “Yes. Of course,” Mitzy said finally. She added as a caveat, “Now, anyway.”

      Still managing the meal prep with a former chef and caterer’s ease, Judith turned to him with a raised brow. “I assume you’ll attest to the same?”

      “Absolutely.” Chase held Mitzy’s pretty aquamarine eyes. If the past few days had taught him anything, it was that he wanted a fresh start with his ex-fiancée. And that yearning had nothing to do with any secret deathbed promise he’d made to Gus.

      “Then prove it.” Judith threw down the gauntlet with customary flair. “Use your clout within the industry to find a buyer for Martin Custom Saddle, or purchase it yourself,