Read Enraptured for Free Online Page A

as she put her arm around Max. “The boss here wouldn’t have it. California is his home. And we always find our way home, don’t we?”
    I nodded. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Drew watching me closely, no doubt testing my loyalty once more by how I interacted with Alex’s branch of the family tree. All that was missing was if Alex showed up himself, yet another test for all of us.
    But Alex never made it on camera, which from what I could gather meant he wasn’t at home at all. I knew better than to inquire, so I allowed Jonathan to dominate the conversation like usual. He told me about their night camping out, and the new horses that Alex had brought back from England. All was right in his world, especially now that his mother was clear across the country.
    “I can’t wait until you guys come home,” he grinned happily. “I’ve got a big surprise.”
    “You’re surprise enough,” I said.
    “Thanks, Mom,” he replied before he could catch himself. He spotted my look of surprise immediately. “It is okay that I call you Mom now, isn’t it?”
    “More than okay ,” Drew answered for me as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “We’re a family now, after all.”
    “Just remember I’m adding to the family, not taking anything away,” I cautioned gently. “I’m not here to take your mother’s place, Jonathan.”
    He nodded.  “I understand,” he said. “I love you. Mom,” he added, to test out my new title. My heart melted as I stared into those bright blue eyes.
    “I love you, too,” I said, fighting back the tears that no longer seemed to keep themselves in check, thanks to my raging pregnancy hormones.
    I remained quiet after we signed off. Drew took me by the hand and led me toward the living room, to enjoy the panoramic view. I sat while he fetched a midday snack from the kitchen, and I stared almost blindly at the endless blue sea until he returned, carrying a tray for our afternoon tea.
    There were delicate cucumber sandwiches and freshly baked pastries with a side of lemon curd and cream. He poured my cup of tea while I cautiously nibbled on one of the fruit-filled scones. “He looked good, didn’t he?” Drew asked with a sideways grin.
    I nodded. “Time at the ranch was always good for him. He loves Max. I think it was his influence that helped turn Jonathan around last year. Because Max looked up to him and depended on him, it encouraged him to make better choices.”
    “He’s always loved other children,” Drew commented before he took a bite out of one of the sandwiches. “I wanted to have other children right away, but there was no way Elise would agree to another pregnancy, especially after she got lost all the extra weight.”
    The scone felt like mushy cardboard in my mouth. Sloane’s comment about “breeders” rang in my ears as I thought about the ex-Mrs. Fullerton. She had a more exciting agenda, apparently, than filling their large mansion with a horde of children.
    That, it would seem, fell to more wholesome “matronly” figures. Like me.
    I finally choked down my snack. “I suppose it was a blessing in disguise,” I muttered, thinking of how wounded Jonathan had been when I met him, so obviously damaged by the ugly divorce and messy custody battle.
    “Indeed,” Drew agreed immediately. “And now he will have a little brother or sister of his very own, from a mother committed to the emotional wellbeing of all her children.” He toasted me with his cup of tea.
    “His wellbeing includes Max,” I said softly. His jaw clenched and he looked away. “It is what he wants most in the world, Drew. Jonathan really thrives when he has his entire family around him. No matter what you think about them, that includes Alex and his son.”
    Drew leaned back against the sofa. The setting sun outside our window cast shadows against his strong, uncompromising face. “What are you asking, Rachel?”
    “Your war doesn’t have to touch them,” I told him.