Turbulent Waters (Billionaire Aviators 3)

Chloe felt tears come to her eyes, and she shook her head, hoping to send them away. What Lindsey was telling her was straight from the heart. She knew the woman wasn’t lying. It was just that Chloe’s entire world felt like it was crashing around her. If she didn’t have her beliefs, then what was she to do? Was it her family who was wrong? She just didn’t know.

“I’m sorry,” she said, taking in deep breaths.

“Never feel bad for having a moment,” Stormy told her as she walked up on Chloe’s other side. “We all have them. In this family, the great thing is we don’t have to suffer through them alone. We take care of each other.”

A tear escaped and fell down Chloe’s cheek. Lindsey quickly grabbed a paper towel and handed it to her. Chloe didn’t know what to do with what the women were saying. It was all a lot to take in. And it was Chloe who was supposed to be taking care of her brother the way this family was so determined to take care of each other. But she couldn’t do thatâ??not ever again.

“I think the Armstrong brothers are too dang good-looking for the sanity of all women,” Chloe said as she attempted to make a joke. Stormy and Lindsey smiled while nodding their heads.

“We’ll leave you alone about it, but we’re going to give you our numbers. If Nick gets out of hand, you just call us. For that matter, if you just need a woman to speak to, call us and we’ll be here for you in a minute,” Stormy said.

“Unless I’m in the delivery room,” Lindsey added with a smile. “But even if I’m there, you can come talk to me in between contractions.”

This made Chloe laugh. “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that one,” she told her.

“Might be smart. Stormy was yelling at everyone in sight while she was giving birth. I have a feeling I might be worse than she was,” Lindsey said.

“Okay, in my defense, childbirth should be used as a torture device. If men had any idea how much pain was involved, they would never want us to go through with a delivery,” Stormy said.

“But then we wouldn’t have these wonderful children to raise,” Lindsey pointed out.

“Yes, it most certainly is worth it in the end,” Stormy said as she looked down at her sleeping daughter.

Chloe followed her stare and gazed at the beautiful baby girl. She was so tiny in her little car seat with blankets tucked around her. There had been a time when Chloe had wanted her own children so badly, she could practically taste it. Now she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t know what kind of mother she would be, and if she was anything like her own mom, weak and pathetic, she didn’t want anything to do with becoming a parent.

Chloe couldn’t ever imagine letting anyone beat her childrenâ??not even their father. As she watched the love shining on Stormy’s face, she felt another pang in her heart. If her own mom had loved her as much as Stormy loved her children, maybe Chloe wouldn’t have had to endure the hell she’d been through growing up.

It didn’t do her any good to try to imagine how things could have been. That was a waste of her time and emotions. She would never have the answers because she was grown up now. Her life was what it was.

The women stopped grilling her, and she found herself enjoying their company as she stayed and helped them make a mountain load of food while the men socialized elsewhere. She was scared, though, because as she hung around them and laughed and listened to their stories, she found she wanted to be with them even more.

She wanted to be a part of their family. It felt safe and comfortingâ??something she wasn’t used to. If she weren’t careful, she might find herself wanting something she could never have.

Just as she had that thought, Nick and his brothers walked back into the room. Her eyes met his, and the intensity between them took her breath away. There was a promise shining from his beautiful green depthsâ??a promise that told her she only needed to reach out to get it.

Was she brave enough to do that? She knew she wasn’t. Instead of walking to him and allowing herself to explore what was going on between them, she broke the connection of their gaze and instead focused on a spot on the wall.

Nick walked up to her, but she found a reasonable excuse to moveâ??to avoid him. She hated herself a little bit for doing it. But she knew it was the right thing to do. It left her feeling incredibly lonely, though, even in a room full of people.

Chloe knew that was just how her life was destined to be. She’d accepted it long ago. Being with Nick might make that concept a bit harder to accept, but it was the way it had to be. Dreams were for those with the luxury of having a choice.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The moment Chloe stepped out of the house with the ladies to join them on the back deck, Nick could practically taste her. They were like two magnets being drawn toward one another, and he had no desire to run away. It had only been about an hour since he’d been in the room with her, but even that seemed too long.

His heart began to race, and everything within him wanted to be with her. He tuned out whatever it was his brother had been saying, and his eyes focused on the beautiful woman with a smile on her face as she carried Stormy’s daughter, Addie.

The sight of Chloe with the small infant in her arms sent something burning through his chest. Never before had the sight of a woman and child evoked such a deep yearning in him, but as he took in the smile on her lips, the flush to her cheeks, and the baby cradled protectively in her arms, he wanted to pull them both close to his heart, and block out the rest of the world. felt tears come to her eyes, and she shook her head, hoping to send them away. What Lindsey was telling her was straight from the heart. She knew the woman wasn’t lying. It was just that Chloe’s entire world felt like it was crashing around her. If she didn’t have her beliefs, then what was she to do? Was it her family who was wrong? She just didn’t know.

“I’m sorry,” she said, taking in deep breaths.

“Never feel bad for having a moment,” Stormy told her as she walked up on Chloe’s other side. “We all have them. In this family, the great thing is we don’t have to suffer through them alone. We take care of each other.”

A tear escaped and fell down Chloe’s cheek. Lindsey quickly grabbed a paper towel and handed it to her. Chloe didn’t know what to do with what the women were saying. It was all a lot to take in. And it was Chloe who was supposed to be taking care of her brother the way this family was so determined to take care of each other. But she couldn’t do thatâ??not ever again.

“I think the Armstrong brothers are too dang good-looking for the sanity of all women,” Chloe said as she attempted to make a joke. Stormy and Lindsey smiled while nodding their heads.

“We’ll leave you alone about it, but we’re going to give you our numbers. If Nick gets out of hand, you just call us. For that matter, if you just need a woman to speak to, call us and we’ll be here for you in a minute,” Stormy said.

“Unless I’m in the delivery room,” Lindsey added with a smile. “But even if I’m there, you can come talk to me in between contractions.”

This made Chloe laugh. “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that one,” she told her.

“Might be smart. Stormy was yelling at everyone in sight while she was giving birth. I have a feeling I might be worse than she was,” Lindsey said.

“Okay, in my defense, childbirth should be used as a torture device. If men had any idea how much pain was involved, they would never want us to go through with a delivery,” Stormy said.

“But then we wouldn’t have these wonderful children to raise,” Lindsey pointed out.

“Yes, it most certainly is worth it in the end,” Stormy said as she looked down at her sleeping daughter.

Chloe followed her stare and gazed at the beautiful baby girl. She was so tiny in her little car seat with blankets tucked around her. There had been a time when Chloe had wanted her own children so badly, she could practically taste it. Now she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t know what kind of mother she would be, and if she was anything like her own mom, weak and pathetic, she didn’t want anything to do with becoming a parent.

Chloe couldn’t ever imagine letting anyone beat her childrenâ??not even their father. As she watched the love shining on Stormy’s face, she felt another pang in her heart. If her own mom had loved her as much as Stormy loved her children, maybe Chloe wouldn’t have had to endure the hell she’d been through growing up.

It didn’t do her any good to try to imagine how things could have been. That was a waste of her time and emotions. She would never have the answers because she was grown up now. Her life was what it was.

The women stopped grilling her, and she found herself enjoying their company as she stayed and helped them make a mountain load of food while the men socialized elsewhere. She was scared, though, because as she hung around them and laughed and listened to their stories, she found she wanted to be with them even more.

She wanted to be a part of their family. It felt safe and comfortingâ??something she wasn’t used to. If she weren’t careful, she might find herself wanting something she could never have.

Just as she had that thought, Nick and his brothers walked back into the room. Her eyes met his, and the intensity between them took her breath away. There was a promise shining from his beautiful green depthsâ??a promise that told her she only needed to reach out to get it.

Was she brave enough to do that? She knew she wasn’t. Instead of walking to him and allowing herself to explore what was going on between them, she broke the connection of their gaze and instead focused on a spot on the wall.

Nick walked up to her, but she found a reasonable excuse to moveâ??to avoid him. She hated herself a little bit for doing it. But she knew it was the right thing to do. It left her feeling incredibly lonely, though, even in a room full of people.

Chloe knew that was just how her life was destined to be. She’d accepted it long ago. Being with Nick might make that concept a bit harder to accept, but it was the way it had to be. Dreams were for those with the luxury of having a choice.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The moment Chloe stepped out of the house with the ladies to join them on the back deck, Nick could practically taste her. They were like two magnets being drawn toward one another, and he had no desire to run away. It had only been about an hour since he’d been in the room with her, but even that seemed too long.

His heart began to race, and everything within him wanted to be with her. He tuned out whatever it was his brother had been saying, and his eyes focused on the beautiful woman with a smile on her face as she carried Stormy’s daughter, Addie.

The sight of Chloe with the small infant in her arms sent something burning through his chest. Never before had the sight of a woman and child evoked such a deep yearning in him, but as he took in the smile on her lips, the flush to her cheeks, and the baby cradled protectively in her arms, he wanted to pull them both close to his heart, and block out the rest of the world.