Chapter 68

NATHANIEL.

Not long after, Thane's phone rang, and the caller ID told him it was his mother calling. As he picked up the phone, he couldn't help but feel a hint of apprehension. Since the night he’d revealed himself to Aurora, he’d not spoken to her. He knew she held an interest in the progress of his relationship with Aurora but now that she’d given him a chance, he did not want to jinx it by telling his mother everything.

On the other hand, he knew next to nothing about wooing a woman and his mother might have insights that might help.

“Hey, Mom,” Thane greeted, his voice steady.

“Thane, hijo, I hope you’re doing good. How have things been going with Aurora?” his mother inquired and he heard the genuine concern in her tone.

Thane took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding, “Well, I told her who I really was. She seemed surprised at first but I think she’s taking it really well now. She’s giving me a chance to pursue her.”

He told her about Winter and the new man he’d seen with Aurora this morning. For some reason, he couldn’t help but think of them as rivals. Granted, he had been the one to marry Aurora but given their present circumstance, she probably liked him the least. It worried him, he would admit. If she turned around and chose someone else, he did not know what he would do.

“As a suitor?”

He nodded, then realized she couldn’t see him. “Yeah.”

Rebecca snorted. “She’s fierce. I’ll give her that.”

“Whose side are you on?” he scoffed.

“You’re my son; she’s my daughter-in-law. I’m on the side of love, hijo,” she chuckled. “And I think it’s absolutely brilliant that she’s making you work for it. God knows she’s hard her share of hurt from your nasty habit of jumping to conclusions. Besides, love has never been easy. If it were, it would not be worth it. I’m aware of your relatively uncharted territory in pursuing a romantic relationship and I hope you don’t mess this up, Thane. I’m serious. It took you forever to get here.”

Didn’t he know it? “I know, mom. I’m trying.”

“You’ll do fine. Just find a way to stand out.”

Stand out. He pondered over the words, turning them over in his mind’s eye. As Aurora’s husband as well as her boss, he had the advantage of finding out things about her without even wanting to due to proximity and their relationship. Which meant that he knew Aurora would prefer acts of service over gifts. She was an independent woman and only thoughtfulness would hold sway where she was concerned.

A lightbulb went on over his head. “Mom, would you be opposed to the idea of having one of your housemaids take care of Consuela?”

“Hmm.” His mother made a sound at the back of her throat and he could sense her confusion over the speaker. “Why one of my housemaids? Why don’t you just hire a caregiver?”

His mother’s practicality was evident and he understood why she needed a reason for the trouble. Here in New York, his house help extended her services to his mother because he trusted her but back in Mexico where she lived, she had several housemaids. Offering to have one of them take care of Consuela would involve flying them down to New York. If it wasn’t worth it, he would not be asking.

Thane explained his decision, “I want to provide a sense of familiarity and comfort for Aurora's family. The housemaid has been with our family for years, and I believe she can offer genuine care and support. You can vouch for her and if you’re on board with it, Consuela will definitely accept the gesture.”

“Okay, I see your point,” Rebecca agreed. “I do employ only the best. And Consuela has been my friend for a long time. I’m sure she’ll be open to the idea once she hears I’m alright with it. It’s a really amazing thing you’re trying to do here, Thane and I’m proud of you. You have my permission.”

He sighed. “Thank you, mom. I’ll have to run it by Aurora though. Knowing the kind of person she is, there’s a chance she might not be okay with it. Nevertheless, I’ll try my best to convince her.”

“Just let me know what she decides,” his mother said. They exchanged pleasantries soon after and ended the call. He was quite excited about his new idea and could not wait to share it with Aurora. Maybe then she would see that beneath all that brusque exterior, he could be considerate and friendly too.

Reaching for his office phone, he placed a call to Aurora’s desk line, requesting she come to his office. Like an adolescent teenage boy anxious about meeting his crush, his palms became sweaty and his heartbeat picked up speed. Aurora’s presence always threw him off balance and he doubted it would ever stop.

A knock on the door brought him out of his reverie.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Come in.”

A second later, the door caved open and Aurora appeared, looking beautiful like she always did. “You wanted to see me?” she said, staring at him with expectant eyes.

Thane sighed inaudibly. Would he scare her away if he randomly blurted out that he loved her? That seeing her with any other man made his blood boil? That he loved her so much it physically hurt to be so close to her and not be able to touch her or express himself freely because he was terrified he would be too much?

Blinking, he forced himself back to the issue at hand. “Aurora, I've arranged for a caregiver to assist your grandmother during her recovery. It's important that you have some support, especially with your demanding work schedule.”

She looked positively stunned. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Nathaniel. But—”

“Please don’t reject the offer,” he said softly. It would mean a lot to him if she accepted.

A corner of her lip curled upward. “I wasn’t going to. If you’d just let me finish.”

“Alright. Go on.”

“I was going to say that even though I appreciate your offer, I would prefer to cover the cost myself.”

He understood. She wasn’t rejecting the offer; she was rejecting his money. He did not know when a low chuckle left his lips. “I thought you would do that. Alright, that’s fine. If it’s what you want.”

She gave him a smile, one that warmed his heart. At least she had accepted his offer of getting a caregiver. It was something.

He hadn’t been entirely truthful with her. While it was commendable that she wanted to cover the expenses herself, he did not see any reason why she had to do so when he could easily take care of it. And so, he decided to secretly contribute a portion of the caregiver's expenses to the caregiver herself, ensuring that she would agree to a reduced wage that would be easier on Aurora's budget.

If he could not spend his wealth on his wife, then what was the point of it?