She didn’t know why he was nervous.
“I’m switching over to a video call so I can see you. Get ready,” she said, hanging up and immediately re-calling him. When he came on the screen, she smiled at him.
Her son chose well.
He was a handsome man.
“Do I scare you?”
Oh.
Hell.
Yeah.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Ma’am. Your husbands are terrified of you, and they love you. So, I’m sure people you don’t know are wary.”
She laughed.
“You can call me Mom, or you can call me Elizabeth. I don’t bite, Graham, unless that’s your kink. Do tell if it is. Then, I can bust D’Artangnan’s ass.”
He actually laughed.
“It’s not, but who am I to say shit. I have a Marine Kink,” he admitted.
She was aware.
“Welcome to the family,” she said. “I didn’t get to talk to you at the end of the garden ceremony. It looked pretty out there.”
He was waiting for the sneak attack. Callen and Chris said she was wily.
He was bracing for it.
“Thank you, Ma’am. I mean…”
She cut him a break.
“I’m not as scary as they say. I promise. I do want to know though, what are your plans?” she asked. “He’s married to you, and now, you two have to find a place unless you’re stayingthere. When I asked if he was leaving, he didn’t know. It was up to you. So, I need to know where my favorite Marine, and don’t let that slip to the others, is going to be.”
He didn’t know why he felt so compelled to tell her the truth.
“I made a mess here. I don’t think we have a choice. I might have to leave Scotland, but I’m afraid he’ll die if we go to the US.”
As soon as it was out of his mouth, he was dumbfounded why he’d spilled his guts.
Holy shit.
She hadn’t even asked.
Why was he compelled to tell her everything? It had to be those icy-blue eyes.
They were eerie.
“I see,” she said. “Why?”
“I slept around, and I did some foul things to feel. I’m ashamed that he’ll be bombarded with that each day if we go into the village. I hit rock bottom, and I made bad choices. Maybe staying here is a bad plan, but I’m afraid if we don’t, he’ll get hurt at work and die.”
That she understood.
