Page 113 of Billionaire Unbroken - Asher
I was an open book for the woman who had raised my woman and gone through hell with her.
“I care about Sierra,” I said. “My goal is to make her happy. I don’t ever want to see her hurt, either, Martha. You might not believe that right now, and I don’t blame you, but she’s safe with me.”
A glimmer of hope reflected in her troubled eyes. “I want to believe that, Asher. I guess your relationship just evolved so fast. I think you two are probably good for each other.”
I didn’t want to keep trying to convince her that I was never going to hurt her girl.
It was going to take time.
The pain she’d gone through with Sierra was still too recent and way too raw.
“Come to Montana,” I suggested. “Spend the holidays with us and visit whenever you want. I think it would mean a lot to Sierra to have you around often. She misses you.”
I’d suggest that she move closer to us, but Martha’s life was here in Hollister.
While she might love being close to her daughter again if she moved to Montana, it would be difficult for her to leave the world she’d lived in her entire life.
She had tight connections here in Hollister that had existed since her childhood.
If I could make Crystal Fork like a second home to her, that would probably help enormously.
“You don’t want your girlfriend’s mother around more than necessary,” she argued.
“I do,” I disagreed. “I want to get to know you better. I want you to meet my family. I have cousins and my aunt in Crystal Fork, and my brother is right next door. He’s married now. I think you’ll like his wife.”
“You have a big house?” she asked hesitantly.
I grinned at her. “It’s huge.”
I wasn’t sure she’d quite internalized the fact that I was a billionaire or exactly what kind of lifestyle that allowed me.
That wasn’t surprising since Martha had struggled for every penny she made her entire life.
“I have a feeling my daughter isn’t paying for all these repairs to my home,” she said in a scolding voice. “I know how much needs to be done. My daughter is a brilliant artist, but that extra money wouldn’t come easy for her right now.”
Sierra hadn’t mentioned to her mother how she’d managed to get the money for so many expensive repairs.
I’d kind of hoped that Martha wouldn’t question it.
I should have known better.
I shrugged. “It helps that I could do some things myself. Her career is getting really prosperous. She’s doing fine.”
Every word I’d just uttered was true.
She sent me a questioning look. “I think you might have made sure that she was fine.”
She knew absolutely nothing about Sierra working for me, and I wasn’t about to enlighten her.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for your daughter, but her successes are all about her and her talent.”
She suddenly smiled. “You always support her. She needs that, even if she won’t admit it.”
“I’m her biggest fan,” I told her.
“I’m glad to hear it,” she said softly as she rose from her chair. “I’m still not sure I understand a man who has his own plane to travel in, but that’s probably a good thing. I’ll see my daughter more often.”
I got to my feet and grinned at her. “You’ll come visit?”
