Page 34 of Her Royal Cowboy Billionaire

He held her for a couple of minutes while she softly cried.

Michele had never felt so helpless in all her life. She wanted to hug the Queen Mother.

She dabbed at her eyes and then turned toward Michele and Erin.

“You must forgive me. I am Reina, Alex’s mother.” She held out her hand toward Michele.

“Mother, this is Michele Williams, my fiancée and her daughter Erin.”

To honor her, Michele curtsied and then took Reina’s hand. “I’m so very sorry for your loss. I can’t even imagine.”I don’t want to imagine it. Alex and I are not even married yet, but I would be devastated if he were killed. I truly can’t imagine losing him after thirty-one years of marriage.

Reina waved her arm toward the hall on the left. “Come, all of you, to my sitting rooms. Gregory is playing there, I believe. Erin, I think you will like Gregory. He is your age, I believe. You are six, correct?”

Erin nodded. “Yup. I’m six and I’ll be seven…” She looked up at her mother.

“Next month.”

The child turned back toward the queen mother. “Next month.”

Reina chuckled. “Yes. Come along.” She led them down a long hall. Alex opened a door and held it for the women, then followed them inside.

In the middle of the resplendent room was a small boy who had the same dark hair as Alex.

“Gregory.” Alex said quietly.

The boy looked up, his face split into a wide grin, and he jumped up and ran at his brother.

Alex caught him just as the child launched himself toward him.

“Alex! You’re home.” He wrapped his arms around Alex’s neck and hugged him tight.

Alex straightened and hugged him back. They stood there for a few moments, just holding each other. “How have you been? Have you been protecting Mother and yourself?”

“Yes, I don’t let Uncle Nicolai near her without me.”

Michele thought it strange they would have talked about Nicolai to a six-year-old, but then again, he needed to be kept safe. The easiest way to do that was to see that he was never alone with his uncle.

Alex smiled and ruffled his brother’s hair. “I knew I could count on you.” He turned his gaze toward his mother. “Where are the girls?”

“They are at their karate lessons.”

Michele smiled and touched Alex’s shoulder. “You didn’t tell me your sisters were into karate.”

“It must have slipped my mind.”

“Well, you have had a lot on your mind recently.”

“But I should have said something when we were talking about our families.”

“We’ll talk later.”

Reina waved her arm toward a sitting area on one end of the room. “Please have a seat. I’ll ring for some refreshments. Did you eat?”

“No, we had some snacks on the plane, but I was not a suitable host,” said Alex.

Michele couldn’t stop admiring the room. They decorated it in soft beiges and creams with splashes of aqua in the window sheers, the throw pillows on the sofas, and the coasters on the coffee table.

The sitting area comprised two cream-colored sofas with a coffee table between them and a matching chair on one end to make a horseshoe.