Stone Cold Surrender

by Brenda Jackson

  Stone nodded then reached across the table and captured her hand in his. “Do you regret that we didn’t head out first thing this morning as we’d planned?”

  She met his gaze. “No.”

  They went back to bed and made love again and later, after dressing fully, they decided to take a walk around the cabin. “Have you prepared yourself for tomorrow?” Stone asked, holding her hand as they walked along the stream.

  Madison glanced up at him. A beautiful sunset was emerging before them and she had a beautiful man to share it with.

  “No, I’ve been so caught up in what we’ve been doing that I haven’t had a chance to really think about it. And maybe that’s a good thing.”

  “Why?”

  “Because sharing this time with you has opened my eyes to a lot of things. I hate to think of my parents’ love life, but what if my mother never experienced anything as rich and profound as the passion we’ve shared in the whole time she was married to my father?”

  Stone hugged her tighter to him. “Maybe your parents were passionately in love at one point.” But he knew what she meant. He also knew that his uncle had a way with women and he couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps, when he saw Abby Winters, he had detected untapped passion in her in the same way Stone had detected it in Madison.

  “But I plan to do as you suggested, Stone.”

  Her words intruded on his thoughts and he glanced down at her. “What is that?”

  “Keep an open mind about things and not be judgmental.”

  He nodded. “I’m sure your mother would appreciate that. She’ll probably be surprised as hell to see you. The last thing she needs is for you to become the parent and make her feel like a naughty child.”

  Madison sighed deeply. “Do you think I made a mistake by even coming?”

  He put his hand on her wrist to stop them from walking any farther, knowing he had to be honest with her. “At first I did, but now I know it’s just your nature. You were concerned about her. I think she will understand that.”

  Madison hoped so. The closer the time came to seeing her mother, the more she began to feel nervous about her motives in pursuing her. What right did she have to interfere in her mother’s life? Her mother was a fifty-year-old woman and if she was going through a midlife crisis then it was her business. She shook her head. Her mother was the only family she had so anything her mother was going through was both of their businesses. She would just have to adjust her way of thinking about things and practice understanding. And thanks to the man standing in front of her, she believed that she could. Stone had shown her the true meaning of passion and the pleasures of making love. And he had also introduced her to the joys of loving and Madison now knew that she truly loved him.

  Once things were settled with her mother, she would leave immediately for Boston. The memories she would have of the time she and Stone had spent together would keep her warm on those lonely nights when she would long to have him naked in bed beside her; those times when she would yearn for her dreams of him to become reality. Already the thought of leaving him caused pain to pierce her heart, but she would survive…she had no other choice.

  Eight

  W ow! That was the one word that immediately came to Madison’s mind when they reached the top of the mountain where Corey Westmoreland lived.

  Coming to Montana had certainly opened her eyes to the beauty of an area she had never visited before. Seeing the spacious and sprawling ranch house in the distance, set among a stand of pine trees and beneath the beautiful Montana blue sky, forced a breathless sigh to escape from her lips.

  “Why would one man need a place so huge?” she turned and asked Stone.

  His mouth twitched into a grin. “Mainly because of his family, especially his nephews. When it became evident that the number of male Westmorelands was increasing and this place would be their summer home, Uncle Corey decided he needed lots of space and a huge food budget.”

  Madison blinked. “You mean, while growing up, all eleven of you would visit at the same time?”

  Stone chuckled. “Yeah, we would all be here at the same time. But you’d better believe that, although everyone thought Uncle Corey was nuts for having all of us here, they knew him well enough to know that he would keep us in line and keep us busy. He did and we loved it. My fondest childhood memories were of the times I spent here. That’s why me and my four brothers and six cousins have such a close relationship. Each summer we did some serious male bonding and learned how to get along with each other. Once in a while, we’d let Delaney come with us during the summer, but she preferred coming during her spring breaks.”

  Madison nodded. “Your uncle must really like kids.”

  Stone smile wavered some. “He does. It’s unfortunate that he never married and had any of his own.”

  She gazed at him. “Do you like kids?”

  He cast her a sideways glance. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

  “Because I think it’s unfortunate that in a few years you’re going to find yourself in the same situation as your uncle.”

  He held her gaze for a long moment, then said in a low voice, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Come on. Chances are Uncle Corey knows we’re coming.”

  Madison lifted her brow as the horses moved forward at a slow pace with Stone traveling slightly ahead. “How will he know that?”

  Stone turned and looked back at her and the chuckle that poured from his lips seemed to echo in the wind. “Because Uncle Corey knows the moment anyone sets foot on his mountain. He may not know it’s us who’s coming but he knows that somebody is on his property.”

  And as if to prove how well Stone knew his uncle, Madison watched as the front door of the huge ranch house swung open and a bear of a man—who looked to stand at least six-five—stepped out onto the wraparound porch. He was wearing a Stetson on his head and peered at them as if trying to make out the identity of his trespassers. When moments passed and it became obvious that he’d figured out that at least one of them was his nephew, he smiled, tugged at the brim of his Stetson and stepped off the porch to come and meet them.

  When he came closer the first thing Madison saw was that he was definitely a Westmoreland. Upon first meeting Durango she had immediately known that he and Stone were related and the same held true for Corey Westmoreland. He had the same dark eyes, the same forehead, chin and full lips.

  The next thing she noticed was that, at fifty-four, he was a very good-looking man. Like his two nephews, he was magnificent. When he removed his hat she saw that his dark hair had streaks of gray at the temple, making him seem distinguished, as well as handsome. And he appeared to be in excellent physical shape. This was definitely a man who could still grab female interest and she could see why her mother had evidently found him attractive and irresistible.

  As soon as Corey reached them Stone brought his bay to a stop and was off his horse in a flash, engulfing his uncle in a huge embrace. “Well, my word Stone, it’s good seeing you. I almost forgot Durango had mentioned that you would be visiting these parts. The phone’s been down for a couple of weeks and I’ve been cut off from civilization.”

  Corey Westmoreland then turned his attention to Madison who was still sitting on the back of her horse staring at him. He tipped his hat to her. “Howdy, ma’am,” he said walking over and offering her his hand in a friendly handshake. “Welcome to Corey’s Mountain and who might you be?”

  Madison saw the look of amusement in Corey Westmoreland’s dark eyes and knew he had immediately jumped to the conclusion that she was there because of Stone and that the two of them were lovers. She could give him credit for being partly right.

  She accepted his assistance when he reached up to help her off her horse and knew the exact moment that Stone came to stand beside her. “Hello, Mr. Westmoreland, I’m Madison Winters and I’ve come to see my mother.”

  There was complete silence for a few moments, then Madison watched as the look in Corey Westmoreland’s eyes became te
nder and, when he spoke, his tone of voice matched that look. “So you’re Madison? I’ve heard a lot about you. Abby will be glad to see you.”

  Madison nodded as she tried reading signs in the older man’s features that indicated otherwise. “She doesn’t know I’m coming.”

  He chuckled. “That won’t mean a thing. She hoped you had gotten the messages she’d left so you wouldn’t worry. With the phones being down, she couldn’t leave any more. I’m hoping Liam will be feeling well enough to do the repairs.”

  Madison lifted a brow. “Liam?”

  “Yes, he’s another rancher who lives on the opposite mountain. He’s also the area’s repair man and electrician.” Corey Westmoreland put his hat back on. “But enough about that. I’m sure you’re eager to see your mama.”

  “Yes, I am.” Madison glanced around. “Is she still here?” She watched as the man’s mouth lit into a huge smile.

  “Yes, she’s here. Go on up to the house and open the door and go right on in. When I walked out she was in the middle of preparing dinner.”

  Madison blinked. “Dinner? My mother is actually cooking?”

  “Yes.”

  Madison frowned. She couldn’t remember the last time her mother had cooked. She turned to Stone. “Are you coming?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll be in later. I need to talk to Uncle Corey about something.”

  She nodded. Although she knew he probably did need to talk to his uncle, she also knew that he was hanging back to give her and her mother time alone. “All right.” And without saying anything else, she walked the short distance to the house alone, wondering what she would say to her mother when she saw her.

  Madison opened the door and cautiously walked inside the impressive house. She heard the sound of a woman humming and immediately knew it was her mother’s voice. Quickly glancing around she scanned her surroundings. The inside of Corey’s ranch house was just as huge as the outside. The heavy furnishings were made of rich, supple leather and were durable and made to last forever. The place looked neat and well-lived-in and several vases of fresh flowers denoted a feminine touch.

  “Dinner’s almost ready, Corey. I think a soak in the hot tub would be nice afterwards, what do you think?”

  Madison swallowed as the sound of her mother’s voice reached her. Evidently she had heard the door open and assumed it was Corey Westmoreland returning. Sighing deeply, Madison crossed the living room to the kitchen and came to a stop in the doorway. Her mother, the prim-and-proper Abby Winters, was bending over checking something in the oven. She was wearing a pair of jeans, a short top, was barefoot and had her hair untied and flowing down her back. Her mother had always been weight conscious and had a nice figure; the outfit she was wearing clearly showed just how nice that figure was.

  Madison blinked, not sure if this sexy looking creature in Corey Westmoreland’s kitchen was actually her mother. She looked more like a woman in her thirties than someone who had turned fifty earlier that year. And Madison found it hard to believe that the woman who normally wore conservative business suits, high-heeled pumps and her hair up in a bun was the same person standing less than ten feet away from her.

  “Mom?”

  Abby Winters snatched her head up and met Madison’s uncertain gaze. She blinked, as if making sure she was really seeing her daughter, and then a huge smile touched both corners of her lips and she quickly crossed the room. “Maddy, what are you doing here?” she asked, mere seconds before engulfing Madison in a colossal hug.

  “I wanted to make sure you were all right,” Madison said when her mother finally released her.

  Her mother lifted a worried brow. “Didn’t you get my messages saying I was extending my trip?”

  “Yes, but I had to see for myself that you were okay.”

  Abby pulled her daughter back to her. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry that you were worried about me, but I’m fine.”

  Madison sighed. What she needed to hear was a little more than that, but before she could open her mouth to say anything, she heard the front door open and Stone and Corey Westmoreland walked in. She watched the expression on her mother’s face when she looked up and saw Stone’s uncle. If there was any doubt in Madison’s mind, it vanished with the look the two of them exchanged. It was a good thing they were already in the kitchen because she could certainly feel the heat simmering between them. It was quite obvious that her mother and Corey Westmoreland had a thing going on.

  Madison cleared her throat. “Mom, this is Stone, Mr. Westmoreland’s nephew and my friend. Stone, this is my mother, Abby Winters.”

  She saw Stone blink and knew the prim-and-proper picture she had painted of her mother was definitely not the one Stone was seeing. He took a step forward and took Abby’s hand in a warm handshake. “Nice meeting you, Ms. Winters.”

  Abby Winters’ smiled warmly. “And it’s nice meeting you, Stone. Corey speaks highly of you and I’ve read every book you’ve written. You’re a gifted author.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And please call me Abby.” She glanced back at Madison. “How do the two of you know each other?”

  “We met on the plane flying out here,” Stone said before Madison could respond.

  Abby’s smile widened. “Oh, how nice. I’m glad that Madison had some company for the flight. I know how much she detests flying.”

  The room got quiet and then Abby spoke again. “Corey and I were just about to have dinner. He can show you where the two of you can stay and then we’ll sit down and eat. I’m sure you must be hungry.”

  Madison was more curious as to what was going on between her mother and Corey Westmoreland than she was hungry, but decided she and her mother would talk later. That was a definite. “That’s fine.”

  Sighing deeply, she and Stone followed Corey Westmoreland out of the kitchen.

  “So you have no idea who’s trying to find you, Uncle Corey?” Stone asked later as he stood with his uncle on the porch. Dinner had been wonderful. For someone who Madison thought couldn’t cook, her mother had prepared a delicious feast. Madison and her mother were inside doing dishes and no doubt Madison was grilling her mother on her relationship with Corey. As yet, his uncle had not explained anything to him. Corey acted like it was an everyday occurrence for Stone to show up on his mountain and find a woman cooking and serving as hostess as if she had permanent residence there.

  Corey leaned against a column post. “No, I don’t know a living soul who would be looking for me,” he said shaking his head in confusion. “You said Quade is checking things out?”

  “Yes. Durango contacted him.”

  Corey nodded. “Then there’s nothing for me to do but wait until I hear from him.” He then looked over at his nephew. “Madison is a pretty thing. She reminds me of Abby when she was young.”

  Stone turned and gazed at his uncle. “You knew Abby Winters before?”

  Corey chuckled as if amused. “Of course. Do you think we just met yesterday?”

  Stone shook his head as if to clear his brain. “Hell, Uncle Corey, I didn’t know what to think and Madison is even more confused.”

  Corey nodded again. “I’m sure Abby will explain things to her.”

  Stone crossed his arms over his chest. “How about if you explain things to me.”

  A few moments later, Corey sighed deeply. “All right. Let’s take a walk.”

  The two of them walked down a path that Stone remembered well. It was the way to the natural spring that was on his uncle’s property. He remembered how he and his brothers and cousins had spent many hours in it having lots of fun. The sun had gone down but it wasn’t completely dark yet. The scent of pine filled the air.

  “Abby and I met when I was in my last year at Montana State. She had come with her parents to visit Yellowstone as a graduation gift before starting college. I was working part-time at the park and will never forget the day I saw her. She was barely eighteen and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. When I finally go
t the chance to talk to her without her parents around, I knew she was the person I had fallen in love with and someone I would never forget.” Corey smiled. “And she felt the same way. It was love at first sight and the attraction between us was spontaneous.”

  The smile then vanished from Corey’s face. “It was also forbidden love because she was about to become engaged to another man, someone attending Harvard. He was a man her well-to-do family had picked out for her, one of those affairs where two families get together and decide their kids will marry. And no matter how we felt about each other I knew Abby wouldn’t change her mind. She was raised not to defy her parents. Besides, I was not in a position to ask her to stay with me. Her fiancé’s family had money and I barely had a job. When she left I never saw her again and she took my heart with her. I knew then that I would never marry, because the one woman I wanted was lost to me forever.”

  Stone nodded, wondering how he would feel if the one woman he wanted was lost to him forever. “There was never another woman over the years that you grew to love?”

  Corey shook his head. “No. There was one woman I took up with a year or two later, when I worked for a while as a ranger in the Tennessee Mountains. I tried to make things work with her, but couldn’t. We stayed together for almost a year but she knew my heart belonged to someone else. And one day she just took off and I haven’t seen her since.”

  Stone nodded again. “So when you saw Abby three weeks ago, that was the first time the two of you had seen each other in over thirty-two years?”

  Corey smiled. “Yes, and we recognized each other immediately and the spark was still there. And after a few hours of conversations—she told me her life story and I told her mine—we decided to do what we couldn’t do then, all those years ago. Steal away and be alone. After talking to her it was plain to see she had lived a lonely life just like I had, and we felt we owed it to each other to start enjoying life to the fullest and to be happy. She’s only been here three weeks but Abby has brought nothing but joy and happiness to my life, Stone. I can’t imagine my life without her now and she’s assured me that she feels the same way.”