Slow Burn (A Madaris Family Novel) (12 page)

“Yes, and she’s a real nice person. I’m glad she and Vincent found each other.”

At that moment the buzzer on his desk sounded again. “Excuse me, Uncle Jake,” Slade said, right before hitting the speaker button to respond to his secretary’s summons. “Yes, Claire?”

“Your lunch is here, sir.”

“Thanks.”

“Well, let me be going,” Jake said, walking with Slade toward the door. “I don’t want to keep Nedwyn waiting.”

“How long will you be in Houston?”

“For the rest of the day. I’m going to try to get by to see everyone, and Mom wants to talk to me. It seems she’s been dreaming about fish again.”

Slade lifted a brow. “And she thinks it’s Diamond?”

Jake laughed. “No, I think she wants to hear it directly from me that it’s not Kimara.”

Slade laughed. Kimara was married to Jake’s good friend Kyle Garwood, and already the couple had seven children, all under the age of ten, which included two sets of twins. “I thought Kyle and Kimara have decided not to have any more children,” he said.

Jake grinned. “They have but I guess Mom doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned.”

“Personally, I think it’s Syneda,” Slade said, knowing what kind of reaction he would get from his uncle.

Slade watched Jake stop dead in his tracks, and in a serious tone Jake said, “Please, Slade. Don’t scare us like that.”

Slade laughed. Everyone knew just what a handful Remington was. But then the little girl was Clayton and Syneda’s child, so her antics at times really weren’t surprising. She was a chip off both of her parents’ blocks.

“You will be coming to Nedwyn’s retirement party at the ranch later this month, right?” Jake asked.

Slade nodded. “Yes, I plan on being there.”

“Good, and bring a date. You need to get out and meet someone before Blade corners the entire Houston market.”

“I have met someone,” Slade said, immediately thinking of Skye.

“Glad to hear it, and I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

Slade smiled when he responded by saying, “And I’m looking forward to you meeting her as well, Uncle Jake.”

Skye always enjoyed having lunch with her aunt, and this
time she had a lot to tell her. She told her all about Justin and Lorren Madaris and how kind they had been to her. And she mentioned Slade briefly, only to say he had been visiting the Madaris family and had been kind to her as well. She wasn’t ready to share just what good friends they had become to anyone just yet. She spent most of the time talking about Vincent and what a wonderful brother he was and how mature and well adjusted he was for his age.

And then after their meal, she decided to tell her aunt of her decision to spend the summer in Houston. Not surprisingly, her aunt thought it was a wonderful idea but quickly reminded her that her parents would not think so.

Skye thought of her aunt’s words as she took a sip of her tea. She then glanced up at her aunt. “Please help me to understand something, Aunt Karen; just why are my parents so opposed to me establishing a relationship with Vincent?”

Karen shook her head. “I really don’t know, just like I don’t understand why they were so against you ever knowing you were adopted. Even now Edith blames me for your finding out since you overheard my conversation with them. People adopt kids all the time and I always assumed they would tell you, and when they hadn’t, I merely asked them about it that day.”

Skye nodded. “What do you remember about my adoption?” she asked.

“Not a whole lot,” Karen said. “At the time I was married to your uncle Larry. He was a Foreign Service diplomat and we were living in Japan. I came back home to discover Tom and Edith had gotten you as a newborn through a private adoption. I had known for years that Edith couldn’t have any children because of a childhood illness, but I’d always thought that she and Tom had pretty much decided to go through life childless, so I was surprised that they had adopted you. I was surprised yet pleased.”

Skye nodded again. She also knew that her aunt had always intended to have children herself, but after her husband had died at an early age of colon cancer, she never remarried. “Well, I’m telling them about my plans tonight, and regardless of how they feel about it, I plan to establish a relationship with Vincent and will spend the summer in Houston.”

At that moment Skye’s cell phone went off. She pulled it from her purse hoping it wasn’t Wayne. She glanced at the identification of the caller and didn’t recognize the number. Curious, she made an excuse to her aunt and flipped her phone open to answer it. “Yes?”

“Skye, how are you?”

Skye closed her eyes for a moment at the sound of the ultrasexy voice. And to make matters worse, visions of his handsome face flooded her mind. When she reopened her eyes she found her aunt looking at her curiously. “Slade?” she asked, although she knew it was him.

“Yes. I had you on my mind and thought I would give you a call. I got your number from Lorren. I hope you don’t mind.”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t mind, and to answer your other question, I’m doing fine. I’m having lunch with my aunt at the moment, though.”

“Sorry to interrupt.”

“No, that’s okay. It’s good hearing from you. How are Luke and Blade?”

She could hear him chuckle. “They’re fine, just trying to stay out of trouble.”

She smiled thinking of the pair and knowing staying out of trouble for those two would be a rather difficult task. “I’m still thinking of your offers but haven’t made a decision about either yet,” she decided to say, wondering if that was the reason he had called.

“Take your time; the offers aren’t going anywhere. I just don’t want you to worry about a thing while you’re here in Houston. I’m looking forward to your visit. Well, let me let you get back to enjoying lunch with your aunt. It was nice talking to you, Skye.”

“It was nice of you to call. I’m looking forward to my visit as well.”

“Okay, and you take care. Good-bye.”

“Good-bye, Slade.”

Skye’s stomach did a funny little flip when he ended the call and returned her phone to her purse. When her aunt cleared her throat Skye glanced across the table and looked into her aunt’s smiling face.

“Why is it I get the feeling that you didn’t tell me everything there is to know about Slade Madaris?”

Skye couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips. “Mainly because the man is too good to be true; at least compared to Wayne he is. He is everything Wayne is not.”

“Then I’m impressed.”

Skye chuckled at her aunt’s comment. Karen had never liked Wayne. Skye started to tell her aunt of Wayne’s visit to her office and changed her mind. She hoped she had made herself clear to him, and if he did show up at her place later that day, thinking he could just waltz his way up the elevator to her apartment, he would be in for a big surprise.

“Thanks for this guest list, Nedwyn,” Jake Madaris said, standing and tucking the piece of paper into the pocket of his jacket. “Diamond is excited about planning the party in your honor.”

Senator Lansing smiled. “And I appreciate the both of you doing it. My secretary said the list is pretty complete.”

Jake nodded as he sat back now. “What do you plan to do with yourself now that your days in the Senate are over?”

“Rest and relax. The person elected as my successor will do an excellent job, and I had no problems turning everything over to him. I plan to enjoy life.” He got quiet for a moment before adding, “I also planned to do something else that I’ve put off for years, but I want to talk to you about it first.”

Jake lifted a brow. “Sounds serious. What is it?”

Nedwyn smiled. “Maybe you should ask
who is it
instead.”

Jake grinned. “I think I already have an idea. It’s Diana, isn’t it?”

When a huge smile spread across Nedwyn’s face, Jake knew he had given the right answer. Nedwyn had confided in him years ago that he had fallen in love with Jake’s deceased brother’s wife. The reason Nedwyn had never tried pursuing a relationship with Diana was because he hadn’t been sure how she would feel about it—she had been widowed for many years and hadn’t thought of remarrying. Besides, Nedwyn had been one of Robert’s best friends.

“Yes, it’s Diana. For the past year, with me spending more time in Houston and less in the nation’s capital, we’ve been seeing each other quite a bit and she’s been my date at a couple of social functions. I think she feels comfortable in that role and has no idea I’ve been in love with her for years.”

Jake leaned back in his chair. “Now is the time to let her know how you feel, Nedwyn, don’t you think? I never understood why you held back before. After meeting and falling in love with Diamond, I wish every man had a special woman in his life. Robert and Diana had a good marriage, and I know losing him in ’Nam was hard on her.” He remembered that time like it was yesterday. His niece Felicia had been barely two years old when they got the word that Robert had lost his life while serving his country.

“Diana tried devoting her time to raising Felicia,” Jake said. “But as you know, she shared that task with her husband’s six brothers, which I’m sure wasn’t easy for her. That’s why we all think so much of her. She didn’t move away with Felicia to start another life someplace else. She stayed right here, enmeshed in the Madaris family. She is and always will be a beautiful and special lady to all of us.”

Nedwyn absorbed what Jake had said. He thought she was a beautiful and special lady as well. He also considered her a good friend. He had realized that he had fallen in love with her a few years ago but didn’t make a move because he hadn’t wanted her under the media’s scrutiny as someone he was interested in, especially when that person was the widowed wife of the man who had been a very close friend. Only two people knew how he felt about her: Jake, and one of Nedwyn’s other best friends, Syntel Remington, millionaire oil magnate.

“I figured I’m not getting any younger, Jake, and I want to settle down and spend the rest of my life with someone I care about, so I intend to start letting Diana know just how I feel,” he said softly, with a firm conviction in his tone.

Jake took a sip of his wine, smiled, and said, “All I have to say to that is it’s about time.”

“Clayton, this is Alex. Can you talk?”

Clayton Madaris leaned back in the chair at his desk. “Yes. I don’t have to worry about Syneda popping in. She’s downstairs having lunch with Caitlin,” he said of his brother Dex’s wife. “What did you find out?”

“Nothing, really. The woman is who she says she is. In fact, she’s led a pretty sheltered life. Her adoptive parents are pretty well-off, and over the years they have given her the best of everything. She went to private schools all her life and has pretty much had servants at her beck and call. I don’t see her looking Vincent up just to get money out of him when she’s had plenty of money of her own over the years. And I don’t see where she’s ever been wasteful with it. In fact, she gives a lot of it away to a number of charities.”

Clayton nodded. “What type of work do her parents do?”

“Her mother has never worked outside the home, and her father is an accountant.”

Clayton lifted a brow. “And the man can afford servants and private schools on an accountant salary?”

“It seems both her parents came from wealthy families and received trust funds when they reached a certain age. They are considered part of Augusta’s elite class. And speaking of trust funds, Skye is set to receive one on her thirtieth birthday. And it’s a pretty hefty sum, so trust me when I say she really doesn’t need any of Vincent’s money. You can drop the notion that she’s a gold digger, because she’s not.”

“Hearing you say that makes me feel better.”

Alex chuckled. “I figured it would. So, I’m closing my file on her, unless there’s something else you want me to check out.”

“No. It sounds like you did a thorough job as usual. I appreciate it, and remember, it’s between the two of us.”

“I might as well warn you that Christy knows. She was awake that night you called me.”

“Then just tell her to keep her lips zipped. She’ll do what you say.”

Alex chuckled. “Oh, like Syneda always does what
you
say.”

Clayton frowned. “Don’t be a smart-ass. Just keep your wife quiet. Good-bye, Alex.”

Skye entered her parents’ home with the weight of doom on her shoulders with what she had to tell them. She had opened the door and made it to the foyer when she heard a sound. She turned and saw Helen, the forty-two-year-old woman who’d been her mother’s personal assistant for the past eight years, coming down the stairs.

Skye had discovered when she was in her last year of high school that Helen Stone was not only her mother’s personal assistant but her personal spy as well. Unbeknownst to Skye, Helen had kept a log of every boy who’d called her to pass on to her mother. Not only that, although Skye could never actually prove it, she had a feeling that Helen was the one who’d told her mother she was seriously considering attending a college in another town after the woman had eavesdropped on a conversation Skye had with the college admitting office. Since then, she had never trusted the woman.

“Miss Skye, I didn’t know you were back.”

Skye didn’t have to wonder how the woman had known she’d gone anywhere. “Yes, I’m back, Helen. Where are my parents?”

The smile the woman plastered on her face was phony as a three-dollar bill. “They just finished dinner and are in the study drinking their evening wine. Should I let them know you’re here?”

“No, that’s not necessary. I can do that myself.” Skye walked off feeling the heat of the woman’s stare on her back. There was no doubt about it: Helen was definitely loyal to Edith Barclay.

Skye entered the room and the first thing she noticed was that her parents were huddled together on the sofa discussing something important, as well as private, since they were whispering. For them to be whispering seemed rather strange. Why would they be talking secretly in their own home? Especially since the only other person around to listen was Skye’s mother’s trusted servant. Or maybe they had learned their lesson from the last time when Skye had arrived unexpectedly and overheard one of their “private” conversations.

“Hello, Mom and Dad.”

She watched how they nearly jumped apart, surprised to see her standing in the doorway. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said.

Her father immediately stood and walked toward her with a smile on his face. It was sad to think that she could no longer tell if it was real or fake. “Skye, it’s so good having you back. When did you return?”

“Sunday, like I said I would.”

Her mother frowned at her after taking a sip of wine. “And you’re just getting around to visiting with us now?”

Skye’s father quickly glanced back over his shoulder after giving her a hug. “Come on, Edith; I’m sure Skye had a lot to do after she returned.”

“Thanks, Dad, and I did,” she said, smiling, appreciating her father coming to her defense.

“Now that that’s all been cleared up, have you seen or talked to Wayne?” her father asked, taking her hand and leading her toward an empty chair in the room.

Skye frowned as she sat down. She had an idea as to why her father was asking. “Yes, but only briefly. He stopped by the office today to invite me to lunch.”

That news pleased her mother immensely, if her huge smile was anything to go by. “And over lunch did the two of you work things out?”

Skye shook her head. “No. In fact, I didn’t go to lunch with him since I was busy and there’s nothing for us to work out, Mom. I’m not marrying Wayne.”

“Skye, stop being unreasonable,” her father said, and, to Skye’s way of thinking, rather harshly. “The man wants to marry you.”

“Does it matter to anyone that I don’t want to marry him?” she asked in a bitter tone. She had told her parents her feelings on the matter. Why were they still trying to shove Wayne Bigelow down her throat?

“Is there a reason you’re so against the idea?” her father asked, pouring another glass of wine like he really needed it. He seemed nervous about something.