Stone Cold Surrender (47 page)

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Authors: Brenda Jackson

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Arts&Photography

BOOK: Stone Cold Surrender
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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

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