Stone Cold Surrender (62 page)

Abby
reached
out
and
stroked
her
daughter’s
cheek
gently,
feeling
her
pain.
For
her
to
even
think
about
getting
on
a

small
plane
showed
how
desperate
she
was
to
leave.
“I
had
hoped
you
would
stay
with
Corey
and
me
for
a
while,
at

least
until
the
end
of
the
summer.”

Madison
nodded.
She
had
hoped
that,
too,
but
knew
the
best
thing
for
her
was
to
return
to
Boston.
School
would

start
soon
and
she
would
go
and
get
prepared
for
that.
“I’ll
be
back
in
December
for
you
and
Corey’s
wedding.”

Even
thinking
about
that
brought
her
pain,
knowing
Stone
would
probably
be
there
for
the
wedding,
too.
He
would
just
have
returned
from
Europe.
“Besides,
you
did
say
you’re

coming
home
for
a
while
in
September
to
take
care
of

business
matters.”

Abby
smiled.
“And
when
I
do,
we’ll
have
to
do
a
play
or
something.
Definitely
a
concert.”

Madison
smiled
through
her
tears.
“That
would
be
nice,
Mom.
That
will
really
be
nice.”

“What
do
you
mean
she’s
not
here?”

Corey
Westmoreland
crossed
his
arms
over
his
chest
and
met
his
nephew’s
glare.
“I
mean
just
what
I
said.
She’s
not
here.
Did
you
actually
expect
her
to
stick
around
after
what

she
heard
on
that
television
show?”

Stone
frowned.
“What
television
show?”

Corey’s
frown
matched
Stone’s.
“The
one
where
that

reporter
announced
to
the
whole
world
that
you
preferred
sleeping
with
women
instead
of
marrying
them.
I
guess
Madison
felt
she
fell
within
that
category.”

Frustration
racked
Stone’s
body
and
he
rubbed
his
hand
down
his
face.
“How
could
she
think
something
like
that?”

Corey
leaned
back
against
the
porch’s
column
post.
“Why
wouldn’t
she
think
something
like
that?
Have
you
ever
told
her
anything
different?”

Stone
inhaled
deeply.
“No.”

“Well,
then.
She
acted
just
like
any
woman
would
act

considering
the
circumstances.
And
that
reporter
also

mentioned
you
had
agreed
to
do
some
European
tour
and
I
guess
Madison
figured
if
you
were
planning
to
do
that
then
she
didn’t
mean
a
damn
thing
to
you.”

Stone
met
his
uncle’s
stare.
“Madison
means
everything
to
me.
I
love
her
so
much
I
ache.”

Corey
rubbed
his
chin
as
he
eyed
his
nephew.
“And
what
about
all
that
talk
you’ve
done
over
the
years
about
wanting
to
have
your
freedom,
seeking
adventure
and
not
being

responsible
for
anyone
but
yourself?
Not
to
mention
your
fear
of
losing
control
of
your
life?”

“My
views
on
all
that
changed
when
I
fell
in
love
with
Madison.”

For
the
longest
moment
neither
man
spoke,
then
Stone
said.
“There’s
no
need
for
me
to
unpack
since
I’m
leaving
as
soon
as
I
can
grab
something
to
eat.”

“Where’re
you
going?”

Stone
felt
his
pocket
where
he’d
placed
the
diamond
ring
that
he
had
purchased
before
leaving
New
York.
“I’m
going
after
Madison.”

Stone
saw
her
the
moment
she
came
out
of
the
Hoffman

Music
Institute
and
began
walking
down
the
sidewalk.
Abby
had
told
him
that,
since
Madison
lived
only
a
few
blocks

from
her
school,
she
preferred
walking
to
work
on
nice
days
instead
of
driving.
Besides,
on
any
given
day,
parking
in

downtown
Boston
was
known
to
be
limited,
as
well
as

expensive.

Today
was
a
fair
day.
The
wind
was
brisk
but
the
sun

overhead
added
a
ray
of
beauty
to
the
city
on
the
Charles;
the
city
that
was
the
origin
of
the
American
Revolution
and
where
buildings,
parks,
fields
and
churches
echoed
the

city’s
patriotic
past.
He
remembered
Madison
once
saying
how
much
she
loved
Boston
and
he
would
gladly
make
this
place
his
home
if
that’s
where
she
wanted
to
be.
He
would
move
anywhere
just
as
long
as
they
were
together.

His
heart
swelled
with
love
when
he
continued
to
watch
as
she
came
to
Downtown
Crossing
with
its
brick
streets.
He
wondered
if
she
intended
to
go
into
Macy’s
and
decided
that
now
was
the
time
to
make
his
presence
known.
He

hurriedly
crossed
the
street
when
she
stopped
to
admire
the
fruit
on
display
at
a
sidewalk
produce
stand.

“Madison?”

Madison
quickly
glanced
up.
She
pressed
her
hand
to
her
chest
and
for
a
moment
she
forgot
to
breathe,
she
was
so
startled
at
seeing
Stone.
“Stone,
what
are
you
doing
here?”
she
asked,
amazed
at
how
good
he
looked.
It
hadn’t
been
quite
two
weeks
since
she
had
seen
him
last;
twelve
days
exactly
if
you
were
counting
and
she
had
been
unable
not
to
do
so.
Seeing
him
reminded
her
how
wrapped
up
in
him

she
had
gotten
and
how
quickly.
He
was
casually
dressed
in
a
pair
of
khaki
pants
and
a
polo
shirt
and
she
was
hard
pressed
not
to
let
her
gaze
travel
the
full
length
of
him.

He
was
looking
at
her
with
an
intensity
that
made
her
flesh
tingle
and
a
shiver
moved
down
her
spine.
“You
said
you
would
stay
at
Uncle
Corey’s
until
I
returned,”
he
said,
in
a
deep,
husky
voice
that
only
added
to
her
dilemma.