Stone Cold Surrender (18 page)

explain
it
all
to
her
then.
Now
if
you
need
my
help
in—”

“Don’t
even
think
about
it,”
Stone
responded
quickly
in
a
growl.

Durango
chuckled.
“Hey,
I
was
just
kidding.
Besides,
you
know
how
I
feel
about
city
women
anyway.”
Even
with
the
laughter
in
his
voice,
his
words
echoed
with
bitterness.

Unfortunately
Stone
did
know
how
he
felt.
“Need
help
with
the
dishes?”
he
asked
after
walking
across
the
kitchen
and
placing
them
on
the
counter.

“Nope,
that’s
what
dishwashers
are
for.
If
you
want
we
can
try
reaching
Uncle
Corey
again,
but
take
my
word
for
it,
it’ll
be
a
waste
of
time.
He
and
his
lady
friend
aren’t
accepting
calls.
I
truly
believe
they
turned
the
damn
thing
off.”

Stone
decided
to
try
calling
anyway
and
hung
up
later
when
he
didn’t
get
an
answer.
He
shook
his
head
emphatically.
“You
would
think
Madison’s
mother
would
have
tried
to

reach
her
daughter.”

Durango
raised
a
brow.
“I
thought
she
had.
Didn’t
Madison
say
on
the
drive
over
to
the
Silver
Arrow
that
her
mother

had
called
to
say
she
was
fine
and
was
extending
her

vacation
for
two
weeks?”

“Yes,
but
she
left
the
message
on
the
answering
machine.
I’d
think
she
would
have
made
a
point
to
talk
to
Madison

directly
to
allay
her
fears.”

Durango
raised
his
eyes
heavenward.
“And
I’d
think—

which
is
probably
the
same
way
Madison’s
mother
is

thinking—that
at
fifty
years
of
age
she
doesn’t
have
to

check
in
with
anyone,
not
even
a
daughter,
especially
if

she’s
assured
her
daughter
that
she’s
okay.”
He
grabbed
an
apple
out
of
the
basket
and
bit
into
it
like
he
hadn’t
just
eaten
dinner.
“Do
you
know
what
I
think,
Stone?”

Stone
shrugged,
almost
too
afraid
to
ask.
“No,
Durango,
what
do
you
think?”

“I
think
the
reason
Madison
is
so
busy
sticking
her
nose
into
her
mother’s
love
life…or
lust
life,
is
because
she
doesn’t
have
one
of
her
own.”

A
hint
of
a
smile
played
at
the
corners
of
Stone’s
lips.
“She
doesn’t
have
what?
A
love
life
or
a
lust
life?”

“Neither
of
either.
And
I
think
that’s
where
you
need
to
step
in.”

Stone
crossed
his
arms
over
his
chest
and
met
his
cousin’s
direct
gaze.
“And
do
what
exactly?”

Durango
smiled.
“Give
the
lady
a
taste
of
both.”

Stone
snorted.
Only
someone
like
Durango
who
had
a

jaded
perception
of
love
and
marriage
would
think
that
way.

Although
Stone
didn’t
have
plans
to
ever
settle
down
and
marry,
he
did
believe
in
love.
His
parents’
marriage
was
a
prime
example
of
it,
so
was
his
sister
Delaney’s
and
his
brothers
Dare’s
and
Thorn’s
marriages.

“I
think
I’m
going
to
spend
a
few
hours
in
your
hot
tub
if
you
don’t
mind,”
he
said
to
Durango.

“By
all
means,
help
yourself.”

Less
than
twenty
minutes
later,
Stone
was
sitting

comfortably
in
the
hot
tub
on
Durango’s
outside
deck.
A

good
portion
of
Durango’s
land
was
the
site
of
natural
hot
springs
and
the
first
thing
he
had
done
after
building
the

ranch
had
been
to
take
advantage
of
that
fact
and
erect
his
own
private
hot
tub.
It
was
large
enough
to
hold
at
least
five
people
and
the
heat
of
the
water
felt
good
as
it
stimulated
Stone’s
muscles.

He
closed
his
eyes
and
immediately
had
thoughts
of

Madison.
Maybe
Durango
was
right
about
her
failure
to

take
her
mother’s
words
at
face
value
that
she
was
okay.

But
in
just
the
short
amount
of
time
he
had
gotten
to
know
Madison
he
could
tell
she
was
a
person
who
cared
deeply
about
those
she
loved.
She
probably
couldn’t
help
being
a
consummate
worrier.
And
then
maybe
Durango
was
right
again.
Perhaps
Madison
needed
something
or
someone
in
her
life
to
occupy
her
time
so
she
could
stop
worrying
about
her
mother.

Stone
inhaled
deeply.
For
all
he
knew
she
might
very
well
have
someone
already,
some
man
back
in
Boston.
He

immediately
pushed
that
thought
from
his
mind.
Madison
Winters
was
not
the
type
of
woman
who
would
belong
to

one
man
and
willingly
kiss
another.
And
she
had
kissed

him.
Boy,
had
she
kissed
him.
And
he
had
definitely
kissed
her.
The
effects
of
their
kiss
still
lingered
with
him.
Even

now
he
could
still
taste
her.
Durango’s
beef
stew
hadn’t

been
strong
enough
to
eradicate
her
taste
from
his
mouth.

“Hey,
Stone,
you
just
got
a
call.”

Stone
cocked
one
eye
open
and
looked
at
Durango
who
was
standing
a
few
feet
away
with
a
cold
bottle
of
beer
in
his
hand.
“Who
was
it?”

“Your
city
girl.”

Stone
quickly
opened
both
eyes
and
leaned
forward,

knowing
just
whom
Durango
was
talking
about.
“Did
she
say
what
she
wanted?”

Durango
leaned
against
the
door
with
a
smirky
grin
on
his
face.
“No,
but
I
got
the
distinct
impression
that
she
wanted
you.”

Madison
nervously
paced
her
cabin
as
she
waited
for

Stone
to
return
her
call.
Deciding
she
had
walked
the
floor