Stone Cold Surrender (49 page)

“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.”