Stone Cold Surrender (52 page)

it
felt
to
want
to
be
happy,
mainly
because
she
also
knew

how
it
felt
to
be
in
love.
As
unusual
as
it
seemed,
her

mother
still
loved
Corey
Westmoreland
after
all
these
years.
Their
love
had
been
strong
enough
to
withstand
more
than
thirty
years
of
separation.
She
knew
her
mother
was
waiting
for
her
answer.
She
also
knew
that
her
response
was

important
to
her.
Abby
Winters
had
been
right.
The
people
who
truly
loved
her
would
understand
her
need
to
be
happy.

Madison
reached
out
and
hugged
her
mother.
“Yes,
Mom,
I
understand
and
I’m
happy
for
you.
If
marrying
Corey

Westmoreland
makes
you
happy,
then
I
am
happy.”

Abby’s
arms
tightened
around
her
daughter.
“Thank
you,
sweetheart.”

Stone
Westmoreland
glanced
at
the
clock
on
the
nightstand
next
to
the
bed.
It
was
after
midnight
and
he
couldn’t
sleep.
He
had
Madison
on
his
mind.
She
and
her
mother
had

joined
him
and
Uncle
Corey
on
the
porch
and
she
had

congratulated
his
uncle
on
his
upcoming
marriage
to
her

mother
and
had
even
gone
a
step
further
and
hugged
Uncle
Corey
and
welcomed
him
to
the
family.
Uncle
Corey
had

done
likewise
and
welcomed
her
to
his.
Then
Madison
had
indicated
to
all
that
she
was
tired
and
would
be
going
to

bed
early.
He
of
all
people
knew
of
her
overabundance
of
energy
and
figured
that
it
wasn’t
exhaustion
that
had
made

her
escape
to
her
room.
She
was
trying
to
come
to
terms
with
her
mother’s
marriage
announcement.

Getting
out
of
bed
he
slipped
into
his
jeans.
Quietly
opening
the
door
he
entered
the
darkened
hallway.
He
had
walked
this
hallway
many
times
and
knew
his
way
around,
even
in
the
dark.
The
room
Madison
had
been
given
was
only
a

couple
of
doors
from
his.
He
wondered
how
she
felt

knowing
his
uncle
and
her
mother
were
probably
sharing
a
bed
tonight.
He
doubted
they
would
change
their
routine

because
of
their
unexpected
guests,
especially
since
they
intended
to
marry.

He
opened
the
door
and
quietly
slipped
into
Madison’s

bedroom.
As
soon
as
he
entered
and
closed
the
door

behind
him,
he
saw
her.
She
was
standing
across
the
room
gazing
out
of
the
window.
From
where
he
stood
he
saw
she
was
wearing
a
nightgown
and
the
light
from
the
moon
that
shone
through
the
window
silhouetted
how
the
sleepwear
sensuously
draped
her
figure.

He
breathed
in
deeply.
As
much
as
he
wanted
her,
he
hadn’t
come
to
her
for
that.
He
wanted
to
hold
her
in
his
arms
because
whether
she
admitted
it
or
not,
she
was
having
a
problem
coming
to
terms
with
her
mother’s

upcoming
marriage
to
his
uncle.

“Madison.”
He
whispered
the
name
softly
and
she
quickly
turned
around.

“Stone?”

Without
answering,
he
quickly
crossed
the
room
and
pulled
her
into
his
arms
and
kissed
her,
needing
the
taste
of
her
and
wanting
to
give
her
the
taste
of
him.
Her
response

made
him
deepen
the
kiss
and
when
his
tongue
took

control
of
hers,
the
soft
moans
that
flowed
from
deep
within
her
throat
nearly
pushed
him
over
the
edge.

He
gently
broke
off
the
kiss.
“You
were
quiet
after
dinner.
Are
you
all
right?”

She
nodded
against
his
chest
and
his
arms
around
her
tightened.
“They
are
happy
together,
Madison,”
he
said,
trying
to
reassure
her.

She
pulled
back
from
him
and
glanced
up.
“I
know
that,

Stone,
and
that’s
what’s
so
sad.
They
went
all
those
years
loving
each
other
but
not
being
able
to
be
together.”

Stone
nodded.
“Yeah,
my
uncle
told
me.”

Madison
sighed.
“They
fell
in
love
from
the
first.
According
to
Mom,
she
fell
in
love
with
your
uncle
the
first
time
she

saw
him
although
she
knew
her
life
was
destined
to
be
with
someone
else.”

Stone
stared
down
at
her
for
a
moment
then
asked,
“And
how
do
you
feel
about
that,
Madison?”