Slow Burn (A Madaris Family Novel) (3 page)

She squeezed her eyes shut, and did just what he suggested. She cried for her loss. She wanted to let go of the hurt, the pain, and the betrayal, but the latter was hard because even now a part of her felt there were things regarding her adoption that her parents weren’t telling her, were deliberately keeping from her.

But she didn’t want to think about any of it now. At the moment all she could think about was being held in the arms of a man who was becoming less and less of a stranger.

Slade Madaris was fast becoming her hero.

Skye wasn’t sure how long she stood there, wrapped in
Slade’s arms. But she knew her tears had stopped, her trembling had ceased. Yet he continued to hold her, and she made no attempt to step back. She got comfort being held by him. She heard the steady and strong beat of his heart, inhaled his manly scent, and marveled in his warm embrace. He continued to hold her tight to him; then, he eased away slightly while maintaining his hand at her waist and asked quietly, “Do you want to go for a walk?”

She looked up at him. “Yes.”

“I’ll let Justin and Lorren know.”

He walked away from her and she heard the sound of the door opening and closing. She inhaled deeply and glanced around, actually noticing her surroundings for the first time. The room was neatly decorated and the furniture was sturdy and solid, which immediately reminded her of Slade.

Numerous questions flooded her mind. Just who was Slade Madaris? His name had never come up in any of the reports from the private investigator she’d hired, but then, from what she’d gathered, the Madaris family was a rather large one.

A shiver snaked up her spine when the door opened again and he was standing there, smiling. He crossed the room to her. “Ready?”

She met his gaze and nodded. “Yes.”

He tucked her hand in his before grabbing a wide-brimmed hat off the rack. Moments later he led her out through the French doors.

With the Stetson on his head, Skye thought Slade Madaris looked even more like a cowboy and could easily be one of those male models who posed for western wear. And he walked with the grace, style and ease of a man who was confident with who he was and where he was going.

She couldn’t help but admire that in him. Wayne had constantly needed assurances from her, someone to constantly stroke his ego and would get annoyed with her those times she didn’t. His parents, as well as her own, treated him like a king and he’d expected her to follow suit. She could imagine the disaster she would have faced eventually if the wedding had taken place as planned.

Skye followed Slade along the brick walkway, grateful she had worn low shoes. Then he opened a wrought-iron gate and her breath caught.

When she’d first driven up the long driveway, she’d thought the massive ranch-style structure was simply beautiful, and now, seeing the beauty of the land it encompassed, she thought that it was doubly so. And what touched her more than anything was the marker that had been erected at the turnoff. Justin had named the ranch in honor of his wife. It was called Lorren Oaks.

Skye and Slade continued walking. It was a beautiful day, the last week in May, and the poignant scent of bluebonnets filled the air. Her fingers entwined in his reminded her that he was close. Not only that, but they were connected. But she didn’t need that as a reminder. His sheer presence beside her was overpowering.

“So, Skye Barclay, what exactly do you do back in Augusta?”

His voice flowed over her like warm honey and she tilted her head and glanced up at him. “I’m an accountant for a real estate firm. What about you? What do you do here in Ennis?”

He smiled. “I’m an architect. My twin brother and I—”

“You have a twin brother?”

He grinned. “Yes. His name is Blade and he’s eight minutes older, but we aren’t identical twins. Blade and I own a construction company in Houston. I’m here visiting Justin and Lorren for a few days, doing some work for them. They’re enlarging the place and want me to design it.”

Skye glanced back at the massive ranch house and then back at Slade. “Enlarging it? You’re kidding, right?”

He chuckled. “No. They’re adding what one would think of as mother-in-law quarters for Lorren’s foster mother. Mama Nora is well up in age and has finally agreed that her house in town is too much for her and plans to sell it and move in with Justin and Lorren.”

“Lorren has a foster mother?”

“Yes, like Vincent, Lorren’s parents were killed in a car accident when she was a kid. I believe she was eight or nine at the time. And without any living relatives she became a ward of the state. Mama Nora and her late husband, Paul, were Lorren’s foster parents. In fact, they were foster parents to several kids.”

Skye nodded. No wonder Lorren had understood her need to see the photos in those albums, her need to connect to the mother she hadn’t known.

“So what are your plans, Skye, regarding Vincent? What happens after you meet him?”

She shrugged. “That depends on Justin and Lorren. They’ll know better than anyone if Vincent is ready for me to be a part of his life. I’m sure he doesn’t know anything about me, and I’m concerned how he might feel upon discovering that his mother gave up a child for adoption at the same age he is now.”

A part of Slade understood her concern. “You’re right that Justin and Lorren would be the ones to know whether Vincent is ready to handle something like that, but a part of me thinks that he is. He was only five when he lost his parents, and although I’m sure they’ll always have a permanent place in his heart, I also know that he considers Justin and Lorren his parents. No matter who he was before, Vincent is definitely a Madaris now. And at sixteen he’s far more mature than most young people his age. He’s secure in his parents’ and family’s love, and it shows. He does well in school, is selective with his friends, and is family oriented to a fault. He’s a great kid.”

Skye smiled. “I really do hope that I can meet him.”

“I’m sure you will. He’s at school now and won’t be home for a few more hours if he doesn’t have soccer practice.”

She glanced over at Slade, surprised. “He plays soccer?”

“Like he was born for the game.”

A giggle bubbled up in Skye’s throat upon hearing that. “Umm, isn’t that interesting. I played soccer while in high school as well, and I got offered a scholarship to play in college.”

“Did you take it?”

She shook her head, remembering her disappointment. “No, my parents wouldn’t let me. They felt they could afford to send me to college without the help of a scholarship. Besides, the university I wanted to attend was somewhere in Florida and they felt that was too far from home.”

“So where did you attend college?”

“The University of Maine, right there in Augusta. But I did get to live on campus.” She decided not to add that she had appreciated being away from her parents’ prying eyes. To say that Tom and Edith Barclay had been the epitome of strict parents would be an understatement.

“So what do you think of this place?” Slade asked when they stopped walking.

She glanced around before smiling up at him. “I think Lorren Oaks is simply beautiful.”

Besides the massive ranch house, they had passed a barn that housed several horses, and the part of the ranch where Justin’s medical facility was located. A cluster of oak trees lined the walkway that led to several corrals. The scenery was beautiful, and it was a nice day for a walk. She was glad Slade had invited her. She could imagine Vincent living here, learning to ride horses and taking walks along these paths.

“Ready to go back?”

Somehow the thought of going back was a downer. She liked being out here in the fresh open sky with him. “Yes, and thanks for taking the time to take me for a stroll,” she said. “It was very kind of you to do so.”

“No problem. I could tell your heart was pretty heavy and that you needed to get out, breathe in a bit of fresh air.”

“I did and I feel a lot better now.”

“There is one thing I want to ask you about, though, before we head back.”

“Yes?” She looked up at him. They had stopped walking and were facing each other. His eyes held her captive, and his hands were still holding hers. He was a handsome man with a beautiful smile. She studied his features, fascinated.

“You mentioned things had ended between you and your fiancé and that you were no longer engaged. Is there a possibility the two of you might work things out and get back together?”

Skye breathed in deeply, not sure why he was asking but knowing she would tell him the truth. She reflected on the last conversation she’d had with Wayne and all the cruel things he’d said. And not for the first time she wondered why her parents thought he was the perfect match for her when it was plain to see that he was not.

She shook her head. “No, there’s no possibility that Wayne and I will get back together. There won’t ever be a wedding between us.”

Slade nodded, and without saying anything further, they began walking back toward the ranch house.

Lorren Madaris met them at the entrance to the wrought-iron gate with a huge smile on her face. “I hope the two of you are hungry, since I took the liberty to prepare lunch for everyone.”

Slade grinned. “That sounds like a winner to me. If you ladies will excuse me, I’m going to wash up.”

He walked away, leaving them alone. Skye didn’t answer Lorren immediately because, quite frankly, she didn’t know what to say. Things were certainly not going the way her parents and Wayne had warned her they would. They claimed Justin and Lorren would see her interference in their lives as a threat to their adopted son and would not want her and Vincent to get to know each other. They also felt that because of Jake Madaris’ wealth and personal connection to key political figures, the Madarises would make her life a living hell. Her parents and Wayne wanted her to let what was in the past remain in the past and look forward to a future with Wayne.

“Skye? Are you all right?”

She met Lorren’s gaze. “Yes. No.” She inhaled deeply, knowing her answers were probably confusing the woman. “What I mean is that I really don’t know. You and Dr. Madaris are certainly not taking this the way I thought you would.”

Lorren chuckled as she tucked a curl behind her ear. “And how did you think we would take it? You’ve fully explained how Vincent is your brother and we believe you. We have no reason not to.”

“And you don’t see my coming here as a threat?”

Lorren chuckled again. “Of course not. Why would we? We see you as someone who, for the past year or so, has been seeking answers, which led you here to meet the brother you hadn’t known you had. Vincent is not a child. He’s sixteen years old, so I doubt you’d want to stake any guardianship claim on him at that age. Besides, a judge would let Vincent decide who he would want to live with until he’s eighteen. No, Justin and I don’t see you as a threat. But what I do see when I look at you is someone who’s ecstatic about finding her brother but who’s afraid to show it for some reason.”

Skye inhaled deeply. Lorren’s assessment was right on the money and Skye wondered how she’d known. “What makes you think that?” she asked softly.

“Umm, just a hunch. I was raised in a foster home and although I made numerous friends among the others who lived there with me, one in particular who to this day I consider my very dearest and closest friend, I would have been ecstatic, jumping for joy, totally elated, if someone would have shown up one day claiming to be a brother or sister I hadn’t known about. It would not have mattered to me if they would have been an outside child of my father or a child my mother had given up for adoption. Just the thought that the person was related to me in some way would have sent me skyrocketing past heaven.”

“B-but what if Vincent doesn’t feel that way? What if he sees my appearance as an invasion into what he has here with the two of you and your other children?”

Lorren shook her head. “He won’t. I know my son, Skye. He’s a very mature young man who’s too secure in our love for him to think that way. Besides that, he’s a lot like Justin. Vincent is a deeply caring individual and he loves family.”

Lorren got quiet for a few minutes and then she added, “I can remember distinctly the first day I met Vincent. Justin and I were dating and he invited me to go camping with him one weekend. He was a volunteer at the Children’s Home Society and had planned to take a few of the little guys along. All of them were absolutely precious, but there was something about Vincent that immediately captured my heart. He was the youngest in the group and the most withdrawn. Justin later explained what had happened to his family and my heart went out to him because I had lost my parents the same way, in an automobile accident. I think I fell in love with him that day, and when Justin and I married one of the first things I wanted to do was make Vincent our son. We adopted him before we’d been married three months. In all the ways that matter he’s ours, but I’m realistic and secure enough in our relationship with him to accept that he has other family as well.”

Skye wondered why her own parents couldn’t be as secure in their relationship with her. Why did they feel her uncovering information about her biological parents meant that she didn’t care as much for them? “Thanks for sharing that with me, Mrs. Madaris.”

Lorren smiled. “Please call me Lorren, and I have a feeling that in the future we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

Skye smiled. She hoped what Lorren said was true.

Slade flipped open his cell phone the moment he walked out of the guest bathroom. “Yes?”

“It’s Blade. Luke’s here. When are you coming home?”

Slade shook his head, grinning. Blade hated talking on mobile phones, so his words tended to be short and to the point. “My work here is almost finished and I was planning to return this weekend, but I’ll let you know on that.”

“If your work is almost done, what’s keeping you there?”

It was an ongoing joke in the Madaris family that Blade had ways like their cousin Clayton, who was Justin’s youngest brother. Both had a tendency to ask a lot of questions. Sometimes Slade wondered why Blade hadn’t followed Clayton’s footsteps and become an attorney instead of the engineer that he was.

“Slade, I asked what’s keeping you there?”

Slade glanced across the way to where he saw Skye still talking to Lorren. He then thought about the revitalization of his social life. “Just a minor detail. How long will Luke be in town?” Luke Madaris was another cousin their age and was well-known on the circuits as a rodeo star. Because of his busy schedule, his trips back home were infrequent.