Slow Burn (A Madaris Family Novel) (17 page)

Skye wished that she could flatly refuse to consider the idea, but then another part of her, the part that wanted to be with Slade, be around him, was pushing for her to say yes. She conceded. She would love to meet the parents who had raised such an outstanding man.

“Yes, I’d love going to church with you and meeting your parents.”

He smiled. “Good. Be ready at ten. Service starts at eleven. It annoys Mom if I’m late.”

“Okay.”

He then pulled her into his arms for another kiss, and the thought that ran through Skye’s mind was that she would definitely miss sleeping with him tonight.

“Mom. Dad. I’d like you to meet Skye Barclay, Vincent’s
sister.”

Church service had ended for only a few moments and already Skye had met a number of other Madarises. Deliberate or otherwise, Slade had failed to mention that this particular church was considered the Madaris family church, and in addition to seeing a few of the same people she had seen last night at the dinner party, she’d also been introduced to more of Slade’s numerous family members.

So much for her and Slade keeping low-key.

The moment Skye looked into Slade’s father’s face, she could tell where he and Blade got most of their prominent features. Milton Madaris III was a handsome man just like his sons, and the woman standing by his side, Fran Madaris, was short compared to her husband and sons but had beautiful features and a smile that radiated sincere warmth. And Slade’s other brothers, Quantum and Jantzen, were also quite handsome.

“Skye,” Fran said, reaching out and gripping her hand in a firm hold. “I’ve heard so many nice things about you from Vincent, Slade, and Blade. I know you must be happy to find Vincent after a year of looking.”

She returned the woman’s smile. “Yes, I am.”

“And I understand you’re spending the summer here in Houston and will help out at the office with Blade and Slade. Don’t let either of them work you too hard.”

Skye chuckled as she glanced up at Slade. “I’ll make sure of that.”

“And if you ever get tired of that condo and want some real space, come out to our ranch and visit us. It’s not as big as some, but it’s where we’ve lived now for over thirty years,” Milton was saying. “And we love people to come visit.”

Skye truly believed that.

“And if you don’t have any plans for today, you’re invited to dinner,” Slade’s mother said.

“Skye already has made dinner plans, Mom. Maybe another time,” Slade interjected.

Skye saw the disappointment in the other woman’s face. “Okay, then maybe another time. The invitation is always open. Like Milton said. You don’t need a reason to come visit.”

A few minutes later Skye got to meet Slade’s grandfather Milton Madaris Jr., the oldest of the original seven Madaris brothers. Vincent had already told her that his granduncle Milton, being the oldest male of the clan, considered himself the head of the family and sometimes liked to rule with an iron fist, but that deep down he was nothing but a marshmallow. In other words, he was all bark and no bite.

On the drive back to the condo, Skye glanced over at Slade. “Why didn’t you tell me that most of your family would be at church today?”

He shrugged. “You didn’t ask. Did it bother you that they saw us together at the service?”

“No, I guess not. It did at first, but then I guess considering your family, it makes sense for them to worship together. I assume most families do.”

Slade nodded. He had to constantly remind himself that she didn’t come from a large family and sometimes his could be overwhelming. “This is the church most of us attend who live in Houston, but the real family church isn’t far away from Whispering Pines, Uncle Jake’s ranch. It’s called Proverbs Baptist Church. My great-grandparents Milton and Felicia Laverne Madaris helped to build that church, and my great-gramma is one of the oldest living members. At least twice a year, usually on a fifth Sunday in a month, we all travel back there for service and make a big day of it by having a picnic on the church grounds. Great-Gramma Laverne is the mother of the church.”

Skye nodded. She and her parents were Catholics; however, they were far from being considered devout. In fact, before today she couldn’t remember the last time she had gone to mass. She had truly enjoyed the church service. It had been different from anything she was used to.

She glanced over at Slade. “Thanks for letting your mom know I couldn’t make dinner with her today.”

“No problem. She likes you and wanted you to eat with us. Maybe you’ll be able to do so at another time.”

Skye didn’t want to commit to anything. She saw her Sunday evenings spent with Vincent and doing the things that he wanted to do. “I know I’ve said this more than once, Slade, but you have a wonderful family and you should be proud of them.”

He smiled over at her. “I am and I never forget how blessed I am, especially when I read about kids being abandoned or single mothers raising kids without any strong, positive male influence. That’s not the case in my family. When Uncle Robert was killed in ’Nam, all my uncles stepped in and helped Aunt Diana with the raising of Felicia. That’s what families are for. They come together when there is a need. They are there for each other.”

His words were food for thought. Skye had always considered Aunt Karen family and wondered how much better things would have been if everyone in the Barclay family had gotten along. But she could vividly recall when she was younger her father having to play referee for her mother’s and aunt’s disagreements.

Skye made up her mind then and there that if she ever got married, she would raise her kids differently. She would instill into them the value and importance of family.

Diana’s breath caught when Nedwyn came up behind her and looked over her shoulder at the sauce she had simmering on the stove. “Umm, that smells delicious,” he said, looking into the pot. “I hope Felicia’s not upset about me taking you away today. I’m sure she looks forward to having you over for dinner on Sundays.”

“Yes, but Jolene’s in town,” she said of Trask’s mother. “And she wanted to take the kids to the country fair, so in a way it will give Felicia and Trask a quiet evening at home alone.”

Nedwyn smiled at her. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate that.” He then watched as she placed a lid on the pot. “Well, that about covers it. I’ve grilled the steaks and potatoes. You got your own brand of steak sauce simmering, and the salad is in the fridge. What did we forget?”

Diana returned his smile and said, “The bread.”

Nedwyn nodded, grinning. “And not just any bread. Texas toast. And if you’re through in here, I want to show you something that I came across earlier today while cleaning out one of the closets in the garage.”

“Okay.”

Taking her hand, he led her through the dining room and into the living room. Diana glanced around. Nedwyn had purchased this house many years ago, while Felicia was in high school, and since he’d spent so much time in the nation’s capital he’d rarely been in Houston to enjoy it. However, once he’d made the decision to retire from the Senate, he had begun thinking about purchasing another home, one more in tune to his current style and taste. He was taking a leisurely time packing up stuff so when the time came for the transition, he would be ready.

The house sat on two acres of land, with a lake in the back. Since the both of them enjoyed fishing, he’d kept the lake well stocked, and many Saturdays would find the two of them out here pulling the fish in. She had accepted many, many years ago that he was her best friend. Some women needed another woman as a best friend, but she’d felt she was blessed to have Nedwyn.

He was a good person to talk to and he always offered good, sound advice. He’d been there to listen to her woes when it seemed Felicia wouldn’t put aside her wild and reckless ways, and he’d been there to calm her fears when she’d heard that Trask and Felicia had started seeing each other. The two had never gotten along since childhood, so Diana couldn’t imagine anything really serious between them. Nedwyn had assured her things would work out, and they had. Trask and Felicia were happily married, with a son and a daughter.

“Okay, what do you have to show me?” Diana asked, sitting down on the sofa.

“This,” he said, pulling a huge photo album from under one of the tables. “Take a look and tell me how many of those you can remember.”

Diana flipped open the album and the first photo she came to was of the two of them at Felicia’s first play when she was in the third grade. A smile touched Diana’s lips. “Oh, I remember that night. The Madaris family came out in droves. You would have thought a star had been born, and the only part she had was as the daffodil flower that only said two words.”

Nedwyn chuckled. “Yes, I remember.”

Diana flipped to other photos. All held special memories in her and Felicia’s life, and Diana suddenly realized just how much a part of their lives Nedwyn had been. Felicia had had enough uncles, so she’d always considered Nedwyn her godfather, and it was a role he’d taken seriously.

When Diana came to the last photo, she noted it was one that had been taken a few years ago, one she hadn’t seen before. Someone had captured her and Nedwyn on the dance floor at a huge gala given for breast cancer awareness. She remembered that night well since it was the night she’d realized he meant more to her than a friend, that she had fallen in love with him.

“I don’t recall this photo being taken,” she said softly, as she continued to study it, noting how good they looked together, how good they fit, and how he was holding her in his arms.

“A private photographer took it to appear in the
Cancer Society Memoirs
booklet and wanted to know if I wanted a copy. I told him I did.” He paused a minute and then said, “We looked good together that night, didn’t we?”

She smiled because she’d thought the same thing. “Yes, we did.” She closed the book, once again thinking of just how much a part of her life he’d been and how much she’d been a part of his. When he’d asked how Felicia had felt about canceling her regular dinner date with her, Trask, and the kids, Diana hadn’t told him everything. She had taken her daughter into her confidences a couple of years ago and had told her how she truly felt about Nedwyn. Felicia, being Felicia, had made a number of suggestions on what Diana should do, saying the modern woman didn’t wait around for the man to make the first move.

Diana had decided if that was the case, she would continue being a traditional woman instead of a modern one. It wasn’t in her persona to pursue a man, even if he was one she wanted. She felt if it was meant for them to be together then eventually he would wake up and realize how deeply she cared for him, and if he didn’t, well, she would still have him as a friend. A very special friend.

It was then she noted the two of them were sitting close together on the sofa and neither had said anything for a few moments, as if both were deep in their own individual thoughts. Thinking she needed to say something, she said, “I had fun going grocery shopping with you yesterday.” She chuckled. “It was quite an experience.”

He leaned back against the sofa and crossed one leg over the other and grinned. “Why? Because you discovered my lifelong secret that I love Klondike bars?”

“Yes.” They had driven to three different stores looking for them.

“Usually I don’t have a problem finding them,” he said, smiling. “I guess with the beginning of summer and this heat wave we’re having, they’re in demand.”

“Evidently,” she said, trying to keep the smile out of her voice. He’d been like a kid, desperate for another toy. He was intense about getting those bars. A shiver went down her spine at the thought of him ever being that intense about her.

She inhaled deeply, trying to recall the last time she had made love with a man, and decided it had been so long ago she couldn’t remember. Then she did.

Harrell Fletcher.

Most men hadn’t bothered asking her out for fear they would encounter too much of her brothers-in-law’s scrutiny. But once, years ago when Felicia was away at college, Diana had met someone, someone she’d liked. They’d dated for almost a year, and he had asked her to marry him. For some reason Harrell had been jealous of her friendship with Nedwyn, and when he’d asked her to end the friendship, she had refused. They had stopped seeing each other right after that. It was hard to believe that that had been almost twenty years ago.

Once again thinking that things had gotten too quiet between her and Nedwyn, she decided to ask, “So, how are things coming for your retirement party? The one Jake and Diamond are giving you.”

A smile touched his lips. “I passed the guest list on to Jake a couple of weeks ago, and knowing him and Diamond, it will be larger than I’m expecting. They like doing things in a grand style.”

Diana nodded, chuckling, knowing that was true. “Anyone on the guest list that I know?”

“Umm, Hillary has been invited. I know how much you admire her. And before you ask, yes, she’s bringing Bill. Then there are several other senators and congressmen coming. Oprah has accepted, and so has Bill Cosby. Denzel is out of the country filming, but Sterling Hamilton and his lovely wife, Colby, are coming as well as Kyle and Kimara Garwood. As you know, they’re regulars at any party Jake hosts.”

“Yes, I know.” Diana then decided to ask something she had wondered about since he’d confided in her that he was going to retire over a year ago. “Ned, you were a senator for over twenty-five years. If you could do anything different now, what would it be?”

She turned slightly and studied his features and saw the sadness that crept into his eyes. It was a long moment before he finally spoke. “I regret my inability to detect that in addition to being vindictive, Senator John Harris was also a very sick man. Only a truly demented person could have done what he did to those teenagers.”

She knew what he was talking about. The once-popular senator from Pennsylvania had gotten arrested a few years ago, along with a few noted others, as part of a cartel that kidnapped teens all over the country to be shipped to other countries to be sexually exploited. Her niece Christy Madaris had broken the story and had placed her life on the line in doing so, as she herself had gotten kidnapped.

“But you didn’t know,” Diana said quietly.

“No, I think when he was exposed, it came as a surprise to everyone. But still, when I think of all those kids, some he even had killed…I hope he rots in jail. Being given life with no chance of parole was being too kind to him.”

He didn’t say anything for another long moment; then he said, “And then I wish I would have been more forceful in my stance about us going into Iraq. I voted against it, but I should have gotten more of my colleagues to support my position. Instead, they believed there were weapons of mass destruction buried somewhere.”