Chapter Six
The men knocked again.
Garrett growled in frustration. “Do we open the door to check on her?”
“We can’t do that. Let’s try back later.”
They looked for her in the next few days, but she was very good at disappearing out of a room before they got there. It didn’t help that they were both busier than normal.
Several days went by.
Madelyn had the time of her life. She didn’t worry about the men as they seemed to stay away from her. She tried not to let it hurt, but she’d always been sensitive. She tended to pick up other people’s emotions and let them affect her.
Her happiness seemed to deflate when they were forced to be in the same room, but she tried hard not to let it show.
She couldn’t believe the two brothers were so different from each other. They were extremely handsome and had the same green eyes and dark hair, but Garrett’s features were more rugged than his brother, Trey’s. Trey also seemed to have a smile on his face when she hadn’t seen one on Garrett’s at all.
Madelyn refused to let them destroy her vacation. She hadn’t had one in decades and deserved it after all she’d been through. She tried doing things she hadn’t had time for. She tried reading, playing puzzles, and watching television to pass the time, but it just made her jittery. She’d never been good at sitting still, even as a child.
She had looked forward to helping with the new horse, but neither man had said anything more about it to her, so she left it alone. She figured they had come to their senses and were going to be kind.
The hikes she’d been on were her favorite. She went with a different group every day. The third time she set out on a group hike, she learned Garrett was the guide. Madelyn almost turned around and went back into the lodge. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. This was her vacation, and she wouldn’t let anyone mess it up.
She made sure she stayed at the back of the group for the whole day. She ignored him when he stared at her and enjoyed her walk and talking to the other hikers.
The group of hikers returned to the lodge just as the sun slid behind the mountains. She hadn’t expected the hike to take all day, but she’d had a wonderful time and was energized. She felt she could have done a few more miles.
Madelyn went to her room, showered, and dressed for dinner. She hoped she could have a peaceful meal without the men ruining it.
A vehicle caught her attention as she walked through the lobby and jerked to a stop. A scream of happiness almost burst from her throat as she raced through the front door, down the steps, and into her son’s arms. She laughed as he spun her around and hugged her tightly. She took a step back and cupped his face between her hands.
“What is this on your face?” were the first words out of her mouth.
Carter threw his head back and laughed. “The beard is easier to take care of.”
“But I can’t see your handsome face.”
He rolled his eyes and chuckled when she finally greeted him with her usual scream. He’d been waiting for it.
“Oh my God. Wait. Why are you here today? Not that I’m complaining, but what a wonderful surprise.”
“I was signed up for a conference, and I need to be back early for the day after tomorrow, so I decided to come today. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see you.”
“How did I get so lucky to have such great kids?”
He pulled her into his arms again. “Because we had the best mom in the world.”
She sniffed and then laughed. She stepped back and wiped her eyes. “Stop, or you’ll make me cry.”
He rolled his eyes. “Everything makes you cry.”
She gasped softly and smacked his arm. “That is not true.”
“You cried on the first day of school every year. Even in my senior year of high school and college.”
“Because I enjoyed being with you guys so much. I always hated the end of summer.”
“Most parents were sick of their children and celebrated the first day of school.” He shook his head, chuckled, went back to his SUV, and grabbed his overnight bag. He wrapped his free arm around his mom’s shoulders, and they talked as they walked up to the lodge.
“Daisy, here’s my son, Carter, I was telling you about.”
“Ooh, the bigwig doctor.”
Carter snorted.
“I’ve never seen a mother so proud of her children before.”
Carter chuckled and glanced at his mom. “Oh, Lord. Is she driving you crazy?”
“Hey!” Madelyn exclaimed.
The two young people chuckled.
“Not at all. It’s actually very sweet.”
Madelyn turned to her son. “You’re going to have to bunk with me, Baby. There are no extra rooms at the moment. I’ve got a king-size bed, but if you’d rather, Daisy said we could bring in a fold-a-bed.”
“No, the bed’s great. It won’t be the first or last time we share a bed.”
Madelyn chuckled. “That’s true.” She laughed and turned to Daisy. “Does he have to sign in?”
“Yes.” Daisy nodded and pushed the sheet toward him. “Just sign here,” she said and pointed. She grinned when he finished. “Dinner is ready if you guys want to go in now. I can have Matt take your bag up.”
“Just put it on my bill.”
Carter patted his stomach. “That would be great. I’m starving.”
Madelyn snorted. “You’re always hungry.”
“Hey, I’m a growing boy.”
Madelyn rolled her eyes, and she slipped her arm through his. The two made their way into the dining room. They went through the buffet and then sat at a small table by themselves to catch up.
****
Garrett stood in the dining room doorway and tried to talk himself out of going over and asking her why she had to bring her lovers to the lodge and how long the bastard was going to stay. Trey had been gone for the day so no one could keep him from making stupid choices.
He’d been fighting a losing battle since he looked out his office window and saw the two embrace each other. He could feel the love they had for each other from where he was sitting.
He liked to think he was reasonable, but since Madelyn showed up, he’d felt like a bear with a thorn in its paw. He knew he was extremely attracted to her but fought it every step of the way.
Trey was determined to get the three of them together. Both men had been busier than normal and hadn’t had time to talk between the two, but all he had to do was look at the expression on his brother’s face to know how he felt about her.
His feet carried him to their table without a conscious decision. He stood over them and waited for their attention.
****
Carter watched his mom freeze when a man came to stand next to their table.
“Are you two having a nice dinner?” Garrett asked.
Carter’s eyebrows went up with what he perceived as jealousy. He watched as his mother blushed and then looked away from the man. He coughed back a chuckle. He had never seen his mom attracted to anyone, and he loved it.
Madelyn cleared her throat. “Yes, we are, thank you.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Carter asked and then bit his tongue when they both looked at him in surprise.
Madelyn sighed. “Carter, I’d like you to meet one of the owners of the lodge, Mr. Walsh.”
Carter held out a hand and almost lost it when the guy looked like he’d rather do anything than shake his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, sir.” That seemed to make things worse. If the man’s expression got any tenser, he was in danger of a heart attack.
“Mr. Walsh, this is Carter, my son.”
Carter bit his tongue to keep from bursting out in laughter at the shock and then suspicion on the man’s face.
“Your son, huh?”
“Yes,” Madelyn said tersely.
Carter could tell his mom had no clue what was going on. He had the urge to push them together a bit. His mom deserved to have a man in her life.
“I really am. My mom has always looked young for her age.”
Carter saw a flush of embarrassment glide across Garrett’s face.
“Why are you so shocked, Mr. Walsh?” Madelyn asked, confused.
“I thought he was your…”
“What?”
“I thought he was your male companion.”
Madelyn’s brows snapped together. “I still don’t understand why it’s any of your business.”
“It damn well is …well, I need to know because of the lodge,” he sputtered. “Has he checked in?”
“Yes, I have. I’m only able to stay the night, unfortunately.”
Madelyn still couldn’t understand this man. “You thought he was my lover?”
Carter interrupted her. “I can see it doesn’t help that my beard makes me look a bit older. I could understand why he thought that.”
“Still,” she said and shook her head.
“I’m sorry I disturbed you. Have a nice dinner.”
Carter raised his hand. “It was nice to meet you.”
Garrett paused. “It was nice to meet you. Have a good visit.”
Carter and Madelyn went back to talking. Their attention was on each other for the rest of the evening.
Carter wanted to question his mother about the man but he could tell it was a touchy subject and didn’t want to push her. He could tell from the sparks that flew between them that they both found each other attractive, and he wondered what kept them from pursuing each other.