Secret Love - Brenda Jackson [108]
Chapter 14
Chapter 15 I t was time. Jake glanced around the room and noticed a number of people were eyeing him expectantly. It seemed his nieces had done a pretty good job of spreading the word that he would be making some sort of an announcement. He gave a discreet nod to his brother Jonathan, who nodded in return before slipping up the stairs unnoticed. Jake smiled. He was not the type of person to give in to dramatics, but he had to ashamedly admit that he was actually enjoying this. “May I have all of your attention for a minute, please?” he asked the group of people assembled in his living room. Conversation stopped immediately, and all eyes, those that were not looking at him already, turned in his direction. He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Other than his men; his brother and sister-in-law, Jonathan and Marilyn; and his two close friends, Kyle Garwood and Sterling Hamilton and their wives—no one else knew of his relationship with Diamond, let alone the fact that he was marri
Chapter 15
Chapter 16 “D id you get all the rest you needed last night, Jake?” Jake’s smile faded the moment he walked into his kitchen the next morning and found his nephew Clayton sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee. He walked over to the counter to pour his own cup. Ignoring Clayton’s question, he drawled teasingly, “I guess it was too much to hope that all of you had left last night.” “Yep,” Clayton said with a somewhat cocky grin. “Some of us decided to extend our visit for a day or so. It’s every man’s dream to be able to claim that he slept under the same roof as Diamond Swain.” “Diamond Swain Madaris,” Jake corrected, slanting a glance in his nephew’s direction. “She’s going to start using her married name.” “And you’re okay with that?” Clayton asked, studying his uncle while he sipped his coffee. Jake lifted a brow as he walked over to the table and sat down. “Why wouldn’t I be? She’s my wife, and that’s her name.” Clayton shrugged. “If for no other reason than for simplicity’
Chapter 16
Chapter 17 J ustin Madaris tried to hide his grin as he watched the play of emotions on his uncle Jake’s face. Usually Jake was an expert at hiding his emotions. But not this time and definitely not today: emotions or no emotions, Jake was no match for the group of women surrounding him. It would be interesting, Justin thought, what the outcome of the confrontation would be. His wife Lorren, Dex’s wife Caitlin, Clayton’s wife Syneda, his two sisters—Traci and Kattie—and his cousin Felicia were not going to give up and back down. They were intent on being just as stubborn as Jake. Justin glanced around the card table at the husbands of those women. Fully aware of what was happening across the room, none of them seemed inclined to go to Jake’s rescue or aid him in his cause. The only thing they were intent on doing was finishing their poker game. They were willing to let Jake deal with their wives the best way he could. After all, the women were his nieces. Besides, they knew Jake’s figh
Chapter 17
Chapter 18 T he next day, Diamond stood at the window in Jake’s bedroom and gazed out. As far as her eyes could see, there were endless plains of lush green peaks and valleys. This was her home, the home Jacob Madaris had given her to be shared with him and his family. This was Whispering Pines. It was Madaris land that had been in the family for six generations. She could just imagine the hard work, labor and tiring days that had gone into keeping the land out of the hands of others. Jacob had once told her that there had been a number of African-American families