Stone Cold Surrender - Brenda Jackson [55]
“Yes,” Durango said quietly. “I’m sure Stone told you that someone was looking for you.”
Corey nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I heard. So what has that to do with these two?”
When everyone went silent, Corey crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay, what the hell is going on?’’
One of the men, the taller of the two, spoke up. “Do you remember a Carolyn Roberts?”
Corey’s arms dropped to his side. “Yes, I remember Carolyn. Why? What is she to you?”
The other man, who was just as tall as Corey, then spoke. “She was our mother.”
“Was?” Corey asked softly.
“Yes, she died six months ago.”
Corey shook his head sadly as he remembered the woman he’d dated a full year before they’d gone their separate ways, never to see each other again. “I’m sorry to hear that and you have my condolences. Your mother was a good woman.”
“And she told us just moments before she died that you were a good man,” the taller of the two said.
Corey sighed deeply. “I appreciate her thinking that way.”
“That’s not all Mrs. Roberts told them, Uncle Corey. I think you need to hear the rest of it,” Quade Westmoreland said.
After glancing over at his nephew, Corey turned to the men. “All right. What else did she tell you?”
The two men looked from one to the other before the taller answered. “She also told us that we were your sons.”
It was evident that the two men’s statement had shaken Corey, Madison thought. But then all you had to do was to look at the other three Westmoreland nephews to know their claim was true. Quade was a good-looking man and reminded her a lot of Stone. He was quiet and didn’t say much, but when he spoke people listened. And there was a dangerous look about him like he enjoyed living on the edge and wouldn’t hesitate to take anything into his own hands if the need arose. Then there were the other two men, who until a few minutes ago were virtual strangers. The only names they’d given were their first ones, Clint and Cole. They said they would explain everything once they were seated at the table where they could talk.
Now it seemed everyone was ready. Her mother, being the ever-gracious and proper hostess, had made coffee and served Danishes when the men declined dinner. Abby was now seated beside Corey and, understanding her mother’s presence but thinking this was a family matter and her presence wasn’t warranted, Madison was about to leave to go to her room when Stone grabbed her arm and almost tugged her down in his lap. “Stay,” he said so close to her lips she thought he was going to kiss her.
She glanced over at his cousin Quade who smiled mysteriously. She looked at Stone and nodded, “All right,” and sat down in the chair beside him.
“Now, will the two of you start from the beginning?” Corey Westmoreland asked Clint and Cole.
Clint, the taller of the two men began speaking. “Twenty-nine years ago Carolyn gave birth to triplets and—”
“Triplets!” Corey exclaimed, nearly coming out of his seat.
Clint nodded. “Yes.”
Corey shook his head. “Multiple births run in this family, but…hell, I didn’t even know she was pregnant.”
“Yes, she said she left without telling you after the two of you broke up. She moved to Beaumont, Texas, where an aunt and uncle lived. She showed up on their doorstep and fabricated the story that she had married a man who’d been a rodeo bronco and that he’d gotten killed while competing. She claimed that man’s name was Corey Westmoreland and she was the widowed Carolyn Westmoreland. She’d even obtained false papers to prove it. We can only assume she did that because she was twenty-four and her aunt and uncle, her only relatives, were deeply religious. They wouldn’t look down on her if she told them she was married instead of a girl having a child out of wedlock.”
A few moments later Clint continued. “Anyway, she found out she was having triplets and, since she was using the Westmoreland name, the three of us were born as Westmorelands and no questions were asked. We were raised believing our father had died before we were born and never thought any differently