Whispered Promises (19 page)

Later that night, before putting Jordan to bed, a few of the neighbors dropped by to say goodbye and to wish them well. It was late when the last of their company had left. Dex had taken Jordan up to bed hours earlier.

Caitlin had been tempted more than once during the course of the evening to ask Dex what was bothering him. But each time she changed her mind.

Even now he stood looking out the window at the darkness. He appeared entrenched in deep thoughts. She tried not to notice how good he looked wearing scuffed black boots, a white shirt and faded, skintight jeans. The sight of him sent a surge of desire through her.

“I think I'll go on up to bed now,” she said, breaking the silence. “I'm feeling sleepy. I guess it's because I ran today. I'm going to have to jog more often. I'm definitely out of shape.”

Dex turned around to face her. A smile touched the corners of his lips. “You're rambling, and I happen to like the shape you're in.”

Caitlin lowered her lashes. Should she try to find out what was bothering him? Could she handle it if he were to tell her it was none of her business? For all she knew his mood may have nothing to do with Remington Oil. Suppose he had been seeing someone special in Houston, and with plans of taking her there in the morning, he was beginning to have second thoughts about continuing their marriage.

She lifted her gaze to his. “Dex, is something—”

“Good night, Caitlin,” he cut in before she could finish her question. “Sleep well.”

And every time you say that to me, I usually don't,
Caitlin thought, turning to go up the stairs.

“…H
ere's another soft favorite for your listening pleasure. This sound is going out to all the frustrated drivers caught in Houston's noontime traffic. This number has just the right touch to add a bit of magic to your afternoon. It's a golden hit from the Supremes titled,
‘Where Did Our Love Go?'”

The disc jockey drawled the words over the radio in a velvety masculine voice, and the sound of the Supremes followed, bathing the car with their soulful Motown sound.

Where did our love go?
Caitlin tried keeping her mind on the scenery outside the car window and not on the question being asked in the song playing on the radio.

The long drive from San Antonio to Houston had seemed endless. Each road sign they'd passed, and the small and sparsely populated towns and cities in between, had brought her closer to the city and her new home.

The dashboard clock indicated it was a little past noon. Jordan slept peacefully in the backseat while Dex maneuvered the vehicle expertly through the freeway traffic.

He suddenly broke the silence when they came to a stop at a traffic light. “I spoke with my parents before we left this morning. I finally reached them in Freeport.”

Caitlin turned to find him staring thoughtfully at her. “And?”

He reached over and gently touched her hand, then squeezed it reassuringly. “They are happy about our news. They are very, very happy.”

Caitlin nodded. “About Jordan?”

Dex smiled. “Yes. They're ecstatic to find out they have another granddaughter. It took me a full half hour to convince them not to cut their trip short and return home. I assured them Jordan wasn't going anyplace and that she would be here when they return two weeks from now.”

Caitlin removed her hand from his. “I see.”

“My parents are also thrilled that you and I are back together again.”

Caitlin moistened her lips with a nervous sweep of her tongue. She wondered if that was something Dex knew for sure or something he was hoping for. Although she knew Dex to be his own man and a person who made his own decisions, she couldn't help wondering if the Madaris family would resent her because of the pain she'd caused him.

It wasn't long before they arrived in Dex's neighborhood. He'd told her he had poured all the money he'd made over the past four years into purchasing a home a few months ago in a nice area of Houston.

Caitlin's eyes widened at the house. Dex's home was a stately stucco house that rose two stories with a large, meticulously well-tended lawn on a tree-lined street.

The car stopped at the end of a long driveway. Dex rested one arm on the steering wheel and with the other he reached out and cupped Caitlin's chin. “We're home.”

Upon entering the house, they moved through a wide foyer that led into the living room. The house was spacious and the decor had the professional touch of an interior designer. Most of the contemporary-style furniture appeared new and obviously expensive.

“What do you think so far?” Dex's voice cut into Caitlin's close study of his home. She turned to him. He was holding a sleeping Jordan in his arms.

“I think if I'm not too careful, I could really fall in love with this place. It's beautiful, Dex.”

“I'm glad you like it.”

“Where will Jordan be sleeping?” Caitlin asked. “It'll be a lot easier on you to lay her down.”

Dex laughed. “You may be right. She's carrying all that pizza weight. Come upstairs with me.”

“What about our luggage?”

“I'll bring it in later.”

Caitlin followed Dex up a long, winding staircase to the second floor and into a room obviously decorated for a teenager rather than a little girl. The colors in the room were so vivid Caitlin had to blink twice. There were numerous framed photos and posters of various R & B groups dominating the walls.

“We'll use this bedroom for now. There's a couple of empty rooms up here, and I'm sure one will be fine for Jordan,” Dex said. “You can redecorate it any way you like.”

He smiled. “I let Christy talk me into doing her own thing in this room. I agreed since this is where she sleeps whenever she comes to spend the night.”

Caitlin smiled as she watched Dex place Jordan on the bed. Christy was Dex's baby sister. She had been only thirteen when Dex had brought Caitlin to meet his family four years ago. By the look of the room, Christy was now an older teenager who was very much into music and bright colors.

Dex took Caitlin's hand in his. “Come on, let me show you the rest of the house.” He strode out of the bedroom and led her to another one across the hall. “This is the guest bedroom.” Jacquard-woven drapes and valances of floral design graced the windows. A matching quilted comforter covered the queen-size bed.

“Oh, Dex. It's lovely.”

After showing her two more bedrooms, each with their own private bath, he led her to another bedroom at the far end of the hall, isolated from the others. Double doors led to a huge room that housed a massive four-poster bed and a fireplace. Long ceiling-to-floor windows completely covered the facing wall, while French doors opened onto a balcony overlooking a courtyard and swimming pool.

“And this is
our
room.”

Caitlin didn't miss the emphasis Dex placed on the word “our.”

“Now for the downstairs,” he said, leading her back toward the stairs.

A huge living room, a formal dining room, a family room with another fireplace, a library, a study and two bathrooms made up the house's downstairs. While Dex was giving Caitlin a tour of the immaculate country kitchen, the phone rang.

“Hey, Trevor. Yeah, man, we just got here. When did you get back?” Dex rubbed the top of his head. “I see.” There was a pause. “All right. I'm on my way.”

He hung up the phone. “This is a lousy way to start things off, but something urgent has come up at the office,” he said apologetically.

Caitlin smiled. “Don't worry about it. I know you have a business to run. I'll spend the rest of the afternoon unpacking.”

Dex nodded. “I'll call Gwen. She can come over and fix you and Jordan some dinner.”

Caitlin's brow lifted. “Gwen?”

“My housekeeper and cook.”

“That's not necessary, Dex. I can fix us something.”

“Are you sure?”

“I'm positive.”

“Okay then, I'll bring in the luggage.”

A few minutes later he was back. “When Jordan wakes up, tell her that I'll be home as soon as I can. If I get detained, I'll call.”

“All right.”

“The two of you may want to try out the swimming pool while I'm gone.”

“That sounds like a great idea. I think we will.”

Dex started for the door. He stopped, turned around and walked back over to Caitlin. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers. “See ya, baby.”

Caitlin watched as he walked out of the door. She knew that wherever he went, he was taking her heart with him.

“Excuse me, ma'am. I'm looking for the lady who lives next door.”

Ms. Logan turned to the nicely dressed handsome gentleman. “You mean, Caitlin?” At the man's nod she said, “She's moved.”

Surprised flickered in the man's eyes. “Moved?”

“Yes, son. She moved this morning. Is she a friend of yours?”

The man smiled. “Yes, ma'am, she is. I heard about her father and wanted to stop by to offer my condolences. I've been out of town. Do you have any idea how I can reach her? Do you happen to have her address?”

“No, I don't have her address. She's going to write me and give it to me soon, though.”

“Do you have any idea where she moved?”

“Yes, she moved to Houston. That's her husband's home.”

“Do you know his name?”

“Yes,” Ms. Logan replied, continuing to pull weeds from her flower bed. “Her husband's name is Dexter Madaris.”

Walker Duncan's smile widened. “Thanks, ma'am. You've been a big help.”

Miles away in Ennis, Texas

Justin Madaris lay propped up in the king-size bed listening to the sound of the thunderstorm that had hit the area that afternoon. He smiled, remembering a similar night nearly two years ago when Lorren had run to him in a storm with bad memories chasing her. By the next morning, her bad memories associated with thunderstorms had been replaced with good memories to last a lifetime.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

He glanced in the direction of the familiar voice. Lorren his beautiful wife, stood leaning next to the bedroom door. She was wearing the most seductive gown he had ever seen. To anyone else the gown would probably be considered plain and simple. But to him, on Lorren, it was utterly seductive. His breath caught in his throat. He'd been blessed with finding true love twice in his life. Some people never found it once. He frowned when his thoughts shifted to his brother Dex.

“Sorry I asked about your thoughts,” Lorren said, coming over to stand next to the bed.

Justin raised a brow, knowing she had seen his frown and had mistaken its meaning. “Come here. I missed you.” He pushed the covers aside. “The frown wasn't for you, although it should be. That stallion I bought the other day is a mean one, and I don't want you around him again until after Grady breaks him in.”

Lorren slipped in bed beside Justin, going straight into his arms. “All right, I admit it was foolish of me to think that he would accept my kindness. I won't do it again.”

“Good.”

She snuggled closer to him. “Well, if the frown wasn't for me, who was it for?”

Justin kissed the tip of her nose and gave her playful nips around her mouth. “I was thinking about Dex. He and Caitlin should be in Houston by now. I hope everything's all right.”

“Why don't you call?”

“According to Clayton, Dex doesn't want the family to call or come by for a couple of weeks. He feels he and Caitlin need an adjustment period without visits from anyone. He wants time to bond with his new family.”

Lorren nodded. “I bet it was hard finding out that not only did he still have a wife, but also a child he hadn't known about. Can you imagine not knowing about Justina or Vincent?”

Justin smiled at the mention of his daughter who had turned four months old that day. He also thought of Vincent, the son they had adopted. He loved them both deeply. “No. I can't imagine something like that. And that's one of the reasons I'm worried about Dex.”

Lorren's brow furrowed. “I think Caitlin is the one we should be worried about.”

“Why?”

“Because Dex is a Scorpio.”

Justin's eyebrows raised inquiringly. “Meaning what?”

“Meaning Caitlin has her work cut out for her. Scorpios are unforgiving. They can hold a grudge forever. They only see things as black or white. There's never room for gray.”

Justin chuckled. “That sounds like Dex, all right.”

Lorren shifted in her husband's arms and looked up at him. “Justin, how do you feel about Caitlin?”

Justin shrugged. “I only met her that once, right after they married. I thought she was kind of young at the time. All of us did.”

“All of you except for Dex?”

Justin nodded. “He was too deeply in love. To him that was all that mattered. When we heard about the divorce, none of us was really surprised. She hurt him deeply and I guess a part of me resents that. But I keep thinking of Christy. You know how overly protective we are of our baby sister. What if that had been her instead of Caitlin? There's no way we would have accepted her marriage to an older man, especially one eleven years older. And for that reason, I don't hold anything against Caitlin. None of us in the family do.”

“Did you try explaining the analogy about Christy to Dex?”

“Yeah, but he wouldn't listen. He couldn't see beyond the pain.”

Lorren gazed deeply into Justin's eyes. “Do you think they'll be able to work things out between them?”

“I don't know, baby. I hope so.”

“Me, too. It's hard being part of a loveless marriage.”

Justin knew Lorren was thinking about her first marriage and the pain it had caused her. “I don't want to talk anymore,” he said.

She smiled. “Oh? What do you want to do?”

His arms slid around her waist and lifted her atop him. “This,” he whispered before giving her a very heated kiss.

It was well past midnight before Dex returned home. He found Caitlin sitting in the middle of the living room floor sorting through several small boxes. She glanced up and smiled, then moved the boxes out of her way before standing. “Hi.”