A Madaris Bride for Christmas

“Call and let me know how tomorrow’s dinner goes. I’m still working on Joel about that trip to Vegas that he promised.”

After ending the call and clicking off the phone, Carly glanced around her kitchen. It seemed that Lee meant business. She couldn’t help lifting her lips in a smile.

“Dinner should be interesting.”

* * *

Lee looked across the table at the three men he’d flown to Dubai to meet. They were older cousins whom he thought of as older brothers. Justin, Dex and Clayton Madaris had already been out of college and working in their chosen professional fields when Lee and his close cousins had become teens. It had meant a lot to be able to ask their older cousins those questions they wouldn’t dare ask their parents. Justin, the oldest, was a doctor; Dex, the middle brother, was a geologist; and Clayton, the youngest brother, was an attorney. All three were happily married with families.

“I’m surprised the three of you could plan to come to Dubai on vacation at the same time,” Lee said, taking a sip of his wine.

Justin chuckled. “Syneda planned it all. That should tell you everything.”

Lee smiled. It did. Syneda was Clayton’s wife and was quite outspoken. She was known for the outlandish. And everyone adored her, as they did Justin’s wife, Lorren, who had been Syneda’s best friend since childhood, and Dex’s wife, Caitlin. All three couples were known to give lavish parties. Visiting them had always been a highlight while growing up.

“You know you didn’t have to come all the way to Dubai to see us,” Dex said, his lips forming a smile. “Houston was closer.”

“Your reluctance to visit home has nothing to do with Mama Laverne’s prophecy, does it?” Clayton asked, his eyes showing amusement.

Lee shook his head. He wished he could find the situation as amusing as Justin, Dex and Clayton did. “Did she find your wives?”

“Nope,” Justin said. “I think she was taking a break during our generation.”

“But she did give me grief at my wedding,” Clayton said, grinning.

“Get the story right, Clayton,” Dex said, taking a sip of his drink. “You were the one causing grief by breaking every rule.”

Lee chuckled. He’d been at the wedding that day but had been too young to know what had been going on behind the scenes. The one thing all of them had known was that Clayton was the rebel in the family, along with one of their other cousins, Felicia Laverne, who’d been named after Mama Laverne.

“To answer your question, Clayton, I’m trying to come up with my game plan before coming home for Christmas. Nolan called a few nights ago and said he heard Mama Laverne planning my wedding to her friend’s granddaughter.”

“Well, she did give you fair warning at Angelo and Peyton’s wedding,” Dex said, shaking his head. “What can you do other than avoid coming home?”

Lee wished he could answer that question. He was saved from having to come up with something when he saw Lorren, Syneda and Caitlin heading for their table. “Here come your beautiful wives.”

He watched the expressions on his three cousins’ faces when they stood, waiting for the ladies’ arrival. It was easy to see they adored the women they’d married. It would be nice if all marriages were like that. Lee had been exposed to enough solid marriages in his family to know they could work if both people were on the same page and in love. His parents’ marriage had lasted close to thirty-five years and long marriages ran in his family.

He had an MBA. He understood business, not this emotion called love. What if there was no love? Could two people marry and become life partners?

He brought his glass to his lips just as he was slammed with a whopper of an idea. “Why didn’t I think of that before?” he said aloud.

“Think of what?” Syneda asked, approaching the table.

“Nothing.” He was well aware that when it came to his great-grandmother, Syneda was one of the old gal’s partners in crime. Rumor had it that Syneda assisted Mama Laverne with ending Blade’s bachelor days.

Syneda looked at him curiously before giving him a hug. “You sure it’s nothing?”

He smiled at his cousin-in-law. “I’m positive.”

He then gave Lorren and Caitlin hugs as well. He was still smiling when he sat back down.

He’d finally come up with an idea to outsmart his great-grandmother.

* * *

Carly had never been this nervous in her life, but there was no denying that she was nervous now. And all because of one man. Lee Madaris.

She played back everything in her mind, from their first kiss on the balcony to their second kiss in his suite. That kiss had thrown her into a world of confusion, conflicting emotions and primitive yearning. Before that night had ended she had agreed to have dinner with him.

She glanced at the clock on her wall. That dinner, which he would prepare, was to commence in a little less than four hours. She hadn’t heard from Lee since the food was delivered. She could only assume nothing had changed and he had returned from Dubai today.

Carly hadn’t been sure what to wear tonight. She had decided on a maxi dress, with spaghetti straps at the shoulders and a ribbed band at the waist. She liked the mix of mauve, beige and green, and her feet felt comfortable in beige-colored flats.

When her cell phone rang, she picked it up off her nightstand and smiled. It was Aunt Ruthie.

“Hello.”

“You okay, Baby-Girl?”

She smiled. That had always been her aunt’s nickname for her. “Aunt Ruthie, yes, I’m okay. What about you?”

“Fine. Did my grocery shopping today and ran into Harriet. Her husband had a heart attack last week and he’s still in the hospital.”

Unlike Carly, her aunt had tons of friends. “I don’t recall Ms. Harriet, but is her husband okay?”

“Yes, he’ll be okay. But he’ll have to change his diet. And knowing Harriet, she’ll make sure he does. How are things going in Vegas?”

Carly hadn’t expected her aunt to be crazy about the idea of her moving to Las Vegas for work, but surprisingly Aunt Ruthie had been fine with it.

“Things are going great. The restaurant has been busy.”

“But busy is good, right?” her aunt asked.

Carly chuckled. “Yes, busy is good.”

A few minutes later, Carly ended her conversation with her aunt and warm emotions flowed through her. Her aunt had always been there for her, even when Carly’s mother hadn’t. Carly had given up on the hope that one day things would change. Her mother’s husband was a big-time businessman with an image to keep and a family to protect...from her. The man saw her as a threat to his and his family’s way of life, and until that changed, nothing else would.

Carly glanced at her watch. Since she had time, and wanted to get her mind off her nerves, she pulled up the Miami Herald to see what was in the news.

* * *

Lee was glad to be back in Vegas. He smiled as he tossed his luggage on the bed. Usually, he did not feel that way after returning from a business trip. But this time was different. In less than three hours he would be dining with a beautiful woman. A woman he hadn’t been able to get off his mind even thousands of miles away.

Visiting with his cousins and their wives had been enjoyable, but he’d been ready to leave them to their own devices. The Grand MD Dubai had a lot to offer and they would be there for seven more days to take it all in.

Now Lee would shower and get dressed for tonight. He’d prepare dinner and make sure they had a pleasurable evening. Then he would unveil his plan, the one he had come up with to outsmart his grandmother. He grinned just thinking about it. Mama Laverne would think twice before planning another wedding for one of her great-grands.

But to make it work he had to bring Carly on board with his idea. They barely knew each other. She didn’t love him, and he didn’t love her. He wasn’t even sure they had anything in common. However, what he did know was that he craved her. Her, and no other woman.