Mad Love: Madison by Lisa Boone Page A

the crystal punch bowl of eggnog
and followed her sister into the dining room. Thanks to Sarah, everything was
perfect.
    Lighted garland hung over a roaring fireplace. A
white Christmas tree with blue lights and decorations—which had sat in the
attic only a couple of hours before—now stood in front of the gigantic bay
window that overlooked the lake. The dining room table, previously covered with
books from one end to another was now covered with a lace tablecloth that had
once belonged to their grandmother. Her finest china was laid out, waiting to
be filled with the food that sat on silver platters in the center of the table.
    Sarah had worked late into the night preparing
for today. She was determined to make a good impression on Ethan for Madison’s
sake and Madison couldn’t have been more grateful.
    Nevertheless, as hard as Madison tried, she
couldn’t seem to relax or get into the Christmas spirit. She knew she was safe
and that nothing could hurt her here at her grandfather’s home, a large secluded
two-story cottage near the lake and surrounded by woods, but she couldn’t shake
the feeling that she was in danger.
    She set the punch bowl down on the sideboard and
glanced out the windows toward the lake as she nervously played with the lace
runner across the sideboard.
    There was no need to worry , she consoled herself. No
one knew about the cottage. No one except Ethan knew she was here and she made
sure to watch in the rearview mirror for any sign of someone following them
last night. To her relief, there had been no headlights for the last five miles
as they drove down the narrow, lonely road to her grandpa’s place.
    She reached for the eggnog ladle and attempted to
pour a glass of eggnog, spilling a few drops on the hardwood floor. A heady
combination of fear, anger and confusion was causing her to be a little less
coordinated than normal. With an annoyed sigh, she lowered the ladle back into
the bowl.
    A pair of strong hands lightly gripped her
shoulders. They traveled down her arms and pulled her back into a hug.
    She leaned back into Ethan’s embrace.
    “Are you okay?” he whispered softly against her
ear.
    “I’m fine,” she said as a feeling of peace and
safety washed over her. She leaned her head back, resting it against his
shoulder. “I’m glad you came.”
    Ethan held her tighter. “So am I. I like your
family.”
    “Where is my grandfather, by the way?”
    “He went upstairs to get a picture of the
destroyer he served on during the Korean War. We’ve been trading war stories.”
He moved away from her as Sarah reentered the dining room with another dish. Crossing
his arms, he leaned against the wall and looked at Madison closely. “Are you sure
you’re okay?”
    She forced a bright smile. “Of course, why do you
ask?”
    “You seem a little tense.”
    Madison shook her head. “Just tired.”
    “Worried about Paul?”
    She nodded.
    “Did something else happen last night?” When she
tried to change the subject, he lightly touched her arm. “Madison, what
happened?”
    She sighed before finally giving in. “I got
another phone call from Quincy.”
    Ethan’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure it’s him?”
    “Positive.”
    “You didn’t sound as certain yesterday.”
    “No, but I had another chance to hear his voice
last night. It’s Quincy.” She tilted her head to the side as she considered
him. “What’s wrong?”
    He shook his head as her grandfather entered the
room holding a framed picture. “We’ll talk about it later,” he said helping her
to her seat before examining the picture her grandfather thrust into his hands.
    “That was my first ship, USS Henry W. Tucker.”
Lee Love took his place at the head of the table. Thrilled to have someone to
talk to about his war days, he grabbed Ethan’s arm and pulled him into the
chair next to him. Sarah and Madison exchanged amused looks as Sarah took the
spot across from her grandfather and Madison slipped into the