Brenda Jackson - Eternally Yours

“It's about time the two of you got back!”

Clayton and Syneda broke apart and stared in surprised shock at the couple standing in the doorway.

“Justin! Lorren!” Syneda exclaimed in astonishment. She quickly recovered and threw her arms around them.

“Did we surprise you two?” Lorren Madaris asked speculatively, eyeing Clayton and Syneda with a sort of stunned expression on her face. “We arrived a few hours ago. When we discovered the two of you weren't here, Justin used the spare key to get in.”

Clayton hugged Lorren and shook hands with his oldest brother. Although he and Syneda had been well hidden in the shadows, it was apparent they had been doing a lot more than chitchatting outside the door.

“Surprise is putting it mildly,” Clayton muttered to them. His voice was as unwelcoming as his expression. “Your timing is lousy, big brother,” he whispered for Justin's ears only.

Justin Madaris gave Clayton a hard look. “Apparently it was right on time,” he whispered back.

“So what brings the two of you here?” Clayton asked, entering the condo, still holding Syneda's hand. “Whatever the reason, I hope it's a short visit.” He wasn't kidding. And to make sure Justin and Lorren knew it, the tone of his voice was deadly serious.

Evidently it wasn't serious enough. Both Justin and Lorren were smiling with a look that said, “Now that we see what you're up to, not on your life, buddy.”

After a moment of tense silence, Justin finally spoke. “Lorren has some news she just couldn't wait to share with Syneda. And your lack of phones in this condo made calling impossible.”

“Our lack of phones was to ensure complete privacy and avoid untimely and uninvited interruptions,” Clayton replied, placing emphasis on the last part of his sentence. “So what's your news, Lorren, that was so pressing you had to deliver it in person?” His eyes fell on the sister-in-law he had come to love and adore but at the moment wanted to strangle.

He couldn't help noticing her love-mussed clothes, tousled hair and slightly swollen lips. Despite not wanting to do so, he couldn't help smiling. Evidently Justin and Lorren had found a rather interesting way to pass the time while they had waited for him and Syneda to return.

Lorren's eyes sparkled with total happiness. “We're having another baby!”

“Lorren, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for the two of you.” Syneda threw her arms around Lorren, sharing her excitement.

Clayton couldn't help but roar in laughter. Now he had two pregnant sisters-in-law. Evidently his brothers had taken the good book's directive to be fruitful and replenish the earth rather seriously. “Somehow Lorren being pregnant again doesn't surprise me,” he said. “It really doesn't surprise me at all.”

Senator John Harris sat across the table from the other three men in the large conference room. They were all staring at him as if he'd lost his mind. He hated it whenever they stared at him like that.

Finally one of the men, Senator Carl Booker, spoke. “I think you're taking all of this too personal, John.”

“Because it is personal, Carl. Nedwyn Lansing and I have been at odds with each other since the first day we both arrived on Capitol Hill. The passage of that bill was important to me.”

Matthew Williams, the oldest senator in the group, spoke. “But it didn't pass, so I suggest you get over it. What you're proposing to do is crazy. I'm not all that fond of Lansing, none of us are, but I wouldn't deliberately do anything to destroy his political career.”

“That's why you and I are different, Mat. I would destroy his career in a minute if I had the right ammunition. All I'm proposing is to get someone to dig into his past, just in case something is there. No one can be that squeaky clean. Even George Washington had skeletons in his closet.”

“Forget it, John,” Senator Paul Dunlap said. “If the media hasn't uncovered any dirt on Lansing, then there isn't any to be found.”

The other men in the room nodded in full agreement.

Senator Harris fumed. “That's not necessarily true.” One by one he looked in the eyes of everyone at the table. “No one has found out about that twenty-two-year-old woman you've been two-timing your wife with for the past two years, Mat. Nor have they found out about your lovely teenage daughter's recent abortion, Paul. And last but not least, Carl, I really don't think anyone knows a thing about your son's drug addiction.”

Senator Harris's eyes crinkled at the corners at the surprised look on each of the men's faces. He had just stated information they all thought no one knew. “And don't insult my intelligence by denying any of it. I have everything I need to prove otherwise.”

“What do you want from us, Harris?” Dunlap asked in a voice with an edge to it. “It's getting late and I would like to make it home before midnight.”

“I want all three of you to back me on this. Ruining Lansing has to be a group effort. And another thing, he has too many close friends who happen to be Fortune 500 CEOs. I find it hard to believe he's never accepted any type of kickback from any of them.”

“I assume you're referring to Garwood Industries, Remington Oil, and Turner Broadcasting Corporation?” Carl said. “Everyone knows those three are loyal financial contributors to Lansing's campaign coffers.”

“Yes.”

“That can be explained,” Paul replied. “Lansing and old man Garwood were friends since Garwood Industries opened their first Texas branch office. And since his grandfather's death, Kyle Garwood has maintained a close relationship with Lansing.”

After taking a drink of water he continued, “As far as his association with S. T. Remington is concerned, it's my understanding they were roommates in college. And as for Ted Turner, they became good friends during the time Lansing was the mayor's assistant in Beaumont, Texas. He encouraged the school board to do an experiment using cable television as a teaching tool for elementary and secondary students. It was a project that proved to be very successful and got Turner Broadcasting much recognition.”

“Besides,” Mat contributed, “none of us can deny the fact that Lansing has done more for the interest of the oil and cattle industries than anyone in Congress. That's why he's always gotten such strong support from the oil companies and the cattlemen.”

Senator Harris slammed his hand down on the table. “There has to be something in his past that will drop his popularity with the voters,” he thundered. “And I plan on finding out what it is and destroying him the same way he destroyed my bill.”

“Clayton and Syneda. I don't believe it.”

Justin Madaris shook his head as he whispered the words to his wife as she lay in his arms.

“They're the last two people likely to end up together. Who would have thought they would have stopped opposing each other long enough to get interested in each other,” he added.

Clayton and Syneda had retired to their separate bedrooms, and Justin and Lorren had made the sofa into an extra bed.

“I can't believe Clayton,” Lorren said tersely. A thundercloud of indignant frowns bunched her brows together. “The nerve of him hitting on Syneda.”

Justin rolled his eyes heavenward. “Aren't you getting a bit carried away?”

Lorren lifted her head to glare down at her husband. “If I am, I have every right to. I don't want Clayton and Syneda involved with each other.”

“Why?”

“He'll hurt her.”

“Have you ever considered letting Syneda handle her own love life, Lorren? She's a grown woman, you know. Besides, don't you think you're being a little too hard on Clayton?”