Forever And A Day (Montana Brides, Book #7) (24 page)

“Sure. I’m busy for most of tomorrow, but I should be finished what I need to do by half past three. Do you want to come here or in town?”

Jordan thought about what he’d be doing tomorrow. “Your place is better. Our new guests are arriving and I don’t want to be far away.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

“I’ll be there. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Jordan hung up and stared at the phone. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. He’d called her. They were going to meet tomorrow. It would be one more thing ticked off her to-do list before she left.

He should have felt relieved, but he felt miserable.

The phone started ringing. He stared at it, wondering if Sarah had forgotten to tell him something. “Hello?”

“Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes.”

He let go of his breath and smiled at the gruff voice coming down the phone. “I thought you wanted me to fend for myself?”

Trent laughed. “If I thought it would do any good I’d lock the front door. But Gracie would let you in the back. Be here in fifteen minutes or I’m eating your steak.”

Jordan didn’t need to be told twice. He put the phone down and grabbed his jacket. Only he didn’t feel hungry anymore. He was nervous, worried about tomorrow.

As he walked across to Gracie and Trent’s place, he decided he needed to start acting like an adult. Sarah had other plans that didn’t involve him. As soon as she’d finished the website and found a replacement on Alex’s ranch she’d be gone. Out of his life. Forever. And he’d have exactly what he wanted. His old life back.

***

Sarah jumped when she heard someone walking up the old wooden steps to the house. She felt like she was about to go on her first date, but this wasn’t a date. It was a business meeting. Except Jordan wasn’t a paying client and most of the groundwork had been done by ten-year-olds.

Someone’s boots landed beside the front door. She frowned. Jordan wouldn’t have kicked his boots off. She stuck her head out of the living room door and peered down the hallway. “Mac? What are you doing here?”

“I live here.”

He had the oddest way of annoying her. “I know you live here. But it’s half past three. You’re usually on the ranch.”

“I started early this morning. Thought I’d watch TV. Catch up on a few games.”

Sarah glared at him. When Mac watched football or basketball, he pushed the volume up so loud that it rattled the shingles on the roof. “You can’t. I’ve got plans.”

“No kidding.”

“You don’t need to look so surprised. I’ve got a life too, you know.”

“Last I heard you were taking your life to Portland.”

Sarah glanced out the front window. There was no sign of Jordan, so at least she had time to talk Mac into keeping the volume down or doing something else. “Jordan will be here soon. We’re going over some website designs.”

Mac walked through to the kitchen and took a bag of potato chips out of the cupboard. “Really? You’ve been miserable the last few days. I thought Jordan might have had something to do with it.” He opened the fridge and took out a couple of cans of beer.

Sarah followed him into the living room. “I don’t suppose you’d consider finding something else to do?”

Mac landed in the middle of the sofa and grinned. “Nope.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “Can you at least keep the volume down?”

“That I can do. The remote control is on the table behind you. Can you pass it to me?”

Sarah looked around the room. “You’re lucky I’m such a nice person.” She handed him the remote, but held tight when he went to take it away. “Remember to keep the volume down.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I think your man’s arrived.”

Sarah looked out the window. Mac was right. Jordan was getting out of his truck. “He’s not my man,” she hissed. “And if you try any funny business I won’t bake you another cookie.”

Mac laughed and turned the TV on. “You’re no fun. My lips are sealed.”

Sarah growled and spun toward the door when Jordan knocked. Mac would have to duct tape his lips together to seal them.

As she walked to the front door, she straightened her shirt, ran her hands through her hair. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and opened the door. “Hi, Jordan. Come in.”

He looked down at his feet.

“Don’t worry about your boots.”

Mac laughed from the living room.

“Ignore Mac. He’s watching a game.” Sarah walked past the living room, hoping Jordan would follow her and leave Mac to his own devices. He didn’t.

“What’s on?” Jordan glanced at the TV.

“Replay between the Grizzlies and the Bulls. If you know the score keep it to yourself.” Mac pointed to the folders in Jordan’s hands with his can. “You brought your homework?”

Sarah frowned at Mac, hoping he got the hint. “I’m sure Jordan’s really busy and needs to get back to his ranch soon.”

“It’s okay,” Jordan said. “Frank’s taken our guests fly fishing with a local outfitter. They won’t be back until after eight tonight.”

Mac grinned. “In that case, pull up a chair and make yourself at home.”

Jordan, clearly torn, looked between Sarah and Mac. “Sorry. Got work to do, buddy. Maybe next time.”

“If you change your mind you know where to find me.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “We’re working in the kitchen.”

Mac looked back at the TV. “Game’s starting. Enjoy yourselves.”

Sarah led Jordan into the kitchen. “Mac’s addicted to the Grizzlies.”

“Who isn’t?”

She took a couple of cans of cola out of the fridge. “You too?”

“I’m from Montana. What can I say?”

“Go Blazers?” Sarah laughed at Jordan’s stunned expression. “I’m not a total hermit. I saw one or two basketball games in Portland.”

“I’m shocked. I thought you had your head in a computer doing programming stuff?”

“I took time off for good behavior. Do you want to show me what you’ve got?”

A streak of red shot across Jordan’s face.

Sarah felt her own face getting hot. “I meant the folders. For the website.”

Jordan cleared his throat and opened the first project folder. “I liked these ideas the best. The only thing I don’t understand is why none of the students wanted me to link other information to my site?”

“The idea of a website is to keep people on your site and not go to anyone else’s. As soon as they leave they might not come back.”

Jordan stared at her for a few minutes before picking up another piece of paper. “This team talked about demographics and niche markets. How does that work with their design ideas?”

Sarah looked at the different images, fonts, and layouts. She told Jordan how the look and feel of the website would attract different people. They went through some e-commerce options, talked about website security.

Jordan frowned at the papers in front of them. “So the analytical tools you talked about can track what people do when they get on our website?”

“That’s right. When you know what people are doing you can change the layout or wording to make the website more effective.”

“This is more complicated than I thought.”

“Once we’ve got everything up and running it will make more sense.” Sarah closed her notebook and picked up another folder. “Are these the photos you liked?”

“No. That’s the reject pile.” He started hunting through the other folders.

She flipped the cover open and stared at the first image. It was her and Jordan. They’d been standing outside the barn, waiting for everyone to join them after they’d toured the ranch. She knew why the photo had been rejected and it made her feel sick. She closed the cover and pushed the photos toward Jordan.

Jordan hadn’t noticed that she’d opened the reject folder. He moved another folder out of the way before passing her a red one. “These are the ones I like.”

She swallowed the knot in her throat and looked at the images. “Tell me why you like them.”

After a few minutes he started going through the folder, resorting the images based on what they’d talked about. He had some great photos, images that would sell the ranch without needing to add pages of text.

He opened the reject folder, then closed it. “I’ll go through these back at the ranch.”

Sarah looked at the folder, then at the other papers covering the table. “I’ve made lots of notes on what you like and don’t like. Are you happy for me to start building the website?”

“Have you got time to do it?”

“Why wouldn’t I have time?”

Jordan started moving all of the papers into folders. “You’ll have a lot to do. Before you move back to Portland.”

Sarah thought about the job offer she was still considering. “I’m staying in Bozeman for a while longer.” She passed him the reject folder. “If there are any photos in here that you decide to include, let me know. I can add them to the website as I’m building it.”

Mac’s voice roared from the living room and Jordan smiled. “Sounds like the Grizzlies just won.”

“109 to 102.”

Jordan raised his eyebrows.

“I watched the game over the weekend.” Sarah picked up their empty cola cans and put them in the recycling bin. “That’s about all we need to go over for now. I’ll call you once I’ve got something for you to look at.”

“The students will want a preview. I could go and talk to them.”

“They’d like that.”

Mac stood in the doorway with a grin on his face. “Have you finished working or am I still banned?”

Sarah smiled at him. “We’ve finished. It sounds as though you got the score you wanted?”

“Damn right. You should have seen them.” Mac shot an imaginary hoop. “Three-pointers everywhere. Don’t know what they’ve been doing at training, but they need to keep doing it.”

Jordan picked up the last folder and stood up. “I should get going.”

“Aren’t you staying for dinner?” Mac asked.

“No. Not tonight.” Jordan glanced at Sarah. “Thanks for all your help. Let me know when you’re ready to meet again.”

“I will. Bye.” She watched him walk out of the kitchen, heard the front door close as he let himself out. She couldn’t believe they were the same two people that had danced under the gazebo at Emily and Alex’s wedding. She’d messed things up so badly that she didn’t know if they’d ever be friends again.

Mac turned to face her. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“Not at the moment.” She looked around the kitchen and took a deep breath. “Do you feel like beef stir-fry for dinner?”

“As long as you don’t put any of that tofu stuff in it.”

Sarah couldn’t help the smile that slid across her face. “You’re such a caveman, Mac.”

“Most of us are. Remember that when you’re figuring out what to do about Jordan.”

Sarah didn’t have to figure anything out. The chances of Jordan ever liking her again were about the same as Mac enjoying tofu. It wasn’t going to happen.

***

“What are you doing?” Tess pulled out a chair at Sarah’s table in Angel Wings Café.

“I’m waiting for Jacob. I thought I’d work on Jordan’s website before he arrives.”

“How’s it going?”

“Good.” Sarah turned her laptop around so Tess could see the screen. “We’re keeping everything simple and letting the images speak for themselves.”

“Looks great. I like the picture of the man with the trout.”

“That’s Pat Buchanan. He went fly fishing a couple of weeks ago. They cooked the trout and had it for dinner with the outfitter.”

“I hope he’s booked another vacation?”

“He will be as soon as I get the website finished. Have you heard from Emily?”

Tess smiled. “She sent me an email yesterday. They’re on their way home. They’ve had a great time.” She glanced back at the counter. “I gotta go. Annie’s not here.”

Sarah went back to the website, adding a couple more pages for the activities Jordan would be taking bookings for.

“Sarah?”

She looked up and smiled at Jacob Green. He sat down at her table and glanced at the website. “Jordan’s?”

She nodded. “I thought I’d finish off a couple of things before you arrived.” She moved her laptop away and pulled an envelope out of her bag. “I went through the report you gave me. I’d definitely like to go and see the ranch.”

As well as being her boss’ older brother, Jacob was a property developer. A very good property developer. Although his expertise was in commercial and residential sales, he knew a thing or two about the rural market.

“You weren’t put off by the price?”

“The price was fine. It’s the location that sold it to me.”

Jacob laughed. “You haven’t seen it yet.”

“I’ve seen the pictures. It’s beautiful.”

“Eighty-five acres isn’t big by Montana standards, but with year-round irrigation and plenty of building sites, it’s a good investment. Do you want to go to the ranch now?”