Jordan's Return (2 page)

* * *

The morning came way too soon. The boys were bouncing around her bed, and Jordan was sure it couldn't possibly be the sun she saw peeking from behind the window shades. It seemed she had just fallen asleep, and now here they were.

“C'mon! We're hungry!” Jake said as he bounced on the king-size mattress. “Can we make pancakes?”

Jordan shook her head to get her bearings and looked at the clock. “Six forty-five!” she scolded them. “Do you wake me up this early at home?”

The boys seemed not to hear her.

“Can we, Mom?” Jake asked again with boundless energy.

“Can we what, baby?” she asked with confusion, pushing her chestnut hair away from her face.

“Pancakes,” Joseph answered. “He wants pancakes. I told him no but he didn't believe me.” He stuck his tongue out at his little brother, who in turn mimicked the action.

“Sorry. No pancakes today, guys,” she said around a yawn. “We only have what was in the cooler. We'll go shopping after breakfast, okay?” That seemed to satisfy them and they left the room. Jordan thought about possibly going back to sleep, but after hearing the beginning of yet another argument, she knew she'd never have the opportunity.

Reluctantly, she kicked the blankets off her bare legs and rose from the bed. The wood floor felt cold against her feet as she walked toward the lone bathroom to take a shower and prepare for her day. By the time she emerged from the steamy room, the boys were quietly watching television, happily eating some of the fruit, bagels, and juice she'd packed in the cooler the previous morning. Without letting her presence be known, she smiled to herself and went back to her bedroom to get dressed.

Leaning against the door, Jordan took a moment to look at her own environment. In all the commotion yesterday, she hadn't had the time to appreciate her personal surroundings. The room was very feminine, quite the opposite of the boys' room. Her walls were painted a cheery sunflower yellow, and the window treatments were done in a sheer, gossamer fabric that pooled on the hardwood floor. There was a large burgundy chaise lounge in the corner of the room with a dressing screen behind it for effect. Small pieces of bleached oak furniture finished off the room, and there was an enormous walk-in closet with mirrored doors Jordan adored.

She was already beginning to feel at home in this place. It was peaceful and quaint and exactly what she had always wanted. Eric had always wanted a large house with large, ornate furniture. He had dictated what kind of decor they had and never let Jordan pick anything for herself. In this little house, with its bright colors and simple furnishings, she felt herself start to heal right down to her very soul.

She was, of course, thankful for that fact because she had paid for the house in advance and it would definitely have been a disaster if she'd had to stay in a place she hated. She'd had enough of that back at home—the home she had shared with Eric.

Checking her reflection in the mirror, she felt mildly encouraged. She didn't seem to look as tired as she'd felt lately; her brown eyes looked brighter and her long hair had been recently cut in a more stylish manner that accentuated her high cheekbones. Heck, even her smile seemed more relaxed than it had been in a long time. She was beginning to feel like her old self again, now that she had something to look forward to.

After applying a little makeup—just a touch of mascara and lipstick—she went to check on the boys, who were still engrossed in an episode of
SpongeBob
.

“Okay, who's ready to food shop?” she challenged in a playful tone. Both boys gave her a quick glance, then returned their attention to the TV.

Feeling a little of the wind go out of her sails, she repeated herself. The boys got the hint and went about getting dressed and ready to go.

While she waited, Jordan prepared herself half a bagel and a cup of orange juice. Once the boys returned to the kitchen, they helped their mother make the shopping list before heading out the door.

As she climbed into the car, Jordan racked her brain to remember where the local grocery store was located. She couldn't recall having seen one during their brief drive through town. Not feeling too bothered by the notion, she started the vehicle and headed for town.

It was very early in the morning—not even eight thirty—and the town looked a little deserted.

“Man,” Joseph groaned, “there is
no one
in this town.”

“It's still early, Joe,” Jordan reminded.

“That and the fact that the season is over,” he mumbled under his breath, hoping his mother hadn't heard him.

Driving slowly down the main street, Jordan spotted a figure up ahead. Deciding she had no choice but to ask for directions, she pulled over next to the man and rolled down her window. “Excuse me,” she said. “Could you please tell me where the nearest grocery store is?”

The man had his back to her, momentarily bent over retrieving a newspaper from the ground. Once he stood up and turned around, however, Jordan felt all the color drain from her face.

He was tall, clearly over six feet, wearing a pair of well-worn, form-fitting jeans. His broad chest and shoulders were covered in an indigo-blue button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing an enticing length of tanned, muscled arms. Jordan's mouth went dry as she took in his sun-kissed, playfully mussed, sandy-brown hair. But it was his eyes that captivated her, chocolate-brown eyes that sparked with recognition.

“What was it you were looking for?” he asked casually, taking a sip from the travel-style coffee cup he held in his large, tanned hand.

“I was, um, I was looking for the nearest…” She paused to clear her throat. “We need to go to the grocery store,” she croaked.

“Uh-huh,” he replied as he slowly approached her vehicle. His steps were even, measured, and when he was finally close enough to the door to put a hand on it, he glanced inside. He noticed the boys sitting in the backseat, watching him warily.

His lips fought against a grin as he noticed the pulse in her neck beating erratically.

“So, what brings you to the Virginia coast, Jordan?”

Before Jordan could form an answer to his oh-so-nonchalant question, Jake asked, “Do you know him, Mommy?”

“Yes, sweetheart,” she replied as she turned to give her sons a reassuring look before turning back to the man in the window. “This is Mr. Tyler. We went to school together.” She nervously looked up and met his smiling eyes.

“Hi, boys,” he said, relieved that they stopped looking at him as if he were an ax murderer. “You can call me Rob.” The boys, in turn, introduced themselves and said hello.

Rob Tyler. Of all the people Jordan could have run into today, who would have thought it would be her first love? She hadn't seen him in years, hadn't even thought about him, but now, watching him stand there before her, the years just melted away.

He was still as handsome as she remembered, and her heart still beat erratically at his closeness.

Rob turned his attention back to the woman sitting before him. You could have knocked him over with a feather when he heard her voice. He hadn't even needed to turn around to know it was Jordan. He'd know her honeyed voice anywhere. “So, you were saying…” he prompted her.

“We're here on a family trip and needed to get some groceries,” she stated. “Is there a supermarket nearby?” Her voice shook a little and she hoped it didn't sound as obvious to Rob as it did to her. It was a little unnerving being this close to him after so many years. He had been her first love, her first everything.

Rob leaned in close to Jordan. “Did you leave your husband home in bed?” he asked quietly.

“Our dad isn't here with us,” Joseph supplied, and Jordan shot him a look in the rearview mirror.

“He doesn't live with us anymore,” Jake chimed in. Jordan's head hit the headrest and she shut her eyes, unable to believe her children chose now to come out of their shells.

Taking a deep breath, she tilted her head to the side and looked at Rob with mild embarrassment. “About that grocery store?” He didn't respond, but instead walked around to the passenger side of her SUV and let himself in. Jordan stared at him incredulously as he made himself comfortable.

“It's just easier to show you,” he said as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to be there with her.

It wasn't natural, however. He made the entire interior of the SUV shrink, and Jordan could feel her whole body tense with awareness. Rather than make a scene in front of the boys, she snapped her mouth shut and listened for what she was sure would be long and confusing directions.

Less than five minutes and one right-hand turn later, they were parked in front of a huge supermarket. Jordan silently glared at Rob.

“What?” he asked innocently with a smirk. “It seemed farther away in my head, I guess.” When she continued to glare, he added, “Besides, I needed some things too. Lucky for me you came along when you did.”

They all climbed out of the car and Jordan walked away to retrieve a shopping cart. She wasn't surprised when Rob came up behind her.

“You don't mind if I share, do you?” he asked close to her ear. He didn't wait for her to answer. He was walking ahead of her now, her sons clamoring around him.

Jordan paused for a minute to compose herself.
What the heck just happened?

“C'mon, Mom!” Joseph prompted. Shaking her head, she met up with them at the store entrance.

To any observer, they were a family out doing their shopping. To Jordan's thundering heart, they were a disaster waiting to happen. How had she gone from single mom on a family vacation with her boys to grocery shopping with her ex-boyfriend? With a panicked look at the three males, it hit her that they
could
pass for a family. The boys had always favored her looks more than Eric's and at this moment, they even seemed to resemble Rob. It was almost as if…
Oh, never mind!

Her sons asked Rob nonstop questions about the town and he very patiently answered all of them. He told them about the best spots on the beach, where to find a playground, where the movie theater was, all the hot spots for kids. The boys listened in rapt attention.

“Do you have any kids?” Jake asked, and Jordan found herself suddenly very interested in the conversation. She strained a little while pretending to look for fresh green beans.

Without looking her way, Rob answered the boy.

“No, I don't have any children. Sorry,” he said lightly. Jordan let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and noticed she had collected enough green beans to feed a small army.

Just because there are no children doesn't mean there isn't a wife waiting at home.

Staying a few feet away from wherever Rob went, Jordan's memory of him and the food he liked all came back. It amused her to be able to predict what foods he was going to pick next. Jeez, what did that say for her life if fourteen years later she could still remember how much he loved grapes?
Pathetic, Jordan. Truly pathetic.

They made their way through the store, filling up the cart. Rob let the boys go on ahead, giving them each an item to find. Jordan was sure it was a ploy to stop the endless barrage of questions. Before she knew it, they were alone in the aisle and Rob got in step with Jordan.

“So, how long are you in town for?” he asked as he placed a package of Oreos in the cart.

For a brief moment, her mind whizzed back to when she was seventeen and she and Rob would take picnics out to the local park. He would always feed her Oreos because he knew they were her favorite. Had he put those in the cart deliberately?
Down, girl
. Just because she was able to remember some of his favorites did not mean that Rob had that same ability. Didn't everyone like Oreos?

“Not long,” she said evasively. She was still reeling from the fact that he was here with her, and had a hard time speaking over her rapidly beating heart that seemed determined to break through her chest.

“Humph,” he breathed beside her. He stopped and watched as she made her way up the aisle. She looked exactly the same. He never would have thought it possible, but Jordan looked exactly as she had at the age of eighteen. She wore her hair a little shorter, but her figure would never let on that she'd had two children. He admired how she looked in a pair of faded blue jeans that hugged her rear nicely, as well as the form-fitting teal knit top that kept drawing his eyes to the full swell of her breasts.

Jordan looked back at him with whiskey-colored eyes, showing how uncomfortable she was. He felt like some creepy stalker for staring.

“What?” she asked as she watched the amused expression on his face.

“I guess I still can't get over the fact that you're here,” he stated honestly. “How've you been?”

“Fine.” She reached for a box of cereal and started to walk away from him. Rob stood where he was, holding the coffee cup he had been nursing since he'd climbed into her SUV. “What?” she asked again with irritation when she turned and noticed he hadn't moved.

“Are you going to give me an inch or what?” he asked as he stood looking helpless in the middle of the aisle.

“What are you talking about, Rob?”

“You haven't given me one straight or honest answer to anything I've asked you. It's been all one-word answers. And for the record, ‘fine' doesn't really describe how someone's been for fourteen years. I mean, I got you here to the grocery store to help you out and—”

“Got me here? I may not have graduated with honors but I think I could've understood ‘go to the corner and turn right.' You're crazy,” she muttered and continued to walk away.

He caught up with her in the next aisle. “Fine, I'm crazy,” he began, but before he could continue, the boys were back, having succeeded in getting the items he had assigned them. “Great job!” he enthused. “So, boys, how long are you in town for?” Rob's eyes clashed with Jordan's and a smile tugged at his lips.

“We're here for a whole month!” Jake said proudly.

“Wow!” Rob whistled. “That's a long stay.”

“I'll say,” Joseph added with a mumble.

“You don't want to be here, Joe?”

“No,” he replied flatly.

“Why not?” Rob's curiosity was piqued.

“None of my friends are here, I don't like the beach, I couldn't bring my Xbox, and it's gonna be boring just hanging around taking care of Mom and—”

“Joseph!”
Jordan cut in. “That is enough,” she said in a hushed tone. She looked up at Rob's questioning eyes. “Twelve is such a fun age.” She shrugged and moved along up the aisle as she continued shopping.

The three males fell in step behind her, and together they finished finding everything on her list as well as Rob's and headed for the checkout. Jordan hesitated a minute, having realized that Rob's stuff was mixed up in the cart with hers. He watched her and, as if reading her mind, stepped forward and handed the cashier his Visa card. Without even a glance in Jordan's direction, he began bagging up their order.

She stood and silently fumed at him. Jake and Joseph, however, were back at his side, chatting Rob's ear off. They really were starved for male attention. Maybe they were the key to making
this
particular male go away.

Perhaps if they annoyed him enough with their endless chatter, he'd stay clear of them from now on. Maybe. Jordan knew they could be a handful, but they were hers and she loved them. To someone who didn't have children, they could be just a tad bit overwhelming.

Rob did seem to enjoy talking to her sons, but maybe he was just being polite. Maybe by the time they were done with the groceries and she dropped him back off where she'd found him, he'd be glad to be left alone.

Taking the receipt from the cashier, Rob turned and waved good-bye to the store manager and pushed the shopping cart back out to Jordan's car. He had Jake standing behind the handlebar, his back against Rob's chest, and Joseph standing on the front of the wagon as they flew across the parking lot, whooping it up with laughter. Their sounds of pure joy filled the air and Jordan suddenly felt like an outsider. It had been a long time since the three of them had acted silly and carefree with each other, but she shook her head to clear those thoughts and reminded herself that Rob was the outsider—these were her kids and Rob would be gone in a matter of minutes.

Feeling better after her little inner pep talk, she caught up with them at the car and popped open the hatch while instructing the boys on how to place the groceries in the back. Rob stood back and watched the boys work.

“You've got some good helpers here, Jordan,” he said encouragingly.

“I sure do,” she agreed. When they were done, Joseph took the cart and placed it back with the others. When he approached the car, Rob clasped him on the shoulder.

“Good job, Joe.”

“Thank you, sir.” The boy beamed. “I always help my mom, especially since the accident.” Having said that, Joseph climbed into the backseat of the car and shut the door.

Jordan looked away to avoid Rob's inquiring eyes.

“Listen, Rob, I didn't expect you to pay for our food. Let me write you a check and—”

“Don't worry about it, Jordan,” he said nonchalantly and turned away. Jordan stood there dumbfounded for a moment and then walked around to the driver's side. Rob climbed into the passenger seat and watched as Jordan stiffly settled in and started the car.

“Everybody buckled?” she asked. They all answered in unison and she put the car in gear and drove back to where she had first seen Rob. She parked the car next to the curb and turned to him.

“This is where you needed to be, right?”

“Yes. Thanks,” he replied, but he wasn't ready to get out of the car. He had a million questions for her, but one look in her eyes and he read their meaning: “No questions, please.” He would respect that silent plea.

Hell, he had no choice. He was in no position to make any demands of her, especially here in front of her children.

Picking up the grocery bags he had kept with him up front, he turned around to face Joseph and Jake. “Thanks for shopping with me, boys,” he said brightly and was met with two smiling faces in response. “It was really nice meeting you both. I hope you have a good time here on the coast.”

“Hey, Rob,” Jake started, “do you think maybe you can come over and show me how to build a sand castle sometime?”

Rob turned to Jordan and shrugged. “It was one of my selling points to them on the benefits of living near the beach,” he confessed with a sheepish grin.

Jordan couldn't help but smile. He really had helped the boys focus on how much fun this vacation could be, something she had been unable to do in the long weeks of planning before they'd arrived here.

“Maybe sometime, sport,” he replied, and noticed how the young boy's face fell. He silently turned to Jordan for help.

“Jake?” she queried. “What's the matter, sweetheart?”

“That's what Dad always says when he doesn't mean it,” he responded sadly, looking down at his hands twisting in his lap.

Jordan's heart ached at the sight of her son. When would the hurt of Eric's leaving end? Bracing herself, Jordan turned to Rob.

“So, do you have any plans for dinner?”

* * *

Rob pulled up in front of Jordan's bungalow a little after five that evening. He had readily accepted Jordan's invitation to dinner and felt like it was a gift from above. He wasn't foolish enough to believe she had actually
wanted
to invite him over, but he was not above being thankful for sad little boys, either.

He sat in his truck for a long moment and thought about the events of the morning. During their time in the grocery store, Jordan's sons had shared a wealth of information. For instance, he knew Jordan and Eric had divorced several years earlier and Eric was now splitting his time between New York and Los Angeles. He also dated a
lot
. At least according to Joseph.