Jordan's Return (6 page)

He could smell the faint scent of strawberries and suddenly remembered how she'd always favored a strawberry-scented shampoo when they were in school. He inhaled deeply and leaned in closer. It was odd how after all these years, he could still remember every small detail about her. He'd kill to know if she'd still melt into him when he kissed her. “What about dinner?” he said softly into her hair. “I know a great place where we can go. The boys will love it.”

Without conscious thought, Jordan reached up and placed a hand on his forearm. She squeezed it gently, relishing the feel of his muscles bunching under her hand. Before she knew it, she was responding. “We have no plans.”

“Good,” Rob said as he slowly removed his hand from her face and stepped back a little. Jordan opened her eyes and let her hand drop from his arm, suddenly feeling very alone even though he was still so close.

“I'll pick you all up around six. Is that too late?”

“No,” she whispered. He smiled at her, said his good-byes to the boys, and walked away.

Jordan watched as he walked down the sidewalk back toward his office until he was out of sight. The sound of Jake and Joseph chattering about the movie brought her back to reality. She drove home but waited to tell them who they were having dinner with. Jordan knew they would burst if things went any better today and thought they needed time to calm down before she told them.

She'd be wise to take the afternoon to calm herself down as well. Her body tingled with the thought of all the possibilities.

She wasn't ready. It was five minutes to six and Jordan was still throwing clothes all over her bedroom. She didn't think she
needed
to look special, but she wanted to make sure she looked…nice. It had been a long time since she'd felt the need to look nice for anyone.

But this wasn't just
anyone;
this was Rob she was dressing for. She wanted to look nice without looking as if she was
trying
to look nice.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, she held up one outfit after another, finding fault with them all.

Too dressy, too casual, makes my hips look big
… On and on it went until she heard the knock at the front door. She froze.

“Okay.” She sighed and dove into the closet one last time. “Stop being such a ninny and just
pick
something!” she said to herself. When she'd packed for this trip, the thought of going out with anyone other than her sons had never crossed her mind. Next time, she'd be prepared.
Next time
? Jordan just prayed she survived
this
vacation!

Off in the distance, she heard the boys let Rob in, then a mass of conversation. She was sure her sons were talking Rob's ear off about the movie today. Jordan relaxed, knowing it would all be okay out in the other room for another five minutes and returned to the task at hand—finding something to freakin' wear!

Back in the living room, Rob was sitting on the sofa with the boys on the floor, watching TV. Having nieces and a nephew made him familiar with kid TV. Nickelodeon was a staple at his sister's house. In minutes he found himself laughing along with the boys at an episode of
iCarly.
As much as he hated to interrupt the episode—that Carly always managed to get into a crazy scenario—Rob knew this was his opportunity to get some answers from Joseph. He cleared his throat.

“Hey, Joe, can I ask you something?” he began casually, and Joseph turned to him, eager to tell him anything he wanted to know.

“Sure, Rob.”

“You were really concerned today for your mom when we came out of the movie theater. Was everything all right?”

“Well,” Joseph began, “she gets dizzy sometimes since the accident for almost no reason. It's weird. One minute she's fine; the next she's grabbing a piece of furniture until the room stops whizzing by. She fainted a couple of times when she first came home, but one of my aunts was always there to help her.” The boy frowned. “I just want Mom to get better, you know?”

Rob nodded in understanding and Joseph continued, obviously grateful for the opportunity to talk to someone about how he felt.

“I know Mom's tired of feeling bad and all, and that's why we came here: so she could get some rest and get better. It's been a long time since she's felt good and I hate that for her.” His tone was serious and Rob didn't doubt for a minute that Joseph loved and cared for his mom very much. He seemed much more mature than the average twelve-year-old, and Rob hated the fact that this boy had to take on so much grown-up responsibility because of his deadbeat father. Rage built up in Rob like he had never known before. If he ever had the opportunity to see Eric again, surely he would kill him. How dare he neglect this family! Eric didn't deserve them. As his fists clenched, Rob realized Joseph was still talking.

“I know it's a big help when Grandma or my aunts come around, but I just want our lives to go back to normal.” He smiled weakly at Rob before he added, “But I don't even know if I remember what normal is anymore.”

Rob reached down and placed a hand reassuringly on Joseph's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“It was hard when Dad moved out, but we got used to it being just the three of us. Jake was playing little league and I was playing soccer. We were starting to have fun again. And just when we were doing okay, there was the accident. Jake and me, well, we've spent more time sleeping at other people's houses than we have at our own. We had to drop out of the sports because it was too much for Grandma and Aunt Laura to drive us around and take care of Mom. I'm tired of not being in my own house, my own room.” He looked up at Rob sheepishly. “I must sound like a baby to you.”

“Not at all, Joe. You've been through some rough stuff and I know your mom's lucky to have you.” He hoped his words were of some comfort. “If anything happens while you're here and you need help, I want you to call me, okay?” Rob handed Joseph his business card with his phone number on it. “I'm not saying you have to call me, but if you need help or even if you just want to talk, I want you to know that you can.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.” The boy was polite to a fault. He stood and placed the business card in his pocket.

Rob patted him on the back and was about to turn his attention back to the TV when he heard Jordan's footsteps coming toward them from the hallway. He looked up to see her enter the room. His chest tightened at the sight of her.

She was dressed in a pair of black capri pants with a lightweight lavender sweater that molded beautifully to the curve and swell of her breasts. Rob swallowed hard. She looked fabulous. Her chestnut hair shined as it flowed around her shoulders and framed her heart-shaped face; her lips were glossed to kissable perfection and it almost made him bold enough to walk over to her and claim those lips with his. For the moment, he didn't have the right. But if tonight went as he hoped, he'd be able to kiss Jordan freely in the very near future.

Jordan noticed Rob's stare and suddenly felt very self-conscious. “Sorry to keep everyone waiting.” She blushed. The boys ran over and hugged her and then immediately started pushing her toward the door.

“We're hungry!” they began to chant. “Sheesh, Mom, it took you, like,
forever
to get ready!” Jordan looked over at Rob and saw he was shaking his head and chuckling.

“Are you wearing makeup?” Jake asked in utter confusion. “You
never
wear makeup anymore!” Joseph made a similar comment about her perfume and Jordan felt herself blushing clear through to her roots with embarrassment. Clearly her boys thought she normally looked like some sort of troll.

“Never a dull moment,” she heard Rob say as they walked out the door.

Jordan stopped short at the sight of his vehicle parked in front of her house. Why hadn't she noticed it when he came for dinner the other night? It was a brand-new, limited-edition Lexus SUV. It made her own older vehicle look, well…old. The boys were, of course, in awe of the shiny new truck and made all kinds of “manly” comments about it. Rob had a captive audience to give all the details of the wonders of his truck. Jordan knew her boys didn't understand half of what Rob was saying, but they
oohed
and
aahed
in all the right places. Listening to them made her smile.

“Men,” Jordan sighed as she climbed into the front passenger seat where she waited many long moments before all the males joined her.

Once everyone was seated and buckled, Rob looked at them all and smiled.
This must be what being part of a family feels like
, he thought to himself. He'd taken his sister's kids out often enough, but it never felt quite like this. He needed to be careful. Rob was beginning to feel himself getting drawn into this little family and it felt too good. Too right. Of course, he was the one drawing himself in, and if it all came to an end in three weeks and he was left alone and deserted, he'd have no one to blame but himself.

Shaking that depressing thought from his mind, he called out, “Who likes pizza?” The response from the rear of the vehicle was a loud chorus of “me” and “I do.” He laughed, put the truck in gear, and pulled away from the tiny bungalow.

“Now, I know your mom is an awesome cook, so I can't guarantee that it's better than your mom's,” he told the kids, “but I think you'll like it.”

Jordan took in the sights of the town on the short drive to dinner. It was a cozy, picturesque place to live. Rob sporadically threw out an interesting fact or two about places they were passing. It was so different from their city life, and she found herself unable to stop wondering what it would be like to live here all the time. Could this be where she and the boys were meant to be?

She looked at the man sitting beside her. His eyes were fixed on the road, and she allowed herself just to stare for a moment. He was so handsome, so sexy, and she had to hold on to her hands to keep from reaching out and touching him. Would he be part of their lives if they moved here? Would he
want
to be part of their lives if they moved here?

This was crazy. They hadn't even been there a full week and she was already entertaining thoughts of moving here and being with Rob! What was next, “and they lived happily ever after”?
Get a grip, Jordan!
she scolded herself
. There are no happily ever afters for you, haven't you learned that yet?

The sound of voices arguing woke her from her reverie.

They weren't really fighting. They were simply having a “heated discussion” over who could eat the most pizza. But the discussion was getting a bit old.

“That's enough, boys,” she warned lightly as Rob pulled the truck to a stop in front of a quaint-looking Italian restaurant. There were bistro sets outside for dining lit with large candles in glass globes. The brick-and-stone facade gave it a warm feel—one would never know you were dining off a main road with this kind of ambience. For a brief moment, she considered asking Rob if they could eat out here, but he gently took her hand and led her through the glass front door.

Once they stepped inside, Jordan realized the front hadn't done the place justice. The restaurant was huge on the inside and yet had a very cozy feel to it. There were tons of tables covered in red-and-white checkered cloths, and each one had a wine bottle with a candle in it. It was like every Italian restaurant Jordan had ever seen, but nicer.

The boys weren't too impressed until Rob handed each of them a roll of quarters and pointed them in the direction of the arcade tucked away in the back. Once they were on their way amid shouts of joy, Rob led Jordan to a table near the back, next to a stone wall. It was very intimate: dimly lit by both a candle and a small wall sconce.

Rob held out a chair for her, and once she was seated, he asked, “So? What do you think of the place?”

“I love the authentic decor and it smells absolutely wonderful in here. I bet there's not a bad thing on the menu!”

“This was my grandfather's place,” he stated with pride as he sat down opposite her.

“Really? I didn't know your grandfather was in the restaurant business.”

“He left it to me several years ago when he died. Now I have this as well as my architecture firm to keep me busy.”

“Wow, that's unbelievable.” Jordan looked around the place. “How do you have time for both?”

“Well, the staff here is great and we have a manager who runs the place. I'm just a figurehead to them, you know? My office is right up the street, so it's not that hard for me to keep an eye on everything.”

“Wouldn't it have been easier on you to sell it?”

Rob smiled. “I couldn't sell this place. It was my grandfather's dream. He loved this place. I know it's not something I ever thought to be a part of, but he entrusted it to me. It was important to him that I have it.” Rob paused and looked around. “Besides, the place practically runs itself, it's been here for so long.”

As if on cue, a petite brunette dressed in black slacks, white tuxedo shirt, and red apron appeared. “Good evening, Mr. Tyler.” She smiled, handing menus to them both. “Can I get you both something to drink?”

Jordan placed the drink order for her and the boys. Rob inquired if she would like a glass of wine but Jordan declined. Rob ordered a soft drink as well, and then listened attentively as their server listed the specials for the evening. When she stepped away to let them decide, Rob put his menu down and asked, “Anything sound good to you?”

She nodded as she handed him her menu.

“I think it all sounded wonderful. I'm tempted to ask for a sample of all of it!” Jordan smiled and Rob felt a tightness in his chest. It was nice to see Jordan finally relaxing around him. In that moment, he was glad he had taken the chance to ask her out tonight. The waitress reappeared with their drinks and handed Jordan hers. She placed it on the table and then turned to Rob. “You order for us.”

Rob looked at her in stunned silence. “What?”

“This is your place, so you know what's good. Surprise us. We'll trust you to do the ordering.” The look on his face was priceless. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear he was scared. “Don't worry; they're not as picky as you think.” With a surge of confidence, Rob rose from the table without a word and headed for the kitchen.

Jordan watched him walk off and admired his form. He was dressed casually, too, in black jeans and a gray T-shirt. The man filled out his clothes extremely well, with his lean hips and sexy walk. He oozed confidence.

She rolled her eyes. She was doing it again and wanted nothing more than to slap herself.

Sure, it had been a long time since she'd been with a man, but she had to stop ogling Rob and mentally categorizing all of his body parts. Besides, it wasn't as if he'd shown any
real
interest in her. He was just being nice to her boys because he felt sorry for them. Nothing more to it. This was all going to go nowhere.

So he caressed her face in the middle of the street. No big deal. He was simply treating her like an old friend. Although Jordan couldn't remember the last time she'd caressed the face of an old friend, it still didn't mean anything, did it?
It's all no big deal
, she reminded herself.