Jordan's Return (19 page)

Jordan tried not to take it personally that her sons were packed up and bouncing up and down at the front door by three thirty that afternoon. After all, how could she possibly compete with dinner, a movie, ice cream, and a night away at a hotel? She knew her children loved her; it was just that at this particular point in time, she was pitifully boring.

Again.

“I'll hit the pharmacy and get your prescription back to you as soon as possible, okay?” Laura said as she grabbed her purse.

“Thanks, Sis. I took some ibuprofen earlier so I don't want you to rush back here. As long as I have something before I get into bed, I'll be fine.”

“What are you going to do with yourself tonight?” Laura asked before handing her overnight bag to Joseph to place in the car.

“Oh, big night,” Jordan teased. “I plan on sitting here on the sofa for an extended period of time channel surfing. Then I think I'll make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner, followed by a nice hot shower to wash the hospital smell off me.”

“Sounds exciting,” Laura enthused. “I know we'll all appreciate coming home to a cleaner you.”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Jordan deadpanned.

“Do you want me to pick up some dinner and bring it back to you when I bring your prescription back? It won't be a big deal, plus it would save you having to do anything.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine. I don't have much of an appetite, and a sandwich sounds like the perfect thing. Just as long as I eat something with that pill, I'll be okay.”

She stayed in her position on the sofa as she kissed them all good-bye and watched as her sister and sons left the bungalow, talking excitedly about all the fun they were going to have.

She wanted to pout; she wanted to resent the fact that she was missing out—again—on having fun with her boys, but realized it was pointless. She pushed the petty thoughts from her mind and reminded herself she was fortunate her boys had their aunt to have fun with and make them smile.

The sun was beginning its glorious descent in the sky and the bungalow was cast in sun-streaked shadows. Silence followed, which was almost deafening, and for a brief moment, Jordan panicked. It was almost as if she was, yet again, back in the solitude of the hospital room—alone with all her fears and worries.

Tossing all negative thoughts aside, she shifted herself into a more comfortable position and scanned the television channels until she decided on a home-makeover show to pass the time. The show reminded her of her own situation. It would be so much easier if all it took was a bulldozer and a pretty home put together by a team of designers to put her life back on track.

In a perfect world…

* * *

“See, Aunt Laura? Isn't this place great?” Jake exclaimed as he dragged his weary aunt through the doors of Rob's restaurant.

Since leaving Jordan, Laura had taken the boys to play on a local playground, had ice cream on the beach, and checked into the hotel, where her nephews promptly demanded to swim in the indoor pool before heading out for dinner. Walking through the door and looking around, Laura prayed for at least a few brief moments of silence while they ate.

Rob spotted them through the wide front windows before they came through the door. His chest ached when he realized they would be leaving Virginia Beach soon and this could possibly be the last time he'd see them. If he didn't do something soon, they wouldn't be coming to see him anymore. Forcing a smile to his face, Rob walked over to greet a weary-looking Laura.

“Are we having fun yet?” he asked with a chuckle as he led them to a table.

“If I were Jordan, I'd pass out more often just to get a night away from this! Even if it would be in a hospital, it would be worth it!” They both laughed, and Laura reached into her purse and handed the boys some quarters to spend in the game room. “I wouldn't doubt it if somehow that ear infection was related to all the nonstop talking Jordan has to listen to! The home version of these two is a lot less demanding than the vacation version! They never ran me this ragged during Jordan's recovery. And believe me, we spent a
lot
of time together. Must be the beach air or something.” Laura laughed as she sagged a little in her seat. Rob smiled and was just about to hand Laura a menu and tell her what the specials were when suddenly Laura gasped.

“What's the matter?” Rob asked, his voice laced with concern. “Are you okay?”

“In all the hoopla that's gone on this afternoon, I forgot to run Jordan's prescription back over to her.” Laura looked nervously over her shoulder in the direction of Jake and Joseph. “I hate to interrupt their fun, and I also hate the thought of them disrupting Jordan's rest if we wait until later, and then there's the movie we're trying to make…” She stood, still lost in contemplation for a long moment.

“I could take it over to her,” Rob suggested.

“Really? You sure you wouldn't mind?”

Oh, Laura. You evil genius.

“Sure. You sit, relax and eat with the boys, and go on with your plans. I'm not really needed here; I just hang around for lack of something better to do,” he said with an easy laugh.

“Oh, Rob, that would be great. I can't believe I forgot to run that stuff over to her! Where is my head at?” she said jokingly as she collapsed back into her chair.

“Those boys certainly can do that to you,” Rob mused, remembering all the times in the last three weeks they had left him feeling a bit scattered, overwhelmed, and exhausted. He had loved every minute of it.

Laura fished in her purse and pulled out the bag from the pharmacy. “All the instructions are on the bottles.” She showed Rob. “She seemed to be doing fine with just the ibuprofen earlier, but it might be nice to have something a little stronger before going to bed.”

Rob took that comment in his own way.
I'd like to be that something stronger that she took to bed tonight.
Shaking his head clear, he took the bag from Laura.

“I'll call Jordan and tell her you're on your way,” Laura said as she rummaged around in her purse for her cell phone. “You have no idea how much I appreciate your help.” She smiled brightly at him as Rob nodded and waved good-bye.

“Hey, Laura?” Rob called from the doorway.

“Yes?”

“Dinner's on the house.”

Laura watched Rob walk out of the quaint little Italian restaurant with a look of amused satisfaction on her face. Certain she had just orchestrated a promising evening between two of the most clueless people she had ever known, she mentally patted herself on the back. Closing her eyes with a feeling of peace, she awaited the insanity that would surely return when the boys ran out of quarters.

Snapping out of her inner praise for her evil-genius behavior, she went back to searching through her purse for her elusive cell phone, pulling it out triumphantly and putting a call in to Jordan.

When she received no answer, her first instinct was to panic, but then she realized Jordan was probably in the shower. Besides, after witnessing her sister's fragile state regarding Rob, maybe it was best if she didn't know he was coming over. After leaving a brief message on voice mail, Laura hung up and immediately dialed Claudia's number.

At the sound of Laura's voice, Claudia grew anxious. “Well?”

“I just sent him on his way. He looked a little like I was sending him off to the executioner.”

“Oh, I think he'll be just fine. Now we can sit back and bask in the pure genius of it all!”

Laura was laughing like a loon when the boys came back to the table. She didn't dare explain why.

He cursed himself as every kind of fool. He questioned his own sanity. He seriously reconsidered his offer as he drove past Jordan's house for the third time. In the end, however, Rob finally pulled up in front, cut off the engine, and took a deep, fortifying breath before walking up to her front door and ringing the bell.

He waited. And waited. And waited some more. He rang the bell a second time and glanced through the front windows for signs of her.

Maybe she was sleeping.

Surely Laura would have called by now and told Jordan he was on his way. Just to be sure, he took out his cell phone and called Jordan himself. He heard the phone inside ring several times and then began to panic. Why wasn't she answering the phone? What if she was lying somewhere in the house bleeding again?

Oh God!

He began to pray as he searched for a way into the house. Taking a chance, he tried the front door and found it locked.
Good girl,
he thought, thankful she was safe from intruders. Remembering that there was a spare key above the door, nestled on top of the trim, he reached up and pulled the silver key down and opened the door.

“Jordan?” he called out hesitantly. No reply. Closing the door behind him, he walked softly into the bungalow and looked around before calling out to her again. “Jordan?”

“Rob?” Jordan's voice was weak and it took a moment for him to locate where she was calling him from. He found her sitting on the floor outside the bathroom door.

White-hot fear gripped him. “Oh God! Jordan? What happened? Are you okay?” He knelt before her and scanned her body, looking for any obvious signs of injury and yet afraid to touch her.

“I'm fine, really,” she lied. “I was coming down the hall to take a shower when everything began to tilt and spin again. I eased myself down to the floor in hopes of it passing.”

“How long have you been sitting here?”

“I have no idea,” she said quietly, her head in her hands. Rob lowered himself to the floor to sit beside her. He cautiously put an arm around her and pulled her close. She was tiny and fragile, and he could feel her body tremble with both fear and relief that someone was there now with her. She let him hold her close as she steadied herself.

“You're fine now,” he murmured into her hair. “I'm here. You don't have to worry.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked finally, finding some strength to put into her voice but unwilling to raise her head from the comfort and warmth of his shoulder.

“Didn't Laura call you?”

“I heard the phone ring, but I couldn't get to it. Is everything all right? Are the boys okay?” Panic laced her voice and he hugged her tight for comfort.

“The boys are fine. They're just running your poor sister ragged,” he teased. “When they showed up for dinner, she looked like she'd run a marathon, and when she mentioned she had forgotten to bring your prescription to you, I offered to bring it instead. I hope that's okay.” Sure, he was fishing for some comfort of his own, but pride had long since been tossed out the window. While he wanted to know she was glad he was there, he also knew he wasn't going to leave anytime soon, no matter what she said. His dark eyes fixed on her face, willing her to look at him.

“Yes, that's fine. Thank you.” Slowly, Jordan lifted her head from its resting place on Rob's shoulder, looked at him, and smiled. His brown eyes were tender and comforting. Everything was going to be just fine, she assured herself.

“How's that head?” he asked softly, one hand gently caressing her nape.

“Better. Not so bad right now,” she whispered back. Their lips were mere inches apart and Jordan wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her. His breath warmed her face and she inhaled its minty scent.

Would she be so bold as to lean forward and initiate a kiss?

Before she could, Rob removed his arms from around her and slowly rose to his feet, reaching a hand down to her.

“Come on. Let's get you up off the floor so you can take your shower and get some rest.” It was a far cry from what he truly wanted to say and do, but he couldn't possibly take advantage of her in this condition, no matter how badly he wanted her.

Jordan reached for his hand and allowed him to carefully pull her to her feet, where she landed flush against the solid wall of his chest with a soft thud. Feeling bold, she rested one hand over his heart and felt its erratic beat that matched her own.

Through thick lashes, she met his serious gaze and felt certain
he
would kiss her. Surely now he would put an end to one of the longest weeks of her life and tell her he still wanted her.

But he didn't.

He released her carefully and turned her toward the open doorway. “You go on in and do what you've got to do while I make you something to eat. Have you had dinner yet?”

Speechless, she shook her head. “I was planning on making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Nothing major.”

“Not to worry. I'll whip something up. Now go.” Rob gently shoved her into the bathroom, turned on his heel, and walked purposefully toward the kitchen, willing himself not to look back at her, because otherwise, he
would
take advantage of her condition and make love to her right there on the bathroom floor. The image caused him to smile as he opened the refrigerator
. Mmm…Jordan in the shower, all soft and soapy.
He shook his head and refocused on dinner.

He frowned, however, as he took in the contents before him. If he was smart, he'd just pick up dinner from the restaurant, but after finding Jordan on the floor when he'd gotten there, there was no way he was going to leave her alone again.

Rob thought of calling Laura and informing her of what he had found when he arrived, but then thought better of it. If he alarmed her, she would possibly come home with the boys and that would not only upset them, but it would also ruin his chance of being alone with Jordan and working things out.

In his more rational thinking, he also knew this could be the best, and maybe last, opportunity for him to prove to Jordan that he was here for her, that he would take care of her.

Laura might get mad at him for not being told of Jordan's condition, but in the end, Rob was sure she would understand. Was it just a coincidence that she had made herself scarce and needed him to come here and help Jordan? Could Laura be that devious?

God, he hoped so. And if she was, he would buy her the biggest drink, the largest bouquet of flowers, whatever she wanted, to thank her.

Resigning himself to a less-than-spectacular dinner, Rob decided on making western omelets and toast for them both. As he chopped up the ingredients, he was keenly aware of the sounds coming from the bathroom. He nicked his finger with a paring knife as the image of Jordan naked in the shower with hot, soapy water streaming down her body played through his mind.

Reaching for a bandage, Rob lectured himself on having some self-control and not pouncing on her. He shouldn't allow himself to picture her naked, or to remember how smooth her skin felt next to his. Cracking the eggs into a large metal bowl, he scolded himself for thinking about her silky heat when he was inside her or the sounds she made when she climaxed.

Wiping the cold sweat from his brow with a nearby dish towel, Rob heard the bathroom door open, Jordan's light footsteps, and then her bedroom door closing. Thank the Lord he hadn't seen her wrapped in a towel right now or all his recriminations would have been for nothing! He knew the last thing she needed was for him to be putting the moves on her, but he was holding on to his self-control by a thread; it was better if he didn't see her in anything but full covering from head to toe right now.

Popping the bread down into the toaster, he focused his attention on flipping his omelets and getting the table set for a casual dinner. He hoped Jordan didn't mind that he had invited himself to stay and eat with her. Too bad if she did. He'd kept his distance long enough. He'd kept his silence long enough, too—a fact he planned on changing after they ate.

As he'd driven around town tonight before coming here, Rob realized he wasn't willing to let Jordan or her sons go. The thought of never seeing them again wasn't an option. He'd stay here all night and talk some sense into her if he had to. He'd plead his case, tell her how much he loved her—hell, he'd beg if that's what it took for her to understand how much she meant to him.

Rob wanted a life with Jordan and was willing to talk through any concerns she had until their future was set.

With any luck, they would not spend the night merely talking.