Magnolia Summer

by Jaci Burton

  “You ready to go?” He seemed impatient, and surprisingly, a bit nervous as he stood in the foyer.

  “Sure. Let me put these in water before we leave.”

  As Jordan stood in the kitchen and filled a vase with water, she thought maybe she’d be able to endure the evening after all.

  “Okay,” she said as she returned and grabbed her purse from the hall stand near the door. “I’m ready.”

  They walked outside and headed down the porch steps. Jordan stopped dead in her tracks as she reached the driveway. Gone was Sam’s beat-up old pickup truck, and in its place stood a sleek black Corvette. When she looked over at him, he shrugged and opened the door to her side of the car.

  “I invested well in the market. It paid off.”

  Every time she thought she knew everything there was to know about Sam, he shocked her by revealing something new. The man was full of surprises.

  * * * * *

  Sam tried hard to concentrate on driving, but found it increasingly difficult with Jordan’s long legs in view next to him. And her dress, oh God that dress.

  When she’d opened the front door, his first thought was that she looked like sin. Wicked, hot, and damn flaming desirable. The flimsy silk did nothing to disguise her curves. Her breasts and hips were outlined perfectly as the dress draped across her body like a lover’s caress. It was all Sam could do not to groan out loud in agony.

  The jeans he wore left no room to mask a hard-on. And damn if one hadn’t popped up, full-blown, in seconds. He couldn’t help that his mind immediately went into sexual overdrive and imagined tossing that dress up and plunging inside her right there in the foyer.

  And her scent, that unmistakable combination of perfume and woman, mingled together, intoxicating his senses, making clear and coherent thought almost impossible. Sam was certain he thrust the flowers at her like a schoolboy on his first date, and probably didn’t mutter anything intelligible other than a caveman grunt.

  Didn’t she know what she was doing to him? How could someone who made it so clear she wasn’t interested in him act and dress as if she were preparing a seduction unparalleled by Samson’s Delilah herself?

  Stealing a glance in Jordan’s direction he was rewarded with the sight of her stretching to accommodate the low seats of the ‘vette. The silk pulled across her breasts, accentuating her nipples which were poorly disguised under something that did little to meet the definition of a bra.

  Adjusting himself in his seat to accommodate his growing discomfort, Sam tried to think of some idle conversation to get his mind off the sex goddess riding in the car next to him. Maybe math, or baseball.

  Thankfully, she began to speak and his thoughts switched from turning off onto the next dirt road and ravaging her on the spot, to polite interest in her conversation.

  “Where are we going?”

  He tried to form a coherent sentence, but visions of silky legs and sweaty bodies put all other thoughts out of his mind.

  Think, dumbass, think.

  He needed to get his mind out of Jordan’s pants and focus on her question. Pants? Now that thought brought even more erotic visions to the forefront, like whether or not Jordan wore panties.

  “Huh?” was all he could manage as a response.

  “Dinner? We are going to dinner aren’t we?” She was looking at him like he had two heads.

  Damn! Dinner.

  Focus, man! You’d think you hadn’t had sex with a woman in ages. Oh wait, you haven’t had sex with a woman in ages!

  “Oh yeah. Sorry, I was thinking about baseball. I thought we’d eat at Boudreaux.”

  More than baseball stats were going to be necessary to make it through dinner. He didn’t know how he was going survive looking at her and inhaling her feminine scent without throwing her on top of the dinner table and having her for dinner instead. It was going to be a long night.

  * * * * *

  At the mention of Boudreaux, Jordan nodded in approval. A lovely restaurant on the outskirts of town, Boudreaux had been around since the early 1900s. They served a cornucopia of dishes, from down-home southern cooking to French cuisine. Remembering some of the delicious meals she had eaten there, she eagerly anticipated sampling their fare again after so long.

  They pulled into the restaurant parking lot and headed inside. She wondered what had come over Sam, thinking maybe he didn’t feel well. He seemed uncomfortable in the car, squirming and silent. Then when he finally started talking, he carried on an entire conversation about baseball!

  Sitting in the car with Sam had been torture. His cologne wafted over her in waves every time he moved. Not only did she find the cologne he wore appealing, but his natural masculine scent evoked primitive desires that she was unable to squash. Like the desire to run her fingers through his hair, draw him close to her, and inhale deeply of his potent masculinity. Try as she might to find the experience unpleasant, she couldn’t.

  They were seated at a small intimate table for two in the corner of the restaurant. She wondered whose idea that was, or if the hostess just assumed they wanted privacy.

  She took a moment to glance around. The place hadn’t changed in a hundred years, and definitely not as long as she had been eating there. Boudreaux was actually a former plantation home, and its beauty and reminder of the genteel days before the war were still evident. The restaurant was filled with antique furnishings, brocade draperies and nineteenth-century art. The ambiance of the old south dominated the décor, making one feel as if transported back in time to long forgotten days.

  Their waitress appeared and Sam suggested they share a bottle of wine. He surprised Jordan with his expert knowledge of vintage and brand. She complimented his choice.

  “You think because I live here I only know beer brands?”

  “I didn’t say that, did I?”

  “You didn’t have to. I read the surprise on your face. Just because I live in a small town doesn’t mean I’m a dumb hillbilly.”

  Now where did that come from? Give the man a compliment and he thinks he’s been insulted. “Boy, you’re touchy this evening. I wasn’t ridiculing you; I was complimenting your taste in wine. Don’t jump all over me because of something you’re assuming I think.”

  “You’re right. Sorry. Guess I must be a little oversensitive about how you perceive me.”

  Sam? Sensitive? Who was he kidding? Jordan had tried her best to insult him six ways from Sunday with no luck. The man had a hide thick as a boar.

  He reached across the table and took her hand. “Let’s start over, okay? I want this to be a special evening for us.”

  Uh-oh. A special evening. That phrase foreshadowed events Jordan didn’t want to think about.

  “Look,” she said in as matter-of-fact a way as she could. “You and I both know you set up this so-called date this afternoon. It’s not like a real date. We’re not a couple, so don’t get your hopes up. Nothing is going to happen tonight.”

  He gave her a wicked smile that sent her pulse racing. “We’ll see, won’t we?”

  After ordering dinner, Jordan sipped her wine, a smooth Merlot, warm and full-bodied, but not too tart. It was very good and she had to admit Sam had made an excellent choice. Finally she began to relax.

  “Tell me about your life,” Sam asked as he leaned back in his chair and lazily traced his finger around the rim of his wineglass.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “How about what you’ve been doing since you left Magnolia? I know you’ve been involved in theater, but I’m interested in how you picked that career.”

  “It was a simple choice for me,” she explained. “When I graduated high school, I was awarded a drama scholarship at NYU. My admissions counselor told me I had written a great essay.”

  “About what?”

  Jordan remembered it well. She had poured her heart and soul into that essay, knowing it held the key to her future. “I wrote about dreams, and one of my dreams was to own a theater. I wanted to pursue a
drama degree, then work in a city where I could put my love of theater to use.”

  He arched a brow and refilled her wineglass. “Go on.”

  Jordan wrapped her fingers around the glass, watching the red liquid swirl back and forth. “Not much more to tell. I went to college, took courses in theater and production, and was lucky to find a part-time job at one of the off-Broadway theaters. I made some good contacts and when I graduated was offered a position at the Manhattan Community Playhouse I started out doing grunt stuff and slowly worked my way up. I’ve been Assistant Director there for the past six years.”

  “Are you happy?”

  Her gaze flew up to meet his. “Of course. I love my job.”

  A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I wasn’t referring to your job. I meant are you happy in your personal life?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, what do you do for fun? Do you date? Go out with friends? Surely you don’t work twenty-four hours a day, Jordan. You must have a social life.”

  Red bells clanged in her head. This was getting too personal, and delving into forbidden territory. “Um, I’m usually busy with work. I don’t have much time for a social life.”

  Ugh. That sounded pathetic even to her.

  “What about sex?” He leaned toward her, his blue eyes compelling her to respond.

  “What about it?” She looked down once again at the glass of wine. How did such a safe subject like her work get turned into a discussion about her sex life?

  Or lack of one.

  He laughed. “What about it? Do I have to be more specific? Do you date men? Do you have a sex life? It’s not like you’re sixteen years old. You must have a love life somewhere.”

  She was not going to discuss her sex life with Sam. Even if she had one she wouldn’t discuss it with him. “Well, if I do or I don’t it’s none of your business.” Why couldn’t they just talk about the weather or something? Maybe she could get him back on the subject of baseball.

  “I see.” His smile changed to a smirk.

  “You see what?”

  “It’s obvious.”

  “What’s obvious?”

  “You must not like sex.”

  Really, she wanted to scream. Sam’s leaps in logic were Olympian. Instead she settled for, “Excuse me?”

  “It’s perfectly clear to me. You ran from me when you were younger and I kissed you, and it seems you’ve been running your whole life.”

  Now her blood was boiling. “I’ll have you know that I’ve had lots of sex, and hundreds of love affairs.”

  His eyes widened, then seconds later he burst out laughing so loud he drew stares from the other diners.

  “Stop that,” she admonished in a harsh whisper. “You’re drawing attention. And what’s so funny?”

  “Sorry,” he said, still chuckling. Taking one of her curls in his hand and threading it through his fingers, he whispered, “I don’t buy it for a second. I don’t know what your level of experience with men is, but I’ll bet you a million dollars that you’ve had very little romance in your life, and if you’ve had some sex, it hasn’t been great, and it hasn’t happened in awhile.”

  Damn him for his intrusive questions. And damn him for being right on the money about her sex life. “Look. This subject is out of bounds. I don’t want to discuss it further. Change the topic or I’m leaving.”

  A smug smile crossed his face as if he’d just won a battle. “Okay. You’re the boss. Let’s talk about something else.”

  Somehow she knew she’d been given only a temporary reprieve, and this subject would be revisited again before the night was through.

  They discussed the house over dinner, a safe enough subject. Sam shared his plans for the rest of the repairs, and made some suggestions on improvements to the property. She was impressed with his ideas and knowledge. He seemed to know a lot about many different things.

  “Tell me,” she asked between mouthfuls of delicious grilled sea bass, “How did you get into the construction business?”

  “It’s a long story. You sure you want to hear it all?”

  “Yes I do.” The mystery of Sam’s disappearance after the high school dance still played through her mind.

  “I joined the Army when I was eighteen. I got into some trouble a couple months before graduation, a stupid mistake actually, but one that could have sent me in the wrong direction.”

  “What mistake?”

  “I stole a car.”

  Okay, now he had her complete attention. “You did? When?”

  “I was really pissed off at life back then. Typical teenage rebellion, no direction in my life, not knowing what I wanted to do, but not being satisfied with living here. I think I just wanted some attention. Maybe I needed a catalyst to force some decision about my destiny. I don’t know. Anyway, one night I broke into a car, hot-wired the ignition and took it for a joyride to the next county. The highway patrol picked me up and brought me back here to jail.”

  Jordan was astounded. She had never heard this story before, didn’t know he had gotten arrested.

  “Anyway, the highway patrol officer who arrested me was a friend of my dad’s. Needless to say, my dad was really pissed. He got me released and informed me my choices were to get my butt into the military or rot in jail. Not being completely stupid, I took the military option and joined the Army. I shipped out a couple weeks later.”

  “That’s why I didn’t see you after the Spring Fling dance.”

  He nodded. “Exactly. I stole the car that same weekend.” Grinning at her, he said, “It must be your fault. You ran away from me and I was so distraught I immediately turned to a life of crime.”

  Jordan rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Don’t be an idiot. What happened next?”

  “Well it turns out I had an aptitude for military life. Once boot camp knocked that chip off my shoulder, I did quite well at infantry school. After I went through special training and jump school, I went into Special Forces.”

  “Which means what?” It was all she could do to keep the astonishment out of her voice. She’d had no idea of the life he led after high school.

  His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Just means I was legally allowed to sneak in to foreign countries. Espionage. You know. Spy games. Was interesting work, for sure, but that kind of life wears on you after a while. I’d moved up fast and became an officer, but after the Gulf War I lost my taste for it. Finished up my duty and got out, deciding it was time I go to college.”

  She hadn’t known about any of this. Of course, she wouldn’t know anything about him, or anyone else in this town. Once she left, she rarely came back and when she did it was only for short visits with Grandma.

  “What didn’t you like about the military?”

  Pushing his now empty plate to the side, he replied, “Being in the Gulf War was the final act for me. One of my best friends was killed there. Kind of puts a new perspective on your life when you watch someone you care about die right in front of your eyes. I decided then and there the kind of life I had been leading wasn’t for me. I wanted to go home, get an education, put down some roots and make a stable life for myself. So I did.”

  Pain laced his voice. The horrors he must have gone through were unimaginable. She laid her hand over his. “I’m sorry about your friend. It must have been terrible for you.”

  He nodded. “It was. I won’t lie about that. I’m not so tough that I didn’t care about my friends. It was very hard seeing him die. It changed my life.”

  Jordan felt overwhelming pain for Sam. She couldn’t imagine what he went through, wouldn’t even try to guess how he felt. But she did know it hurt him; she could read the pain and sadness in his eyes. What a horrible experience, and one that would definitely change someone’s life. No wonder he wanted the comforts of home after that.

  They were both lost in their own thoughts as the waitress picked up their dinner plates and brought them coffee.

  “Tell me about col
lege.”

  “I came back here and went to the University of South Carolina, where I graduated with a degree in business. That’s where I met Tony. During college Tony and I worked for my uncle’s construction company part-time during the school year and full-time in the summers. We both liked working with our hands, enjoyed building things. One thing led to another and we formed TNT Construction after we got out of college, and set up shop here in Magnolia. And that’s my life in a nutshell.”

  There was much more depth to Sam than she had originally thought. He had experiences she couldn’t possibly understand, and had seen and done more than she ever would. Yet he was happiest here in Magnolia.

  But he didn’t mention his ex-wife. And Jordan really wanted to know what happened there.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Millie and Ed Grayson stopped by their table. Jordan wasn’t surprised to see them. They must have been designated the official eavesdroppers over her date with Sam. With Millie around, a report would surely be filed with the entire town by morning.

  “Well, well, well, just look at the two of you,” Millie said enthusiastically. “All dressed up and out together. What a lovely couple you make. It’s about time you got her to go out with you, Sam,” she said with a wink.

  Sam grinned like a kid as he stood and hugged Millie. “She kept telling me no, Millie. Thank God I had the backup team around today to give her a little push in my direction.”

  Jordan smiled tightly and made light conversation. She felt on display. Of course Sam was eating it all up, enjoying the attention and making a much bigger deal than necessary over their so-called date.

  “Now you two go back to enjoying each other. And don’t keep our director out too late tonight.”

  They said their goodbyes to Millie and Ed, and finished their coffee.

  “Are you ready to go?” Sam asked as he paid the bill.

  She couldn’t wait to get away from all the prying eyes of Magnolia’s Matchmaking, Incorporated.