by Nina Singh
“She’s excited to see her new room,” Elise said. “Can I take her up for a quick look before dinner?”
“There’s a surprise waiting for her there.”
Elise raised an eyebrow with curiosity. Jordan held his hand out to Sonya. “Let’s go see,” he told her, not sure how much she would hear him but knowing she’d understand.
Once they got there, Sonya’s eyes grew wide. She clapped in pure joy when she saw the castle painted on the wall. Another pang of guilt slammed through Jordan’s chest. The beautiful painter had been right all along. Sonya was delighted with the image. She ran over to the wall to take a closer look. Elise had started recording the little girl’s reaction with her mobile phone. Sonya paced along the wall, taking in every detail, smiling in delight.
“That’s amazing,” Elise said behind him. “How thoughtful of you to commission someone to do such a thing, Jordan. Someone obviously very talented.”
If she only knew. An image suddenly flashed in his mind—of a dark-haired beauty in paint-splattered overalls trying desperately to control her trembling bottom lip. Sonya ran back to him and hugged his leg in delight. He could only rub the top of her small head.
“Ank oo,” she said in a tiny, strained voice.
Jordan cursed under his breath as he bit back the sudden choking feeling at the base of his throat. Sonya’s attempt at speaking was such a rare occurrence these days.
Yeah, he owed someone a heck of an apology.
* * *
The little girl was ignoring her. Or she was playing a little game of sorts. One thing was for certain; Jess wasn’t familiar with the child at all, had never seen her before here at the Vineyard Vine’s Children’s Center. Or anywhere else on the island, for that matter. The center provided a central location for all sorts of activities and classes, including child care and creative arts for young children, as well as athletic pursuits such as gymnastics and swim lessons in the regulation-size pool behind the building. Jess had been teaching painting there part-time for the better part of three years. And she loved every minute of it. Perhaps she had a new pupil. The girl’s mother was probably in the office right behind them signing her up for classes.
Jess realized her mistake as soon as she approached the child. She hadn’t been ignoring her at all. The clearly startled expression on her face when Jess reached her side told her she hadn’t heard when Jess had said hello from behind her.
She had a hearing impairment.
Jess had enough experience working with small children that she had a rudimentary knowledge of sign language. Crouching down to eye level with her, she signed hello.
The child’s response was a wide smile and a small wave.
My name is Jess.
The little girl spelled out her name in ASL. Sonya.
Hello, Sonya. I’m so happy to meet you.
That earned her another smile.
Jess pointed to the bulletin board the girl had been staring at when she’d come upon her. Specifically, her gaze seemed to be focused on a flyer announcing the summer play. Jess and a couple of other teachers had volunteered to help the children put together an elementary performance of Mother Goose.
If the girl was new in town, the play might be a perfect way to get her acclimated to her new community. Jess pointed to the caption on the flyer that read Parts Still Available. Then she pointed to Sonya’s chest.
“Would you like to be in the play? There are still spots open, and we’ve only just begun rehearsals. I’m one of the teachers in charge. And we’d love to have you.”
Sonya seemed to understand at least the gist of what Jess was asking her. She tapped her finger on the flyer once more. The little girl’s eyes widened as she pondered the question.
Her impairment wouldn’t be a problem at all, Jess figured. They could certainly adapt a part that would work for her easily enough. At this age, the children were so young, none of them were actually saying many lines anyway.
“What do you think?” Jess asked. “Would you like to be in the play?”
The glass door of the office opened just then and a harsh male voice suddenly boomed behind her. A somewhat familiar voice, at that.
“What in devil’s name?”
She turned to find the last person in the world she’d been expecting here. The cranky grouch from the other night. The one who’d yelled at her about her castle.
Hard to believe, but he seemed even more upset with her now than he’d been then.
* * *
Jordan’s surprise at seeing the young artist again quickly turned to ire when he realized what she was up to. Had she really just asked Sonya to be in some sort of preschool performance? What could she possibly be thinking? To think for a split second, when he’d first seen her out here in this hallway, he’d actually felt grateful at the prospect of being able to apologize for his behavior the other night. As if.
She straightened at his question. “What are you doing here?” she demanded to know, her eyes shooting daggers his way.
Not that it was any of her business, but he responded to her question, the one she’d asked with scorn and derision clear in her voice. As if she should be the one to be outraged in the current scenario. “I’m signing her up for swimming classes.” Jordan wanted to get the errand out of the way first thing after they’d settled in. The L-shaped pool in his new backyard was deep enough to be concerning. Not to mention the Atlantic Ocean a stone’s throw away.
He didn’t really have time to stand here and answer her questions. The woman was a repetitive thorn in his side and he didn’t even know who she was.
It was his turn to demand some answers. “What exactly were you asking her?”
Sonya stood staring at them from one to another. She appeared to be smiling at the exchange.
“First of all, please check your tone. Secondly, I was merely asking Sonya if she wanted to participate in the preschool play. Hardly an unforgivable offense.”
“She doesn’t. She’s not interested.”
Her eyes narrowed on him and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Shouldn’t she have any kind of say in the matter?”
“She’s barely six. Why would you even ask her to make such a decision?”
“Because I teach a class here and also volunteer to put together the annual summer play.” She extended her hand. “I’m Jess. Jessalyn Raffi.”
Jordan shook the hand she offered and introduced himself, reflexively and out of sheer common courtesy, despite his impatience.
The introductions seemed to somehow only further increase the awkwardness.
She cleared her throat before continuing. “Your daughter seemed interested in the flyer and—”
He cut her off. “Sister.”
She blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“She’s not my daughter. She’s my sister. And she won’t be acting in some play.”
“She’s your sister?” She sounded incredulous.
“Half sister to be totally accurate.” Jordan rammed a hand through his hair in frustration. Again, none of this was any of her business.
“I see,” Jess responded. “Why?”
Was she serious? “Why is she my sister?”
She gave a small shake of her head. “No. Why don’t you want her to be in the play? I think it would give her a chance to get to know other children. I know you’re new to Martha’s Vineyard.”
If she couldn’t guess why, he wasn’t going to explain it to her.
Between Sonya’s difficulties with her hearing and her reluctance to speak, being involved in a play could open her to all sorts of taunts from the other children.
Damned if he would put Sonya through such exposure and embarrassment.
Not after all that she’d already been through.
CHAPTER TWO
JORDAN WAS FEELING like
a heel once more. And Sonya had made it clear she thought he’d acted like one during the entire ride back home from the community center. Perhaps he’d overreacted back there. Again. But something about the woman seemed to be making him act like a curmudgeon whenever he saw her. He couldn’t explain it.
It probably had something to do with the way she’d assumed his sister would want a hand-drawn immaculate castle on her bedroom wall. Or that she’d get some sort of social benefit from participating in a community center children’s play.
But it turned out she was a teacher. So she probably knew quite a bit about school-age children. More so than he did, certainly. Now he could only watch as Sonya was frantically relaying what had transpired at the center to Elise, using hand gestures and a writing pad. When she was done, they both turned to give him glaring looks of disapproval.
He threw his hands up in surrender. “Okay, look. I admit I could have handled it better. Especially considering I already chewed her out our first night here.”
They both looked at him in shock. “What are you talking about?” Elise demanded to know.
Damn it. He hadn’t meant to let that slip. Jordan stared up at the ceiling as he explained. “It just so happens, she’s the artist who’s responsible for the castle on the wall upstairs.”
His little sister’s mouth formed a surprised round O. He continued, “Only, I wasn’t expecting to see anyone here at that hour when I arrived and I sort of communicated my displeasure about it.”
Elise swore in some unknown dialect. She was fluent in three languages and he never knew which one she was speaking when she did that. “And you admonished her again today? Simply because she asked Sonya about participating in a play at the children’s center?”
Well, when she put it that way... “Why would Sonya want to be in some silly play?” he asked what he thought was a fairly obvious question under the circumstances.
Elise rammed her hands on her hips as Sonya continued to glare his way.
“Why wouldn’t she?” Elise asked.
Were they really going to make him come out and say it?
He could only glance from one small outraged face to the other adult one. Finally, after several tense moments of silence, Elise spared him from having to answer. She tousled Sonya’s hair and signed for her to go upstairs to wash up before her afternoon snack.
“Look,” she began once the little girl left the room. “I know you’re trying to do the right thing, but you can’t be so overprotective of her. It’s not good for anyone, least of all Sonya.”
She was the only one who dared to talk back to him in such a manner. Not even his merciless business colleagues came close. “After what she’s been through, how can you blame me?”
“The accident was months ago, Jordan. And the doctors keep telling you it had nothing to do with what she’s dealing with in terms of her hearing.”
“But it may have triggered it.”
“They said that’s just a theory. In either case, you’ve upended your whole life with this move in response.”
He shrugged. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help her get through this.”
“Including letting her grow up like any other little girl?”
“But she’s not.”
“Oh, Jordan.”
This was a useless conversation. He was responsible for Sonya now. Damned if he would allow her to be hurt any more than she already had been. Especially considering her suffering may be in part his fault.
“I have work to do,” he told Elise in clear dismissal.
Luckily, she didn’t push, just silently turned away and moved toward the kitchen to prepare Sonya’s snack. But the rigidity of her back made it clear exactly what she thought of Jordan Paydan at the current moment.
Great. Now he’d gone and made three females upset with him, including two who lived under the same roof. That was going to make for a very long dinner and evening.
As far as Jessalyn Raffi, it appeared now that a mere verbal apology would no longer suffice given the repeat offense. Good thing he’d noticed a florist shop near the local pizza place. Looked like he’d be giving it some business in the very near future. In fact, he figured it would probably be wise to order three bouquets considering the total number of females currently upset with him.
* * *
Jess was running late again. Her summer children’s art class she taught would be starting in about half an hour. She wasn’t even inside her classroom yet. Given that some of the children always arrived a little early, she needed to get going already.
But her night had been restless and fretful, full of fanciful dreams that had taken her by surprise. Dreams that involved a dark, tall, enigmatic man with grayish, hardened eyes. It made no sense. But she was torn between outrage at his attitude toward her during their meeting and a strange feeling of intrigue.
Uh-oh. Jess didn’t dare follow this path again. She’d already had her fair share of experience with an overbearing man who was all too quick to dismiss her opinion.
Still, she couldn’t seem to dampen her curiosity. Who was Jordan exactly? Why was he here? Wealthy tourists and seasonal residents flocked to the island every year during these summer months. Everyone from Hollywood megastars to political elites. But not many folks made the vineyard their permanent home. What had made Jordan decide to do so?
And why was he his little sister’s guardian?
Though she only taught part-time, Jess had been around enough children to know that families came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. But Jordan and Sonya’s particular scenario definitely had her curiosity piqued.
Right. As if she could actually deny the real reason she was so curious. Something about him called to her in a way she couldn’t explain.
She pushed open the door to the class building and nearly ran into Clara, the center’s director.
“I’ve been waiting for you to come in!” the older woman declared as Jess fought to retain her balance before dropping all her art supplies. “You’ve been holding out on us.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Who’s the mystery man?” Clara asked.
Had she sent Clara a text or email in her sleep during one of her Jordan dreams? The mere possibility of the absurd thought had her horrified.
“Mystery man?”
“Let’s go to your classroom,” Clara simply stated without clarifying anything about what she was referring to. She’d definitely walked into some sort of unexpected mystery this morning. One she didn’t really have time for, Jess thought, glancing at the industrial wall clock hanging above the door.
It all made sense once they arrived in the classroom she usually taught in. An elaborate display of colorful, exotic flowers adorned the entire surface of the long supply table that sat next to her easel.
“Who are they from?” Clara wanted to know.
Did she dare hope? That was silly. Why would Jordan Paydan send her flowers, and such elaborate ones, no less?
“They must have cost a fortune!” Clara declared.
“I—I don’t know.”
Clara gave her a disbelieving look. “Well, go on. Take a look at the card, then.”
Jess slowly set down her paints and charcoal pencils and walked over to the centerpiece—a tall glass vase with a large elegant red bow at its base. A delightful scent of lilies, orchids and lilacs tickled her nose as she approached. The sender must have bought out half of Bower’s Flowers in the center of town. She removed the card and pulled it out of the envelope. Shockingly enough, the flowers were from Jordan. Her mouth went dry as she read the tiny font.
Please accept the flowers along with my apologies for my inexcusable behavior.
Jordan Paydan
She read it again, the words slightly blurred now as her hand was shaking for some strange reason. Simple. Direct. But she couldn’t help bu
t feel touched. He’d gone out of his way during a no doubt stressful and busy move to take the time to send her flowers. Most men would have simply called or waited for an opportunity to present itself. The man she’d been briefly involved with during college probably wouldn’t have even done that much. In fact, she could count on one hand all the times she’d been sent flowers from a man.
Though Jordan had certainly overdone it. A simple bouquet would have sent the same message. A single rose would have, in fact. Jordan was clearly the type who spent an exorbitant amount of money to make a simple apology. An uncomfortable sensation tingled at the base of her spine at that thought.
“Well?” Clara broke into her musings. “Don’t keep me in the dark any longer. This is so exciting,” she said and clapped her hands in front of her chest.
Clara was in for a disappointment. “It’s nothing to be excited about, I’m sorry to say.”
Her smile faded. “But these are gorgeous. It’s such a romantic gesture.”
Jess shook her head. “Hardly. They’re simply meant as an apology.”
“An apology?”
“That’s right.”
“From whom?”
“There’s a new family on the island. They’ve just moved in.” She paused, trying to find the right words to explain how this all came about. “Our first couple of meetings didn’t exactly go well.”
“I see.”
“I’ll have to find a way to tell him all is forgiven,” Jess said, glancing at the card once more. “I think he signed the little girl up for a swimming class the other day. We might have their contact information.”
“Who is it? I did most of the recent sign-ups myself.”
“Jordan Paydan.”
A flash of recognition crossed Clara’s face. “Jordan? Why didn’t you say so?”
“You know him?”
“Most of the locals do. Well, they know of him anyway.”
