“That kid looks a lot like Drew, but I didn’t think he had any kids.”
Jordan realized that she’d been staring and turned away. “I guess I’d better get back in there,” she said, walking away even though she wanted to stay.
Just as she stepped into the tack room, she heard the murmur of voices and was tempted to go back outside, but fought the impulse, telling herself that the less she had to do with Drew, the better. Instead, she grabbed the broom and began sweeping furiously at the floor, as if it had done something wrong.
It wasn’t long before she’d created a dust cloud in the room, and it became difficult to breathe without sucking it into her mouth and nose. Throwing down the broom, she headed for the door, waving her hand in front of her face, her eyes only open a slit. Just as she stepped through the door, she collided with something solid, making her fall backward.
A pair of strong hands grabbed her before she hit the floor, and a voice she’d recognize anywhere said, “We have to stop meeting this way.”
Her heart thundering in her chest, she pulled away, brushed past Drew, and stepped out of the room. She took a deep breath, sucking dust into her nose and lungs, then began to sneeze uncontrollably, one after another until she was out of breath. Bending over, she took shallow breaths, her eyes watering.
When a handkerchief appeared in her vision, she took it, and wiped her eyes and nose, then stood up. “Why is it that when you’re around, I always end up a mess?” she asked, blowing her nose.
Drew shrugged his shoulders. “I just have that effect on women,” he said, grinning at her.
Jordan was annoyed at him once again, but found herself returning his smile, her heart rate picking up. Refusing to fall prey to Drew’s charms, she grabbed one of the saddles and started to carry it outside. When he tried to grab it from her, she didn’t let go; instead, she nodded at the pile in the hallway.
“You can grab one of those if you want to help,” she said.
He started to protest, but she walked away before he could, determined not to let him help her even though she’d just let Ben and it was a bit childish. Drew grabbed a saddle and caught up with her, watching her as they crossed the barn.
“What exactly are you doing?” he asked, following her across the barnyard to where she’d piled all the old tack.
“I’m trying to clean up the tack room. Ben says they haven’t had time to do it yet, and I don’t see how we’re going to have trail rides with this,” she said, gesturing to the dirty, broken equipment spread out on the ground.
“I was thinking we might start fresh, get rid of all this and buy everything new,” Drew said, looking over at something behind her.
Jordan turned and followed his eyes, saw the boy who’d been with Drew sitting under a tree and playing a video game. When she looked back at him, he said, “That’s my son Alex; he’s not happy to be here.”
“That’s too bad,” was all she could think to say, even though she had a million questions swimming through her head.
“Anyway,” he said, dragging her attention away from Alex. “I’m not sure any of this is worth saving.”
“There’s nothing wrong with most of the saddles that a little soap and water, and then a good oiling won’t fix. Some of the bridles need a bit of work, but they could be saved as well,” she said.
Drew studied her for a second. “I would have thought you’d want all new stuff,” he said.
Jordan sighed. Just when she’d begun to think the man was human, he was insulting her again. “Just because I have an expensive horse and some nice clothes doesn’t mean that I’m wasteful or a spoiled rich girl. I can see the value in this stuff even if you can’t.”
“Do you have any idea how long it’s going to take to clean all this up? We’re supposed to be ready for campers in two weeks,” Drew shot back, a superior look on his face.
Chapter Six
***Drew***
Drew was sure that he’d won, although why it was so important, he wasn’t sure, but then he saw the smile on Jordan’s face and knew he was in trouble. “I think I know a way we can get it done and have a little fun in the process,” she said.
“What exactly did you have in mind?” he asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.
“Well, I was thinking we could have a party, but a work party. You know, like when everyone gets together and raises a barn, but we’ll have everyone help fix up the saddles and the other tack,” she said, clearly pleased with her idea.
Drew thought about it for a minute and had to admit that it was a good idea but couldn’t make himself agree with her. “I don’t know; do you think people are really going to want to spend a day washing and oiling saddles?” he asked, his voice dripping with disdain.
Jordan frowned at him, then took a deep breath to calm her annoyance. “In case you’ve missed it, there’s not a whole lot to do around here; people would come.”
“Nick might not want everyone to spend that much time at the barn; there’s a lot of other work to be done before we open,” he said, not sure why he was being so argumentative.
Jordan’s blue eyes began to flash with anger. “Are you just trying to be disagreeable or is this how you are all the time?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips and sticking her chin out. “If Nick doesn’t want to stop work, we can do it on the weekend.”
Drew felt a wave of desire wash over him, and suddenly knew why he was being difficult. As attractive as Jordan was, she was even prettier when her eyes flashed like that, and he almost smiled at how simple the explanation was. She was waiting for him to say something, but he was too busy fighting the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her to find anything else to say.
Just then, Nick came riding up on his horse. “Looks like you’ve been busy,” he said, jumping down and slowly walking around the tack spread out one the ground.
“Jordan has. I’ve been dealing with a little emergency,” Drew said, looking over at Alex, who was still focused on the video game in his hand.
Nick studied the boy for a long time, then his eyes got big, and he looked over at Drew, a question on his lips. Drew nodded, then mouthed, “Later.”
Drew was afraid that Nick wasn’t going to let it go, but he finally turned back to Jordan and asked, “What have you been up to?”
“I’ve been cleaning out the tack room,” she said. “This is just about everything from inside; most of it could be cleaned up and used again.”
“I suggested that we pitch it all and start over, but Jordan thinks we should have a party and get everyone to help us clean it up,” Drew said, making a face that made it clear what he thought of the idea.
Nick only had to think about that for a second. “I think that’s an excellent idea; we’ll set up the grill and do burgers and dogs, make a day of it.”
Jordan shot him a triumphant grin, and a flash of desire rocketed through him, tightening his groin and making him want to groan. He was going to have to find a way to stop this ridiculous attraction to Jordan, and fast; it was getting out of control, and the last thing he wanted to deal with right then. Alex was sitting a few feet away, and that alone should have occupied his mind, but then again, it wasn’t his mind responding to Jordan.
That thought made him wince. “Drew doesn’t think it’s a very good idea,” she said, seeing the look on his face and misunderstanding.
“Don’t pay any attention to him; he’s been a grump lately,” Nick said, then looked over at Alex. “Would you mind if I kidnapped him for a few hours?”
Drew saw Jordan’s eyes stray over to where Alex sat under the tree. “I guess that would be okay. I’ve got to clean in there before I put everything back.”
“I’ll call and get you some help,” Nick said, grabbing the radio on his belt.
Half an hour later, they were riding out of the barnyard and into the woods on their favorite trail. Drew felt a little bad that he’d left Alex behind, but when he’d asked him to join them, the look he’d gott
en had been one of pure distaste, so he’d left him sitting under the tree playing his game.
They hadn’t gone far when Nick said, “I haven’t seen you for almost twelve years, but we’ve talked a lot in that time, and I’ve never heard you mention having a son.”
Drew sighed heavily. “That’s because I didn’t know I had one until last night,” he said, feeling a burden lift having just said the words.
“You’re kidding,” Nick said, staring at Drew, his mouth hanging open.
“Nope. Sharon showed up with him last night, said he was mine, said she was leaving him with me for the summer, and left for Denver,” he said, feeling a strange need to laugh at the whole situation.
“Sharon Carver from high school?” Nick asked, trying to piece it together.
Drew nodded. “We got together right before I left. I didn’t think it was a big deal, you know, just one of those summer flings. But I guess she’d been in love with me for years. We didn’t part on very good terms,” he admitted, feeling a little loathing for his twenty-year-old self.
“What are you going to do?” Nick asked, shaking his head in amazement.
Drew shrugged. “What can I do? He’s clearly mine. I think I’m stuck,” he said, wondering when his life had suddenly spun so far out of control.
“Is this why you’ve been acting like such a jerk?” Nick asked.
He didn’t consider it a lie when he nodded. Nick didn’t need to know about his little crush, would probably make fun of him, and that was the last thing he needed right then. “First, I find out that we’re old, and now I’m suddenly the father of a twelve-year-old boy; who wouldn’t be a little grumpy?”
***Jordan***
Jordan was more than happy to see Drew riding away with Nick; it was exhausting fighting both him and her attraction to him. All she wanted to do was finish cleaning the tack room, put everything back, and go home for the day. For only a brief second, she wondered if she’d made a mistake coming to Serendipity, but it faded quickly when she looked around her at the mountains.
Sighing, she headed back into the barn and to the colossal job of sweeping up decades of filth in the tack room. She was just trying to figure out how to do the job without killing herself when she heard voices in front of the barn and headed back outside, hoping it was the help Nick had promised.
When she came out of the barn, Ben was talking to a man and two women in a wagon that was full of cleaning supplies and a big vacuum cleaner. “I think this is who you need to talk to,” Ben said when he saw her.
The woman driving the wagon jumped down and walked over to Jordan. “Looks like you have a little dust problem,” she said, smiling at Jordan.
Jordan looked down at her clothes and realized that she was filthy. “That’s a bit of an understatement,” she said, returning the smile.
“I’m Candice, and these are my kids, Jeremy and Tiffany,” the woman said, holding out her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jordan. Nick hired me to for the trail rides, but as you can see, we have a bit of a mess to deal with first,” she said, liking the woman immediately.
“Well, let’s see what we can do about that,” Candice said, then took over with the precision of a general leading her troops.
When it became clear that she wasn’t needed in the tack room, she headed back outside, noticing for the first time that Alex was still sitting under the tree. She wasn’t sure if she should approach him but felt bad for the kid, so she walked over and collapsed next to him.
“Phew, I’m glad to turn that job over to someone else,” she said, leaning her head against the tree and taking deep breaths as if she were worn out.
Alex didn’t say anything, but he did look over at her, the first time she’d seem him take his eyes off his game. “I’m Jordan, by the way,” she said.
“Hi,” he said, his cheeks turning pink. “I’m Alex.”
Jordan gave him a huge smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Alex,” she said, then tried to find something else to say, but came up empty.
They sat in silence for a while, Alex intently playing his game, Jordan listening to the sound of the cleaning crew in the barn. But then she heard Alex’s stomach growling. “Must be about time for lunch. I think I’ll go down to the cafeteria; I hear they’ve got some good food, and I haven’t tried it yet.”
Alex looked over at her, then back at his game. “Do you want to go with me?”
His fingers froze, and the little character on the screen burst into flames. “Umm...I don’t know...maybe I should wait here for my dad.”
Jordan shrugged, thinking he left you, so why should you worry, but said, “We could leave him a note.”
He thought about that for a second. “I am kind of hungry.”
Jordan got to her feet and brushed herself off the best she could. “Good, then it’s settled, and maybe while we’re there, we can take a peek at the murals I keep hearing so much about.”
She could tell that she had his attention. “What murals?” he asked, shutting off his game and getting to his feet.
“Come on, I’ll tell you on the way,” she said, heading for the trail that led to the lodge.
It took Alex a second to decide, then he fell in step beside her. “What about these murals?”
“Well, Ben told me that they’re magical, full of power,” she said, grinning at him. “He said that the faces on the paintings change.”
Alex was silent for a second. “Do you think we’ll get to see that?” he asked.
“I don’t know, I guess it’s only happened twice, once for Nick and Maggie and again for Jake and Marley,” she said, dragging out the story. “From what I understand, it’s all about love.”
Alex scrunched up his face. “Love is gross,” he said, but she could see he was curious. Finally, he asked, “What happened?”
Jordan couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll tell you what Ben told me, but remember, I wasn’t there,” she said.
As they walked, she told him about evil grandmothers and covens of witches trying to get control of Serendipity. By the time they got to the lodge and the dining hall, the scowl had disappeared from Alex’s face, and he was smiling. She watched him filling his plate until the food was falling off the side, then devour it all, wondering what he was doing in Serendipity with a father who didn’t seem to want him.
Chapter Seven
***Drew***
Drew felt better as they came down the trail and into the barnyard, that is, until he saw Jordan and Alex disappear into the woods. Alex was talking to Jordan, who was listening intently, her head tipped close to his.
“Where are they going?” he asked Nick, jealousy bubbling up inside him.
Nick looked up at the sky and then down at his watch. “Well, since that trail leads to the lodge and the dining hall, I would guess lunch.”
Drew pushed the feeling of jealously aside, not wanting to examine it too closely, then said, “It would have been nice if they’d asked me. I thought Alex and I were going to have lunch together.”
Nick jumped down from his horse and started to lead it into the barn. “You weren’t exactly here to ask,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “If you didn’t want Alex to leave for lunch without you, you should have told him that.”
Sighing, Drew jumped down and led Gideon inside. “This parenting thing is way more complicated than I thought it would be,” he said, his anger still bubbling. “Jordan should have known better than to take him off that like that without telling me. I told you she wasn’t going to be right for this job.”
It was Nick’s turn to sigh. “You’re really going to have to let this go. Jordan isn’t going anywhere, and all she did was take your son to lunch at the only place around here they could go.”
But Drew just couldn’t let it go, the image of Alex buddied up to Jordan made it hard to think logically. “I’m going after them,” he said, handing Gideon’s reigns to Nick.
“I think that’s a mistake,” Nick said,
but he was already out the door.
He’d been sure that they weren’t that far ahead of him, but each time he rounded a corner expecting to see them, he was disappointed. So, when he got to the lodge with no sign of his son or Jordan, a creeping feeling of panic began to spread through him. It was quickly replaced by a feeling of fear unlike anything he’d ever felt before, as images of Alex hurt or worse sprang to mind.
As his emotions churned, first anger, then panic, followed by that fear, he planned what he would say when he caught up to them inside. He was headed straight for the dining hall doors, his strides long and angry, but something caught his eye through the big picture windows on one side of the meeting hall, and he came to a halt.
Anger won over the emotional struggle inside him when he saw Jordan and Alex wandering around the room looking at the murals. Changing directions, he pushed through the big wooden doors and stormed over to them.
“What do you think you're doing?” he asked, glaring at both of them.
“We were looking at the murals,” Jordan stammered, backing up a few feet when she saw the anger in his eyes.
“How nice,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “But don’t you think it might have been nice if you’d asked me before bringing him here? Didn’t you think I might worry or wonder where he was?”
“That would be a first,” Alex said, glaring at his father. “You haven’t done much worrying or wondering about me in the last twelve years.”
Anger flared inside him, but then he got a flash of what Alex must be feeling, and it softened. “I’m sorry about that,” he said, shocking them both. “I really didn’t know about you Alex; if I had, then, well, I hope things between us would have been different.”
Alex stared at him for a long time, sorting through his words for the truth. “Mom tried to write to you; I saw the letters once. You didn’t open them; you sent them back,” he accused.
Mountain Wolf Playboy (Daddy Wolves 0f The Wild Series Book 3) Page 4
