by Kristi Gold
“Neither am I, but sometimes things happen when you least expect it.”
Logan had learned that hard lesson with Helena. “Just to set the record straight, as soon as I leave here, I’m taking Jenna to her house and saying goodbye. And that’s going to be the end of it.”
Chapter Five
Do you have somewhere you have to be right now?”
Jenna looked as surprised by the query as Logan had been when he’d posed it. Regardless of what he’d said to Kieran earlier, he wasn’t quite ready to let her go.
“As a matter of fact, I have plans,” she said.
He pulled into the circular drive in front of the mansion and turned off the ignition. “With someone special?” Now, why in the hell had he asked that? And why had he sounded so jealous?
She grinned. “I thought I might join an Internet think tank and take a shot at solving global warming. Or maybe paint my nails, which is always challenging.”
In spite of his chagrin, Logan couldn’t stop his smile. “Good luck.”
She shifted to face him. “I could be persuaded to put everything on hold. What do you have in mind?”
Several things, and kissing her topped the list. He’d halt that line of thinking right now if he knew what was good for him. Obviously, he didn’t know what was good for him. “Nothing as monumental as the global-warming thing. I thought we could talk for a while.”
“What time is it?”
He checked his watch. “Almost seven-thirty.”
She frowned. “Darn. My father doesn’t go to bed until eleven. I guess we could still go inside and take our chances that he doesn’t sit us down and grill us on our day.”
“I’m not afraid of Avery.” Worried about their business relationship, yes. Afraid, no.
“He’s not always gracious when it involves me and the opposite sex, Logan. He’s basically interviewed every man I’ve ever been out with. That tends to put a damper on your social life, not that I’ve had much of one lately.”
Logan’s social life had been active—and empty. “We could have a drink somewhere.”
She unsnapped her seat belt. “I have a better idea. A place I’d like you to see.”
He almost asked if she meant her bedroom, but stopped short before the question shot out of his stupid mouth. “Where’s that?”
“As soon as I get out of this monstrosity of a vehicle, I’ll show you.”
Logan barely made it to the passenger side right before Jenna attempted to exit on her own. Her stubborn streak was showing again, something he’d noticed back at his parents’ house. Striving for independence seemed important to her, and he’d allowed her to find her own way all afternoon, while keeping an eye on her without her knowledge.
As they walked side by side, Jenna used the cane to navigate the flagstone path that led to the rear of the mansion. “Is the sun still out?” she asked.
“It’s setting.”
She pushed her shades up to the top of her head. “What color is the sky?”
“Blue.”
“You can do better than that.”
He had his doubts, but he’d try for her. “It has shades of orange mixed with the blue. And pink.”
“See how much better everything looks when you notice the details?”
He’d never given the color of the sky much thought before now. And as far as details were concerned, he preferred to study those that involved her. She had a straight nose, full lips and golden highlights in her brown hair. Even without makeup, she was as beautiful—maybe even more so—than most of the women he’d known, both inside and out.
Damn. Twenty-four hours in her company, and she had him describing the sky and spouting poetry. He needed to hightail it out of there as soon as the opportunity presented itself. But what he wanted to do won out—stay a while longer—proving his common sense was in a headlock.
When they reached an ornate wrought iron gate, Jenna opened it with ease, indicating she’d been there before.
“This is my mother’s garden,” she said as they walked down a redbrick trail lined with various plants, marble statues and carefully trimmed hedges. “She designed the layout.”
“My mom’s into gardening, but her garden isn’t as elaborate as this one.” Just another reminder of their differing backgrounds.
“I’ve neve had much of a green thumb,” Jenna said. “But I love flowers. Are we at the angel fountain, yet?”
Logan surveyed the immediate area and located the concrete landmark. “It’s about ten feet ahead to the right.”
Jenna picked up the pace, leaving Logan behind, and stopped before a bush covered in flowers. “These are Gemini roses, although my mother referred to them as ‘Jenna’s roses’ since I’m a Gemini.” She bent over to smell one of the blooms. “That means you’ll never know which side of me you’ll encounter from one moment to the next.”
So far, he liked all her sides, including her backside, which had his undivided attention at the moment. “Are you moody?”
She sent him a smile over one shoulder. “I prefer multifaceted to moody. Sometimes I’m into peace and serenity, other times I like adventure. Now, come here and get a closer look at these. They’re beautiful.”
“I’m really not into flowers.”
Jenna carefully snapped one rose from the bush and faced him. “I never gave them much thought, either, before I couldn’t see them any longer. There’s a lot to be said for that old ‘stop and smell the roses’ adage.” She stepped toward him and held up the flower. “Go ahead and take a whiff.”
He swallowed his macho pride, circled her wrist and brought the bud to his nose. “Smells good.” She looked as if he’d presented her with a five-carat diamond. “Told you so.”
She also looked like she wanted something else from him. He definitely knew what he wanted from her—the same thing he’d wanted from her back in the Hummer and back in his mother’s kitchen, right before Kieran’s untimely interruption.
After lowering her hand to his chest, he nudged her closer, trapping the rose between them. Her cane hit the ground with a clank.
He recognized she couldn’t see him, but it almost seemed as if she could see right through him. For a brief moment he questioned his judgment and the possible cost of kissing her. But he’d be damned if he could stop when she whispered, “What are you waiting for, Logan?”
Suddenly, the area lit up like a baseball field, causing Jenna to flinch and close her lids against the harsh illumination.
He lowered her sunglasses back over her eyes, questioning if some cosmic force was in play—or her father. “Is this equivalent to your dad turning on the porch light?”
“They’re security lights, set to automatically come on at dusk. I’ve always hated them. I hate them even more now.”
After hearing the pain in her voice, he realized he needed to take her out of there. “You should probably go inside now.”
“I probably should.”
Logan retrieved the cane, placed it in her right hand and hooked her left arm through his. Silently they walked back to the house and stopped on the porch a few paces from the front door, where they remained in the shadows.
“I’m glad you invited me today, Logan.”
So was he, more than he cared to express. “Everyone enjoyed having you there.”
“I enjoyed them, too. In all honesty, I rarely have the opportunity to socialize these days, which is why I appreciate the invitation. You have a wonderful family.”
“Some people find them overbearing.” Including Helena, who’d reluctantly attended gatherings only when he’d insisted.
“They’re refreshingly real.”
He felt the same about her. Even though he couldn’t predict where this thing between them might lead, he wanted to find out. “I want to see you again, Jenna.”
She shook her head. “That’s not a good idea, Logan. After a while, you’d begin to view me as a liability.”
“That’s bs, Jenna.”
/> “No. It’s true. I have a son, I can’t see two inches in front of me and my father is your client.”
“None of that matters.”
“Believe me, it will eventually. I’d rather we part as friends.” She held out her hand. “Again, thank you for a lovely afternoon.”
Ignoring the gesture, he said, “I don’t want to shake your hand.”
“What do you want, Logan?”
“You know what I want, Jenna.”
“To get into my pants?”
“They wouldn’t fit.”
“Ha-ha.” She transferred her weight from one foot to the other. “I don’t need to be rescued.”
“I know that and—”
“I don’t want a man making overtures because of some misplaced sense of chivalry. I’m not looking for—”
Logan pulled her into his arms and before some force of nature, or an overprotective father intervened, he kissed her—and not an innocent kiss by any definition.
Again her cane dropped to the ground as she draped her arms over his shoulders, while he bracketed her waist. He didn’t hold back, didn’t waste any time taking it to another level. He wanted to leave a lasting impression. He wanted to change her mind. And when she met the glide of his tongue with her own, he wanted to scoop her up, carry her off the porch and back to his condo.
Jenna pulled away and wrapped her arms tightly around her middle. “We can’t do this, Logan.”
“We already have and you wanted it as much as I did, Jenna. You asked me to do it in the garden.”
“During a moment of weakness, and obviously, I had another of those a second ago.” So had he. “It was one helluva a kiss, and you know it.” She pointed at the ground. “Could you give me my cane, please?”
“That depends. Are you going to beat me over the head with it?” Finally, she smiled. “No. But I should probably beat myself over the head with it.”
“You’ve had enough head injuries for one weekend.” He bent, picked up the cane, put it back in her hand and stroked his thumb across her wrist for good measure. “I’ll be out of town on business for the next couple of days, but I’ll call you later in the week.”
“I’m not going to go out with you again, Logan.”
When he heard the minimal conviction in her tone, he sensed that, with a little more effort, he might win this battle yet. “You might change your mind after you’ve had some time to think about that kiss.”
She lifted her chin defiantly. “You’ve got a tremendous ego, Mr. O’Brien.”
“You’ve got barbecue sauce on your dress, Ms. Fordyce. And the greatest smile, along with an obstinate streak as long as the interstate.”
“Look who’s talking. That’s why it would never work between us.”
“Oh, yeah, it would. And after that kiss, you should know how well it would work.”
She clasped his hand and gave it a quick shake. “Again, thanks for lunch. Good night and goodbye.”
Before he could respond, she’d entered the house and closed the door behind her, leaving him alone on the porch to evaluate the situation.
The blow to his pride had stung, but past experience had taught him when to push, and when to toss in the towel. It looked like it was towel-tossing time where Jenna Fordyce was concerned. Yet pride wasn’t the only issue. Truth was, he liked everything about her, and that would be worth the effort to try and change her mind.
“I don’t want you seeing him again, Jenna.”
Using her cane to tap her way through the foyer, Jenna brushed past her father in search of the study. “We’ve already had this conversation, Dad. And you don’t have to worry. After tonight, it’s not going to be an issue.”
“From what I witnessed happening between the two of you on the porch, I have reservations about that.”
That sent her back around to face him. “You were spying on us?”
“I heard voices and I looked out the window. That doesn’t constitute spying.”
How she wished he would simply let her be a grown-up. “The only window in the vestibule flanks the door. That means you had to be standing at the door in order to hear the voices.”
“What difference does it make?”
She braced both hands on top of the cane. “What I do and who I do it with isn’t your concern.”
“It concerns me when it involves Logan O’Brien.”
His attitude was beyond logical. “For the past few years, I’ve only heard you say good things about Logan. Great things, in fact. To hear you tell it, he’s God’s gift to the business community. Highly intelligent, philanthropic, and the list goes on and on.” Not to mention he had a very skilled mouth, an attribute she secretly added to the list.
“That was on a professional level, Jenna. This is personal. I’ve already told you he has a reputation—”
“I know. With women.” After that kiss, she certainly could understand why. “And for your information, he treated me with courtesy. He also treated me like a normal person, a lesson a few people around here need to learn.”
“I’m cautious because I care about you, sweetheart.”
“I know that, Dad. And what happened between Logan and me, well, it was only a kiss.” It was one helluva kiss, and you know it…
She definitely knew it, even if she hadn’t wanted to admit it to Logan, or to herself. “I’m going to call John David, then I’m going to bed. It’s been a long day. Good night.”
She saw the hazy movement before her, followed by a brief kiss on her cheek. “I love you, sweetheart,” he said. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“I love you, too, Dad. And, no, we won’t talk about it.”
With that, she walked into the makeshift photo gallery and closed the door behind her before taking her favorite chair in the corner. She groped for the receiver on the end table and spoke the words “J.D.” to set the dialer in motion. The phone rang three times before the familiar voice answered with a short, “Hello.”
“Hi, David. It’s me. Is John David still awake?”
“Ginger just gave him his bath. Let me see if he’s out yet.”
While Jenna waited to speak with her son, she tried to tamp down the envy over another woman bathing her baby. Another woman witnessing his milestones. Yet she’d understood when David had moved on with his life, even if it had meant bringing a spare spouse into the mix to serve as J.D.’s surrogate mother.
A clatter rang out in Jenna’s ear right before the endearing voice said, “Hi, Mama.”
“Hey, sweetie. Did you have a good bath?”
“Uh-huh. I played with a boat. Guess what, Mama?”
“What?”
“Daddy and Mommy Ginger are gonna take me on a boat. A big boat on the ocean.”
Jenna swallowed hard around the unexpected news, and the fact he’d called David’s new wife “Mommy.”
“When are you going on this boat, sweetie?”
“In the morning. That’s why I gotta go to bed early.”
She’d been literally left in the dark. “Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story or sing you our song first?”
“Not now, Mama. Daddy says we have to ride the airplane first to get to the boat so I gotta go to sleep. Can you come on the boat with me?”
If only she could. “Not this time, sweetie, but remember what I’ve always told you. Even if you can’t see me, I’m always where?”
“In my heart.”
“That’s right, baby.”
“I love you as big as the sky, Mama.”
His willingness to recite their nightly routine eased her melancholy. “I love you as tall as the trees, sweetie.”
“I love you as bright as the stars.”
“I love you forever and ever.”
“I’ll put your picture in my suitcase, Mama. That way you can go on the boat with me.”
The same picture she’d shown Logan earlier that day. The last picture they’d taken together.
She closed her eyes for a mome
nt in an effort to fight back the threatening tears. “Have fun on the boat, sweetie. Now, put your daddy on the phone.” She had a thing or two to say to him.
“Bye, Mama. Here’s Daddy.”
“I assume he told you about the cruise,” David said.
Her anger crept in again. “ Yes, and you should have told me, first.”
“It was a spur of the moment thing, Jen. Ginger’s parents surprised us with the trip for my birthday. I couldn’t very well not accept until I had your permission.”
Jenna wasn’t buying his excuses. “Your birthday’s in April, which means you’ve known about this for two months. And the least you could’ve done is discuss it with me.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“I call every night, David. You should have told me the minute you knew.”
“In all honesty, I didn’t want you to have a lot of time to obsess about the trip, which is why I didn’t mention it sooner.”
Her anger arrived with the force of a gale. “I wouldn’t have obsessed over it.”
“Yes, you would have. You worry about him too much.”
“He’s my only child, David.” The only child she would probably ever have. “It’s my right as his mother to be concerned over his well-being and be informed about his plans.”
“You should’ve seen him, Jen. He was so excited when we told him this afternoon, he started packing immediately. Do you want me to tell him now that he can’t go?”
To do so would be selfish on her part. “Of course not. I just worry—”
“I’ll make sure he stays away from the railing, and we won’t let him out of our sight.”
He knew her too well. “Promise?”
“Promise. I have to go now and finish packing.”
She wasn’t ready to let him off the hook that easily. “How long will you be gone?”
“We fly to Florida in the morning and return next Sunday.”
“You’ll call me from the ship, right?”
“It’s only a few days, Jen. I’ll call the minute we return.”
She couldn’t tolerate not speaking to her child for that many days. “It’s the least you can do, David. I only need him to call once. Since I can’t be there, I’d like to know he’s having a good time.”
