Colin shook his head. “No, you’re too young. Gramps would have wanted you to be happy. That was always one of his biggest worries. He knew, just like I do, that you have too much love in you not to have someone to share it with. He and I talked a lot about what would happen once he was gone.”
That surprised me. “I didn’t know.”
He smiled. “He didn’t want you to. We talked about a lot of things.”
Jordan interrupted us. “Your grandfather was a great man. I met him several times, and I liked him a lot. He was very kind when my wife passed.”
Colin smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me. He was a kind man to everyone. He loved my nan fiercely.”
“I know.”
“Will you care for her the same way?”
Jordan shook his head. “I can’t. No one will ever love Sandy the way Max did. I’m not looking to compete with him, Colin. The same way Sandy will never replace my wife’s spot. But we can love another person just as strongly, though in a different way. How I feel about Sandy doesn’t take away the life I shared with my Anna. I believe my past helps me to be able to love another person because I know the joy that brings. The loneliness another person can dispel.” He leaned forward, his gaze steady on Colin. “I think Sandy and I can build something special together.”
“You seem to be moving fast.”
Jordan laughed, sitting back. “At our age, we have a wealth of experience behind us. We don’t need to play games or test the large dating pool. I like your nan, she likes me, and that is all we need to know. We don’t have the luxury of years ahead of us. If we’re happy, then we’re grabbing it. Living life now. Case closed.”
Colin was silent, mulling over what Jordan said. Jordan lifted his wine and sent a subtle wink my way, making me smile.
I picked up my wine. “How are all your Tinder dates going, by the way? Any interesting, ah, hookups lately, Colin?”
He began to laugh. “Point taken, Nan. You’ll be happy to know I deleted the app. I met a new nurse at the hospital. She is quite—” he swallowed “—lovely. She reminds me of you, actually. We’ve had three dates, and I was thinking of bringing her to meet you.” He grinned. “Maybe we can double one night.”
I smiled, hiding my surprise. Colin had never brought anyone to meet me. “I would like that.”
“Me too.”
He stood, placing his napkin on the table. “I should go. I have a five-a.m. shift tomorrow.”
“What about dessert?”
He shook his head. “I’ve interrupted long enough.” He reached across the table and shook Jordan’s hand. “It’s been a real pleasure. I hope to see more of you.”
“You as well.”
Colin winked. “You will.”
I walked him to the door, and he turned to hug me. “I like him, Nan.”
“I do too.”
“I meant what I said. Be happy.”
“I’m trying.”
He pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Keep trying, Nan. I like seeing you this way.”
“I’m sorry I forgot.”
He shook his head. “That is the best part of all of this. I love the fact that you forgot. You were thinking of yourself, not me for a change.” Then he chuckled. “Next time, I’ll call first, though. That’s an image I only want to see once.”
Then he left, still laughing.
I joined Jordan in the kitchen. He had carried in the dishes and was loading them into the dishwasher. I leaned against the counter, watching as he stacked them in an orderly fashion, then reached under the sink and dropped in a pod, studying the controls for a moment before choosing a cycle and shutting the door.
He met my amused glance. “What?”
“Very domesticated.”
He chuckled dryly. “I had to learn. To be honest, I enjoyed cooking more than Anna did. I took over the kitchen on the weekends.” He held up a finger. “Except for coffee. She made far better coffee.”
“I see. Max was hopeless in the kitchen. I remember the time he tried to make garlic bread. I’m certain the fire department has fond memories of it as well.”
Jordan threw back his head in amusement. Then he held out his hand. “Can we sit?”
I took his hand and led him back into the living room. We sat on the sofa facing each other.
“Are you okay with Colin?” he asked. “I know his arrival caught us off guard, and it was obvious he had no idea about us.”
“Only because I haven’t seen him—it wasn’t something I wanted to share over the phone. I planned on telling him tonight, except—”
His chuckle interrupted me. “You forgot about tonight.”
“I did. This whole week has been so crazy. I guess I’ve been off-kilter.”
He took my hand, holding it within his, making circles on my wrist with his thumb. “Lots to take in.”
“Yes.”
He released my hand and rubbed his face. I shifted closer, concerned.
“Jordan? What’s wrong?”
“I have something to tell you, and it’s either going to make you very happy, or you’re going to be upset.”
“That’s a rather large variance.”
“I did something.”
“Obviously.”
He paused and took my hand again. “The house goes up for sale tomorrow. The agent is having an all-day open house on Saturday. She will accept offers as of three o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. She anticipates a bidding war.”
“All right.”
“I’m fine with selling the house—I really am. But I can’t stand the thought of all those people traipsing through the house, making comments.”
“Understandable.”
“She strongly suggested I not be there.” He sucked in some air. “So, I decided to go away for the weekend. I think the break would do me some good.”
I tamped down my disappointment that he would be gone. I was looking forward to seeing him at least one day on the weekend, but I understood.
“Are you going to see Gina?”
“No. I decided I wanted to take you to Boston. If you’ll come with me.”
I blinked. “Boston?”
“They have a great collection of Renoirs on loan again. Some Monets and other impressionists. We could do all the things you never got to do. Spend some time together without boats, grandsons, or BAM boys interrupting us,” he added with a wicked grin.
“You want to go to Boston with me? How would we do that?”
“Here’s the part where you might get angry with me. I spoke to Bentley. You have tomorrow and Monday off if you want them. You’re covered. There’s a flight first thing tomorrow and one that gets us home on Monday by lunch. I have the hotel booked, arrangements made for all sorts of fun things for us to do.” He squeezed my hand. “And if you don’t want, I can cancel it all and I will head to Gina’s.”
I could only stare. He had arranged all that—on his own?
He shifted closer, his knees pressing against mine. “I don’t want to be here this weekend, but I don’t want to go to BC, Sandy. I want to take you away. Have days to spend with you—just us. Please come with me.”
“You arranged all of this for me?”
He cupped my cheek. “Yes, for you. For us. I wanted to give you something, and I happened to see an advertisement for the Renoir exhibit. I did some checking and then went and spoke to Bentley. He thought it was a great idea and said yes right away.”
“Who is going to cover?”
“Emmy was in his office when I got there. She volunteered immediately. Bentley was thrilled. He gets to have Emmy and Addi there with him. Try out the new day care.”
“I see.” Bentley would love having his girls around him all day.
He looked thoughtful. “I told Bentley it might be time to think of getting you your own assistant. You’re so busy all the time.”
I had to agree with him. Some days, I could barely keep up. Someone to take away the small stuff would help. But I would discuss tha
t with Bentley at another point.
“And you can go, with everything happening with the house?”
“It’s staged and ready. The agent has everything well in hand, and she knows I am gone as of tomorrow. She’ll handle the weekend, and if she needs me, I’m as close as the phone. All I have to do is throw a few things in a suitcase.”
“You’ve thought this through very well.”
“Are you upset?”
“How can I be upset when you went to so much effort, Jordan?”
“Is that a yes? All you have to do is pack a few things and I’ll pick you up in the morning at six. We’ll be in Boston before lunchtime, and you’ll be staring at Renoirs by two.”
“What sort of hotel booking did you make?”
“A suite—two bedrooms,” he replied promptly. “No pressure, Sandy.”
His gaze was earnest, his words firm. He had no idea how his assurances made me want anything but two bedrooms. His insistence he only wanted time with me solidified the growing feelings I had for him. He was genuine, kind, and unknowingly sexy in his uncertainty. He clasped my hand, fully prepared for me to say no.
Except I didn’t want to.
I bent close and brushed a kiss to his cheek. “I would love to go to Boston with you, Jordan.”
His happiness was evident. “Really?”
“Yes.”
He gripped my shoulders and kissed my mouth. It was a hard, fast pressing of our lips. He did it again, this time holding it longer. Then again with a low groan as he pulled me tight to his chest and kissed me the way he had earlier in the hall. There was barely controlled passion in his caresses and an underlying desire that went straight to my core. I returned his kiss, losing myself in him again.
He eased back. “I need to go home and pack.” He dropped another kiss to my mouth. “You have no idea how happy you have made me, my darling.”
I thrilled at his endearment. It sounded so right coming from his mouth.
“I’m pretty excited.”
“Colin said you would be.”
“Colin knows?”
He grinned. “We had quite the fast chat while you were getting dinner. Man-to-man stuff. I told him my idea, and he assured me you would love it.” He touched my cheek gently. “Or kill me. He wished me luck either way.”
I laughed. That sounded like Colin.
Jordan stood. I gazed up at him. “You won’t stay for dessert?”
“Don’t you have to pack?”
I glanced at my watch. “It’s nine thirty. You can eat dessert and leave by ten. I’ll be packed in forty-five minutes. An hour, tops. I think even in my dotage I can handle staying up until eleven.”
He pulled me up from the sofa and kissed me again. “Good. I plan on keeping you up late all weekend. Might as well practice now.”
I grinned all the way into the kitchen.
I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this surprise weekend.
Sandy
I barely slept all night. Packing was harder than I expected, although I was certain it had more to do with my nerves than the clothes in my closet. I had texted Jordan, asking what sort of clothing I should bring, and his reply hadn’t been helpful.
You’ll be beautiful in anything. Lots of walking. A nice dress for dinner.
I rolled my eyes at the unclear directive.
How many dinners? One dress-up and the rest casual?
I snorted. He was amazing but also a typical male—short on details.
In the end, I chose some outfits I could mix and match and packed two elegant dresses and one casual one. A good pair of walking shoes and one pair of high heels.
I hesitated over my lingerie drawer. I pulled out a bag that had been stuffed in the corner for months. I let the shimmering ball of satin fall from my fingertips, studying it. Blue, soft, and sexy, it hinted rather than revealed. Perfect for my body at my age. In front of the mirror, I studied myself. I kept in good shape. I wasn’t as thin as I once was, but I still had muscle definition, and I looked okay in a bathing suit. My breasts hadn’t sagged yet, and my long legs were still lean and shapely. I always tried to play those up. My hair hung past my shoulders, straight, thick, and pure white. I knew Jordan loved to run his fingers through it.
Would he like the nightgown? I had seen it one day while out shopping a couple of months ago, and bought it, then never took it from the bag, wondering in the emptiness of my bedroom why I had purchased it. It had been an impulse buy that seemed silly once I arrived home.
I had no idea if I would need it this weekend. If I was ready to move forward to that step with Jordan. There was no doubt the man had skill when it came to kissing me. He was passionate and confident, his tongue and mouth talented. His long fingers stroked my skin like I was a violin and he a maestro, leaving me longing for more. I lost myself to him, our surroundings fading away, yearning building under my skin and taking over every sense when he had me in his arms.
I tucked the nightgown into the suitcase and added my bathing suit in case.
I was simply being prepared; that was all.
I ignored the fluttering in my stomach at the thought of Jordan seeing me in that nightgown and his reaction.
Then before I could change my mind, I added my toiletry bag and snapped the locks shut. I found my passport and added some American cash to my wallet, grateful I always kept a little on hand.
Now, I was waiting by the door, anxious and already tired. A town car pulled up right at six, and Jordan slipped from the back, meeting me at the door.
He bent down and kissed my cheek. “Hello, my darling.”
“Hi.”
He picked up my case. “Are you ready?”
I swallowed. “Yes.”
He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
* * *
The airport wasn’t overly busy this time of morning, and I wasn’t surprised when Jordan directed me to the Executive Class area. We were checked in within minutes and the security line wasn’t backed up, so we were in the first-class lounge not long after the car had dropped us off.
We found a table and left our carry-ons. We brought coffee and some pastries back to the table, and Jordan opened his laptop, showing me some of the things we had to choose from.
“We’re staying at the Boston Harbor Hotel. I have dinner reservations at Finz tonight and Turner’s Seafood tomorrow. Sunday, I thought we could decide if there was anywhere we heard of or simply pick a place.”
“Sounds lovely.”
“I bought a membership at MFA last night that we’ll pick up today. I got tickets for the Impressionists for the three-o’clock time slot.” His fingers raced over the keyboard. “We have a cruise on the harbor tomorrow, a walking tour of Salem after dark, but sadly, no baseball game.”
“I think I can live without it,” I said dryly.
He picked up his coffee. “I thought so.”
“Have you booked us every second?” I asked, looking over the itinerary.
He laughed. “No. I saved lots of time for walking, exploring, and shopping.”
“You thought of everything.”
“I tried. I’ve never been there before either. I’m excited to share all this with you.” A sly grin appeared on his face. “I also booked us a massage Sunday morning.”
“Oh god, I love massages.”
“Emmy might have told me that.” He leaned close, waggled his eyebrows, and spoke in a low, growly voice. “I give great massages, Sandy. Play your cards right and maybe I’ll show you.”
“Is that a fact?”
He brushed his fingers down my cheek. “It is. I’m very dexterous.” His words were accompanied by another waggle of his eyebrows, his green eyes alive and dancing in the bright light surrounding us.
“Well then,” I said, “I suppose I’ll have to figure out a way of getting in your good graces.”
He linked our fingers together and brought them to his mouth.
“You already have, Sandy. You already have.”<
br />
* * *
The flight was uneventful. I napped, my head resting on Jordan’s shoulder during the brief trip. The hotel was sumptuous, the suite ready when we arrived. I stood looking out onto the harbor, feeling excited. Our driver had pointed out a lot of landmarks and made some suggestions. I had a feeling it was going to be a fabulous weekend.
Jordan came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and tugging me back to his chest. “Happy?” he murmured.
Without a word, I turned and flung my arms around his neck. I pulled his head down and kissed him. Deeply. Letting him feel my emotions. It had been so long since I had experienced this sort of attention. Being the center of someone’s focus. Max’s illness prevented him from enjoying life, and although he had been a wonderful husband, I had missed little moments like this for so many years.
Jordan’s arms encircled me tightly. His mouth moved with mine, and our tongues danced and teased together. He eased back, smiling down at me. “I love it when you kiss me,” he murmured. “It’s a little surprise gift every time.”
“I plan on giving you lots of gifts this weekend.”
His eyes widened and he ran his finger over my bottom lip. “I look forward it to, my darling. Now, ready to head to the museum?”
“Yes.”
* * *
“You like this one.”
I startled at Jordan’s voice. We’d been in the gallery for hours, walking, looking, exploring. I saw paintings I had never seen before. Works of art so beautiful they took my breath away. One Renoir painting in particular caught my eye, and I kept coming back to it, studying the colors, new hues emerging with every sweep of my gaze. It was called Landscape on the Coast near Menton, and I was mesmerized by it.
“Yes.”
“What draws you to it?”
“The colors. The light.”
Jordan tucked me to his side as people went past. We looked at the painting, not speaking. Then he pressed his lips to my head. “Hmm. The same things I see in you. Beautiful light. Breathtaking colors.”
Vested Interest Box Set Books 4-7 Page 82
