Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  “Is it because of the actor? Jake?” Carl wanted to know. “Are you seeing him?”

  Seeing him. As Jordan tried out the words in her head, her lips curled in a smile. “Yes, I believe I am.”

  “Hmm. What happened to not trusting yourself around him?” Carl asked. “That sure didn’t last long.”

  Jordan hated when people tried to use her own words against her. “Turns out I’m doing fine. I’m not that weak, Carl.”

  “I never said you were weak, but I know a little about what it’s like to try to have a relationship with someone who doesn’t your understand your recovery.” he said. “Just be careful is all.”

  His words had some merit, and Jordan knew they were based on experience. It made sense that he would urge caution. There was always the potential for awkwardness with anyone who didn’t fully understand. What was she supposed to do, though? Only date her own kind? “I will,” Jordan promised. “Be a friend and wish me luck?”

  Silence followed and Jordan waited with some apprehension until Carl said, “Good luck, then.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re still going to be at the meeting tomorrow, right?”

  “Of course,” Jordan said, feeling a touch of annoyance that he even thought it necessary to ask. Did he think she’d suddenly give up on her program simply because of Jake?

  “I’m glad. I’ll see you then.”

  ***

  Jake had just arrived on set Monday morning when he received a call from the Los Angeles area code. Thankfully, it wasn’t Macy calling to whine or Val calling to tell him Macy was still whining. Instead, it was his agent.

  “You’re going to love me,” Greg said.

  “Somehow I doubt that. You’re not really my type.”

  Greg chuckled. “Okay, fine. You’re going to love what I have to tell you.”

  “Try me.” After almost a decade working together, Jake was used to Greg’s tendency toward exaggeration. “What’s the amazing news?”

  “I’m sending you a script, and it’s everything you want.” Jake listened as Greg described the new movie project in enthusiastic tones. A big-budget thriller, set on the beaches of Saint Lucia, and co-starring Kate Hudson. “And I have it on good authority she’ll be in a bikini,” Greg concluded. “Now, tell me, did I do good, or what?”

  The movie sounded like everything Jake wanted. At least everything he wanted a few weeks ago, when he’d complained to Greg about the desert surroundings of his current location. Now Grande Valley, Texas, looked pretty good to Jake, and the possibility of another location shoot came as a reminder that his time here was limited. “It sounds interesting. When does it start shooting?”

  “Early October.”

  October. No break at all. He’d likely have to hop a flight to the Caribbean as soon as he wrapped Border Cowboys. “When do I have to decide?” Jake asked.

  “As soon as possible. If you pass, they’ll probably go with Channing Tatum.” Greg whistled. “Can you believe it? You’re the top choice ahead of Channing Freaking Tatum.”

  Jake let the words sink in, reeling a little. Everything Greg said about the movie sounded great, except for the part about being three thousand miles away from Jordan. “Pretty incredible.”

  “Yeah. Looks like your little stint in the tabloids didn’t hurt you after all. I guess it’s true that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Greg laughed. “Maybe you should thank the girl.”

  ***

  Jordan preferred to keep busy so she didn’t obsess over waiting for a phone call, a task which proved difficult thanks to Jen’s constant questioning about how she spent the weekend. “I need you to look up this search and seizure case for me,” Jordan instructed, passing Jen a sticky note with the case citation written on it. The secretary took it from her but appeared in no hurry to do as Jordan asked. “Preferably today, Jen. The suppression hearing is tomorrow morning.”

  “I’ll do it in a minute,” Jen answered. “As soon as you tell me what happened with your date.”

  “I already told you everything.”

  “Yeah, right.” Jen rolled her eyes. “You said you ate tacos and walked around El Mercado, then went to your place and watched a movie while you ate a salad.” Jen let out an exaggerated sigh. “Those are the boring details, boss. I want the juicy ones.”

  “Maybe there aren’t any.” Jordan had never realized before how nosy her secretary could be. Was this what every morning would be like now that she actually had something resembling a social life? “Did you consider that?”

  “I did,” Jen said, “because you’re in workaholic mode and don’t want to talk. But you also haven’t snapped my head off yet, and you were humming earlier.”

  Normally, Jordan viewed Jen’s attention to detail as a good thing. Today, she was less sure. “Fine.” She set down her pen and took off her reading glasses, facing Jen across her desk. “You can ask two more questions. I’ll answer them. Then you’re going to go find me that case. Deal?”

  “Deal.” Jen grinned and rubbed her hands together. “Are you seeing him again? And did you sleep with him?”

  “No to the second, yes to the first.” Jordan smirked, knowing Jen would want details. She only promised answers, though. She slid her reading glasses back on her nose. “Bring me the case as soon as you have it, please.”

  Jen’s eyes widened. “You’re cruel, boss.”

  Jordan laughed. “Yes, but I pay you well.”

  Jen left and Jordan got back to work, thinking maybe she should have tried to write the brief the day before rather than spend most of the afternoon by the pool. There was something to be said for lazy weekends, though, and the work would get done.

  Ten minutes later, Jen returned with a printout of the requested case. She handed it to Jordan. “And Beth’s on line one.”

  “Thanks.” Jordan wondered how long Jen and Beth had spent talking about her before Jen put the call through. She pressed the button to answer the call. “This is Jordan.”

  “Oh, I get the professional greeting today,” Beth teased. “Fine. I’ll start with business, then. The Becker case. Do you have a response to my plea offer?”

  Jordan sorted through the files on her desk while she mentally shifted gears to the other case. “He’ll take it,” she said when she located the file. “With some reluctance. He still says he was set up.”

  “Whatever, as long as I can close this file out.”

  “Agreed.” Jordan wanted no part of trying the case, either. They talked for a few more minutes, trying to coordinate a time they were both available for a plea and sentencing, before Beth changed the subject.

  “Jen tells me you’re planning on seeing Jake again.”

  “Jen talks too much.”

  “Jen says you don’t talk enough.” Beth laughed. “She wants details. So do I.”

  Jordan rolled her eyes. “Fine. He’s apparently tired of eating in the dives I’ve taken him to and wants to go to a fancy restaurant. I accepted. I’m waiting to hear back on when and where.”

  “You’re letting him pick the place?” Beth sounded incredulous. “You didn’t even give him a hint?”

  “Nope. I want him to surprise me.”

  “Are you testing him, Jordan? Because that can be a risky move.”

  “Oh, please,” Jordan was quick to dismiss Beth’s concern. “As long as he doesn’t pick the country club, it’ll be fine.”

  ***

  Saint Lucia. Co-starring with Kate Hudson. Beating out Channing Tatum. As great as it all sounded, Jake didn’t want to get too far ahead of himself. He hadn’t seen the script yet. If it wasn’t up to par, he wasn’t taking the role, even if it meant missing out on Kate in a bikini. Besides, Jake had more pressing concerns at the moment, like where to take Jordan for dinner.

  He’s asked the concierge at the hotel and gotten a few recommendations, but he didn’t know which was best. He needed to ask another local to maybe narrow down the options. But who? He knew Reece g
rew up in Grande Valley, but wasn’t sure asking his director’s advice on where to take a woman to dinner was a great idea.

  “Hey, Trey,” he called out during one of the breaks in filming. “Can you come here a second?”

  He rushed right over. “Yeah? Is there something I can get you?”

  Jake liked the kid’s enthusiasm. “I need some help, actually. I want to take someone to dinner at a really nice restaurant, and I’m not sure what the best place is.”

  “Is it Jordan?” Trey’s face broke out in a wide smile. “The flowers worked, huh? You scored?”

  “Something like that,” Jake said. “Do you know anyplace?”

  “Do I look like I hang out in fancy restaurants?” Trey laughed. “No clue. Maybe try the country club.”

  Jake had no idea why he thought Trey might be any help, but thanked him anyway. Perhaps he’d ask Reece after all. He was about to walk over to where the director was seated when his phone rang. He glanced at the display. A local prefix, but he didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

  “Jake?”

  “Yes.” He didn’t recognize the voice. “Who’s this?”

  “Beth Brewster. We met a couple weeks ago. I’m a friend of Jordan’s.”

  “That’s right.” He remembered now, but why was she calling him, and for that matter, how did she get his number? Then he remembered she was the district attorney. Apparently, she had sources. He frowned. “Is there something wrong?”

  “No, not at all. I’m calling because I thought you might need my help,” she said. “I understand you’re trying to impress Jordan with a fancy dinner, but she wants you to find the place.”

  So Jordan was talking about him with her friend? Jake wasn’t exactly surprised. Well, if she wanted to help him dazzle Jordan, he didn’t mind too much. “Yeah. I’m not sure where, though. A couple people suggested the country club.”

  “It’s a good thing I decided to intervene, then. Whatever you do, don’t take Jordan to the country club.”

  ***

  By early afternoon, Jordan had finished the brief. Instead of sending Jen to the courthouse to file it, she decided to walk over there herself and get a little exercise. Since she still hadn’t heard from Jake and didn’t want to miss his call, Jordan made a point of taking her phone with her.

  She was a block from the courthouse when it finally rang, and she ducked into the shadow of a building to better make out the phone’s display in the afternoon sun. “Hi.” Jordan tried to keep her voice casual even as her heart raced.

  “How’s your day going?” Jake asked.

  “Pretty good.” Better now.

  “I’m calling about dinner. There’s this Argentine restaurant on the west side that I hear is excellent. It starts with ‘S,’ I think.”

  If it was, indeed, possible for a heart to skip a beat, Jordan was fairly certain hers did. “Siempre?” she asked.

  “That’s the one. You know it?”

  “I’ve always wanted to go.” If it was a test, he passed with flying colors.

  “Great. Does tomorrow work? We wrap filming at five.”

  “Tomorrow’s f—” Jordan stopped abruptly as she remembered what day it was “Actually, tomorrow’s not fine. It’s my meeting night.” She thought about what Carl had said about dating someone who didn’t understand her recovery. “I’m really sorry.”

  “What for? There are other nights. Wednesday’s bad for me because we usually film late. Thursday?”

  Jordan smiled. So far Jake seemed to understand pretty well. “Thursday’s great.”

  Chapter 11

  There was nothing remarkable about the beige stucco building that Jake stood in front of. He looked again at the address he’d written down, which matched the numbers on the building’s facade. The sign read Siempre and underneath the name, it proclaimed itself to be Grande Valley’s only Gaucho-style grill. Remarkable or not, this was the restaurant Jordan wanted to dine at.

  Jake glanced at his watch. 10:30. After some cajoling—and an offer of passes to the movie set—the restaurant’s owner had agreed to give him a tour of the restaurant before it opened for the day so he could select the table he wanted that evening. Jake didn’t normally throw Hollywood weight around, but he got the impression that Jordan wasn’t used to men treating her right and wanted tonight to be different. He pulled open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside the dimly lit entryway.

  “Señor Morrison?” The man who greeted him wasn’t much older than Jake and wore a starched white shirt and black pants.

  “Yes.” He extended his hand. “Call me Jake.”

  “Ernesto Molina.” The man shook his hand. “Welcome to Siempre.”

  “Thank you, and thanks for meeting with me early,” he said. “I want tonight to be perfect.”

  “She is special, then, your señorita?”

  Jake wasn’t sure how Jordan would take to being called his señorita, but in the presence of the other man, he simply nodded. “Yes, she is.”

  “You’ve come to the right place,” Ernesto assured him. “Let me show you our best table.”

  Jake followed him through a dining room filled with wooden tables, a few larger, but most small and intimate, and all tastefully adorned with white linen. “Right this way.” Ernesto pointed to a curved staircase which led to a small, private balcony overlooking the main dining room floor. “Secluded.” Ernesto waved his hand over the railing, gesturing to the dining room below. “Yet not isolated.”

  Jake looked around the balcony and decided Ernesto was right. It was situated such that some might not even notice it was there, offering privacy, but remained close enough to the rest of the restaurant to experience its ambience. “Wow.”

  “So you like it?” Ernesto beamed. “I expected you would. It’s our most popular table for proposals.”

  Proposals? Did he just say proposals? Maybe this wasn’t the right table after all. “Whoa, not so fast.” Jake shook his head. “I’m not planning a proposal.”

  “Perhaps not yet.” Ernesto winked. “But who knows? Siempre, do you know what it means?”

  Jake shook head. “No, sorry. My Spanish isn’t very good.” He could order beer and ask for the bathroom, but little else.

  “Forever,” Ernesto explained. “We are the restaurant of forever.”

  Nothing like putting pressure on a guy. Jake took another look around the balcony. Since he was pretty sure Jordan wasn’t expecting a proposal, and didn’t think her friend would set him up for disaster, he nodded. “Okay. I think this table will be perfect.”

  “Excellent choice. Your señorita will be very pleased,” Ernesto said. “You’d like the reservation for six-thirty, then?”

  Jake hoped Jordan would, indeed, be very pleased. “Yes,” he said. “There’s one more thing, and I realize it’s probably an odd request.”

  “Anything, señor.”

  “I’m sure your wine list is fabulous, but I’d like you to ask our server to not mention it to us.”

  ***

  Jordan stripped out of the red dress, tossing it in a pile of other rejects on her bedroom floor. Jake would be there in twenty minutes and she had no idea what to wear. “See, this is why dating is overrated,” she told Beth. “It’s way too stressful.”

  “I completely agree,” her friend said.

  Jordan stared at her, aghast. “You do?”

  “Yes. This whole thing of having to choose between two closets full of designer clothes, all of which you look gorgeous in, to get ready for dinner at a romantic restaurant with Hollywood’s newest leading man.” Beth gave an exaggerated sigh. “You’re right. It sucks to be Jordan. I don’t know how you can stand it.”

  “Oh, shut up.” Jordan glared at her. “Sarcasm doesn’t become you.”

  “On the contrary, I think it’s a fine trait,” Beth said. “And sometimes it’s the only way to deal with you. Wear the green peplum dress with the cut-out back.”

  “You think so?” Jordan frowned as s
he went back to the closet. She pulled out the dress and held it up. “Really?”

  “Unless you plan to go to dinner in your underwear, you need to decide on something. Why not that?”

  “I’ve never been sure about the bow at the waist.” Still, Jordan stepped into the dress.

  “You’re thin enough to get away with it, and the color’s great on you.” Beth began to pick up the clothes on the floor. “Besides, that open back is going to drive him wild.”

  “Well, in that case...” Jordan did a little turn, studying her reflection in the full length mirror. Not bad. She glanced at the clock. Ten minutes. It would have to do. She went over to her jewelry case to try to find matching earrings. “By the way, you don’t have to pick up after me.” It was pathetic enough that she couldn’t get ready for a date on her own. She didn’t need Beth acting as her personal maid, too.

  “No, but you’re running out of time, and you can’t exactly bring a guy back here for sex with clothes all over the floor, can you?”

  Jordan turned around to find Beth smirking. “What makes you think I plan on bringing him back here for sex?”

  Beth slipped one of the hangers back in the closet. “It’s your third date, isn’t it?”

  “You watched too much Sex and the City,” Jordan said. “That’s not a real rule.” Was it? And was it really the third date? If pizza at Joey’s counted, then yes, it probably was. On the other hand, if the day at the movie set counted as a date, then taco Saturday would have been the third. And Jordan had been willing, then, before Jake put a halt to things. Maybe the movie set didn’t count, though, in which case this was the third date. If it was a real rule, was she obligated to deliver? Yes, dating was way too stressful.

  She jumped when the doorbell rang. Great. He’s here and I don’t have any answers.

  “You mean he knows the access code already? Yep. It’s serious.” Beth grinned. “I’ll get it. Finish your makeup. I know you don’t leave home without lipstick.”