Jordan looked over at her and gave her a chastising frown laced with humor. “I would have expected better advice from a person who does this for a living,” he said.
Vicki lifted her shoulders in question, unsure what he was talking about.
His hands burdened with ornaments, he nodded toward the coffee table.
Her head flew back with a laugh when she spotted the boxes of Christmas lights. “Ah, yes. The lights go on first.”
“I realized that after we’d already put about twenty ornaments on the tree.”
“Well, why don’t you sit and have some hot chocolate while I hang the lights? Then you and Mason can do the fun part.”
Their fingers touched when she handed him the mug, setting off a torrent of tingles up and down her arms. Jordan undoubtedly felt it, too. Their eyes held over the steaming mug and Vicki’s inner muscles pulled tight with need.
He set the mug on the coffee table, then lowered himself on the floor next to Mason, who remained mesmerized by the array of shiny plastic ornaments.
Vicki did her best not to feel self-conscious as she walked around the Christmas tree, stringing the lights on its full branches. She couldn’t help but be hyperaware of every move she made, because Jordan’s eyes remained on her the entire time.
“How did your interest in floral design come about?” he finally asked after some time had passed. “I doubt that was one of the majors offered at Nillson.”
“No, it wasn’t,” she said with a laugh. “I majored in art history.”
“So you’ve always had this artistic side?”
“I can’t draw to save my life. Not like Sandra, for sure. But there is a certain artistry to floral design. It’s all art, I just happen to create my pictures with flowers.”
“According to Sandra, your ‘art’ has acquired a number of new admirers.”
Vicki could tell by the inflection in his voice that he was fishing for information about those new admirers, but she wasn’t taking the bait. Instead, she kept their conversation lighthearted.
“Don’t get me started on Sandra. She and Janelle have had their share of fun at my expense this past week. However, they’ve been so supportive of my plans to participate in the float competition that I’ve pretty much forgiven them both.”
The glint in his eyes told her that he saw right through her subject dodging. Thankfully, he didn’t press her.
“It’s unbelievable that you all have remained such great friends,” Jordan said. “It must be comforting knowing you always have someone you can count on.”
The envy in his voice caused a bit of sadness to tug at her heart. “You have people you can count on, Jordan.”
“I know I do. But I also know that I’ve made a few enemies lately.”
“If you’re talking about the election—”
He held up a hand. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not get into all of that. Not tonight. I’m decorating my family’s Christmas tree,” he said, running a hand over Mason’s smooth hair. “I want to enjoy this.” He looked up at her. “Having you here with us is going a long way in making tonight special, Vicki. Thanks for sticking around.”
“I said it before, but I guess it bears repeating. There is nowhere else I’d rather be right now, Jordan.”
They shared a smile before Vicki went back to stringing the lights on the tree. As she continued to thread the multicolored lights through the branches, she wondered if she’d eventually convince Jordan to trust her, not just with Mason, but also with his heart.
She understood his hesitancy. At the height of Allison’s treachery, a fair amount of the conversations over Monday-night dinner at the Quarterdeck had centered on the debacle between Jordan and his ex-wife. Sandra had kept Vicki and Janelle abreast of his ordeal and the toll it seemed to take on Jordan.
Suppressing her reaction to the demise of Jordan’s marriage became harder and harder with every story Sandra shared. She hadn’t wanted to appear overly interested. Even though Sandra and Janelle were the closest things she had to sisters, Vicki had kept her feelings for Jordan hidden from her two best friends.
If even half of what Sandra had claimed Allison had put him through was true, Vicki couldn’t blame Jordan for being gun-shy, but she had to think about herself, as well. She knew what she wanted out of life. As she caught glimpses of Jordan and Mason playing on the floor, she couldn’t help but think of how much the scene resembled everything she’d fantasized about for herself.
If she dwelled too long on just how close it was within her grasp, yet how far, it would crush her mood. Tonight was about living in the moment and enjoying it for as long as she could.
Jordan tried to get Mason to resume their decorating duties, but the little boy was more interested in the cylindrical container the Christmas balls had come in than actually putting the balls on the tree. When it was time to place the pointy star on the very top of the tree, Jordan grabbed a two-step ladder from the utility closet and held it steady while Vicki climbed. After a brief wobble, she positioned the star in the place of honor.
“There,” she said. “That looks pretty perfect to me.”
“I agree,” Jordan said.
She glanced over her shoulder and realized he wasn’t looking at the tree.
“I was talking about the star,” she said.
He lifted his eyes from her backside, a slight, sexy grin tipping up the corners of his lips. “Yeah, that, too.”
As she gingerly climbed down from the stepladder, acutely aware of Jordan’s eyes still on her, Vicki just knew her cheeks were flaming red.
“Where are the stocking hangers?” she asked once she was off the ladder.
That grin still on his lips, Jordan reached into one of the shopping bags and retrieved the hangers. He handed them to her, deliberately brushing his fingers over her palm.
“Do you remember what I said about needing time to figure this all out in my head?” he asked. Vicki nodded. “It’s taking me a lot less time than I thought it would.”
His words sent a rush of pleasure shooting through her veins, but she refused to allow herself to be overwhelmed by it. Despite how long she’d wished for this very thing, she knew she needed to be careful. Jordan was still “figuring this all out.” Meanwhile, her heart was in this—had been in this for far longer than he knew.
She walked over to the fireplace and placed the brass-plated stocking hangers between framed pictures of Mason. Vicki refused to acknowledge the envy that streaked through her at the sight of Jordan’s ex-wife holding an infant Mason in her arms. Allison was all smiles, yet judging by Mason’s size, she had left Jordan and her new son only weeks after this photo was taken. Vicki still didn’t understand how the woman could do such a thing.
But, in the most selfish way, she was happy Allison had. Because the thought of Allison here tonight, sharing in this wonderful evening with Jordan and Mason, made Vicki sick to her stomach.
“Let me see if he’ll at least hang up his own stocking,” Jordan said, going over to the couch where Mason now lay with his toy centipede clutched to his chest.
Jordan picked the baby up and frowned.
“Something wrong?” Vicki asked.
He touched Mason’s forehead with the back of his hand and his frown deepened. “He seems warmer than he was even before I gave him the fever reducer.”
Vicki quickly made her way to his side and pressed her lips to the baby’s forehead. “His fever has definitely spiked,” she said, gingerly lifting the baby from Jordan’s arms. “Get the thermometer.”
Jordan was gone before she finished the statement. He came back seconds later with the thermometer and stuck the instrument in Mason’s ear.
The readout said 103.4.
Vicki’s eyes shot to Jordan’s. “That’s a dangerous number. We need to get him to the doctor.”
They quickly bundled Mason into his outerwear and were out of the house in less than three minutes. Jordan’s thumbs tapped nervously on the steering w
heel as he tested the speed limit of Wintersage’s roadways.
Vicki reached over and covered his forearm.
“It’ll be okay,” she said.
He looked over at her, but he didn’t respond—only nodded.
Less than ten minutes after leaving the house, they pulled into Wintersage Urgent Care. The twenty-four-hour medical clinic that had recently opened was closer than the area hospital. Their wait was brief but agonizing. Vicki could see Jordan’s anxiety increasing with every second that passed. Mason, on the other hand, was quiet. Despite his high fever, his fussiness from earlier in the day had actually dissipated.
Once in the exam room, Vicki stood next to Jordan while the young doctor assessed Mason. She didn’t even hesitate before taking his hand and threading her fingers through his. He looked down at their clasped hands and gave hers a squeeze. His grateful expression, mixed with the underlying worry over Mason, tugged at her heart.
“Just as I expected,” the doctor said, wrapping the stethoscope around her neck. “This little one is cutting a few new teeth. He must be a late bloomer.”
“He only got his first teeth a few months ago,” Jordan said.
“It happens. Anywhere from six to sixteen months is normal. However, he also has an ear infection. Have you noticed him pulling on his ear or favoring his right side lately?”
“He’s been doing that for the past few days,” Jordan said.
Vicki nodded. She’d noticed it Tuesday night. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t picked up on that.
“They’re prone to ear infections at this age,” the doctor said. “I’m going to give you some drops. They won’t be easy to administer, especially to a baby Mason’s age. One of you will probably have to hold him down while the other inserts the drops, but it should all clear up in a few days.”
“So that’s it?” Jordan asked.
“That’s it.” The doctor nodded. “It looks as if those teeth will break through any day now. He’ll be back to normal soon.”
“Thank you,” Jordan said. Vicki detected the faint catch in his voice and her heart swelled with empathy. The minute the doctor vacated the room, Jordan slumped back against the exam table, his entire body sagging with relief.
“Jordan, he’s okay,” she said in a soft voice.
He blew out a weary breath and ran both palms down his face.
“This is never going to get easier, is it?” Vicki saw his throat move as he tried to swallow. “When he was eight months old he rolled off the bed and hit the back of his head on the hardwood floor. I rushed him to the E.R. Nothing came of it, just a little bump that went down in a couple of days.” He looked over at her, his eyes filled with worry and pain. “I thought I was going to die when that happened. I felt the same way tonight.” He shook his head. “I’m never going to not worry about the next time he bumps his head, or gets an ear infection, or any of that stuff, will I? This will never get easier.”
“It won’t,” she said in a hushed tone. “But he’s worth it.”
“Yes, he is.” Jordan looked down at the baby, who was now sleeping in Vicki’s arms. “There is nothing in my world worth more than him.”
Her heart pinched at the love in his voice. What she wouldn’t give to become a part of that world, a world where Jordan and Mason were both a part of her everyday existence.
The old Vicki wouldn’t dare to dream of it. As for this new version of herself that was slowly starting to emerge, the fantasy didn’t seem out of reach.
Once in the car, Jordan slid into the driver’s seat, but he didn’t turn over the ignition. His hands gripping the steering wheel, he released another of those exhausted breaths and let his head fall forward.
“He’s okay, Jordan,” Vicki said.
He raised his head and aimed his eyes at the brick urgent-care building. In a voice that was terribly soft and filled with emotion, he said, “Thank you for being here with me, Vicki.”
“You’re welcome,” she answered, her voice equally soft.
“I’ve never been a fan of the double standard that says that women should be the automatic caregivers. If Allison had even bothered to ask for custody, I would have fought her on it. Being a single father isn’t easy, but I know I’m the better parent.” His eyes closed briefly. “But on a night like tonight, I’m grateful that I didn’t have to go through this alone.”
Vicki reached over and put a comforting hand on his arm. “You’re an amazing father, Jordan, and despite what you may think, you didn’t need me here tonight. You would have done just fine on your own.”
Finally, he looked over at her, his eyes teeming with gratitude and something else, something that warmed every inch of her skin.
“I’m happy I didn’t have to,” he said.
Vicki didn’t know how much time passed as they continued to stare into each other’s eyes. It wasn’t until Mason let out a loud yawn from the backseat that they snapped out of their daze.
“I guess that’s our cue.” Jordan chuckled as he started the car, but before backing out of the parking space, he turned to her and said, “You wouldn’t let me take you out to dinner to thank you for babysitting Tuesday night, but this time I insist.”
“We can’t go to dinner, Jordan. You need to get Mason home and in bed.”
“I know. I was thinking something more along the lines of takeout. Between the tree shopping and the trip to urgent care, I’m starving.”
“I haven’t eaten anything since noon,” she said, making a point of looking at the time illuminated on the dash. It was after eight o’clock.
“Since noon?” Jordan put the car in Reverse. “It’s no longer a question. You, Ms. Ahlfors, are joining me for dinner.”
*
Jordan stared at the tapered candles in the kitchen drawer, debating whether or not to take them out. Who would have thought candles could be such a big damn deal?
But they were a big deal. Candles made all the difference. Candles turned a casual meal shared between two friends into a cozy dinner shared between two people who wanted to be more than friends.
Was he ready to become more than just Vicki’s friend?
He took out the candles.
He found a couple of Waterford crystal candleholders in the closet that housed most of his and Allison’s wedding gifts. They had been married long enough to keep the gifts without feeling beholden to send them back, but not long enough to unpack at least half of the stuff they’d received.
He ran across the wedding china and considered setting the table with it, but then thought better of it. He would not subject Vicki to eating on dishes meant for Allison. He would give that china to Goodwill the first chance he got.
Jordan was setting a match to the second candlewick when Vicki emerged from the back of the house where she’d just tucked Mason into his bed.
“Is he asleep?” he asked.
“He is,” she said, a surprised smile slowly stretching across her face as her eyes darted from the candles to the wine chilling in the electronic wine chiller. “I checked his temperature again and his fever is already going down.”
“Hopefully he’ll sleep through the night,” Jordan said. He snatched the baby monitor from the counter. “But just in case he wakes up...”
She walked over to the table and trailed her finger along the rim of one of the wineglasses. “This is...nice,” she finished. “Very nice.”
He lifted the bottle of wine from the ice. “Are you okay with Riesling? I like my wine on the sweet side.”
“Sure.” Her eyes followed him as he rounded the table.
“What?” Jordan asked.
She motioned to the setup. “This is just a little more...involved than I was expecting.”
He paused in the middle of pouring his wine. “Look, Vicki, if it makes you uncomfortable, you can just consider this a thank-you for being there for me tonight.”
There was a questioning lift to her brow. “Is there another way to consider it?”
Ti
me stretched between them as they stared at each other across the brief expanse of the table separating them.
Jordan measured his words before speaking. “For me, this is more than just a thank-you,” he said. “I’ve known you for years, Vicki, but I don’t know you.”
“We ran in different circles,” she pointed out. “It’s not all that surprising that we’ve never really gotten the chance to know each other.”
“How do you feel about changing that?”
The words came out on a deep, husky whisper. Jordan’s chest tightened as he awaited her answer. He couldn’t deny the significance of it. Her answer would tell him whether or not she was willing to give this thing he felt growing between them a chance to blossom, or if it would dwindle and die.
After several long moments passed, Vicki finally said, “I’d like that.”
The relief that tore through his body was strong enough to bring Jordan to his knees.
One corner of his mouth edged up slightly. “So would I,” he answered.
Once seated at the table, Jordan dished up steaming noodles and chicken satay from takeout containers. Suddenly realizing how famished they both were now that the intensity of the urgent-care visit had worn off, they dived into their meal. As tasty as the Thai food was, it was the conversation, and particularly Vicki’s musical laugh, that Jordan found himself enjoying the most.
In fact, they both laughed so hard that they had to remind themselves to quiet down lest they wake Mason. Vicki told him stories of some of the antics she, his sister and Janelle had pulled back in college, some so devious that Jordan teasingly threatened to tell all of their parents, even though years had passed since the pranks. He found himself wiping tears from the corner of his eyes several times.
He stopped Vicki in the middle of the story she was currently telling.
“Wait a minute.” He held both hands up. “First, who came up with the idea to put pepper in the basketball team’s jockstraps, and second, how in the hell did you all pull it off?”
“It was Sandra’s idea, but I’m the one who got us into the locker room. My chemistry partner was a kinesiology major, so she had access to the locker room as part of her work study.”
A Mistletoe Affair (Mills & Boon Kimani) (Wintersage Weddings - Book 3) Page 9
