“I love you.”
Jadin stroked his jaw as she gazed into his eyes. “I love you, too,” she whispered.
* * *
“Ready to go home?” Landon asked.
“We drove in separate cars.”
“I rented mine. I came down with the expectation that we’d be traveling home together.”
“Really?”
“I was praying,” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t think I’ve ever prayed so hard.”
When they made it to Savannah, Landon said, “I’d like to make a little detour. I don’t know about you but I’m not ready to go back home.”
“So you want to spend a few days here in Savannah?”
“No,” he responded. “We’re going to the airport. From there, we’re going to fly to Jamaica.”
“You’re kidding.”
Landon gave her a sidelong glance. “I’m serious. We need some time together, away from everybody.”
“But I’m supposed to go back to work on Monday.”
“I spoke with your father. You have the week off. Oh, I have your passport, too. It was in the safe with mine. When I left the house, I took it with me.”
Jadin nodded in understanding. “When did you plan this little side trip?”
“Before I left Charleston,” Landon confessed. “I just wasn’t sure it would actually happen, but it was a risk I was willing to take.”
* * *
“Jamaica, Jamaica. Here we are,” Jadin said with an appreciative grin as she entered their suite. She could not believe she was actually here with Landon, after everything that had happened.
Landon placed their bags near the closet.
“It’s a good thing I always overpack,” Jadin said. “Or I’d have to do a lot of shopping.”
“I’m sure you’re going to pick up a couple of things while we’re here anyway.”
She laughed. “Probably.”
Her eyes scanned their suite. “This is beautiful. I love the view of the ocean from the bedroom.”
Jadin made herself comfortable on the plush sofa in the room. “When I left Charleston, I was looking for a quiet weekend to think and sit on the balcony alone, watching the waves and reading on my Kindle. Now I’m here in Jamaica with you on a romantic vacation. If I was a swooning type of woman...”
Landon chuckled. “Every now and then, we need to do something impulsive—it doesn’t always have to be preplanned.”
“The last impulsive thing I did was marry you,” Jadin said.
He sat down beside her. “It wasn’t a mistake. It isn’t a mistake.” He pressed his hand to her stomach. “This baby is proof of that.”
“That’s one of the reasons I love you so much—you always know the right things to say.”
Jadin pointed to the brochure on the coffee table. “They have a really nice buffet at the restaurant downstairs. From the pictures, it’s a gorgeous view. The least we could do is enjoy it and listen to the sea waves.”
“Is that your way of saying you’re hungry?”
She smiled. “In the nicest way possible.”
* * *
Landon was more than thrilled that Jadin had agreed to come to Jamaica with him. His uncle’s recommendation had not disappointed. The hotel had four freshwater pools, as well as a sunbed, shower and towel service. The main pool had two built-in Jacuzzis and a swim-up bar. There was also an adults-only pool, which he and Jadin both enjoyed.
He thought that every time he saw her sexy body in a swimsuit, he would go crazy. Every inch of his body reacted to her presence. Even though she was carrying his child, she was still fabulous in every way.
They both found the ocean waves calming. Sometimes they would listen in silence, other times they shared what was on their minds.
“Thank you,” she told him when she swam over. “I’m glad we came here. Spending time with you like this has been perfect. I agree that we really needed some time away from work and everybody.”
Landon leaned in closer to her. He could feel her breath quickening. His lips brushed hers and they locked in a passionate kiss.
They returned to the hotel after spending most of the day at the beach.
Landon came out of the shower as Jadin finished blow-drying her hair. The water pressure was amazing in the hotel. She’d had her shower first.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his eyes penetrating her as he grinned.
Jadin smiled. “I’m wearing a towel.”
“So am I,” he responded in a husky tone.
They gazed hungrily into each other’s eyes.
Slowly and seductively, her towel slid downward. “Oops...”
Grinning, Landon followed suit.
* * *
When they returned home from Jamaica, Landon moved back into the house with Jadin.
He pretended to be engrossed in the legal brief he had prepared on his laptop when Jadin walked out of the bathroom, dressed for their date night. She was wearing a sexy black dress with a scooped neckline that showed off her body spectacularly. Jadin had on high heels and her hair was pulled up and artfully arranged in a mass of curls, a style that managed to look both casual and elegant at the same time.
Her eye makeup highlighted the depth and shape of her brown eyes, and the mascara she was wearing made her eyelashes look like miniature black fans. Her lips were full and glossy from a shimmering lipstick.
“You look stunning,” he said.
Jadin smiled. “Thank you.”
She grabbed her purse. “I’m ready. We need to leave now to make our dinner reservations.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Landon closed his laptop and swung his legs off the bed.
Jadin and Landon dined at High Cotton on East Bay Street forty-five minutes later.
“I’m going to have to add this place to my list of favorite restaurants,” Landon told her. “When you suggested the jalapeño rémoulade with the crab cakes, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but it was delicious. It had just enough kick without being too spicy.” Landon’s eyes traveled the room, taking in the rich jewel tones. “This is a very nice place.”
“I’m glad you liked it,” she responded. “I would have ordered the same thing, but I’ve decided to stay away from really spicy food during this pregnancy.”
“I turned in my resignation today,” Landon announced.
Jadin laid down her fork. “Are you going back to the Secret Service?”
“How would you feel about it?”
“I’d be okay with your decision,” she responded. “When you first joined, all I knew about them was that they guarded the president and other diplomats. I didn’t realize that they were involved with investigating bank fraud, computer fraud and crimes dealing with intellectual property. I’d be more comfortable if you stayed off protective detail, though.”
“One thing I’ve learned through this is that my work isn’t the most important thing in my life. The most important thing in my life is you, Jadin. I’m not going back to the Secret Service. Like I told you before, the long hours of unpaid overtime—that’s not a benefit to me. I would rather spend that time with you and our child. I don’t want to miss ball games, ballet recitals...all the special moments that we can’t ever get back.” Landon lifted his head, looked into her eyes and whispered, “You’re everything to me, Jadin.”
“I believe you,” she said, her eyes bright with tears. “I don’t want to miss another minute of life with you.”
Jadin took a sip of her iced tea. “It never ceases to amaze me how in tune we are with one another. I’ve actually been thinking about my priorities, as well,” Jadin said. “Now that we’re starting a family, I’m going to talk to my dad about switching to family law. I don’t want the demands that come with being a criminal lawyer. Austin’s very good at balancing the job and family.
I know I can probably do it, too, but I want to spend as much time with my children as possible.”
Landon smiled. “What do you think about my coming on board?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You mean coming to work at the law firm?”
“Yes.”
“Landon, I’d love it.” Jadin was beyond happy.
“How do you think your father will feel about it?”
“He’s spending the day with Mom tomorrow, so we can drive out there and talk to him. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.” Jadin wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I need to talk to my mom anyway. I want to tell her that we’ve decided to have a real wedding.”
“I think it’s important for us to renew our vows. I know we meant them back then, but I believe that we have grown a lot. This time we’ll have a much better understanding when we say them.”
“I agree,” Jadin said.
She could not recall later how they got to the bedroom. It seemed one minute they were kissing in the middle of the living room, and the next they were in the bed. All she could remember was the thrill of Landon’s mouth fused to hers. His desire for her was unending.
She could feel the hardened heat of him as Landon crushed her mouth beneath his.
“I want you naked,” he whispered against her mouth, his hand warm and firm on her hips.
Jadin broke away long enough to say, “I’m going to need some help with this zipper.”
Chapter 21
“Well, this is a wonderful surprise,” Eleanor said when Jadin and Landon walked into the dining room, where her parents were having lunch. “Are you two hungry?”
“We grabbed something to eat before we came here,” Jadin responded.
Etienne wiped his mouth, then looked at Landon over the rims of his glasses. “I hope this means that you’ve come to your senses.”
“Yes, sir, I have.”
“That’s one of the reasons we came by,” Jadin said. “Landon and I want to renew our vows. We want to have a wedding, reception...the works.”
Eleanor beamed. “That makes me so happy.”
Jadin took Landon’s hand. “We need to do it in the next month or so.”
“Hon, we can’t plan a proper wedding so quickly.”
“Mom, I don’t want or need anything extravagant.”
Landon looked at Etienne. “I want you to know that Jadin makes me very happy and I never want to risk losing her again. And I’m making a career change and will be resigning from my position at the prosecutor’s office.”
“So, what are you planning to do for a job, son?”
“I’m hoping there’s a place for me with your firm.”
“Crossing over to the dark side, I see. You think you’re ready for that?”
“Dad...stop teasing,” Jadin said.
“I want Landon to really think about his decision. He has worked in law enforcement and as a prosecutor. We work to defend our clients, guilty or innocent. Not everyone can be a criminal attorney.”
“You’re right,” Landon responded. “I’ve given it a lot of thought and I’d prefer to specialize in family law.”
“So would I,” Jadin interjected. “I know I asked to take on criminal cases, but now that we’re having this baby, neither one of us wants to spend long hours at the office, preparing for trials. We want as much time with our child and each other as possible.”
“I’m assuming you’re no longer going to take litigation cases, either.”
Jadin shook her head. “I’d rather not.”
“That’s fine,” Etienne said. “We just hired a new attorney who wants to specialize in litigation. Carl, Daniel and Austin can handle the criminal cases for now.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
Jadin exchanged a smile with her mother. She was excited about taking this leap of faith with Landon. She knew that being with him would make her life happier than she’d ever dreamed possible.
* * *
Kai, Amya and Emery spent the weekend with them. Jadin was not sure who was more excited—the kids or Landon. He had a full itinerary planned.
After breakfast, they spent the morning hours at Battery Park. He had even bought bicycles for them.
“Now we have two bikes,” Kai said.
“I wanted you to have one whenever you spend the weekend with us,” Landon explained.
“Cool...” she murmured. “We should have two of all of our toys. One for home and one for your house.”
Jadin laughed. “Nice try, Kai.”
Amya took her by the hand. “I like Landon. He’s really nice.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.” She smiled at her young cousin. “I like him, too.”
“That’s ’cause he’s your boo.”
“Where are you getting this stuff from?”
“Mama calls Daddy her boo sometimes. It’s because she loves him.”
Jadin awarded her a smile. “That’s actually a good point of reference. Yes, Landon is my boo.”
After lunch, they took the kids to a petting zoo, where they fed, held and cared for pets as if they were their own. She was amazed over the way the children were so gentle with the animals.
“They’re doing an excellent job with these animals,” Landon whispered.
Jadin nodded in agreement. “I know Emery has been asking for a puppy. He loves dogs.”
“I’ve never been much of an animal person,” he confessed. “What about you?”
“I don’t want any. I can’t even take care of a plant.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “I’m good with babies, so you don’t have to worry about our little one.”
Landon kissed her. “I know that, sweetheart. You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”
“Yessss... Kiss her again,” Amya said. “Kiss her again.”
He did as he was instructed, then said, “I think we have a budding romantic in her.”
Jadin smiled. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that at all.” She thought briefly of how Michael used to ridicule her romantic ideas. She intended to make sure that never happened to Amya.
* * *
“Okay, I just cut my lunch short with my mom, so this better be good,” Jadin said when she got into Landon’s SUV. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he said cryptically. “It’s a surprise.”
“You know our wedding is in three weeks. There’s so much that has to be done. Mom wants us to meet her at Kincaid Bakery for a cake tasting this evening.”
“We’ll be there,” Landon interjected. “Sweetheart, relax...”
“At least I can check the invitations off the list. We had to pay a lot to get them rushed. They’ll be ready tomorrow.” While she talked, Jadin made notes on her iPhone.
He turned on Boom Vang Lane and parked in front of a house.
Jadin looked at him. “What are we doing here?”
“You said we needed to find a bigger house. C’mon... Let’s go inside.”
She smiled at the Realtor standing on the porch.
Walking into the home, they were greeted by gorgeous hardwood floors and smooth ceilings that flowed into the open living area.
“It’s beautiful,” Jadin murmured. “I love that it is so open. This house is perfect for family dinners.” The eat-in kitchen offered granite countertops and a butler’s pantry.
She fell in love with the master bedroom, which had a sitting room, bright windows, a bathroom en suite and a private porch. “Landon, I love this.”
“Did you notice the tub is big enough for two people?” Landon whispered in her ear.
She laughed. “I saw that.”
There were three more bedrooms. The selling point for Jadin was that the home also offered a bonus room. “We can each have an office.”
“Thi
s house was meant for a family.” Landon’s arms tightened around her. “This is where I want to raise our kids. I want to grow old with you here.”
Jadin leaned up and touched her lips to his. “I think we just bought a house.”
Chapter 22
Jadin’s mother and Aunt Rochelle had everything in place for their late-September wedding. The weather was still warm enough for them to have their ceremony on the beach behind the DuGrandpre estate.
The gazebo overlooking the beautiful ocean was simply breathtaking.
Picture perfect.
The seats had white chair covers, and flowers adorned the entire setting. Family and friends dressed in tuxedos and bright jewel-toned dresses roamed across the manicured lawn while waiting for the ceremony to start. Classical music played undercurrent to the rush of conversation that rose and fell like waves crashing against the shore.
Inside the house, Jadin stared out the window. “Mom, everything is so beautiful. You and Aunt Rochelle did an outstanding job pulling this together in such a short time.”
“I’m so glad you’re happy, hon. I want this day to be as perfect as you are,” Eleanor responded.
“Auntie Jay,” Emery said. “I thought you was already married.”
She glanced at her mother in amusement. “I am. Your uncle and I are renewing our vows. When we said them the first time, no one was there but Auntie Jo. We want to do it again with all of you here with us.”
Eleanor handed Emery a satin pillow. “You are the ring bearer.”
The little boy looked at it and said, “Where are the rings?”
Jadin burst into laughter.
“Oh, dear...” Eleanor murmured. “I think Rochelle has the ones that go on this pillow. Emery, you hold tight. Go sit over there.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
Kai burst into the room. “Jadin, I just saw Landon. He looks like a prince.”
“Does he now?”
She nodded. “You look like a princess.” Kai twirled around in the lacy dress she was wearing. “How do I look?”
“Just gorgeous,” Jadin responded. “You and Amya are going to be the cutest flower girls in Charleston.”
Another Chance with You Page 16
