Magnolia Summer

by Jaci Burton

  “Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I’ll be by early.”

  “Fine. See you then.” She caught the flicker of amusement on his face, wanted to stop and say something, but decided against it. Pausing at the double doors leading to the reception area, she drew in a deep breath and blew it out in the hopes of calming her ragged nerves.

  Why, after all these years, did he still have an effect on her?

  * * * * *

  Sam turned on the lamp and sat behind his desk. He glanced at his watch and saw it was already nine o’clock. Another late night. No wonder he hadn’t been laid in ages. How was he supposed to date a girl, let alone get one in the sack, when work consumed his entire life? He made a mental note to do something about that as soon as he could.

  Then maybe his mind wouldn’t wander over the past, over a woman who could never be his. He shook his head. Just like high school. He couldn’t have her then, and he couldn’t now, either.

  Jordan Weston. No wonder he was thinking about getting fucked. Seeing her again after all these years did a number on his libido. And that he hadn’t expected. He no longer had teenage hormones to contend with, but he sure as hell felt the slam in his gut when he saw her today. It was like all those years had been wiped away, and they were back at the dance again. He could still remember the taste of her lips. So sweet, so innocent, yet with a sultry promise of something more.

  Something he’d wanted so badly he could still remember how it felt. But that was all in the past, and that’s where it had to stay.

  She had grown up to become a beautiful woman. But he always knew she would. In high school, her beauty had just begun to blossom.

  Back then his friends would have laughed at him if they had known how he felt. He could imagine their reaction if they ever found out the high school bad boy had a crush on the Drama Club president.

  So no one had ever known. Not even Jordan. Especially not Jordan. She was so smart and pretty. Fresh and innocent, the first blush of the beauty she’d become just beginning to appear. Sam did what he had to in order to save himself. Teased her, unmercifully. Annoyed her, irritated her, did anything he could to push her away.

  Every time she’d graced him with those sparkling emerald eyes, a mixture of young love and desire reflected in their depths, it shook him to the core. It was obvious Jordan cared for him. And that he couldn’t allow. He wasn’t right for her.

  A knock on the door switched Sam’s mind back to the present. Tony strolled in and plopped down on a chair, stretching his lanky legs out.

  “So?” Tony looked at him expectantly.

  “So what?”

  “Tell me about the gorgeous redhead who was in here this morning. Man, was she hot.”

  Sam shook his head as he regarded the grin on his best friend’s face. Tony thought he was irresistible to most of the female population of the world. He was usually right. His charm and obvious appreciation for members of the opposite sex kept his social calendar full.

  “Nothing to tell. She wants some repairs done to Viola Lake’s property so she came in to ask for an estimate.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “You know her. That much is obvious.”

  “We went to high school together. That’s all.”

  “Really. Seemed to me there was more than that.” One eyebrow arched in interest. Tony was clearly looking for sordid details.

  He grabbed a few papers from his desk and began signing documents, trying to avoid eye contact. Tony always knew when he was lying. “No, there really wasn’t anything else. She was a drama student in school. We had nothing in common except that we shared some classes. She wasn’t my type. Still isn’t.”

  “Right. Stunningly beautiful redheads with long legs and perfect breasts aren’t your type.”

  Damn. Caught him again.

  Sam smiled. “You’re right. I lied. She is beautiful. But she’s still not my type. She lives in New York.”

  “Oh, I see. City girl, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  Rising and stretching his back, Tony headed toward the door. “You’re right then. Definitely not your type. Maybe I’ll ask her out.” Sam watched the gleam form in his friend’s eyes, a look he had seen all too often when Tony set his mind on a new conquest.

  The thought of Tony hitting on Jordan, touching her, or God forbid kissing her, sent a large green-eyed monster racing through his blood.

  “Save it,” Sam said bluntly. “You’ll never make it past her front door.”

  Tony regarded him for a few minutes, his expression unfathomable. “Ohhkay. It’s a shame though. What a beauty. Well, see you tomorrow.”

  Sam said goodnight to Tony and went back to his paperwork. Only now he was thoroughly distracted. Visions of the woman who wasn’t his type kept appearing before him.

  She’d matured into the beauty he’d had known she’d become. Jordan had a face men wrote poetry about—creamy complexion, full, kissable lips, and a pert nose with a light sprinkling of freckles across the bridge. And her eyes mesmerized him. The emerald orbs sparkled with a brightness and clarity unequaled by any gem of matching color. Framing that beautiful face was a shining array of long, auburn hair that a man’s hands could get lost in.

  And her body, well now that was a work of art.

  The woman had curves in all the right places, a beautifully rounded ass and full, high breasts that just begged to be touched. And kissed, and licked.

  But her best assets were her legs—long and slender with shapely calves. Sam could visualize those legs wrapping around his waist as he sank deep within her moist heat.

  Dammit. Not only was he waxing like some goddamn poet over Jordan’s beauty, he’d also sprouted a painful erection just thinking about her.

  Christ.

  This wasn’t high school, and she wasn’t his type at all. He had his fill of women who thought small towns were for hicks and hillbillies. Women who were attracted to the glamour and flash of a big city just weren’t for him. He needed someone who would be satisfied with what he had to offer. Here, in Magnolia.

  Jordan was already counting the minutes until she could get out of town. A woman like that would never be for him.

  After neatly stacking the papers on his desk, he rose and turned off the lamp. But instead of walking out the door, he stood in the dark, staring out the window at the deserted Main Street. And thought about Jordan.

  No matter how he felt about her in high school, things were different now. Despite having an incredible yearning to touch her, kiss her lush lips and taste the treasures within, Sam faced reality.

  He was small town and she was big city. And he’d never do big city again. Not after what Penny did to him. Oh sure, Sam liked women. But only for fun and sex. Not for long-term involvement, not until he found one who’d be happy here in Magnolia. Sam wasn’t going to get burned again.

  So he’d give her a bid on repairs to Belle Coeur, and if she accepted he’d send a crew out to do the job, but that was it. There was no way in hell Sam would get involved with Jordan Weston.

  Chapter Two

  A distant ringing roused Jordan from a restful, dreamless slumber. Not fully coherent, she thought it was the phone next to her bed, but when she picked it up there was only a dial tone. She flipped onto her stomach and pulled the pillow over her head to drown out the sound.

  The incessant jingle continued until Jordan could ignore it no longer. She whipped over and sat up abruptly, running her fingers through her hair and trying to focus herself into consciousness. The doorbell, that’s what it was. What time was it, anyway? From the look of the sky outside the window next to her bed, it appeared to be somewhere between dark and darker.

  She jumped out of bed and slowly made her way down the stairs as the annoying sound continued to clamor in her ears.

  “I’m coming, I’m coming!” she shouted to whoever was leaning on the doorbell. “Give me a minute, dammit, I’m coming!”

  She flung
open the door and immediately wished she hadn’t. Standing there looking freshly shaved, wide-awake and grinning stupidly, was Sam.

  “You’re not up yet?”

  “Well I am now,” she replied without humor, her eyes still making an attempt to focus. “What are you doing here so early? What time is it? It’s not even dawn.”

  Sam leaned against the doorway, clearly unaffected by the fact it was the crack of dawn and he’d just roused her from her bed. “I’m here because you asked me to come, it’s six-thirty and high time for most folks to be up and at it. Besides, I told you I’d come by early.”

  Jordan yawned. “Six-thirty is too early. Come back when it’s daylight.” She started to close the door in his face, but Sam blocked it with his hand.

  “I don’t think so.” He gently pushed the door open and stepped into the foyer. “First off, I’m already here and that means I’m staying. Second, you just need some coffee and a good hot breakfast and you’ll be wide awake.” Gripping her shoulders, he turned her around and directed her toward the kitchen. “Go on and sit down. We can talk while I get coffee and breakfast going.”

  When she didn’t immediately move, Sam shut the front door and headed into the kitchen, shouting behind him that he knew the way.

  Jordan stared dumbfounded at Sam’s retreating form. What just happened here? Was she still asleep and having a nightmare? She thought for a moment, and decided she was definitely awake. A waking nightmare, that was it.

  She walked down the long hallway toward the oversized kitchen. As she entered, her nightmare was spooning coffee into a filter and pouring water in the coffeemaker. He stopped and looked up at her.

  “You like it strong? Wakes you up faster, you know.” He waited for a response, but she had nothing to say. Shrugging, he continued. “Well, I’ll just make it the way I like it, and you can see if it’s the way you like it.” Giving her a sly smile, he said, “I bet we like things the same way. What do you think?”

  This was unbelievable. Jordan stood in the doorway, hands on her hips. “What I think is that I asked you to leave. What I think is that you are rude and unprofessional to come barging into my house and making yourself at home as if you lived here. What I think is that my original invitation for you to come back later still stands. And if you don’t mind, I think you should leave!”

  He didn’t even look up as he grabbed eggs and bacon from the refrigerator and set them on the counter near the stove. “No, I don’t mind at all. I cook breakfast for myself all the time, although I didn’t have time to do it this morning. I’m starving, aren’t you?”

  Jordan threw her hands up in the air. Sam was obviously so dense he couldn’t even figure out she was yelling at him. Anger rendered her speechless. She glared at him for several minutes, hoping he’d get the hint and leave. It wasn’t happening.

  As the eggs and bacon sizzled, Sam turned and looked Jordan up and down, arching his brows in appreciation. “My, my, Jordan, you sure do make a hot picture first thing in the morning. Maybe I’ll come over early and make breakfast for you every day.”

  The way he looked at her hit Jordan like a splash of cold water. She realized the old white cotton T-shirt she wore didn’t leave much, if anything, to the imagination. Since she figured Sam had a pretty good imagination, she immediately sat down to retain what little modesty she had left.

  “Would you please get out!” She pointed to the door.

  Sam laughed. “I’m just teasing you, Jordan. Boy you’re easy to get riled, especially before you’ve had a cup of coffee.” As he said it, he placed a steaming cup before her. “You want milk or sugar?”

  It was pointless to try and get him to listen. Perhaps he didn’t understand simple English, like get out, get lost and go away. She finally gave up.

  “I can get my own coffee.” She started to stand up, but then remembering her state of minimal dress, quickly sat down again. Feeling trapped behind the table, she figured the only way to get rid of him was let him have his way. “Milk would be fine,” she answered tightly. Sam smiled wickedly and set the milk on the table in front of her.

  “Should have made you get it yourself,” he said through his wide grin. “I would have enjoyed the view.”

  Jordan sighed, exasperated with him already, and he hadn’t been there more than ten minutes. Was sex the only thing men like him thought about? How typical, and how right she was never to get involved with someone like him. Charming men like Sam were only interested in one thing, and once they got it they moved on to the next conquest. Look what a man like that had done to her mother. Jordan would never make the same mistake.

  The smell of bacon made her stomach rumble. As she sipped her coffee she watched Sam cook. Damn, but he was spectacular looking. His back was turned to her, and she got a good look at his wide shoulders, strong back, and lean, muscled legs. He was wearing a pair of old faded Levis and a blue sleeveless T-shirt stretched tight across his back. And what a rear end. If that kind of man interested her, she’d be all over him in a heartbeat.

  Good thing Jordan was so involved with the other areas of her life she didn’t need romance or great sex. Then again, she wouldn’t know what great sex was if it came up and bit her. Her own choice of course, but she couldn’t help having an occasional regret.

  Lost in thought, she jumped and eyed Sam warily when he leaned over to place her breakfast on the table. He sat down in the chair next to her and began to eat. Suddenly ravenous, she picked up her fork and took a bite. Surprisingly, it was very good.

  “When did you learn to cook?” she asked between mouthfuls.

  “Cooking’s not that hard. I learned to take care of myself a long time ago. Really learned to cook after my divorce.”

  “I didn’t know you had been married. When was your divorce?” For some reason the fact he’d married hurt. But why? It wasn’t like they’d had a torrid romance in high school, or any romance at all. They weren’t sweethearts, they hadn’t dated, and it was only one kiss.

  Keep reminding yourself of that, Jordan.

  “About three years ago.” He looked up and smiled. “We met in college.” At Jordan’s surprised look, he said, “Yes, I went to college. Graduated too.”

  So many things about Sam she didn’t know. Like where he had disappeared his senior year. After the dance she’d never seen him again.

  “She was a small-town girl, and I thought our paths were headed in the same direction. I was wrong. We married when we were seniors and I brought her here when I started TNT. It wasn’t a year before she was dreaming of bigger and better things.”

  “What kind of things?” Okay, maybe Jordan hadn’t wanted to stay in Magnolia, either, but that didn’t mean any other small-town girl couldn’t be happy here.

  “She wanted what I couldn’t give her. What I really didn’t want to give her. A big city, fancy shopping malls, prestige and lots of money. And I guess she decided that a life with me wasn’t going to provide what she thought she needed. So she left. No big deal.”

  Sam had answered her question matter-of-factly, as if he didn’t care at all about the woman who had once been his wife. “So, you just let her go, just like that?”

  His gaze met hers, his expression devoid of emotion. “I wasn’t going to try to hold onto someone who’d be happier somewhere else. We didn’t really love each other anyway, so why prolong the inevitable? I was happy living here in Magnolia, and she wasn’t. She had big city dreams and I wasn’t going to move. End of story.”

  Jordan pushed her plate away and sat back, contemplating what Sam said. Why was he so happy here? He’d seemed so restless in high school. Granted, she wasn’t his best friend back then but they’d shared some classes, and he’d always asked her to help him with homework.

  His requests for tutoring had always surprised her because he was very intelligent. In classes he always knew the answers when asked. During times she helped him out they talked about what they wanted to do after graduation. He had told her he had big pl
ans. Traveling, seeing exotic places, doing things he could never do here. His plan had been to leave Magnolia and never come back. True enough, he’d left. But he’d come back. Jordan wondered what changed his mind.

  “Didn’t you want to get out of this place after high school? I thought you wanted to travel.”

  Sam nodded and took a sip of coffee. “Yeah I did. And I saw the world, like I wanted to. Traveled around a lot, then came back home.”

  “Why did you come back?” She’d always thought he was just like her. Get out of Magnolia and never look back. She hadn’t looked back. Not only had he looked back, he’d come back.

  Gathering their dishes and cups, he put them into the sink and approached her, stopping inches away. She was almost afraid to breathe, knowing he’d smell freshly showered and more edible than the breakfast he’d just fixed.

  He placed his arms on either side of her chair, forcing her to look up at him. His gaze was sharp and assessing, as if he knew her, could read her thoughts and emotions. Ridiculous, considering they were virtually strangers.

  “Sometimes what you think you want out of life isn’t what you really want at all. Get dressed, Jordan.” He started down the hall to the front door. “I’m going to check out the front of the house. Meet me out there when you’re ready and we’ll figure out what needs to be done around here.”

  Some deep thoughts in his statement. Thoughts she didn’t want to ponder, at least relating to her own reasons for doing things.

  After he closed the front door, Jordan got up from the table and headed upstairs to change. Where had he gone when he left Magnolia all those years ago, and what had he been doing? What would bring someone back who had craved travel and adventure, who had counted the months until he could skip out of town?

  He’d skipped out of town all right. And right off the face of the Earth. If his parents knew where he went, they didn’t say, and no one could ever figure it out. Where did he go, and why did he come back?