You Send Me

by Jeannie Moon

  Nick acknowledged it. “They arrived late Thursday night. My mother heard about the engagement. To be honest, it’s been a tough few days with them around. I’m considering moving into the Millers’ boat house.”

  “Not a great relationship?” Jordan eased closer, allowing him to pick up the scent of her perfume.

  “Not bad, but not great. Or close. My mother is very sweet, a little over the top, but my dad never approved of me making the military a career. He said I wasted my medical degree.”

  “Ouch. That’s rough.”

  “It’s not always fun. He’s a good man, but he doesn’t hand out praise when he doesn’t feel it’s warranted.” Nick noticed a little boy streak back into the gym. Cute kid. Very verbal for his age. “That little guy over there.” He pointed. “He’s one of yours?”

  “Eric. Yes. Super smart. Tough home life, though. We’ve brought him up at team a couple of times now. Why do you ask?”

  Nick was glad to hear that, not because of anything specific, but a feeling he had about the kid that things weren’t right. “I don’t know. He asked a lot of questions. Not typical ones, either. Nice kid.”

  Lowering her eyes and biting those gorgeous lips, Jordan didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she took his hand gently in hers, quietly turning it over, looking at his fingers and his palm. “He is.”

  Nick didn’t quite know what it meant, but there was a change, a shift in the vibe between them. What was on her mind?

  “Are you free for dinner?” she whispered, her gaze traveling up.

  The fates were shining down on him today. “For you, I can be. What do you have in mind?”

  Still holding his hand, she rubbed her thumb over his knuckle. “I could make you dinner. Whatever you want.”

  “I’m fine with anything, and thank you for asking.” Thank you for letting me back in.

  “I’m glad you were here today. You are wonderful with children.” At this point, she was staring straight up at him, her eyes shining, bright and blue like a perfect summer sky.

  “I’m glad I was here too. It was fun,” he commented. “So what time for dinner?”

  “Is seven good for you?”

  Knowing it was probably a bad idea, Nick couldn’t resist. He leaned in and left a gentle kiss on Jordan’s cheek. Immediately she flushed, glowing the most gorgeous shade of pink.

  “I’ll be there.”

  Chapter Twelve

  It turned out to be a beautiful early spring day, with lots of sun and mild temperatures. A far cry from ten days ago, when two feet of snow fell on Compass Cove. When Jordan got home from work, she saw Lina and Angelo sitting with Nick’s parents at a table set into the corner of the wraparound porch.

  Of all the people in Compass Cove who had been asking questions, his parents were the two people Jordan wanted to avoid. Unfortunately, with Lina waving her over as she got out of the car, there was no way to dodge it. She had no idea what she was going to say, or, for that matter, what Nick had told them.

  Interestingly, she found out in the faculty room that day that there were three different stories floating around town. One was about Jordan being a gold digger, and that she figured Nick, who everybody in town admitted was a catch, was better husband material than Chase. And since the Rinaldi family had money, she’d set her sights on him. The second bit of speculation had her pregnant. She’d fallen into his arms after her heart had been broken, and now she was knocked up. The third version was the closest to the truth: that they had made the leap to give her father some peace of mind.

  After seeing Nick today, she wanted to talk this out with him. She wanted to know what he had heard, and she supposed, what would—or could—happen next. It was the first time Jordan admitted to herself that she might not want this thing between them to be a dead end.

  A lot would depend on whether Nick was ready to put up with her special brand of crazy. Jordan loved her life, she loved so much about it, but if she’d come to understand anything since the storm, it was that she did miss being with someone. It wasn’t necessarily about sex; it was about the closeness, the caring. About having someone to talk to.

  It might have taken a few days, and a lot of thinking, but she liked that someone cared about her. If she had any reservations about Nick, it was about his inability to confide in her. He’d been through a lot, and the injuries he’d sustained in the little Afghan village; but few people knew the details, or how it had affected him. Based on what she could see, it haunted him.

  She loved her dad with all her heart, and he was an amazing father, even under the most difficult circumstances. If he could move on from the loss of her mother, who was to say Jordan couldn’t move on from escaping marriage to a total jerk?

  Grabbing her tote bag from the back seat of the car, Jordan looked at the large porch and saw four pairs of eyes staring at her. She’d never met Marco Rinaldi or his wife, but seeing him, she could see where Nick got his good looks. The man had to be in his early sixties, but he’d most definitely aged gracefully. His wife, Nick’s mother, stood next to him wringing her hands. Bella Rinaldi was petite and dark haired, her eyes were hidden by a pair of designer sunglasses. But even with her eyes covered, Jordan could tell she was staring at the woman who stole her son.

  Making her way up the steps, Jordan braced herself. “You’d never know we had over two feet of snow ten days ago. The weather is gorgeous,” Jordan said. “It’s hard to believe it ever happened.” Reaching out her hand, she smiled. “Hi, I’m Jordan Velsor.”

  “It’s a pleasure, Jordan,” Nick’s father said. “I’m Marco, and this is my wife, Bella.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you, Jordan.”

  Bella took off her sunglasses to reveal striking gray eyes. They were almost like Nick’s, but not quite. “We got here a few days ago and the town was still cleaning up.”

  “They did an excellent job. It was a mess, there are still a few big snowbanks over near the cove.”

  Bella reached out and grasped Jordan’s hand. “We heard you were ill. You’re better?”

  “Much better, thank you, but I do get very tired. Your family has taken very good care of me, but if you’ll excuse me I think I’m going to—”

  Lina, who was standing at Jordan’s shoulder, gave her a little shove into a chair. “You’ll have some tea, and biscotti. I made them today. They’re fresh.”

  So much for a clean getaway.

  Knowing she was out of her league, and that refusing food was an insult, Jordan acquiesced. She graciously accepted a cup of tea and one of Lina’s homemade biscotti. Taking a bite of the crisp cookie, Jordan rolled her eyes in delight. Chocolate, a hint of almond, it was perfect, but it was also going to keep her on the porch for way too long.

  “So, you’re a teacher? What do you teach?” Bella had questions, no doubt about it.

  “I teach first grade at Cove Elementary. I’ve been there eight years.”

  “It’s a good profession. You like your work?” his mother continued.

  Jordan nodded. If they were only going to talk about her job, she could live with that, but in her heart she knew this wasn’t going to be limited to chitchat.

  “I love my job. The kids are wonderful, and we have such a nice group of families. I’m very lucky.”

  “That’s nice. Good. You like children.”

  “I do. Very much.” Before Jordan could say anything else, Bella pounced.

  “So, what’s going on with you and my son? I came on a plane to see him as soon as I heard the two of you are engaged. Engaged? How could you be engaged without family knowing?” Bella’s words came out in one great rush. And she just kept babbling faster and faster. “Why the secret? Are you pregnant?”

  Jordan’s heart stopped at the suggestion.

  Bella drew her hand to her mouth. “Ohhh… if that’s it, I might, might forgive you if I’m finally going to be a grandmother. Is that it? Please tell me that’s it.”

  Holy crap. The woman could talk. Jorda
n was happy she took a breath before she passed out.

  Still, Jordan waited a second before answering. There was a lot to process in that stream of consciousness, and while she did, she saw Angelo sitting in a chair in the corner, chuckling to himself. He was enjoying this way too much, the stinker.

  Marco was more taken aback by his wife’s word salad than Jordan expected. “I’m sorry about that,” he offered. “Bella, come on.”

  “No, don’t apologize.” Jordan waved off her outburst. “But I am sorry to disappoint you, Mrs. Rinaldi, I am not pregnant.”

  Her face dropped. “You must think I’m crazy,” she said.

  Jordan reached out and rested her hand on Bella’s forearm. “It’s fine. I know you must be concerned, especially since you haven’t seen him for a while.”

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Bella said. “If Nicky cares about you, I’m happy, but we didn’t know anything. Marco thought coming here was silly.”

  “Did you?” Lina’s brows pinched together, and Marco looked away. “Silly. Your family is silly? You could come here any time, you know. Planes fly in both directions, Marco.”

  “Ma, my work…”

  “This is about family. Your family. You’re always so thick.”

  Jordan felt like she’d started trouble, and she didn’t like being in the middle of a family argument. “I am going to go. I have to take a nap or my doctor will give me a hard time.”

  “He’s a good doctor,” Bella said, smiling. “A good man. I miss him.”

  “Yes, he is. I was very lucky to have him in my corner.”

  “Is Nick working all day?” Lina wondered. “He left early this morning?”

  “He did the teddy bear clinic at school today.” Jordan smiled. “He was wonderful with the kids.”

  “You saw him today, then.” Lina was almost as bad as her daughter-in-law. The two were crazy for new information.

  Jordan nodded. “I did. At school.” With eye contact made between Lina and Bella, Jordan decided to make a move and get out of there while she had the chance. “Nice to see you all! Thanks for the biscotti, Lina.”

  Jordan was already on the path back to her cottage when Lina called after her, but there was no way she was going back. Nope. She waved and smiled, happy to let the two Rinaldi women talk amongst themselves.

  She had no idea how Nick was going to get out of the house later, but that was his problem.

  *

  It had been a long day, and if he hadn’t been looking forward to spending time with Jordan, Nick would have grabbed a sandwich and gone to sleep. After the clinic at the school, he saw fifteen patients. Fifteen, and none of them had been routine. Still, a bad day with a bunch of sick kids and worried parents was better than a day with a sniper.

  Lights were on in the cottage, and he wondered what Jordan was up to. Was she thinking about seeing him as much as he was thinking about her? Was she cooking? Reading? His mind was running amok. She was everywhere.

  God, he wondered when he lost his man card?

  It was only a short time ago that he barely knew her. Now, he wondered how he’d feel if she wasn’t in his life.

  Walking in the door by the mudroom, he rolled his eyes when he heard the voices. Not surprisingly, everyone was talking at once. Normally, it didn’t bother him, he loved the chaos that centered around the kitchen, but he’d had a long day, and now he just wanted some quiet.

  It was time to find his own place. He’d hidden out with his grandparents long enough, but now that he’d been cleared to return to a full schedule at work, his life could get back on track—and with luck, that life might include one very beautiful teacher.

  Naturally, he saw a house he liked a few doors down. It was on the water, had a nice yard, and looked to be in pretty good shape. He liked that it was only a short walk to town, and to his grandparents, especially as they got older.

  It was big for him alone, but for the first time in his life, Nick wasn’t thinking about a solitary existence. He was thinking about getting married and raising a family.

  And he wanted to find out if Jordan fit into that plan. Her presence in his life had changed his outlook, and how he saw himself moving forward.

  But right then, he was watching the scene in front of him. Nona and his mother were cooking. Nona’s good friend, and his former history teacher, Janet Lang, had joined the group and was making a salad. His father and grandfather were arguing over wine. Pops had recently invested in a winery on the east end of Long Island, and now he was telling Nick’s father that a Napa wine couldn’t hold a candle to his reserve Pinot Noir.

  They were his family. And as much as they got on his nerves, just like the town and the gossips, he was lucky to have them.

  “Nick!” Mrs. Lang spotted him first, and came rushing from the other side of the island to give him a hug. “It’s so good to see you. How is everything?”

  “Hi, Mrs. Lang. I’m doing well, thanks. You look great.”

  “You’re a dirty liar, but thank you. Lina said you were helping out at Cove today?”

  “I was. I helped out with a first-grade health project. It was fun. The kids were great.”

  “I bet you were great. That’s so nice. Lina didn’t know if you would be home or not. I’m so glad we will be able to catch up.”

  “Right, about that…”

  His mother walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You need a shave, handsome.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Look, uh,” he rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “I have plans for dinner.”

  Nona’s eyebrows shot up beyond the rims of her glasses. “Plans? What kind of plans?”

  He leveled his gaze right back at her. She thought she was going to intimidate him. “Dinner plans.”

  “Nicky?” His mother was a little more persuasive. A little softer in her approach, she always was.

  “I have a date. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to shower so I’m not late. You guys can talk about it all you want when I’m out of earshot.”

  “Nicholas Rinaldi, you come back here.”

  They were like a bunch of clucking hens, including his father and Pops. He had forty-five minutes to get his act together. Stripping off his shirt and tossing it in the hamper, Nick looked at the scars on his body. The one on his shoulder had faded some, but the one that ran from the top of his hip down to his thigh still screamed. He still felt it every time he moved, every time he stood up, every time he rolled over in bed. It was possible he’d be in pain for the rest of his life.

  He wondered what was going through Jordan’s head when she asked him for dinner. He loved that she didn’t shrink away from challenges, and he guessed she saw their relationship, whatever it was, as a challenge.

  Taking off the rest of his clothes, Nick stepped into a steamy shower and let the water run over his body. It felt good, helped him feel loose. Then, without any warning, he pictured Jordan in there with him. He was holding her, back against the wall, steamy water streaming over them while her mile-long legs were snaked around him. He could imagine how it would feel buried deep inside her. It was an image that had flashed in his mind since their games of twenty questions last week. They’d come so close to losing it with each other, Nick got hard just thinking about it.

  What had he gotten into with her? On one hand, Jordan made him feel like his life could be normal again. On the other, she could force him to confront parts of himself he wanted to keep buried.

  After he soaped up and rinsed off, he walked out into his room, stark naked, and ran right into his father. “What the hell, Dad?”

  Grabbing a towel from the hook right inside the bathroom door, he covered himself up, but he was still annoyed. “Do you guys understand boundaries?”

  “Be thankful it was me, your mother was ready to march in here.”

  “This is a nightmare. You’ve all got to stop this. I’m not fifteen, I’m not even twenty-five. I don’t need help with my decisions, or my social life.”

&nbs
p; “You’re right,” Dad said. “But we spent over a year worrying about you, give us a break.”

  Nick never pegged his father as someone who would use guilt. He was wrong. “I get that, but I’m okay. Getting better all the time, and I’m trying to get my life back. Which is why I have a job. Why I’m going on a date. But if you wanted to play the worry card, you could have called me once in a while when I was in rehab, you know?”

  His father ignored the dig and plowed forward. “Dinner with Jordan?”

  Nick nodded as he dried himself. “Yes.”

  “She’s a gorgeous girl. Nice too. Smart.”

  “She is all those things.”

  “But you’re still trying to figure out what you should do.”

  He knew what he wanted to do. Nick believed there might be a future if they really worked at it. But they had to be willing to take the step.

  “Right now, I’m going to have dinner with her. We’ll see how it goes.” Nick zipped his jeans and pulled his favorite gray V-neck sweater over his head. “Have a wine recommendation?”

  “Nick, is it possible you’ve jumped into this too fast?”

  “For fuck’s sake. Seriously?”

  “Watch your mouth.”

  Nick grabbed his wallet and keys. “Are we done here?”

  His father started to come back with a comment, but stopped, defeated.

  “Wine?” Nick wasn’t going to leave without a bottle. His dad was the expert.

  Marco chuckled. “Yeah, take a bottle of your grandfather’s Pinot Noir. It’s excellent.”

  Nick shook his head.

  “Good luck,” his dad said.

  Nick hoped he wouldn’t need luck.

  *

  With a bottle in his hand, Nick made his way to her cottage, just as he’d done during the storm. But now, they were upping the stakes. Before his feet even hit the porch, he heard Gertie’s howling little bark. Just as he was about to knock, Jordan opened the door.

  He took her in, top to bottom. Her blonde hair was loose and wavy over her shoulders, and the way her eyes flashed when she smiled set his heart pounding. She wore a loose flowy top in a shade of bright pink, and she’d paired it with black leggings. She was relaxed and comfortable, wore no makeup, but he smelled mint when he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.