The One He's Been Looking For

by Joanna Sims

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Surprise!” A loud chorus of voices greeted her as she opened the door.

  Jordan stood speechless and motionless as she stared at her family. Her dad, mom, eldest brother, sister-in-law and Josephine were squeezed tightly together in the entrance of the studio, shoulder to shoulder, and beaming at her as if they had just given her the greatest gift in the world. The only one not beaming was her sister, who looked as if she had just been kidnapped by a gang of wild bandits.

  “Why don’t you have your phone on?” Jo asked with an irritated shake of her head. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you.”

  “My battery’s dead,” Jordan said as she stared dumbly at her family.

  “Oh! It’s better this way.” Barbara Brand reached out for her youngest daughter, cupped her face in her soft hands and smiled brightly at her. “Jordan loves surprises!”

  “I do?” Jordan asked as she gave her mom a hug.

  As was her norm, Barbara Brand wore her platinum hair slicked back into a chignon, her makeup was subtle and flawlessly applied and she smelled faintly of Coco Mademoiselle. She had remained Chicago chic even after four decades of living on a Montana cattle ranch.

  “Of course you do!” Barbara exclaimed as she entered Ian’s studio and spun around to take in the architectural features of the space. “Or is that Jo who loves surprises?”

  “That’s me,” Jo said as she hugged her sister tightly, then whispered, “Sorry. I tried to warn you.”

  Still too stunned to formulate a rational question, Jordan found herself being embraced by her sister-in-law, Sophia.

  “Jordy!” Sophia said as she squeezed her tightly while swaying slightly to the left and then to the right. “I’m so glad to see you! I love your hair!”

  Lovely Sophia, with her easy smile, bright hazel-green eyes and flowing honey-blond hair was as sweet as a Krispy Kreme doughnut and just as difficult to resist.

  “I’m happy to see you, too,” Jordan said halfheartedly. She didn’t want to hurt Sophia’s feelings, but just couldn’t muster the same amount of enthusiasm for this surprise family reunion.

  “I like this color much better.” Barbara agreed with Sophia. “It’s a very chic cut.”

  “I thought you were going to be in Boston this week...?” Jordan asked her parents as she looked over her shoulder to see if Ian had come to investigate. The last thing he needed, after the day he just had, was to have his studio overrun by her boisterous family.

  “We were. But Luke and Sophia needed to come to San Diego, so we thought we’d tag along and make an event of it,” Barbara said as she put her purse on Ian’s conference table and looked around the studio. “This is a gorgeous old building. I really love that they left the old exposed brick when they renovated.”

  “Good to see you, Jordan,” her eldest brother said as he walked through the door.

  “Hi, Luke,” Jordan replied, before she greeted her father.

  “How’s my daughter?” Her dad smiled down at her affectionately.

  Henry “Hank” Brand was tall and lean, with a shock of gray hair that was usually covered, as it was now, with a Stetson cowboy hat. He wore his “dressy” dark jeans with a large, polished-silver belt buckle from his rodeo days. With his sun-weathered skin and his intense blue eyes, he looked as if he’d stepped right out of a John Wayne Western.

  Jordan gave her father a quick hug before she shut the door. “I’m good, Dad.”

  She was surprised that Ian hadn’t appeared yet, but knew that it was only a matter of time before her two worlds—California and Montana—would collide.

  “He needs to be changed.” Luke was holding her squirming, fussing two-year-old nephew, Daniel. “Where’s the closest bathroom?”

  “Oh, I’ll take care of it.” Sophia held out her arms to her chubby, tow-headed son; she took Danny and the diaper bag from Luke. “You stay and catch up with your sister.” Then she looked down at her son affectionately and asked, “Can you say ‘hello’ to your auntie Jordan?”

  “Hi, Danny.” Jordan reached out and touched his soft hand. “You were a wrinkly little raisin the last time I saw you.”

  Danny, who looked back at her with those bright blue Brand eyes, turned beet red in the face and started to scream when she touched him.

  Jordan withdrew her hand and looked up at Luke with raised eyebrows. “Well—his lungs work.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Sophia sent her an apologetic smile. “It’s been a really long day for him, poor guy. Bathroom?”

  Jordan pointed in the direction of Ian’s custom-designed Italian-marble bathroom and cringed at the thought of it being used as a diaper-changing depot. Horrible thought.

  “Okay, I’m confused,” Jordan said as she looked at her family, who had gathered near Ian’s conference table. “Why are you all here in San Diego?”

  “I’m EOSing.” Luke said in his quiet, controlled voice.

  Luke wasn’t as tall as their father, but he was broad shouldered and made from lean muscle. A captain in the United States Marine Corps, he wore his military bearing as a badge of honor. Even out of uniform, as he was now, there was no mistaking his ramrod-straight back and wide-legged stance.

  “EOSing?” Jordan asked.

  “End of service.” Luke stood with his arms behind his back, looking like an oddity in Ian’s industrial, modern loft. “I’m retiring.”

  “Well, that’s good news,” Jordan said to her brother. The last thing her parents needed was to bury another son.

  “Your mom thought it’d fun to get the whole family involved.” Hank took off his hat and set it on the table. “You know how she gets.”

  “But how did you know I was here?” Jordan glanced over at Jo.

  “Don’t look at me.” Her sister held up her hands defensively.

  “We stopped by the condo first.” Barbara smiled. “It’s so tiny, Jordan. I wish you’d think about moving into a place that isn’t so cramped.”

  “It’s fine, Mom,” she said with a sigh.

  “Anyway, Amaya gave us the address. She says that you spend most of your time here anyway.” Barbara pulled out one of the chairs and sat down.

  “Don’t be mad at her, Jordy,” Jo said as she leaned against the back of the sofa. “It was a matter of survival.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Barbara said defensively.

  “Yes, you do,” Jo said to their mom, then turned to Jordan. “She started to rearrange your living room in order to increase feng shui....”

  “There’s nothing wrong with a little feng shui,” Barbara insisted as she looked at the family. “Right?”

  “And that would have been fine, sort of, if you hadn’t started to badger poor Amaya about everything from her makeup to her hair to her education...her career...her sex life. Contraception.”

  “Uh...wow!” Jordan exclaimed. “Mom. Really?”

  “What?” Barbara asked, genuinely confused by her daughters’ reaction. “Her entire family lives a world away in another country. I was just trying to give her some much-needed motherly advice. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Unsolicited advice.” Jo looked over at her with raised brows. “Now do you see why you shouldn’t be mad at Amaya?”

  “And why should she be mad anyway?” their mom asked no one in particular. “I didn’t realize this was a secret. Why is it a secret?”

  “It’s not,” Jordan said. “I told you that Ian was letting me work in his studio. But I wouldn’t have agreed to host an impromptu family reunion here. This isn’t my place.”

  “We’ve been trying to call you all day to let you know that we were flying in,” Barbara said. “But you can’t expect us to not even try to see you while we’re here....”

  Before Jordan coul
d reply, she saw Ian appear from the back of the studio. She immediately walked over to him.

  “I’m sorry,” she said under her breath as she moved to his right side.

  “It’s fine,” Ian assured her softly.

  She glanced up at his perfectly chiseled face and was shocked to discover that there wasn’t even an ounce of tension around his mouth or jaw. Ian was taking this Brand family invasion in stride. She wished she could do the same; she felt like a nervous wreck inside and couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

  “Ian, this is my family. Family, this is Ian.” She felt the color drain from her face as drops of sweat rolled down to her rib cage from her suddenly damp armpits.

  “Ian Sterling.” He smiled as he held out his hand to her father. Ian always extended his hand first to camouflage his difficulty with depth perception.

  “A pleasure, sir.” Hank gave his hand a quick, hardy shake. “Sorry to barge in on you like this.”

  “Not at all....” Ian said.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my youngest,” Hank explained.

  “I understand,” he said sincerely. “If I were in your shoes, I would’ve tracked her down, too.”

  Josephine stepped forward and gave Ian a quick hug hello, while Jordan tried to be mindful of his vision deficits as she began to introduce her clan one by one. He had just finished shaking Luke’s hand and thanking him for his service when Sophia emerged from the bathroom carrying a subdued Danny, who was happily drinking from a sippy cup.

  “Hi!” Sophia greeted Ian with her trademark smile.

  “Hello.” He smiled back at her, then reached out slowly to ruffle Danny’s fine blond hair, while Jordan held her breath and hoped he didn’t overreach. Danny stared at him with his wide blue eyes, but didn’t immediately melt down as he had with her.

  “I’m so sorry,” Sophia said in a loud whisper to Jordan. “I looked high and low for an air freshener. It’s a little pungent in there.”

  Jordan cringed and wished that her family wasn’t always so “open” about things.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” she said to Sophia before she addressed Ian. “Ian, I’d like you to meet my sister-in-law, Sophia, and my nephew, Danny. Sophia, this is Ian Sterling.”

  Sophia’s grabbed his hand and shook it. She had a slightly starstruck expression on her pretty face. “I’m such a huge fan of your work. My husband—” she nodded toward Luke “—made me leave my copy of your book at home because he thought it’d be rude for me to ask you for an autograph right off the bat....”

  “Not at all,” Ian said again.

  “I think your work in black-and-white is truly remarkable.” Sophia continued to hold on to his hand.

  “Thank you,” he said graciously.

  “I’m an unrequited photographer,” Sophia explained as she finally let go of Ian’s hand. “I’d really love to see some of the photographs you’ve taken of Jordan.”

  “So would I,” Barbara said, positioning herself closer to him. “Anyone who could finally get Jordan in front of a camera is a person after my own heart. I’ve been trying to get both of my girls to model for years and years....”

  “I just showed Jordan how beautifully she could photograph. That’s all I did.” Ian put his arm around her shoulders. “I’d be happy to show you some of her work.”

  Jordan had been vague about her relationship with Ian. She had told her parents that they were dating casually, but Ian’s body language as he stood next to her wasn’t even remotely vague. He was making an unspoken declaration that they were “together,” and she only hoped that her mom wouldn’t turn this into an interrogation. Today of all days, Ian didn’t need that kind of hassle.

  “And I want to see these new paintings I’ve been hearing about while we’re here, Jordan,” her dad interjected.

  Jordan grimaced as she shrugged one shoulder. “There really isn’t all that much to see. I still have a lot of work to do before my February 1 deadline.”

  Ian immediately jumped to her defense; he knew that both of her parents were upset by her decision to drop out of graduate school.

  “Sometimes the creative process takes time. But what she’s been working on is impressive. She has a modern, unique style, and I’m really proud of what she’s accomplished in a short amount of time.”

  “Thank you,” Jordan said softly as he pulled her more snugly into his body.

  Ian offered everyone something to drink and then took them to the computer to show them her images. She hung back and watched him interact with her family. She couldn’t have predicted it, but Ian fit right into her family as if he was the last puzzle piece that completed the picture. He was relaxed around her father and Luke, and she could tell he had managed to charm her mother pretty quickly. Barbara was smiling at him, genuinely laughing at his comments, and she had touched his arm affectionately several times.

  “He’s doing a lot better than Brice did,” Jo whispered next to her. “I’ll give him that.”

  “I know—right?” Jordan said under her breath. “I’ve never seen anyone win Mom over that quickly. This has gotta be a new record.”

  “Gotta be,” Jo agreed.

  Once the family had viewed the photographs Ian had taken of her, the entire gang headed up to her studio to take a look at the paintings she had been preparing for the gallery show. While they were crammed into her small space, there was a knock on the door.

  “Food’s here,” Jordan said to Ian.

  “I’ll get it,” he answered. “You stay here.”

  “We were hoping we’d be able to talk y’all into joining us for dinner,” Hank said.

  Jordan looked over at Ian. She knew he tried to avoid situations that made it difficult for him to compensate for his vision deficits.

  “I don’t know, Dad.” She tried to beg off quickly. “Ian has a lot of work to do tonight. And we already ordered food.”

  “I’ll just put it in the refrigerator for later,” Ian surprised her by saying. “We’d love to join you.”

  “Are you sure?” The question popped out of her mouth. They’d had an emotional day, and although he hadn’t freaked out over her family showing up at his studio unannounced, she just couldn’t image that he would deliberately prolong it. “I mean—” Jordan tried to soften the question as her family looked at her curiously “—you have so much work to do.”

  “Nothing that can’t wait,” Ian said, before he headed down the stairs to answer the door.

  After losing both his parents, he knew the importance of spending time with family. And knowing that Jordan was the woman he wanted to marry, he had only one chance to make a great first impression.

  With Ian’s vision in mind, Jordan suggested one of his favorite haunts for the family dinner. Jordan’s mom insisted on sitting next to Ian, and the two of them talked nonstop throughout the entire meal. Barbara Brand was an avid traveler and they spent the majority of the evening comparing notes of their favorite travel destinations.

  When it was apparent that Ian was holding his own with her family, Jordan was able to relax and enjoy seeing her parents and her siblings. One hour blended into the next as they ordered, finished their main courses and then indulged in dessert. Afterward, Sophia pulled up a chair in between Jo and Jordan.

  “We’re going to have to get Danny back to the hotel.” Sophia glanced over at her son, who was sleeping in Luke’s arms. “But I wanted to show you guys something before we go.”

  The sisters leaned in as Sophia scrolled through some pictures on her phone. She found the one she wanted, selected it and then enlarged it.

  They looked at the sonogram displayed on Sophia’s phone for several seconds before it hit Jordan. “Oh, my God, Soph—are you pregnant?”

  “You’re pregnant?” Jo asked excitedly. “How far
along are you?”

  “Just a little over three months,” she said with a broad smile. “But do you notice anything unusual?”

  Jordan shook her head, confused, but then Jo said, “Wait a minute—are there two arrows?”

  “Ho-ly crap, Soph! You’re having twins?” Jordan asked.

  “It was bound to happen, right?” Sophia asked with a laugh.

  “Nice work, Luke.” Jordan gave Luke a thumbs-up across the table. “He didn’t waste any time, did he?”

  “No. He didn’t,” Sophia said, as the skin on her neck and cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink.

  “Congratulations, Sophia.” Jo gave her sister-in-law a hug.

  “Yeah. Congrats, Soph.” Jordan made it a triple hug.

  Soon after Sophia shared her news, Ian insisted on picking up the check, and then everyone slowly made their way to the door.

  Barbara Brand linked her arm with Jordan’s. “We’re going to stop by your cousin’s new bakery tomorrow. I think it’d be nice if you’d come with us and show Mackenzie your support. She’s had a tough time these past couple years. You know her daughter, Hope, has been so sick.”

  “Okay.” Jordan nodded. “I’ve been meaning to get in touch with her.”

  Barbara leaned in closer. “I like him,” she said of Ian. “He’s a gentleman, just like your father...and so handsome.”

  “I’m glad the two of you hit it off, Mom,” Jordan said.

  Their family was tight-knit and it had always been important for her parents to approve of the man she wanted to marry.

  “And I already invited him to the ranch, so you make sure he comes out for a visit,” Barbara said.

  “You invited him to Montana?” Jordan asked, shocked.

  “Honey—” Barbara stopped just outside the restaurant door and hugged Jordan tightly “—if he’s important to you, then he’s important to me. And I promise I’ll stop trying to get you to move back home. You have a life here. I can see that. But you can’t blame me for missing you.”

  “I always miss you, too, Mom,” Jordan said as she kissed her on the cheek.