“I rest.”
Duke howled then, as if to protest.
“You tell ‘m, Duke. Look—I’ve seen you for nearly a month, working every spare minute. And when you’re not working, you’re painting. One or the other. In either case, it is still work.”
“Painting is my hobby.”
“Not! You sell them. It’s another form of income for you. What do you do just for fun?”
Jordan thought for a bit and realized he couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually taken time off.
“See—I’ve got you. Now it’s too late to dunk you in the tank—”
He waved her off. “Hang on. What do folks our age do around here?”
“Travel to see the movies, do something in the city. Whatever. We also get together at each other’s homes. Truth is, there aren’t too many of us. Most of the kids I went to school with left town for college, and they don’t return, except for visits.”
“Go to which city, Ellsworth?”
“Yes, have you been?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
“Do you like bowling?”
“Haven’t done that since I was fifteen, but I’m willing to give it a try. What about shooting some pool?”
“Tim Redcliff has a billiard table in his barn. He makes it available for folks.”
“You up for a game? What about asking Jess to join us? Or is she going to the clambake after the festival with her parents?”
“Don’t know about Jess. Let me call Tim; then I’ll call jess.”
Jordan nodded and finished his prints. He sorted through his pictures, and the sweet smile of the toothless gal landed on top of the pile. While Randi continued with her phone call, he enlarged the copy and printed out an eight-by-ten.
The red-haired lady from earlier ran in the door. “Sorry I’m late.”
“No problem. That will be six dollars and forty cents.”
“Here—keep the change.” She plopped seven dollars on the counter, swooped up the envelope, and hustled out the door faster than she’d come in.
Randi clicked her cell phone shut. “Who was that?”
“I have no idea. Hey, who do you have cell-phone service with? I just got my bill, and I need to change providers.”
They chatted while he cleaned up the area from his work.
“Jess can’t make it.”
Jordan paused. Is it wise to be alone with Miranda?
six
Randi watched Jordan as he worked. He was so methodical, taking the time to put everything in its right place then tweaking it until it stood in perfect line or the order he wanted. She wagged her head involuntarily. This model of orderliness didn’t jibe with the clutter in the back of his vehicle. “Are you always this precise?”
“Huh?”
“The back of your Jeep looks like everything was just rifled through and piled on top of each other. The counters of this shop are in pristine order. Who’s the real you?”
“Ah, this is for Dena. Have you ever seen how organized that lady is? I mean, everything is in its place. I’m haphazard at best.”
“Dena is organized in her lab. But her paperwork … well, let’s just say it took two weeks before the papers, prints, and everything were well-organized in her new lab.”
“Really?” Jordan’s shoulders relaxed.
“Jess said when she lived in Dena’s apartment in Boston the house was organized and clean, but her bedroom, which also served as her office, was overrun with papers everywhere.”
“Done.” Jordan beamed. “Are you sure you’re up for a game of pool? Are you sore?”
“A little, but I’ll be fine.”
“We don’t have to play tonight. You’re under no obligations because I saved your life.”
Randi giggled. “Not according to the town. Besides, we have some unfinished business.”
“Ah, the talk.”
“Yes. What happened between us today when you”—Randi scratched quote marks in the air—” ‘rescued’ me from that sign?
“Are you sure you want to get into this conversation? You always seem to run away from me.”
“Jordan, I was engaged for three years. Well, officially only one, but the other two were informal.”
“Ah. I don’t think this is a pool night. Let’s go to the city and have a nice steak dinner, my treat.”
“Really?” Her dark eyes rounded.
He reached out and took her hand. For the first time since she’d met Jordan, she didn’t pull back. “Really. Call Tim and say thanks, but we’ve changed our plans. I’ll run upstairs and get Duke some water and doggy treats.”
“You’re taking Duke? I don’t think you can bring him in the—”
“I don’t intend to take him into the restaurant. However, I’ve not given Duke any of my time. If he rides in the Jeep, he thinks he’s spending quality time with me.”
“You’re a little obsessed with your dog, aren’t you?”
“Probably, but he’s been my best friend for years. He’s a great listener, and I’ve never heard a rude word out of him.”
She smiled then said, “I’ll call Tim.”
Randi paced back and forth. What have I gotten myself into? It had seemed like a good idea to speak with him at the festival, but now she didn’t feel so sure. She flipped open her phone and called Tim. Jordan ran down the stairs and hurried toward the back door, signaling to her to give him one minute. Inside the kitchen, he pulled out a couple of bottled waters for Duke and a handful of puppy treats he put in a plastic bag.
A minute later, she’d finished her call. She closed her phone and turned to see Jordan watching her, leaning on the doorframe, looking like a million bucks in casual jeans, a cotton shirt tucked in, a belt buckle that looked as if it came from a rodeo. And his hair … “What?”
He gave her a lazy smile. “You’re a beautiful woman.”
Fire danced on her cheeks.
“Are you going to run away?”
“No, but I want to.”
He moved slowly toward her. “Miranda, I—” He stopped short then stepped back. She’d never been so thankful someone moved away from her.
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. Let’s get going to dinner. Do we need reservations? It is Saturday night.”
Her tongue felt dry. “No, we should be fine. We might have to wait a few minutes. No big deal.”
He nodded and grabbed the keys to his Jeep from a peg on the wall. “Let’s go. Come on, Duke.”
The basset hound wobbled to a stand on his short legs.
“How old is he?” On second thought, I’m glad he’s bringing his dog. It will give us something to talk about.
“Duke is thirteen. That’s ninety-one to you and me.”
“Wow! He’s an old man.”
“Yup.” Jordan scooped up the dog and put him in the backseat. “He’s lived with me all his life, except for my first year in college. My folks insisted I live in a dorm the first year. After that, I lived off campus in my own apartment, if you can call rooming with four to six guys your own apartment.”
He held the door open for her. Randi grabbed the roll bar and pulled herself up into the high vehicle. It wasn’t as high as some of those new pickup trucks, but for someone her size, it was high enough.
“I moved out of the house last year. After Cal and I broke up, I needed to be on my own. Mom and Dad were great, but I don’t know—I just wanted to be on my own.”
“I understand.” Jordan closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. He didn’t run, nor was he being exceptionally slow, but each step he took struck her as purposeful. It was confusing, trying to piece together the many facets of this man.
Sliding behind the wheel, he turned toward her. “Which way?”
Randi fought to relax her nervous stomach. “North.” With only one main route into town she didn’t have to explain more, which was a blessing.
Jordan pushed his chair back from the table. “That was good. H
ow was yours?”
“Excellent.”
“Would you like some dessert?”
“No, I’m stuffed. Besides, I purchased a lemon meringue pie from the festival today.”
“Now that sounds yummy.”
Randi’s eyes widened. They were onyx in the dim lighting of the restaurant. “You like lemon meringue?”
“Yup, and just about any way pie comes. I have a huge sweet tooth.”
“You don’t look it.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “That’s because I work 24/7, as you say.”
“Why is that?”
He shrugged. How could he admit he was anxious to earn the kind of living that would provide for a wife and children he didn’t yet have. For her, he hoped. She’d been the best date he’d ever had, and this wasn’t even a real date. “I have plans for the future, and it’s hard to earn a lot doing photography. Truthfully, if it hadn’t been for all those roommates, I would have had to get a job to help support myself.”
“Dena does well.”
“Yup, but she established herself when she was married.”
“Actually that isn’t quite true. Jess told me that when she became a widow she used the life insurance to buy the studio with the upstairs apartment. From what I’ve heard our pastor say in his sermons, his mother, Dena, went through some hard times the first three years after his father died. His father was a minister also, so they didn’t own their own home and didn’t really have much of anything.”
“I knew her husband died a while back, but I didn’t realize she started her business after he died.”
“Yup. Photography was just a hobby before that.”
“Well, she has the eye. She’s good, and her name and reputation stand for quality.”
The waiter, in dark pants and a white shirt, came up to the table. “Excuse me. Will that be all for the night, or can I tempt you with some desserts or an after-dinner beverage? We have several specialty coffees.”
He glanced over at her and smiled. “Miranda?”
“No, thanks, I’m fine.”
“Just the check, please, and would you wrap this bone in a doggy bag for me?”
“Yes, sir.” The waiter stepped away.
Jordan took in a deep pull of air and let it out slowly. “Are you still wanting to talk?”
“Honestly, no. But we need to.”
“Okay.” Jordan slid down to the edge of the chair, stretched out his legs, and crossed his ankles. Relaxed, he wasn’t; but he wanted her to be.
“Jordan, I don’t know how to explain this without being horribly blunt. I like you. But I’m terrified by you, if that makes sense.”
Jordan paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. “Tell me about your engagement to Cal.”
“Why? What does that have to do with you and me?”
“Perhaps nothing, and maybe everything. I don’t know what happened, but I suspect he dumped you. A fool, if you ask me.”
Randi wrung the cloth napkin in her hands. “Yes, he was having an affair with someone I knew. Not that it’s hard not to know someone in Squabbin Bay.”
“Then he definitely was a fool. How have you dealt with the trust issue? I can see you’ve dealt with the hurt. You’ve moved on and made a life for yourself. But what about trust?
Can you trust a man, any man?”
“I haven’t had a problem around any other man, except you.”
“Ah.” Because of that connection we felt for one another the second time we met. I know the feeling. “Miranda, I like you. I’d like to get to know you better. Maybe over time you’ll feel more comfortable around me. I’d like to be your friend.”
Her eyes widened then closed. They told so much about her and what she was thinking. And he’d done it again. This time, he’d hurt her. “Friend isn’t a bad thing.”
She lifted her head and gave a slight smile. “No, friend isn’t a bad thing.”
“Okay, I’m clueless here. I would like a relationship, but I admit I’m terrified by the emotions I feel for you, felt for you from our second encounter. The first was unique—but not something to build a relationship upon.”
Randi giggled. “I’m so sorry.”
He held up his hands. “I know it was an accident. Let’s not get off the subject. I thought friendship was a good place to start. Is there something wrong with that assumption?”
“My mom said something similar today. She thinks Cal and I weren’t meant for one another, and I didn’t see that.”
“Is she right? I mean, it’s obvious the guy was a jerk, but—”
“I don’t know. I always blamed Brenda for the affair. They married a month or so after we broke up. He was engaged to me for years. And—”
“What was it in Cal that made you want to marry him?”
She pursed her lips then twitched them. “I don’t know. I mean, I used to think it was what we were supposed to do. I’d loved him since tenth grade.”
Jordan paused then asked, “Friends—meaning you and me? Can we be?”
“Yes. I think that’s a good idea for now.”
“Good. I could use a friend in town. Jess told me today I had to stop looking at people as potential customers.”
“She told you that? Of course Jess would tell you that. But, yeah, you need to stop thinking that way.”
“Noted. So can I consider you my second friend in Squabbin Bay?”
“Absolutely.” She paused. “Second? Who’s the first?”
He smiled. “Jess. Well, I think Duke is going to start howling soon if I don’t return. The bone ought to help.”
“Buying his affection, huh?”
“You could say that.”
Randi seemed to relax for the first time all evening.
Jordan plopped a hefty tip on the table and escorted Randi from the room with a gentle touch on her elbow. He’d be the perfect gentleman. She needed a man who loved her enough to respect her. And with God’s help he would be just that man. All in all, he decided, tonight had been a wonderful evening. He opened the front door of the restaurant.
“Duke? What are you doing here?”
seven
Randi moaned as she crawled out of bed the next morning. It had taken hours, until well after midnight, to recover Jordan’s vehicle from the impound yard. He had parked in front of a No PARKING sign. She’d never seen a sign there either, or she would have warned him.
Her head throbbed from lack of sleep. She went into the bathroom and took two aspirin. Five minutes later, she was burrowed back under the covers and asleep. The next time she opened her eyes, it was well after noon. She’d missed church. She went to her laptop and downloaded the Sunday morning sermon then uploaded it into her iPod.
Showered, dressed, and feeling a lot better, she drove to the Kearns home. Jess greeted her at the door with a tall glass of iced tea. “We’d given up hope on seeing you. Jordan told us what happened.”
“I never saw that sign until we found out they towed the Jeep.”
“Jordan’s laughing about it. Come—there’re a few morsels left.”
Dena and Wayne were lounging out on their deck chairs. Jordan sat beside them with a plate full of food. She really did wonder how he stayed so thin with an appetite like his. She waved.
He returned the gesture and kept on speaking with Dena and Wayne. Pastor Russell stood at the grill. Large meat patties were lined up and at various stages of completion. “Would you like one or two, Randi?”
“Two, thanks.”
“Coming right up.”
“Sorry about missing the service. I listened to the first part of the sermon on the way over. Sounds good.”
“Digger is doing an excellent job. I can’t believe he has the sermons up and ready on the Internet before I even get home. It’s amazing.”
“Gotta love it.” Randi smiled. She’d taught Digger, aka Tommy Williams, a teen at the church, how to upload on the church’s Web page and how to write the basic computer code so folks could find
it.
“Absolutely.” Pastor Russell scooped two burgers off the grill and placed them on a red plastic plate.
For a moment, she watched the children running back and forth to the end of the cliff that overlooked the beach then turned to find an empty chair.
“Come with me. I’ve got to show you something.” Jess pulled her by the arm through the house and to the kitchen. On the table lay a Realtor’s printout of a house.
“Is this what I think it is?”
“Yeah. I haven’t seen it yet, but at the festival yesterday the Realtor handed me this printout. What do you think?”
“I think it’s way too soon for you to be considering a house, but what do I know?”
Jess giggled. “Plenty. I have time to look, but staying with Dad and Mom—”
“They’re newlyweds,” Randi finished the sentence for her. Her mother’s words came back from yesterday about her and Cal not having been that close. She never finished Cal’s sentences for him. Well, except to correct him. Randi sighed.
“What?” Jess sat down in the chair. “Come on—what’s going on in there? Is it the house? Am I missing something?”
“No, no, not the house. If you and your parents think it’s a good idea, go for it. No, it’s something my mother said to me yesterday about Cal and me.” Randi glanced down at the paper again. “Isn’t that Brenda and Cal’s house?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
Randi waved her off. “No problem. Why isn’t Brenda keeping the house?”
“She’s moving closer to her mother. Apparently Cal hasn’t been great with the child support.”
A lump flipped in her stomach. “You know, I’ve been getting messages from Brenda asking me to call her. I’ve never called back. I don’t know what to say. I’m over the anger. But I still don’t like her much.”
“I hear ya. She’s in a hard place. I’m sure she’s not making anything off the sale of the house. They owned it for only a year.”
“Probably not. Maybe I should return her call.”
Jess put her hand on Randi’s. “Forgiveness is more powerful to the person who gives it than to the one who asks for it.”
Trespassed Hearts Page 5